Nova 28 Buyer's Guide
The Nova 28 is a 28-foot Alan Wright masthead sloop that has circulated mostly in one corner of the used world, and a shopper who knows her ratios will judge a specific hull on load-bearing structure rather than brochure promise. She is a fiberglass fin-keeler of moderate-racer proportions, and the things worth checking are the things the design numbers expose.
Layouts on the Used Market
A buyer should treat every Nova 28 as a single mid-seventies Alan Wright arrangement until the hull itself proves otherwise. The 9-foot beam and 3.06 length-to-beam ratio suggest more cabin volume than half of peer designs, but no berth map, head position, or galley footprint can be verified at the viewing from available records.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
No equipment prevalence tiers are published for this model, so no gear cluster can be claimed as prevalent. A buyer should simply confirm the masthead rig is complete with 3/8-inch sheets throughout — mainsheet 70 feet, jib and genoa 28 feet, spinnaker 61.6 feet — since those are the standard sizes and any deviation is an owner choice rather than a factory gap.
What to Inspect
The measurable cautions are about load, not rot. The draft runs 4.76 to 5.06 feet dependent on the load, so a hull sitting deep on her lines with empty tanks hints at added ballast-style weight or a saturated core; measure freeboard against the 718 pounds-per-inch immersion rate and question any owner who claims a fixed draft regardless of cargo. The fin keel and fiberglass hull are the structure, and the 43 percent ballast ratio is designed into the lead — confirm the keel bolt integrity and look for keel-hull joint staining, since the load sensitivity makes a proud or weeping joint a real penalty.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The Nova 28 turns up in New Zealand. Before committing, run this short check:
- Measure freeboard and compare to load-dependent draft range
- Inspect keel-hull joint for staining or movement
- Verify sheet diameters are 3/8 inch on all four controls
- Confirm masthead rig completeness against 365 sq ft sail plan
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Nova 28. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 3 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 26 | 1 | $4,138 | — |
| May 26 | 1 | $593 | -85.7% |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $5,354 | +802.9% |
Where they're listed
Nova 28 listings appear across 1 country. New Zealand has the most listings with 3.
Country view
3 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | $4,138 | 3 | 1 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
4 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thames Marine 28 | 27.5' | $ 11,473 | 21 | 4 |
| One-Off 28 | 28.18' | $ 40,739 | 14 | 2 |
| Jeanneau First 28 | 28.21' | $ 26,583 | 12 | 3 |
| Nova 28You are here | — | $ 4,138 | 3 | 1 |