The original boat had a scimitar keel and rudder. For the 28-2, C&C Design specified a new unswept fin keel, revised spade rudder, new coach house top, and redesigned interior, while retaining the same hull shape below the waterline. C&C Design drew both generations, and the family resemblance to other C&C work of the period is unmistakable. Capital also built the mid-1970s Newport 41 from the same design house.
Practical Sailor considered the 28-II, with its updated appendages, more desirable than the earlier boat. About 1,000 examples of the two versions were built in total.
Design and Construction
The Newport 28-2 is a 28-foot fiberglass monohull with wood trim, a raked stem, and a plumb transom. Sweeping, attractive sheerlines characterize the styling, while the deckhouse profile remains low.
The boat displaces 7,000 pounds and carries 3,200 pounds of ballast. Beam is 9.75 feet, waterline length is 23.5 feet, and the standard fin keel draws 5.18 feet. The fairly high ballast-to-displacement ratio and round midship section speak to a hull built for a specific price point. Practical Sailor bluntly describes the Newport 28 as a boat built to a price, and the same hull underlies the 28-2.
The hull-to-deck joint is a known weak spot, and owners commonly report leaks there.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The 28-2 carries a tall, high-aspect-ratio masthead sloop rig with a small mainsail and large foretriangle, a typical C&C configuration. Deep-keel 28-II models are about six seconds per mile quicker than the original version with its 4-foot-6-inch draft. The newer boat’s PHRF handicap averages 186, compared with the older boat’s typical 192—a fair rating based on enough measured sisters to be trusted.
Owners describe the boat as tender, although most also find it very well balanced. Because of the small main and large foretriangle, the mast may need to be raked slightly aft to introduce a little weather helm.
A tiller was standard. Wheel steering was offered as an option or added later to a fair number of boats. Although the pedestal occupies less room than a tiller, it forces the helmsman to sit at the stern, out of reach of both the mainsheet and jib sheets. That’s a serious shortcoming and makes the wheel hardly desirable on a boat this size.
Accommodations
The 28-2 sleeps five, with a double V-berth forward, two straight settee berths in the main cabin, and an aft quarter berth. Headroom is just over six feet on the centerline, but the pronounced camber of the cabintop means it falls away quickly to either side.
Three interior arrangements appeared over the life of the Newport 28 line. Later models, including the 28-2, offered only the two aft-galley layouts, with the galley to either port or starboard.
Only the starboard-aft galley includes a stove oven. However, making the starboard settee long enough required cutting away the starboard main bulkhead beneath the chainplates—a structural compromise buyers should note.
Engine and Service Access
The original engine was an Atomic Four gasoline inboard, which provided far more power than the boat needs. A diesel was optional from the 28-2’s introduction. According to owner reports, factory installations included Yanmar or Universal engines ranging from 11 to 18 horsepower.
Service access varies from awful to good, depending on the year. Newer boats received a flush engine hatch in the cockpit sole, which improved access.
Known Issues
Owner reports tend to focus on finish quality and structure. Mediocre woodwork fitting is a common complaint, along with undersized cockpit scuppers and plastic through-hull valves. Inadequate backing plates for deck hardware also appear repeatedly in reports.
One owner who raced the boat hard found a large crack in the hull molding aft of the primary sheet winches on a new boat. The factory had patched it with auto body filler rather than repairing it properly.
The starboard bulkhead cut for the galley layout is different from these maintenance and finishing issues: it remains a built-in structural concession.
Keel Options and Model Choice
The earlier Newport 28 was available with a shoal 4-foot keel, although it was less popular than the deep keel. On the 28-2, the standard 5.18-foot draft helps define the more desirable version.
The Verdict
The Newport 28-2 is a good entry-level cruiser-racer, combining useful accommodations with reasonable performance in a recognizably C&C-styled package. It’s quicker and more modern than the original Newport 28 from which it evolved.
Its tender motion and price-built detailing are genuine drawbacks. Even so, the fair PHRF rating, five-berth interior, and updated keel make it a sensible first step into keelboat ownership.
Pros
- Updated keel and rudder make the 28-II more desirable and about six seconds per mile faster than the original.
- Fair, competitive PHRF handicap supported by a large rated fleet.
- Five-berth interior, an optional oven galley, and low, attractive sheerlines.
Cons
- Owners report tender handling and leaking hull-to-deck joints.
- The starboard bulkhead cut for the galley berth is a structural compromise.
- Wheel steering leaves the helmsman unable to reach the sheets; woodwork fit and cockpit drains also draw complaints.
