Design and Construction
The solid-fiberglass hull has a spooned, raked stem, raised counter, and reverse transom. Below the waterline are a fixed iron fin keel and a skeg-mounted rudder, controlled by tiller. The interior is finished in teak, as was standard for the era.
The Shipman 28 displaces 6,614 pounds and carries 2,667 pounds of ballast, giving it a ballast ratio of 40 percent. Its displacement-to-length figure is 319, placing it among the heavy cruisers of its size class; only about a quarter of comparable designs are heavier.
A length-to-beam ratio of 3.41 makes the boat slimmer than 82 percent of similar sailboats. Its reported motion comfort ratio of 24.9 is better than that of 62 percent of its peers for ride quality.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Shipman 28 carries a masthead sloop rig with aluminum spars, a deck-stepped mast, wire standing rigging, and one set of unswept spreaders. Sail area with the reference mainsail and jib is 27.9 m². With the larger inventory, upwind sail area reaches 461 sq ft; downwind sail area with the spinnaker is 821 sq ft.
Its SA/D is 15.0, rising to 17.9 with a 135 percent genoa. That makes the boat slightly overrigged: it carries more sail than 62 percent of similar boats. In light wind, it is quicker than 38 percent of its class.
The capsize screening value is 1.82, a reassuring figure for offshore-minded buyers. Quoted theoretical hull speed is about 6.1 knots, and wetted surface is approximately 20 m².
Accommodations
Below, the boat has two cabins and five berths, although the layout sleeps four, with a fold-down navigation table extending capacity to six. A double V-berth fills the bow. The main cabin contains a straight settee and dinette, while an aft single berth to starboard defines the aft cabin.
The galley is to port at the companionway and includes a two-burner stove and stainless-steel sink. The head is on the starboard side, just aft of the bow cabin.
Maximum headroom is 71 inches in the main cabin, dropping to 62 inches in the saloon and 61 inches in the aft cabin. Fresh-water capacity is 75 liters, and fuel capacity is 25 liters.
Power and Propulsion
Early boats built through 1974 used a 12 hp Faryman diesel with hydraulic power transfer. The hydraulic transmission on these installations is identified as Hydromarine. Later boats switched to an 8 hp Yanmar YSE8 or retained a 12 hp Farymann. All configurations drive a shaft.
Calculated maximum speed under power is 4.6 knots with the Farymann and 3.7 knots with the Yanmar.
Verdict
The Shipman 28 is a thoughtfully proportioned small cruiser-racer: narrow, heavy, and well ballasted, with comfort and capsize figures that punch above its length. Its teak interior and berth arrangement suit a couple or small family, while the active Danish class club continues to organize racing and keep the design relevant.
The trade-offs are limited fuel and water capacity, tiller steering, modest headroom in parts of the accommodation, and period propulsion systems.
Pros
- Narrow, heavily ballasted hull with strong motion-comfort and capsize figures
- Active Danish class club organizing racing
- Practical five-berth layout with a proper galley and head
Cons
- Small fuel (25 L) and water (75 L) capacities for extended cruising
- Early hydraulic-transmission diesels use period technology
- Modest headroom in the saloon and aft cabin
