Tartan 28 Piper Buyer's Guide
The Tartan 28 Piper on the used market is a Tim Jackett–designed, Tartan Marine–built fiberglass sloop from the early nineties, aimed at coastal cruising rather than offshore passage work. Shoppers will find a beamy 28-footer with a lead fin-and-bulb keel, a masthead rig, and an optional Volvo Penta diesel, offered mostly through United States brokerage channels.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Piper's defining used-market trait is its width: a length-to-beam ratio of 2.60 yields interior and cockpit space that outclasses nearly all similar 28-foot designs. Below decks the 30-gallon fresh water tank and 16-gallon diesel tank support weekend coastal use, while the 6,300-pound displacement and 2,300-pound lead ballast give a predictable, shallow-draft footprint of 3.90 to 4.20 feet depending on load. Buyers should view the boat as a roomy nearshore cruiser, not a stripped racer or a heavy offshore hull.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
One sail-handling addition stands out as commonly fitted: an asymmetric spinnaker, which complements the Piper's already overrigged masthead plan and light-air speed bias. Beyond that, the principal factory equipment for a buyer to verify is the inboard Volvo Penta diesel at 18 horsepower and the masthead rig with 385 square feet of reference sail area. The standard halyard and sheet lengths — 81.8-foot halyards at 5/16 inch, 28.2-foot jib sheets at 3/8 inch, and a 70.6-foot mainsheet at 3/8 inch — mean most examples need no radical running-rig rework unless prior owners shortened leads.
What to Inspect
The Piper's capsize screening value of 2.35 would exclude it from ocean-race acceptance under that standard. This is a spec limit rather than a defect, but confirms the boat's coastal remit. Inspection should follow normal used-sailboat practice for a solid fiberglass hull and deck, lead fin-and-bulb keel, and the optional diesel installation. Verify rigging diameters against the original 5/16- and 3/8-inch specifications and confirm the shallow-draft keel shows no grounding damage.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The Piper is typically found in the United States. For a shopper, the takeaway is a beamy, light-displacement coastal cruiser with strong light-wind speed and easy marina draft, best suited to bay and nearshore sailing.
- Confirm the Volvo Penta 18 hp diesel and 16-gallon fuel system
- Check for asymmetric spinnaker gear among commonly fitted sails
- Inspect keel for grounding marks given shallow 3.90–4.20 ft draft
- Validate halyard and sheet sizes against original specifications
- Treat 2.35 capsize screen as a coastal-use boundary, not a fault
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Tartan 28 Piper. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 6 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 26 | 4 | $44,900 | — |
| Feb 26 | 2 | $18,900 | -57.9% |
| Apr 26 | 2 | $18,900 | 0.0% |
| May 26 | 2 | $18,900 | 0.0% |
| Jul 26 | 2 | $23,000 | +21.7% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $23,000 | 0.0% |
Where they're listed
Tartan 28 Piper listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 13.
Country view
13 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $18,900 | 13 | 3 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
7 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westerly Merlin 28 | 27.06' | $ 17,443 | 30 | 5 |
| Thames Marine 28 | 27.5' | $ 11,447 | 23 | 5 |
| Dehler 28 | 27.89' | $ 27,011 | 22 | 6 |
| One-Off 28 | 28.18' | $ 40,566 | 14 | 1 |
| Tartan 28 PiperYou are here | — | $ 18,900 | 13 | 3 |
| Jeanneau First 28 | 28.21' | $ 26,532 | 12 | 3 |
| Islander 28 | 27.92' | $ 12,500 | 7 | 3 |