J Boats J/28C Buyer's Guide
The J/28C on the brokerage market is a mid-eighties Rodney S. Johnstone design: a 28.5-foot centerboard sloop with a 10-foot beam and solid fiberglass hull carrying lead ballast. She is a straightforward small boat to evaluate, with a documented rig inventory and a known handling profile that a viewing sailor can confirm in minutes.
Layouts on the Used Market
The design's defining interior fact is the spacious hull form—a length-to-beam ratio of 2.84 made her roomier than most comparable boats—rather than any optional plan. Buyers should judge the beamy cabin against their own needs and not expect a second layout choice.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Boats of this era often carry a gennaker or spinnaker, and autopilot, radar, chartplotter, and air conditioning are frequently fitted. For a buyer, the sail-handling additions mean checking the pole and snuffer gear, while the navigation and comfort cluster—chartplotter, radar, autopilot, air conditioning—speaks to how the boat was used and what systems will need survey. None of these are universal, but they are the common upgrades seen on the used fleet.
What to Inspect
The fiberglass hull's minimum maintenance need is a point in the boat's favor, but confirm there is no unrepaired osmosis or impact damage aft where the spade rudder mounts. The centerboard trunk and pivot should be cycled to show the board moves freely and seats without play. Verify the halyard and sheet lengths against the design spec—94.2-foot 5/16-inch halyards, 28.4-foot 3/8-inch jib and genoa sheets, 71-foot 3/8 mainsheet—so you know whether prior owners shortened or substituted running rigging.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The J/28C appears on the used market in the United States. A short checklist for a viewing:
- Cycle the centerboard and check the trunk for play.
- Inspect the spade rudder mount for unrepaired impact or osmosis.
- Confirm running rigging matches the 94.2-foot halyard and 71-foot mainsheet lengths.
- Note the fin keel's lower directional stability when steering.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the J Boats J/28C. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 9 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 25 | 1 | $22,000 | — |
| Jun 25 | 1 | $34,500 | +56.8% |
| Aug 25 | 2 | $19,500 | -43.5% |
| Sep 25 | 2 | $19,500 | 0.0% |
| Nov 25 | 1 | $10,500 | -46.2% |
| Dec 25 | 2 | $10,500 | 0.0% |
| Jan 26 | 2 | $18,750 | +78.6% |
| Mar 26 | 1 | $12,000 | -36.0% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $10,500 | -12.5% |
Where they're listed
J Boats J/28C listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 7.
Country view
7 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $10,500 | 7 | 1 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
5 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina 28 | 28.5' | $ 25,000 | 39 | 3 |
| One-Off 28 | 28.18' | $ 39,667 | 12 | 1 |
| Shannon 28 | 28' | $ 35,000 | 11 | 4 |
| Jeanneau First 28 | 28.21' | $ 26,284 | 10 | 3 |
| J Boats J/28CYou are here | — | $ 10,500 | 7 | 1 |