Design and Construction
The finished Great Dane 28 carries a transom stern, heavily raked rudder, and cutaway forefoot, reading as a beguiling blend of folkboat and spidsgatter. Reviewers found the hull shape echoed not only folkboats but also Twisters and a broad family of long-keeled yachts from that era anchor. At 8,500 pounds displacement with 3,968 pounds of iron ballast and a 4ft 6in draught, she was conceived as a heavy displacement cruising yacht, and Yachting World likened her to a "modern Falmouth Quay Punt" owing to her short ends, high freeboard, and the impression of a large boat for her length anchor. The deck structure and much of the interior were the work of Klaus Baess himself, and testers described a vessel of sound design built to a high standard, with solid fiberglass hull and deck and a great deal of oiled teak on display below.
Rig and Handling
As a masthead sloop of 358 square feet sail area on a 21ft 4in waterline, the Great Dane 28 is not built to break records but proves no slouch either. In flat seas with a fresh Force 3 she was responsive and at least as quick as a more-acclaimed yacht of the same vintage, and the long keel with its cutaway forefoot carries a keel-hung rudder that lends predictable tracking. Writing in the source review, test sailors noted she is the type of boat tried and tested for comfort and safety rather than great speed anchor. Yachting World's own assessment credited her with an air of efficiency and general competence rare in a production boat, a verdict borne out when a Great Dane 28 with Baess at the helm won the 1969 One of a Kind Rally.
Accommodations
Below, the original layout placed a port dinette that converted to a small double bunk opposite a six-foot starboard galley, with a wet locker and chart table aft and heads to port forward, totaling five berths. Later boats adopted a more conventional saloon spanning the full beam with a galley aft. Testers were struck by the characterful 1960s decor, a multitude of curves from the large saloon windows to the table corners and distinctive half-moon drawer handles, all set off by abundant oiled teak. The cockpit is well thought-out, with a raised aft helm seat, central pedestal for engine controls and mainsheet, and crew lockers forward — though the lack of a full-length fore-aft bench is a minus point.
Known Issues
The only documented shortcoming is the cockpit seating arrangement, where the absence of full-length benches limits crew stretch-out space.
Refits and Ownership
Most deck and interior architecture came from Baess, so later conventional-layout boats differ noticeably from early dinette versions when shopping or refitting. The abundance of varnish and oiled teak on deck and below means ongoing brightwork upkeep is part of ownership, and the Folkboat-influenced profile with sweet lines gives the boat a classic feel that rewards careful maintenance.
The Verdict
The Great Dane 28 is a thoroughly tested Danish cruiser that trades outright speed for reassuring stability and a characterful, well-built interior. She suits a buyer who values traditional aesthetics, predictable long-keel manners, and a teak-rich cabin over racing performance, and her production run of some 300 hulls means examples exist with either early or late layouts.
Pros
- Sound design and high build standard in solid fiberglass
- Heavy-displacement long keel with cutaway forefoot for predictable handling
- Characterful 1960s teak interior with curved details and large saloon windows
- Folkboat-influenced lines with classic exterior varnish
Cons
- Cockpit lacks full-length fore-aft benches
- Prioritizes comfort and safety over great speed
