Design and Construction
The Merlin 28 is a solid-fiberglass monohull with a fin keel and transom-hung rudder. She displaces 7,694 pounds and carries 2,987 pounds of iron ballast.
Length overall is 27.06 feet, with a 23.62-foot waterline and a beam of 9.94 feet. Her length-to-beam ratio is 2.70. A displacement-length ratio of about 262 puts her firmly in the loaded-cruiser category for her size.
The theoretical hull speed is 6.5 knots. An immersion rate of roughly 822 pounds per inch means she responds predictably to loading.
Rig and Handling
The Merlin carries a fractional-sloop rig with 337 square feet of sail area and a sail-area-displacement ratio of 14.08. The mast rises 36.7 feet above the waterline.
Standing and running rigging dimensions are modest. Jib and genoa sheets are 8.2 meters long and 10 mm in diameter; the mainsheet is 20.6 meters long at the same diameter; and the spinnaker sheets are 18.2 meters long. These figures describe a boat sized for manageable shorthanded trimming rather than grand-prix loads.
Her motion comfort ratio of 22.3 suggests a settled ride for a 28-footer, in keeping with the cruising brief rather than that of an out-and-out racer.
Accommodations
Westerly offered the Merlin 28 with owner- and charter-oriented interior arrangements. The three-cabin owner layout is more commonly seen on the used market.
The 9.94-foot beam and 27-foot hull provide the volume associated with Dubois’s cruiser designs of the period. Production was limited to an identifiable generation of 151 hulls, all built within the 1984–1990 window.
Known Limitations
Yachtdatabase records a capsize screening value of 2.03, which falls outside the threshold accepted for ocean racing. In practical terms, she would not be accepted to participate in ocean races. This is a design boundary rather than a service-history fault.
The Verdict
The Merlin 28 is a modest, clearly defined Dubois cruiser from Westerly’s late-1980s range. She is solidly built in fiberglass and sensibly rigged for shorthanded cruising, though her capsize screening value limits her offshore-race eligibility. With 151 boats built during the 1984–1990 production window, she has clear parameters.
Pros
- Solid-fiberglass hull, iron ballast, and fin-keel configuration
- Manageable fractional rig with modest sheet diameters suited to shorthanded crews
- Clearly defined 1984–1990 production run of 151 hulls
Cons
- Capsize screening value excludes her from acceptance in ocean races
- Displacement-length ratio of about 262 indicates a heavily loaded cruiser profile rather than light displacement
