Design and Construction
The J/28 has a fiberglass hull, which keeps in-season maintenance to a minimum. Its overall length is 28.5 feet, with a 10-foot beam and a length-to-beam ratio of 2.84. That places it among the beamier boats in its size class. The Yacht Database review says Johnstone chose a significantly roomier hull form and, by this measure, the J/28 offers more space below than 76 percent of comparable sailboats.
Below the waterline, the boat has a fin keel and spade rudder. This arrangement favors agility over straight-line tracking: the fin keel provides splendid maneuverability but gives up some directional stability compared with a longer keel.
The J/28 carries 3,000 pounds of lead ballast and has a ballast ratio of 38 percent. The same review places that figure above 38 percent of similar designs. Even so, the ratio is just below average, indicating below-average resistance to heeling for the type.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The J/28 carries a fractional sloop rig. According to the review, it has more sail area relative to its size than 73 percent of similar sailboats, making it slightly overrigged for the class. Its wetted surface is about 269 square feet, and its theoretical displacement-hull speed is 6.6 knots.
Draft varies with load, from roughly 5.0 to 5.3 feet, keeping the boat within reach of most marina approaches. Its immersion rate of 837 pounds per inch shows how added load affects both draft and waterline.
The standing and running rigging dimensions are well documented. The specified line lengths and diameters are:
- Mainsail, jib/genoa, and spinnaker halyards: 94.2 feet each, at 5/16 inch diameter
- Jib and genoa sheets: 28.4 feet of 3/8 inch line
- Mainsheet: 71 feet of 3/8 inch line
- Spinnaker sheets: 62.5 feet of 3/8 inch line
- Cunningham, kicking strap, and clew outhaul: 26 feet or less each, using 5/16 inch line
Accommodations and Cruising Capacity
The beamy hull pays dividends below, even though the sources stop short of describing the interior layout in detail. With 10 feet of beam on an overall length of 28.5 feet, the J/28 uses its 2.84 length-to-beam ratio to provide living space that few similarly sized designs match.
Tankage includes 35 gallons of water and 20 gallons of fuel, supporting short coastal cruises without frequent replenishment. An 18-horsepower Yanmar diesel provides auxiliary propulsion for the boat’s 7,900-pound displacement.
The Verdict
The J/28 is a concentrated expression of Johnstone’s mid-1980s design thinking: a small, beamy, slightly overrigged fractional sloop that trades some stiffness and directional stability for maneuverability and room below. It combines fiberglass construction, well-documented rigging specifications, and accommodations that make unusually effective use of its length. Production was modest, with 71 boats built between 1986 and 1988.
Pros
- Beamy hull provides more interior space than 76 percent of comparable designs by the cited measure
- Fin keel offers excellent maneuverability in close quarters
- Fiberglass construction minimizes in-season maintenance
- Well-documented rigging dimensions simplify replacement and upgrades
Cons
- Below-average resistance to heeling for the class
- Fin keel sacrifices directional stability compared with a long keel
- Slightly overrigged, which can tax a short-handed crew
