Mirage 28 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used market for a Mirage 28 means looking at a Bruce Kelley design from the early eighties, built by Mirage Mfg. as a 27.5-foot fiberglass masthead sloop. She is a light-displacement pocket cruiser with a 44 percent ballast ratio and a fin keel drawing just under 5.3 feet loaded, which makes her an approachable coastal boat for a second-time owner or a minimalist couple.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Mirage 28 follows the period norm for a 28-foot Kelley sloop, with a solid fiberglass hull. Her 9.18-foot beam and 22.33-foot waterline yield a compact interior volume typical of early-eighties racer-cruisers. Buyers should board several examples to judge whether the cabin suits their liveaboard or weekending needs.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Used Mirage 28s commonly show chartplotters, dodgers, life rafts, solar panels, spinnakers, and EPIRBs already fitted, which covers navigation, safety, and light-air sailing for most buyers. Heating, cockpit showers, and AIS are often seen and worth having in northern European waters. A furling main appears only as an occasional owner upgrade rather than standard gear, so treat it as a negotiation point rather than an expectation. The practical takeaway is that a typical boat will arrive self-sufficient for coastal passage-making, with the larger additions being personal rather than production-line.
What to Inspect
The only measurable figures in the record are rigging lengths and the 715 pounds-per-inch immersion rate. A buyer should confirm the masthead rig's halyards (23.4 m, 8 mm) and sheets (10 mm) for age, and check the solid hull for gelcoat blistering given the fiberglass layup. A standard survey remains prudent on any 1980s fiberglass boat.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The Mirage 28 is typically found in the United Kingdom and Germany. For a shopper, the checklist is short: verify the fin keel and spade rudder for ground contact, confirm the masthead rigging matches the 23.4 m halyard standard, and expect to add a furling main yourself if desired. She is a common enough small cruiser in those markets to compare two or three before committing.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Mirage 28. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 10 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 3 | $12,917 | — |
| Oct 25 | 2 | $15,909 | +23.2% |
| Nov 25 | 2 | $14,889 | -6.4% |
| Jan 26 | 1 | $5,439 | -63.5% |
| Feb 26 | 1 | $6,459 | +18.8% |
| Mar 26 | 3 | $5,361 | -17.0% |
| Apr 26 | 3 | $10,198 | +90.2% |
| May 26 | 3 | $14,277 | +40.0% |
| Jul 26 | 2 | $11,426 | -20.0% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $6,119 | -46.4% |
Where they're listed
Mirage 28 listings appear across 2 countries. United Kingdom has the most listings with 19 (90.5%), followed by Germany.
Country view
21 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $11,490 | 19 | 3 | 90.5% |
| Germany | $7,342 | 2 | 1 | 9.5% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
6 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westerly Merlin 28 | 27.06' | $ 17,489 | 30 | 5 |
| Thames Marine 28You are here | — | $ 11,486 | 21 | 4 |
| One-Off 28 | 28.18' | $ 40,781 | 14 | 2 |
| Jeanneau First 28 | 28.21' | $ 26,594 | 12 | 3 |
| Mirage Yachts 27 | 27.17' | $ 5,000 | 9 | 4 |
| Islander 28 | 27.92' | $ 12,500 | 7 | 3 |