Design and Construction
Robert Tucker drew the Sarum 28 for BACO Aluminium (Ravensbourne) Ltd., and the builder produced an all-aluminium yacht whose hulls were built to Lloyds scantlings, using 4.76 mm plating on the hull and 9.52 mm on the keelson and engine beds. The beamy multi-chine hull is mated to deep twin aerofoil iron bilge keels and a skeg-hung rudder, a configuration the builder likened to the efficient "twin fins" later seen on British Hunter boats. Because the welded hull is very stiff, the interior bulkheads are non-structural, which means it is easy to alter interior fittings and layouts without compromising the structure. Early boats carried bolted-on aluminium toerails, while later examples had the alloy rails welded as part of the hull build.
Rig and Handling
The standard rig is a masthead sloop, though the original design brochure shows a 7/8 fractional sailplan, suggesting the masthead arrangement was probably an option rather than the only choice. With a displacement of about 6,400 lbs and 3,240 lbs of iron ballast, the Sarum 28 sits at a ballast-displacement ratio near 48 percent, giving her a sure-footed feel for a 28 footer. The aerofoil-section bilge keels provide the shallow-draft versatility of a twin-keeler while preserving reasonable windward ability, and the 12 horsepower Yanmar YSE or Bukh diesel originally fitted is adequate to her 3.04 ton weight.
Accommodations
The standard arrangement offered a saloon and forecabin with four berths in a traditional forecabin, heads, hanging locker and saloon layout. Because the bulkheads are non-structural, owners have reworked the interior with ease: one documented example moved the heads aft, and refit accounts describe timber saloon seating that appeared reclaimed from old pallets, replaced during overhaul. The beam of 10 feet gives the compact hull a roomy quality below for her length.
Known Issues
A refit record of a Sarum 28 found a leaking forehatch that dripped onto the forecabin berth and required replacement, and a curious length of garden hose leading from the stern gland to nowhere that had to be removed. That same boat showed no sign of serious galvanic action anywhere in the hull, a reassuring point for an aluminium yacht, though its 240V wiring used a confusing multi-coloured scheme and placed batteries and charger unprotected beneath the wet-locker. Flimsy wooden cockpit locker covers were also replaced with watertight aluminium ones.
Refits and Ownership
Owners have modernised these boats extensively. One overhaul installed a new Beta 14 engine, renewed standing and running rigging led to the cockpit through clutches to a single winch for single-handed ease, and ordered a fully battened mainsail and genoa from Westaway Sails with boom cover, dodgers and lee clothes. An Atlantic windvane self-steering system, a Rutland wind generator, a new anchor winch and 60 m of 8 mm chain plus a kedge rig of 15 m chain spliced to 35 m multi-plait were added, and the interior was repainted with mould-resistant paint.
The Verdict
The Sarum 28 is a distinctive aluminium bilge-keeler whose welded construction and non-structural bulkheads make her both robust and adaptably laid out. She rewards an owner willing to address period electrics and minor water ingress, and her shallow twin keels open gunkholing grounds closed to deeper fin-keelers.
Pros
- All-aluminium hull and deck built to Lloyds scantlings with thick keelson plating
- Non-structural bulkheads allow straightforward interior reconfiguration
- Shallow 4' 3" twin aerofoil keels blend draft access with decent performance
- Stiff, beamy hull with 48 percent ballast ratio for a 28 footer
Cons
- Period examples may lack bilge pump, gas detector and proper heads door
- Forehatch leakage onto forecabin berth documented on at least one boat
- Confusing 240V wiring and unprotected batteries beneath wet-locker noted
- Flimsy original cockpit locker covers on some boats
