Shannon 28 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

Two interior arrangements were offered during production, and both appear on the brokerage market. The more common layout places a generous V-berth forward, opposing settees in the main saloon, and the galley to starboard with the head tucked aft to port. The settees in this arrangement are short by offshore standards, so Shannon also offered a cruising variant that moves the head forward of the saloon and creates a proper double quarter berth to port — a meaningfully more comfortable configuration for bluewater passages. If extended offshore use is the plan, the cruising layout is worth seeking out specifically, though the standard layout suits coastal cruising perfectly well. Either way, the main saloon carries a full six feet of headroom and a galley that remains among the most functional of any boat in this size class. The cutter rig is standard across the fleet.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Because these boats were built for serious use and have typically been in the hands of committed sailors, most examples arrive on the market well-equipped by any standard. Autopilots, radar, chartplotters, dodgers, and biminis are commonly fitted across the fleet — reflecting both the offshore intent of the design and the investment owners tend to make in boats they keep for many years. Heating systems appear frequently, as does solar charging, which owners have added to support longer passages away from shore power.

Among equipment seen across a meaningful portion of listings, cockpit showers, gennakers, and offshore-capable freezer units show up often enough to be considered a reasonable expectation rather than a surprise. Hot water systems and AIS transponders are an owner upgrade seen on a portion of examples — boats that were built before either became standard fare. The designer himself later converted his personal hull to a scutter rig — removing the club-boomed staysail arrangement and repositioning the working jib on the bowsprit — and this modification has appeared on a number of examples that passed back through Shannon's hands or were owned by attentive sailors following the factory's own evolution. Wheel steering in an aft transom box, freeing the cockpit entirely, is another upgrade associated with later or factory-modified hulls.

What to Inspect

Osmotic blistering is the single most important structural item to evaluate on any Shannon 28. The hulls were built before Shannon adopted vinylester resins and epoxy barrier coats, which means the laminate is vulnerable to water intrusion over time. Blistering has been reported across the fleet, though severe cases appear to be the exception rather than the rule. Have a surveyor probe the hull below the waterline carefully, and verify whether a barrier coat has already been applied — many conscientious owners have addressed this proactively.

The balsa-cored decks deserve close attention as well, though Shannon's attention to hardware bedding during construction reduced the typical delamination risk. Focus on any areas where hardware has been added or re-bedded by subsequent owners rather than at the factory, as these are the most likely points of water intrusion. Soft spots anywhere on the deck surface should be investigated thoroughly before purchase.

The engine is a Yanmar two-cylinder diesel of modest horsepower — adequate for the displacement but only just, and access for servicing runs through the cockpit locker and beneath the companionway steps. Confirm the engine hours and service history, check impeller and heat exchanger condition, and run the engine under load to verify it develops adequate thrust. At this displacement, a poorly performing engine in a seaway is a genuine safety concern rather than merely an inconvenience.

Inspect the standing rigging and chainplates carefully, particularly on any hull that has seen offshore passages. Older stainless can develop crevice corrosion invisible to the eye; a rig survey is worth the cost on these boats. The outboard-hung rudder and its hardware — pintles, gudgeons, and the rudder bearing — should all be in sound condition given how central responsive steering is to the boat's character.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The Shannon 28 turns up most reliably in the northeastern United States, which reflects both where Shannon built and where the original owners kept their boats. Examples also appear along the Pacific Northwest coast, and occasionally in Spanish waters among European buyers who sought out the design specifically. The fleet is small enough that patience is necessary — prospective buyers should expect to monitor the market for an extended period and be prepared to travel to inspect boats that appear in distant regions.

Despite the scarcity, the Shannon 28 represents a genuinely compelling proposition for the right buyer: a hand-built offshore cruiser with a documented bluewater pedigree, exceptional construction standards by the measure of its era, and a level of finish and thoughtfulness that larger production boats of the same period rarely matched.

Before committing, verify the following:

• Hull blister survey below the waterline, with confirmation of barrier coat status
• Deck core soundness, particularly around non-factory hardware penetrations
• Engine service history, impeller condition, and performance under load
• Standing rigging age and chainplate condition, with a professional rig survey
• Rudder hardware — pintles, gudgeons, and bearing integrity
• Interior layout (standard vs. cruising arrangement) confirmed to match intended use
• Scutter rig or original cutter rig configuration, and sail inventory condition