Freedom 28 Cat Ketch Buyer's Guide
The Freedom 28 Cat Ketch on the used market is a 1979-origin Garry Hoyt and Jay Paris design built by Tillotson Pearson for Freedom Yachts, an unstayed carbon-fiber cat ketch of 28 feet with a swing-up centerboard and a Yanmar diesel. She is out of production but remains a distinctly practical shorthanded cruiser for buyers who value rig simplicity over racing pace.
Layouts on the Used Market
Used examples show the traditional no-frills interior the design is known for: a forward cabin with two 6-foot 6-inch berths that join with an insert, a port U-shaped dinette doubling as a double, and a starboard settee berth with tankage beneath. The mizzenmast is stepped between saloon and galley, so the central accommodation volume reads differently from a sloop and some viewers are put off by the intrusion. A bridge deck and slotted scupper are consistent features; the starboard cockpit locker is deep and gives access to the engine rear, while the port locker is shallow above the quarter berth.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Bimini and dodger are commonly fitted, suiting the led-aft rig and Spartan-but-comfortable cockpit. The original sail plan used wrap-around sleeve sails and wishbone booms on early boats, later swapped to conventional booms; wishbone spars were an option. For a buyer, the single self-tailing winch and lazy-jacks define sail handling, and the L-shaped galley's propane stove, icebox, and over-stern propane tanks are the key energy and provisioning items to verify.
What to Inspect
The bow is the first inspection focus: the mainmast collar, a pair of heavy 10-inch mooring cleats, and chocks greatly limit foot room when docking and anchoring, and fitting a windlass would be a challenge on that foredeck. Check the intrusive cabin mizzenmast step and its steel angle brackets at the beam above the ballast. Confirm the starboard locker bilge pump and rear-engine access are intact, and inspect the sealed aluminum toerail-to-hull flange fastening for any 3M 5200 sealant failure given the 6-inch bolt spacing.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in the United States. For a shopper, the short checklist is: verify unstayed mast condition and bracket bonding; confirm centerboard swing and 4-foot 6-inch shoal draft usability; assess bow windlass impracticality against ground-tackle plan; and accept the cabin mizzen as a layout given. A Freedom 28 Cat Ketch rewards the buyer who sails shorthanded and prizes low rig maintenance.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Freedom 28 Cat Ketch. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 5 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 25 | 1 | $12,500 | — |
| Jul 25 | 1 | $12,000 | -4.0% |
| Nov 25 | 1 | $8,900 | -25.8% |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $28,000 | +214.6% |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $28,900 | +3.2% |
Where they're listed
Freedom 28 Cat Ketch listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 3.
Country view
3 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $28,000 | 3 | 1 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
6 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom 35 Cat Ketch | 34.75' | $ 58,000 | 42 | 16 |
| Catalina 28 | 28.5' | $ 25,000 | 39 | 5 |
| Friendship 28 | 28.54' | $ 11,081 | 23 | 5 |
| One-Off 28 | 28.18' | $ 39,176 | 12 | 1 |
| Jeanneau First 28 | 28.21' | $ 26,137 | 10 | 3 |
| Tillotson-Pearson 28 Cat KetchYou are here | — | $ 28,000 | 3 | 1 |