Design and Construction
Cabal's hull measures 22.31 feet on the waterline against a 10-foot beam, an L/B ratio of 2.77 that places her firmly in the beamy camp. Yacht-database's review notes that compared with similar sailboats she is more spacious than 82% of all other designs, a direct consequence of that broad section plan anchor. The hull and deck are solid fiberglass, and the keel is made of iron, a detail worth flagging for any survey since iron appendages invite corrosion where lead would not. At 5,633 pounds displacement with 2,216 pounds of ballast, her ballast ratio sits at 39% — higher than 42% of comparable designs but still modest, and the same review ties that figure to an ability to resist heeling that is below average. The wetted surface runs about 279 square feet, and immersion is a substantial 999 pounds per inch, so she settles noticeably under cruising load.
Rig and Handling
The masthead rig drives a 307-square-foot sail plan, and the sheet specifications are unusually complete: jib and genoa sheets both run 28.2 feet at 3/8-inch diameter, the mainsheet stretches 70.5 feet at the same diameter, and a spinnaker sheet is specified at 62 feet anchor. Those lengths confirm a rig proportioned for a boat of her length rather than a fractionally tuned racer. Draft is quoted at 5.41 to 5.71 feet dependent on load, which keeps her within most marina depths but rules out the thinnest shoal venues. With a hull speed near 6.3 knots and a displacement-length ratio above 226, she is a moderate-displacement cruiser; the below-average righting moment means she will heel earlier than a deeper-ballasted contemporary, demanding attentive sail trim in a breeze.
Accommodations
No berth count, galley description, or head location is published for this design, so the only defensible statement is that the hull's volume advantage — the 82% spaciousness ranking — is the defining accommodation fact. A beam of 10 feet on a 30.5-foot hull gives Cabal room to lay out a livable interior well beyond the norm for the size.
Known Issues
The iron keel noted above is the one construction caveat, and a buyer's survey should examine it for rust jacking or coating loss at the hull joint.
The Verdict
The Furia 28 is a volume-driven small cruiser from the late-1970s Spanish yard, engineered by Alberto Cabal to give a 30-footer the interior breadth of a larger boat at the cost of some initial stiffness. She is straightforward to handle on a masthead rig with documented sheet dimensions, and her modest draft suits marina sailing, but the iron keel and below-average righting moment are the two facts a prospective owner must weigh.
Pros
- Beamier and more spacious than 82% of similar designs
- Complete masthead rig sheet specifications documented
- Draft under 5.71 feet keeps most marinas accessible
Cons
- Iron keel invites corrosion concerns versus lead
- Below-average resistance to heeling from a 39% ballast ratio
- No published accommodation layout detail
