1989–2010 · designed by Gerry Douglas · built by Catalina Yachts
The Catalina 28 was designed by Gerry Douglas as an affordable, family-friendly coastal cruiser emphasizing beamy interiors, comfort, and ease of handling over bluewater capability. Introduced in 1991 and updated as the Mk II in 1995, it targets day sailing and coastal weekending rather than offshore passagemaking. It sits in the value-production overlap typical of 1990s–2000s American sailboats: competitive in club PHRF racing, practical for coastal use, but not built to offshore passage-making scantlings.
Check this first — Mk I from 1989; the Mk II arrived in 1995 when the hull was widened slightly at the stern to enlarge the aft cabin — two inches shorter overall, two inches more beam, and a berth that takes two adults. Both were offered with a choice of keel: a fin drawing 5'3" or a WING drawing 3'10". The wing option is not a detail — it changes grounding behaviour, what a grounding does to the hull, and what a surveyor should look at in the sump.
This is a general read on the Catalina 28 class — informed
background, not a verdict on any individual boat. Condition, refit history,
and how a particular hull was sailed and stored matter far more than class
reputation. Use it to know what to look for; for a read on a specific
listing, run a free FairKeel report on that boat.
At a glance
Hull form
Fin Keel
Ballast type
Bolt On Iron
Rudder
Spade
Mast step
Deck Stepped
Hull construction
Fiberglass
Production
1989–2010
Built in
United States
What the Catalina 28 is known for
Beamy hull provides above-average interior volume for the length, making the cabin livable for coastal cruising and weekending.
Large production run and long availability (1991–2010) means parts, owner community knowledge, and repair experience are widely accessible.
Straightforward systems and layout suit first-time boat owners; nothing exotic to maintain or troubleshoot.
Solid fiberglass hull (not cored) is more resistant to osmotic problems and easier to repair than cored-hull alternatives of similar era.
Known trade-offs
Balsa-cored deck is nearly universally suffering some degree of moisture intrusion on boats of this age, making a thorough moisture survey non-negotiable.
Deck-stepped mast is a structural weak point and limits offshore use compared to keel-stepped alternatives of similar size.
Iron keel ballast is heavier and more prone to corrosion than lead; keel bolt rust is a documented failure mode requiring inspection.
Light displacement and moderate sail area limit upwind performance in a chop; the boat can feel underpowered in conditions where a heavier-displacement design would power through.
Condition variance between hulls is high after three-plus decades; many surviving examples have had amateur maintenance and patchwork repairs, making individual inspection critical.
Age-related quirks to expect
Shoebox-style hull-to-deck joint, vulnerable to damage and to leaks. SpinSheet notes cracking along that joint is common and usually the result of hitting pilings and docks — so read cracks there as impact history, and look for what else the impact reached, rather than as cosmetic gelcoat crazing.severity: Highaffects: 1989-2010 (all)
Small gelcoat cracks on deck, concentrated at the cockpit corners. Common and usually cosmetic, but worth distinguishing from the hull- deck joint cracking above, which is not.severity: Lowaffects: 1989-2010 (all)
Balsa-cored deck saturation at chainplates, stanchion bases, and hardware penetrationsseverity: Highaffects: 1991-2010
Deck-stepped mast partner compression cracking and core delamination at mast baseseverity: Mediumaffects: 1991-2010
Osmotic blistering on early hulls — solid laminate but gel coat porosity commonseverity: Mediumaffects: 1991-1997
Iron keel bolt corrosion and sump-area delamination on older examplesseverity: Mediumaffects: 1991-2010
Original Universal diesel — SpinSheet records an 18hp Universal Marine unit; the specific model designation is not stated in any source we accept, so confirm it off the engine plate. Approaching or past servic life on older hullsseverity: Mediumaffects: 1991-2000
Systems to check before you buy
Deck core and chainplatespriority: offshore, coastal, liveaboard
Balsa-cored deck is prone to saturation at chainplate through-decks, stanchion bases, and hardware penetrations. Wet core compromises rig attachment integrity and structural stiffness. Tap the deck thoroughly and probe chainplate surrounds for softness before purchasing.
Standing rigging and deck-stepped mast partnerpriority: offshore, coastal, racing
Deck-stepped mast concentrates compression loads on a cored deck section. Inspect the mast partner area for cracking, delamination, and fastener pull-through. Standing rigging on any hull over 20 years old should be replaced if provenance is unknown.
Engine and raw water cooling systempriority: offshore, coastal, liveaboard, motor
Older hulls with original Universal diesel (M3-20 or 25XPBC) may be approaching or past economic service life. Verify maintenance records, check for raw water cooling corrosion, impeller condition, heat exchanger condition, and hose integrity on any engine.
The overlapping shoebox-style hull-to-deck joint, incorporating an aluminum toerail, can leak at through-bolts and hardened bedding compound over decades. Inspect the joint inside the toerail for weeping and delamination.
Keel-to-hull joint and keel boltspriority: offshore, coastal, liveaboard
Externally-fastened iron keel. Keel bolt corrosion and sump-area delamination are the failure modes to check. Look for rust weeping at keel bolt nuts in the bilge and any cracking or movement at the keel-hull interface.
How it fits your plans
Offshore
Not well suited to bluewater passages. Deck-stepped rig, balsa-cored decks, and production-level scantlings make extended offshore use higher risk than purpose-built offshore designs. A well-maintained example could handle coastal overnight passages in benign conditions but should not be chosen as an offshore boat.
Coastal
Well matched to its designed purpose — day sails and coastal weekends in protected and semi-protected waters. Good beam makes it comfortable at anchor and in a slip. The most appropriate mission for this class.
Liveaboard
Tight for full-time liveaboard use at 28 feet, but the beam gives more interior volume than the length suggests. Manageable for a single person or couple in a marina if systems are well maintained, though storage and headroom are limiting factors.
Weekending
Comfortable weekender for a family or couple. Standing headroom below, a reasonable galley, and an enclosed head make it practical for two-to-three-night trips. This is the class's sweet spot.
Racing
Raced competitively in PHRF club fleets and still active in some local fleets. Not a fast boat by modern standards but competitive within its rating if well set up.
This guide is the class. A report is that hull. Paste the
listing you're looking at and FairKeel grades every claim in it against what's
known about the Catalina 28 — where the evidence is thin, the red flags worth
a second look, the costs likely to land in your first season, and whether the
boat suits the plans you describe in a few short questions.
It won't read the photos or put a number on the boat — that's the $249
Deep-Dive, and for the real answer, a surveyor. It will tell you when a
Deep-Dive isn't worth buying. Free, no account, usually a minute or two.
Other people's videos, not ours, and not endorsements — walkthroughs and
reviews of this class that are worth watching before you look at one in person.