Design and Construction
The hull is solid fiberglass with a spooned raked stem, raised counter, and reverse transom, sitting on a fixed fin keel of iron with a skeg-mounted rudder controlled by tiller. At 6,614 pounds displacement with 2,667 pounds of ballast, the boat carries a 40 percent ballast ratio and a displacement-to-length figure of 319, which places it among the heavy cruisers of its size class—only about a quarter of comparable designs are heavier. Its length-to-beam ratio of 3.41 makes it slimmer than 82 percent of similar sailboats, and the motion comfort ratio of 24.9 reportedly beats 62 percent of peers for ride quality. The interior is teak, as was standard for the era.
Rig and Handling
The 28 is a masthead sloop with aluminum spars, a deck-stepped mast, wire standing rigging, and a single set of unswept spreaders. Sail area with the reference mainsail and jib is 27.9 m², while upwind area with the larger inventory reaches 461 sq ft and downwind with spinnaker runs 821 sq ft. The SA/D of 15.0 (17.9 with a 135 percent genoa) means it is slightly overrigged—it carries more sail than 62 percent of similar boats—and in light wind it is quicker than 38 percent of its class. The capsize screening value is 1.82, a reassuring number for offshore-minded buyers. A theoretical hull speed near 6.1 knots is quoted, with a wetted surface of about 20 m².
Accommodations
Below, the boat provides two cabins and five berths, though the layout sleeps four with a fold-down navigation table extending that to six. A double V-berth occupies the bow, a straight settee and dinette fill the main cabin, and an aft starboard single berth defines the aft cabin. The galley sits to port at the companionway with a two-burner stove and stainless sink; the head is just aft of the bow cabin on starboard. Headroom peaks at 71 inches in the main cabin, dropping to 62 in the saloon and 61 in the aft cabin. Fresh water is 75 liters, fuel 25 liters.
Power and Propulsion
Early boats through 1974 used a Faryman 12 hp diesel with hydraulic power transfer, while later examples switched to a Yanmar YSE8 at 8 hp or retained a Farymann of 12 hp; all drive a shaft. The Farymann yields a calculated 4.6 knots max under power, the Yanmar 3.7. The hydraulic (Hydromarine) transmission is noted on the Faryman installations.
The Verdict
The Shipman 28 is a thoughtfully proportioned small cruiser-racer: narrow, heavy, and well-ballasted, with a comfort and capsize profile that punches above its length. The teak interior and berth layout suit a couple or small family, and the active Danish class club keeps the design relevant. Limited fuel and water, a tiller, and period systems are the trade-offs.
Pros
- Narrow, heavily ballasted hull with strong motion comfort and capsize numbers
- Active class club in Denmark organizing racing
- Practical five-berth layout with proper galley and head
Cons
- Small fuel (25 L) and water (75 L) capacities for extended cruising
- Early hydraulic-transmission diesels are period technology
- Modest headroom aft and in saloon
