Herreshoff H-28 Buyer's Guide
The Herreshoff H-28 is a L. Francis Herreshoff ketch first built in 1942, a 28-foot cruiser of 10,500 lb displacement and 2,800 lb ballast that has circulated among private owners for decades. Shopping the used market means weighing a heavy, able hull against the individual refits each seller has applied since the war years.
Layouts on the Used Market
Because the H-28 was built to a single 1942 Herreshoff drawing, the essential hull and cabin footprint stay constant across examples. A 1977 boat named Gwylan, constructed by McKie (“Nick”) Roth in Westport, Maine, shows the design could be reproduced almost entirely as drawn long after the first builds, with only small deviations like omitted mizzen spreaders anchor. Buyers should expect the ketch rig to define the cockpit and cabin relationship rather than any wholesale plan change between hulls.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the brokerage trail, life rafts and solar panels are often seen, while teak decks and autopilots appear as occasional owner upgrades rather than standard fit. The most consequential modification remains the bowsprit: owners who added one gained a headstay position for a good-sized genoa that handles easily in light air and a secure out-of-the-way anchor stowage point for single-handing. A buyer should treat a bowsprit-equipped boat as more capable in light winds and ground-tackle work than a bare-as-designed example.
What to Inspect
The known deviations from designed specification are the clearest inspection cues. One documented 1977 build was completed almost entirely as designed except for the bowsprit, no spreaders on the mizzen, and no cedar bucket anchor, so a buyer should confirm whether mizzen spreaders and period fittings are present or were intentionally omitted. The bowsprit itself, where fitted, should be checked for attachment and forestay turnbuckle condition since owners rely on that assembly for genoa handling.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
H-28s typically appear in Australia, the United States, and Switzerland. For a shopper, the short list is: confirm the masthead ketch rig is complete; verify any bowsprit and its forestay hardware; check for missing mizzen spreaders or cedar bucket against the as-designed baseline; and note whether solar or life raft are already aboard while treating teak decks or autopilot as owner-added. The boat rewards a buyer who values build consistency over modern speed.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Herreshoff H-28. 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 26 | 7 | $12,742 | — |
| Feb 26 | 2 | $24,736 | +94.1% |
| Mar 26 | 1 | $849 | -96.6% |
| Apr 26 | 2 | $36,000 | +4140.3% |
| May 26 | 1 | $36,000 | 0.0% |
Where they're listed
Herreshoff H-28 listings appear across 3 countries. Australia has the most listings with 9 (69.2%), followed by United States and Switzerland.
Country view
13 listings · 3 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | $12,742 | 9 | 0 | 69.2% |
| United States | $36,000 | 3 | 0 | 23.1% |
| Switzerland | $33,189 | 1 | 0 | 7.7% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
4 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colvic Countess 28 | 28' | $ 10,123 | 22 | 2 |
| Cape Dory 28 | 28.1' | $ 17,950 | 18 | 5 |
| Stäheli Altnau H-28You are here | — | $ 13,379 | 13 | 0 |
| Shannon 28 | 28' | $ 52,000 | 13 | 3 |