Cape Dory 28 Cruiser
1985–1991
The Cape Dory 28 Power Cruiser is the enclosed lower-helm, no-flybridge member of Cape Dory’s 28-foot powerboat family. “Cruiser” is an authentic factory powerboat designation here—not the Cape Dory 28 sailboat—and B-Atlas uses the full name “28 Power Cruiser” to keep the two identities distinct. The boat shares the full-keel semi-displacement hull, protected single shaft and traditional interior of the Flybridge Cruiser while retaining a lower profile.
- LOA
- 27′ 11″ / 8.51 m
- LWL
- 25′ 11″ / 7.9 m
- Beam
- 9′ 11″ / 3.02 m
- Draft
- 2′ 11″ / 0.89 m
- Hull behaviour
- Semi-Displacement
- Fuel
- Mixed Diesel/Gasoline
- Propulsion
- Shaft
- Engine configuration
- Single Inboard
- Displacement cruise
- Unknown
- Faster / planing cruise
- Unknown
- Boat family
- Downeast
- Construction
- Fiberglass
Best for
- Couples wanting the Cape Dory 28 hull without flybridge height
- Inland, canal and protected coastal cruising where lower air draft matters
- Owners who value traditional interiors and simple single-shaft propulsion
Trade-offs
- No elevated helm or flybridge outdoor seating
- Compact engine and storage spaces limit service access and liveaboard capacity
- Single-engine propulsion lacks redundancy
- Published tank and displacement figures differ among years and sources
Known concerns
- No model-specific concern has been promoted to B-Atlas’s evidence threshold. This does not mean the model has no age-, condition- or hull-specific risks.
Inspection focus
- Confirm exact 28 configuration and model year from HIN and original documentation
- Moisture-test cabin sides, deck and cored hull-side areas around penetrations and previous repairs
- Inspect cabin windows, windshield frames and deck hardware for leakage history
- Inspect engine cooling, exhaust, mounts and tight service-access areas
- Inspect shaft, cutlass bearing, rudder, steering and full-keel running-gear protection
- Verify actual fuel, water, holding and air-draft figures because published specifications vary by year and configuration
Continue researching
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About this record
B-Atlas preserves uncertainty: missing information remains unknown rather than being treated as a negative. Specifications and guidance describe the model record; individual boats can differ by year, equipment, refit and condition.