Irwin 28 Mk III Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The Irwin 28 Mk III dates from an era when Irwin Yachts still laid up solid fiberglass hulls by hand. Its one-piece molded hull uses alternating layers of hand-laid mat and 24-ounce woven roving; neither chopper guns nor blown glass were used in the hulls. Additional laminate reinforces high-stress areas, and floor timbers were hand-glassed into all keel models.

The deck is a one-piece molded fiberglass unit with a plywood core for stiffness and insulation. On the fin-keel version, pre-cast lead ballast is secured with stainless steel through-bolts torqued to a reinforced keel boss. The rudder is supported by a partial skeg.

The Mk III was offered with several keel alternatives, including a fin keel drawing about 4.5 feet and a stub/centreboard keel drawing roughly 3 feet, depending on load. Early boats in the broader Irwin 28 series were mostly shallow-draft full-keelers with centerboards, while later boats seem to be fixed-fin-keel variants.

The boat measures 28.5 feet overall, with a 23-foot waterline and a 9-foot beam. Displacement is 7,800 pounds, including 3,200 pounds of ballast.

Rig and Sailing Performance

The Irwin 28 has always been sloop-rigged. Its masthead rig uses an anodized aluminum mast and boom, with standard 1x19 stainless steel standing rigging and single upper and lower shrouds. On paper, the rig looks more ambitious than the boat’s size might suggest.

The shroud chainplates sit midway between the coachhouse wall and the toerail. They are relatively large, heavy-duty steel strips that pass through the deck and bolt firmly to the hull grid.

Test sailors found that the boat’s favorite point of sail is close-hauled. She tracks well enough but needs precise sail trim to balance the tiller. Weather helm is readily controlled by adjusting the mainsheet traveler mounted on the companionway threshold.

She handles moderate seas and wind quite nicely, remaining controlled and manageable in winds up to about 25 knots and Lake Michigan seas of five or six feet. Reverse is another matter: she prop-walks badly to starboard, making steering almost totally ineffective. Under auxiliary power from a gasoline Volvo or Universal, she’ll motor at just over 6 knots when pushed.

Cockpit, Deck, and Ground Tackle

The Irwin 28 was available with either tiller or pedestal wheel steering. Its bow and stern cleats are nicely oversized for a 28-footer, but the foredeck lacks a midships cleat, an anchoring platform, and even an anchor roller. One reviewer called this one of the I28’s biggest drawbacks as a cruiser.

The rope-and-chain locker is in the bow, but it can be reached only through the V-berth rather than from the deck. That arrangement complicates ground-tackle handling.

Accommodations

Starting forward, the cabin has a roomy V-berth, a hanging wet locker to starboard, and an enclosed head with sink and vanity to port. Adult-length settees run along both sides of the saloon. Farther aft are a bulkhead-hinged table, an L-shaped galley to starboard, and a quarter berth to port.

Storage is plentiful, though not always convenient, because most of it is recessed beneath the berths and settees. The galley includes a roomy icebox, an alcohol stove, and a flip-up countertop extension. Some boats also have a slide-out navigation table above the quarter berth.

The cabin’s best feature is the large bulkhead table, which stows neatly out of the way when it isn’t needed.

Engine and Systems

Two gasoline auxiliary engines were offered: a Volvo MB10A producing 15 peak horsepower and a Universal. Any buyer should therefore plan for diligent attention to the gasoline system. The exhaust runs through a waterlift muffler.

Engine access isn’t ideal. Oil and spark-plug changes can be handled from the front after removing the companionway steps. There is also a small access panel in the quarter berth and starboard-side access through the cockpit lazarette.

Known Issues

The chainplate arrangement is structurally strong, but the heavy steel strips pass through the deck and are prone to leaking there. Several owners have also reported leaks at the deck-to-hull joint, which uses the overlapping-flange construction typical of the period. The proper remedy is to remove and reseal the perforated aluminum toerail along its full length.

These weaknesses are concentrated around deck penetrations, the deck-to-hull joint, and the boat’s limited anchoring provisions rather than its basic hull structure.

Refits and Ownership

For an owner on a modest budget, the Irwin 28 can be a fine coastal cruiser. Its substantial construction beneath the cosmetics can make a carefully considered refit a sound investment rather than a money pit. Even so, the boat rewards attentive ownership and is less forgiving of careless maintenance.

The Verdict

The Irwin 28 Mk III is a genuinely well-built small cruiser. Its hand-laid hull and through-bolted lead ballast belie its price point. It sails best close-hauled, demands tidy sail trim, and can be a handful in reverse, but it remains controlled and manageable in moderate coastal conditions.

Its principal weaknesses lie in deck hardware and anchoring provisions—not in the underlying structure. Deck leaks and restricted engine access are additional concerns.

Pros