The design earned a quiet reputation as a “diminutive sturdy cruiser capable of mighty bluewater passages”, as Sailing magazine described it in a 2018 review. Production comprised 66 factory-finished boats and six Gilmer 28 kits. The design later went out of production, and the builder ceased operations in 1990 after producing more than 280 Southern Cross yachts in total.
Design and Construction
The Southern Cross 28 is built predominantly of fiberglass, with teak trim throughout the interior and on the bowsprit and cap rails. The hull is a one-inch fiberglass laminate sandwich with an Airtex foam core, while the deck has a balsa core.
One defining structural feature is the outward-turned hull-to-deck flange. It is fastened with quarter-inch stainless steel bolts on eight-inch centers and sealed with a rubber gasket. A teak cap rail covers the joint, and the deck side forms a four-inch-high bulwark.
Lead ballast is encapsulated within the keel. The rudder skeg is molded as part of the hull and incorporates a lower bearing for support. Above the waterline, structural integrity comes from cabin bulkheads bonded to the hull and glassed over rather than from an interior compression post. The cabin top is reinforced, and a stainless steel mast step is bolted to solid fiberglass.
The boat displaces 8,500 pounds and carries 3,400 pounds of lead ballast. Its modified long keel has a shaft cutout that forms a fixed, swept fin, and draft is 4 feet 8 inches.
Rig and Handling
The cutter-sloop rig includes a boom-mounted, self-tending staysail and a teak bowsprit extending ahead of the spooned, raked stem. The boat has a raised transom. As a masthead cutter, it carries twin forestays and a single backstay. Lateral support consists of one upper stay and fore-and-aft lower stays at the spreaders.
The shrouds lead to chainplates just inside the bulwarks. These are through-bolted to glassed-in fiberglass ribs and accessible from inside the cabin. Mainsheet hardware is mounted at mid-boom and leads to a cockpit traveler.
A pair of Barlow 16 winches at the mast handles the three halyards and reefing lines, while Barlow 20 winches on the coamings trim the headsails. With all sheets within easy reach of the helm, the boat is well suited to singlehanding. Standard sailing gear included a topping lift and jiffy reefing, along with two halyard winches and two genoa winches. Factory options included roller furling, a boom vang, a spinnaker, and genoa tracks.
A tiller controls the skeg-mounted rudder. Together with the modified long keel, the rudder gives the 8,500-pound hull, carrying 3,400 pounds of lead, a predictable bluewater posture.
Accommodations
Below, the Southern Cross 28 offers just over six feet of headroom and teak trim throughout. The galley sits to port at the foot of the companionway and includes a sink and two-burner alcohol stove. To starboard, the icebox doubles as the navigation table.
In the main cabin, a port settee runs under the head, while the starboard settee opens to a double berth. The head is forward, immediately behind the bow V-berth, and is enclosed by privacy doors. This area also includes storage and a hanging locker.
Ventilation comes from dorade vents, three cowl vents, a forward hatch, and six opening portlights. A midship opening hatch was available as a factory option. The boat was built without a holding tank, so the head discharges directly overboard.
Engine, Tanks, and Electrical System
Factory-finished boats usually have a bronze builder’s medallion in the cockpit. Their minimal electrical system centers on a small DC panel serving the navigation and interior lights.
The engine is listed as a Universal Atomic 4 11-horsepower gasoline unit, although some sources alternatively specify a Universal diesel with a three-blade propeller. A 15-gallon fiberglass fuel tank is molded into the hull to port of the engine bay, and a 47-gallon water tank sits beneath the cabin sole.
Known Issues
Some owners report that cyclic loading can harden the rubber hull-to-deck gasket and cause it to lose its seal, allowing leaks along the joint.
An owner sailing on the Maine coast notes that the rudder extends below the skeg and is prone to catching lobster-pot lines.
Nor is the design immune to capsize-class events in extreme conditions. During a 2015 solo voyage, Donna Lange’s Southern Cross 28, Inspired Insanity, suffered a knockdown and dismasting in 45-knot winds. She subsequently transited the Panama Canal rather than rounding Cape Horn.
The Verdict
The Southern Cross 28 is a small, handsome double-ender with genuine offshore potential, demonstrated by two solo global circumnavigations aboard Inspired Insanity. Its foam-cored hull, encapsulated lead ballast, and bulkhead-based structure give it a serious cruising pedigree within a compact footprint. The cutter rig and controls at the helm also make short-handed passage-making practical.
Its modest beam and direct-discharge head reflect choices typical of its period. The hull-to-deck gasket and rudder vulnerabilities call for an attentive survey.
Pros
- Bluewater record that includes solo circumnavigation
- Foam-cored hull and encapsulated lead ballast for offshore strength
- Cutter rig with sheets at the helm, well suited to singlehanding
- Practical, teak-trimmed cabin with a settee that converts to a double berth
Cons
- Hull-to-deck gasket may harden and leak over time
- Rudder extends below the skeg and can snag pot lines in some waters
- No holding tank; the head discharges directly overboard
- Minimal factory electrical system
