Design Brief & Intent
The core mission of the Waarschip 28 LD was to deliver a "real sailor's boat" that did not sacrifice the warmth and safety required for comfortable overnighting. Kremer achieved this by utilizing a multi-chine (or multiknik) hull design, which provides high initial stability and clean water flow over the hull. Unlike the rounded, bulbous profiles of competing mass-production cruising yachts from builders like Beneteau or Bavaria, the 28 LD features crisp, purposeful lines and a low-profile cabin trunk that minimizes windage and maximizes the helmsman’s visibility.
Stepping below deck reveals a stark contrast to the sterile, molded-fiberglass interiors of its contemporaries. The interior is a masterclass in traditional wooden joinery, swathed in warm, varnished mahogany that exudes character and craftsmanship. The layout is highly functional, prioritizing structural integrity and sea-kindliness over cavernous open-concept spaces. It features a central salon with a folding table, a compact galley, and a navigation station. This focus on traditional yacht design means that every handhold, locker, and berth is positioned to be usable both at anchor and when heavily heeled at sea.
Variations & Configurations
While the Waarschip 28 LD maintained a consistent hull shape and fractional sloop rig across its production run, buyers could tailor the underwater profile and rigging to their specific cruising grounds.
The primary variation lies in the keel design. For ultimate performance, the boat was equipped with a deep, standard fin keel drawing 1.80 to 1.85 meters. This deep-draft configuration, paired with a heavy ballast bulb, yields maximum lift and pointing ability, making it the preferred choice for racers and open-water cruisers. For those sailing the shallow estuaries of the Dutch Wadden Sea, German inland lakes, or tidal marshes, a shoal-draft wing or bulb keel drawing approximately 1.20 to 1.40 meters was available. While the shoal-draft version opens up highly restricted cruising grounds, it inevitably sacrifices a degree of windward pointing efficiency and ultimate righting moment.
Rigging remained largely standard as a highly adjustable 9/10 fractional sloop. However, because of the high-tension nature of this rig, some performance-oriented hulls were delivered with running backstays to optimize forestay tension, while others designed for relaxed cruising relied on highly swept-back spreaders to simplify short-handed handling.
Sailing Performance & Handling
The sailing dynamics of the Waarschip 28 LD are defined by its remarkable physical ratios. With a ballast-to-displacement ratio of 42.0%, the boat is exceptionally stiff and carries its sail area with confidence. This substantial ballast, positioned low in a modern fin keel, ensures a high righting moment that allows the boat to stand up to its canvas when lesser cruiser-racers are forced to reef.
With a displacement-to-length ratio of 175.58, the hull sits on the light side of the medium-displacement spectrum. This means the 28 LD accelerates instantly in light puffs and is highly responsive to trim adjustments. The boat's impressive sail area-to-displacement ratio of 26.82 indicates a massive sail plan relative to its weight, transforming the 28 LD into a formidable light-wind performer. It will easily ghost along while heavier production cruising boats are forced to turn on their engines.
Conversely, the capsize screening formula of 2.28 sits on the higher side, reflecting its relatively wide beam relative to its light weight. This indicates that while the boat possesses excellent initial stability, it demands active handling and timely reefing as the breeze freshens. A comfort ratio of 15.33 underlines the lively nature of this hull. It does not possess the heavy, sluggish motion of a traditional full-keel cruiser; instead, it is a responsive, agile machine that dances over waves rather than punching through them. The helm is communicative and light, rewarding a keen hand with sports-car-like feedback.
Market Snapshot & Economics
On the brokerage market, the Waarschip 28 LD occupies a unique, highly specialized niche. Because these boats were built to exacting standards—often custom-finished or built in small batches—they are relatively scarce compared to mass-produced fiberglass yachts. Consequently, well-preserved examples command a significant premium among knowledgeable wooden boat enthusiasts and performance-oriented cruisers in Northern Europe, particularly in the Netherlands and Germany.
The economic reality of owning a Waarschip 28 LD hinges almost entirely on the quality of its maintenance history. Because the hull is constructed of epoxy-saturated mahogany plywood, it represents a lifetime structure if kept watertight. However, if the protective coatings have been neglected, repair costs can escalate rapidly, demanding the skills of a specialized shipwright rather than a general fiberglass technician. For an owner willing to invest in routine preventative care, a Waarschip 28 LD offers an extraordinary balance of pride of ownership, hold-value stability, and performance per dollar.
Known Issues & Triage
While the composite wood-epoxy method eliminates many of the traditional headaches of wooden boats—such as dry rot and seam caulking—the Waarschip 28 LD is not without its specific vulnerabilities.
- Moisture Ingress and Hardware Bedding: The primary enemy of any wood-epoxy boat is water finding its way past the protective epoxy envelope. Every deck fitting, chainplate, stanchion base, and track must be meticulously bedded with high-quality sealant. If a fitting works loose, water can seep into the underlying plywood, eventually leading to localized wood rot. Buyers should use a moisture meter around all deck penetrations.
- Leipzig Seams and Multi-Chine Joints: The Leipzig seams—the distinct joints where the mahogany panels meet to form the multi-chine hull—are high-stress areas. Hairline cracks in the paintwork along these seams can indicate structural flexing or, worse, water intrusion behind the paint skin. These must be triaged immediately by sanding down to the fiberglass-epoxy tape, ensuring dryness, and re-sealing.
- Keel Assembly Wood-to-Lead Joint: The transitional section between the wooden hull plane and the heavy ballast keel utilizes a wooden deadwood assembly (doodhout). Over decades, water can migrate along the keel bolts, threatening the integrity of this wooden block. Keel bolt tension and the watertight seal of the keel joint must be verified during any haul-out.
- Setemar Winch Maintenance: Many original models came equipped with innovative Setemar self-tailing winches. These winches feature a complex shifting mechanism that can become stiff or freeze entirely under load if not regularly disassembled, cleaned, and lubricated with specialized winch grease.
Modernization & Upgrades
Veteran owners of the Waarschip 28 LD frequently invest in targeted upgrades to maximize the yacht’s competitive edge and cruising convenience.
- Two-Component Paint Systems: Restoring the exterior skin with modern, high-build two-component polyurethane paint (such as De IJssel Double Coat or Epifanes) is the most common and vital aesthetic and structural upgrade 5. These coatings provide superior UV protection and a watertight barrier that keeps the underlying epoxy-wood composite safe for decades.
- Electrical System Overhauls: Modernizing the house bank by replacing old lead-acid batteries with lightweight lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) systems is highly popular. This upgrade saves significant weight—critical on a light-displacement boat—while providing ample power for modern chartplotters, autopilots, and efficient refrigeration.
- Rig and Running Rigging Upgrades: Replacing aging stainless steel wire standing rigging with modern, low-stretch Dyform wire or synthetic shrouds enhances mast stability and reduces weight aloft. Upgrading to high-tech Dyneema running rigging significantly improves halyard tension and backstay responsiveness.
- Saildrive Diaphragm Replacement: For models equipped with Volvo Penta inboard diesels, the saildrive rubber diaphragm (or manchet) has a manufacturer-recommended lifespan of seven years. Swapping this out is a major but essential structural triage task that ensures peace of mind.
The Verdict
The Waarschip 28 LD is a connoisseur’s yacht, appealing to the purist who values the tactile joy of helming a stiff, light, and beautifully balanced vessel. It is a rare gem that marries the warmth and beauty of traditional wood with the low maintenance and high strength of modern epoxy composites. While it demands a higher degree of vigilance regarding watertight integrity than a generic fiberglass boat, it rewards its owner with sailing performance that few cruisers of its size can ever hope to match.
Pros
- Exceptional sailing performance, with outstanding light-wind acceleration and windward pointing ability.
- Extremely stiff and stable, courtesy of a high 42% ballast ratio.
- Warm, traditional, and beautifully crafted mahogany interior that stands out from sterile fiberglass production boats.
- Rigid and lightweight wood-epoxy construction that provides a monocoque hull structure impervious to osmosis.
- Excellent community support through active owner associations and continued factory support from the builder.
Cons
- Requires meticulous vigilance and preventative maintenance to prevent moisture ingress into the wooden laminate.
- Higher capsize screening number demands active sheet management and early reefing in heavy air.
- Lively motion in a seaway may prove fatiguing on extended offshore passages compared to heavier cruising yachts.
- Highly specialized construction makes structural repairs more complex and costly on the brokerage market.
