Design and Construction
Both hull and deck are solid fiberglass, and the defining structural idea is the swing keel — a pivoting lifting foil that lets the boat operate in coastal waters and shallow inland passages alike. With the keel raised the draft runs as little as 1.90 feet under load, opening marinas and rivers that a conventional 29-footer could never enter; lowered, she draws 4.92 ft for offshore stability. The length-to-beam ratio of 2.89 and a wetted surface of roughly 279 square feet describe a beamy, moderately loaded hull whose 222 displacement-length ratio tags her as a moderate racer. A capsize screening value of 1.96 and a Motion Comfort Ratio of 22.4 round out a profile that favors controlled, predictable motion over out-and-out speed.
Rig and Handling
The fractional sloop rig carries 350 square feet of sail area, returning a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 14.08 — enough to keep her lively without demanding a racing crew. Standing and running rigging follow a consistent 10 mm diameter: the jib and genoa sheets are each 28.2 feet long, the mainsheet runs 70.5 feet, and the spinnaker sheet measures 62.1 feet. Those lengths suit a compact cockpit with straightforward lead angles. Her theoretical displacement hull speed is 6.7 knots, and an immersion rate of about 857 pounds per inch means she settles predictably with stores and crew — a useful trait for a boat that shifts between light inland mode and loaded coastal cruising.
Accommodations
Inside, the Delphia 29 offers headroom that is above average for a boat of her length, a real asset in a 28-foot hull where many designs force a stoop. The swing keel's trunk necessarily shapes the saloon footprint, but the beam of nearly 9 feet 10 inches gives the interior a breadth that reads larger than the LOA suggests. The 19-gallon fuel and 20-gallon water capacities are modest, consistent with a coastal cruiser rather than a long-range liveaboard.
The Verdict
The Delphia 29 is a specialist's delight: a solid-fiberglass Polish design whose pivoting keel dissolves the usual trade-off between shallow draft and sea-kindly behavior. She is quick enough to amuse, stable enough to reassure, and roomy enough overhead to live with. The limits are those of her size and tankage, not her engineering.
Pros
- Pivoting swing keel enables both coastal and inland shallow-water cruising
- Above-average headroom for a 28-foot hull
- Moderate-racer numbers with a comfortable Motion Comfort Ratio of 22.4
- Solid fiberglass hull and deck throughout
Cons
- Only 19 gallons of fuel and 20 gallons of water restrict range
- Shallow raised-keel draft limits windward ability in open water
