Shannon 28 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used market for a Shannon 28 means chasing a small, purpose-built offshore cruiser that Shannon produced from 1978, with custom builds continuing into the late 1990s. These are not common boats, but used Shannon 28s appear and reward a buyer who values serious construction over volume-market polish. The most available examples are owner three-cabin layouts, and ex-charter boats turn up frequently, so a shopper should expect variety in both configuration and upgrade history.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin layouts are the more common on the used market, but both are available; ex-charter examples are common. The standard interior sleeps four with a V-berth forward, opposing settees in the saloon, and a starboard galley with port head aft. An optional cruising arrangement moved the head forward and added a quarter berth, and used shoppers will occasionally find that version. Headroom is six feet in the saloon, and the seven-foot cockpit is a defining comfort feature regardless of which layout you inspect.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Heating, autopilot, solar, dodger, radar, chartplotter, bimini, and cockpit shower are commonly fitted on these boats, so most will already carry the core cruising kit. Less common but seen as owner upgrades are self-tacking jibs, gennakers, electric winches, freezers, and teak decks. For a buyer, the meaningful clusters are power and energy — solar paired with a rebuilt charging system matters more than stereos — and navigation, where radar and plotter are typical but should be checked for age. Canvas such as dodger and bimini is standard, while a self-tacking jib or gennaker is a bonus short-handed option rather than a baseline expectation.
What to Inspect
Osmotic blistering is likely to some degree on the Shannon 28 unless remedial gelcoat or barrier work has been done. Reviewers report no cases of severe blistering, but hull gelcoat should be closely examined. The original tiller or pedestal steering was criticized by the designer as intrusive in the cockpit, so inspect for any later rack-and-pinion conversion such as the Edson system on hull #47. Deck hardware attachment was careful from new, and delamination from leaks is not typical, but verify through-hull and deck penetration condition on any ex-charter boat.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These yachts are found in the United States and Spain. For a buyer, the short checklist is: confirm osmosis treatment history, verify steering type and any refit, check the 15 hp Yanmar for service access, and prefer a well-documented refit of gelcoat and systems. A Shannon 28 well kept is a small offshore yacht with a record pedigree rather than a barebones daysailer.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Shannon 28. 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 | 2 | $40,000 | — |
| Aug 25 | 2 | $43,500 | +8.8% |
| Sep 25 | 2 | $43,719 | +0.5% |
| Nov 25 | 2 | $89,000 | +103.6% |
| Feb 26 | 2 | $35,000 | -60.7% |
| Mar 26 | 1 | $35,000 | 0.0% |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $35,000 | 0.0% |
| May 26 | 1 | $35,000 | 0.0% |
| Jul 26 | 3 | $60,000 | +71.4% |
Where they're listed
Shannon 28 listings appear across 2 countries. United States has the most listings with 10 (90.9%), followed by Spain.
Country view
11 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $35,000 | 10 | 2 | 90.9% |
| Spain | $52,437 | 1 | 0 | 9.1% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
3 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colvic Countess 28 | 28' | $ 10,481 | 23 | 3 |
| Shannon 28You are here | — | $ 43,701 | 12 | 3 |
| Great Dane Dane 28 | 28' | $ 12,306 | 7 | 3 |