Design and Construction
The 26 Mk I was designed by Walter Scott and built by Island Packet Yachts as a fiberglass cruiser with a keel-centerboard hull configuration. Solid FG construction, an 8,000-pound displacement, and 2,750 pounds of ballast produce a ballast-displacement ratio of 34.38. Together, these figures give her a steady, weight-forward character unusual in a boat of this size.
Her displacement-length ratio is 255.78, and her comfort ratio is 20.87. Both figures describe a heavy, damped motion profile. The capsize screening value of 2.10 falls within the range associated with offshore-capable cruisers. With a beam of 10.5 feet and a waterline length of 24.08 feet, the hull is compact but carries its volume low.
Rig and Handling
The cutter rig carries a reported 402 square feet of sail area, divided between a 195-square-foot mainsail and a 206-square-foot foretriangle. The mast stands 9.14 meters above the waterline.
A sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 16.13 leaves her undercanvased by modern light-air standards, but it’s consistent with a shoal-draft cruiser intended to be handled safely in a breeze. The centerboard provides a maximum draft of 5.5 feet and a minimum draft of 2.33 feet, allowing her to slip into anchorages that a fixed-keel boat of the same length couldn’t reach.
A spade rudder and a hull speed of 6.58 knots complete a package suited to sheltered-water gunkholing as well as passage-making.
Accommodations and Tankage
Below, the boat offers six feet of headroom—an important figure in a 26-foot hull, where many contemporaries provide five feet or less. The 30-gallon water capacity and 18-gallon diesel capacity support short coastal cruises without constant reprovisioning.
The cutter layout and 10.5-foot beam provide room for a forward berth and quarter accommodations typical of the class, though the sources give dimensions rather than details of the joinery.
The Verdict
The Island Packet 26 Mk I is a purpose-built little cruiser from the brand’s early years. She pairs shoal-draft flexibility with a heavy, reassuring motion and a genuine six feet of standing headroom. Only 29 were built over three years, limiting the used fleet but also making each survivor a discrete example of the marque’s origins.
Pros
- Keel-centerboard configuration with a 2.33-foot minimum draft for gunkholing
- Solid fiberglass construction and a ballast-displacement ratio of 34.38
- Full six-foot headroom in a sub-30-foot hull
- Cutter rig with a documented sail-area breakdown
Cons
- Low sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 16.13 limits light-air performance
- Only 29 were built, so finding one requires patience
- The short 1980–1982 production run predates later refinements
