The Ericson 28+ Sailboat

Designed by Bruce King and built in the USA by Ericson Yachts, the Ericson 28+ is a good performer under sail.

An Ericson 28+ cruising yacht under sail

An Ericson 28+ cruiser yacht under sail

Published Specification for the Ericson 28+

Underwater Profile: Fin keel with spade rudder

Hull Material: GRP (fibreglass)

Length Overall: 28' 6" / 8.7m

Waterline Length: 24' 2" / 7.4m

Beam: 10' 6" / 3.20m

Draft: 5' 0" / 1.5m

Rig Type: Fractional Sloop

Displacement: 7,500lb / 3,402kg

Designer: Bruce King

Builder: Ericson Yachts (USA)

Year First Built: 1980

Year Last Built: 1984

Number Built: 90

Published Design Ratios for the Ericson 28+

Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 17.7

Less than 16 would be considered under-powered;
16 to 20 would indicate reasonably good performance;
Over 20 suggests relatively high performance.

Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 40.0

Under 40: less stiff, less powerful
Over 40: stiffer, more powerful

Displacement/Length Ratio: 237

Under 100: Ultralight
100 to 200: Light
200 to 275: Moderate
275 to 350: Heavy
Over 350: Ultraheavy

Comfort Ratio: 19.9

Under 20 indicates a lightweight racing boat
20 to 30 indicates a coastal cruiser
30 to 40 indicates a moderate offshore cruising boat
40 to 50 indicates a heavy offshore boat
Over 50 indicates an extremely heavy offshore boat

Capsize Screening Formula: 2.2

Under 2.0 (the lower the better): Better suited for ocean passages
Over 2.0: Less suited for ocean passages

Sailboat-Cruising.com says...

About the Boat:

The Ericson 28+ is relatively stiff and stable, and can handle moderate to strong winds without excessive heeling or weather helm.

The sail area of the Ericson 28+ is 39.2 m² (422 ft²), which gives it a sail area/displacement ratio of 17.6. This means that the boat is moderately powered and can sail well in light to moderate winds. The fractional rig provides for easier sail handling and trimming, especially when sailing upwind. The boat also has a spade rudder, which provides good maneuverability and responsiveness.

The Ericson 28+ has a diesel engine with 11 HP, which can provide adequate power for motoring when there is no wind or when docking or anchoring. The fuel capacity is 95 l (25 gal), which gives the boat a decent range for coastal cruising.

How is the accommodation of the Ericson 28+?

The Ericson 28+ has a spacious and comfortable interior for its size, thanks to its wide beam and clever layout. The boat can accommodate up to six people, although four would be more comfortable for longer trips.

The boat has two dedicated sleeping cabins: a V-berth in the bow, which can sleep two people, and a quarter berth in the aft starboard side, which can sleep one person. The main cabin also has two settees that can be converted into single berths, one on each side of the folding table.

The boat has a galley on the port side, which has a sink, a stove, an icebox, and ample storage space. The boat also has a head on the starboard side, which has a sink, a toilet, and a shower.

The boat has plenty of natural light and ventilation from the large windows and hatches. The boat also has ample headroom of about 1.8 m (6 ft) throughout the cabin.

How does the Ericson 28+ perform under sail?

The Ericson 28+ is a fun and fast sailboat that can handle various sailing conditions with ease. The boat is well-balanced and responsive, and can point well upwind thanks to its fractional rig and fin keel. The boat can also sail well downwind with its large genoa or spinnaker.

The boat is suitable for both inshore and coastal sailing, as well as offshore or ocean voyages, depending on the skill and experience of the crew. The boat has a hull speed of about 7.4 kn (8.5 mph), which means that it can cover good distances in moderate winds. The boat also has a comfortable motion at sea under sail, although it might be lively in rougher seas.

The boat's main weakness is its performance in very light winds, when it might need some help from the engine to keep moving. However, this is not uncommon for most sailboats of this size and type.

About the Designer:

Bruce King was a yacht designer from California who became famous in the early 1960s for his collaboration with Ericson Yachts, for which he designed many production fiberglass racing and cruising yachts. He also designed large custom sailing and motor yachts, using modern technology and composite materials, and was known for his series of successful offshore racing classic maxi yachts¹.

Sailboats designed by Bruce King include:

Ericson 27 (1971): A 26' 8" sloop with a fin keel and a spade rudder, suitable for coastal cruising.
Ericson 25+ (1978): A 25' 5" sloop with a shoal draft keel and a centerboard, featuring a pop-top cabin for extra headroom.
Ericson 35-2 (1969): A 34' 8" sloop with a fin keel and a skeg-hung rudder, one of the most popular models from Ericson Yachts.
Ericson 32-2 (1969): A 31' 7" sloop with a fin keel and a spade rudder, a fast and comfortable cruiser-racer.
Ericson 23-2 (1975): A 22' 11" sloop with a fin keel and a spade rudder, a trailerable pocket cruiser.
Ericson 23-1 (1969): A 22' 6" sloop with a fin keel and a spade rudder, the first model designed by Bruce King for Ericson Yachts.
Ericson 38 (1979): A 37' 7" sloop with a fin keel and a skeg-hung rudder, a spacious and seaworthy cruiser.
Ericson 39 (1970): A 39' sloop with a fin keel and a spade rudder, a fast and sleek racer-cruiser.
Ericson 28+ (1980): A 28' 6" sloop with a fin keel and a spade rudder, an upgraded version of the Ericson 28 with more interior space.
Ericson 31 Independence (1977): A 31' cutter with a full keel and an attached rudder, a traditional bluewater cruiser.
Ericson 36C (1975): A 35' 11" cutter with a fin keel and a skeg-hung rudder, a performance-oriented cruiser.
Ericson 37 (1973): A 37' 5" sloop with a fin keel and a spade rudder, a powerful and agile racer-cruiser.
Ericson 41 (1968): A 41' 4" sloop with a fin keel and a spade rudder, an elegant and fast offshore cruiser.
Zap 26 (1977): A 25' 11" sloop with a lifting keel and twin rudders, a lightweight and fun sportboat.
Zap 29 (1978): A 29' sloop with a lifting keel and twin rudders, an enlarged version of the Zap 26.
Tradewinds 55 (1980): A 54' 9" ketch with a long keel and an attached rudder, a luxurious and classic cruiser.
Islander 37 (1966): A 36' 6" sloop with a long keel and an attached rudder, an early design by Bruce King for Islander Yachts.
Islander 55 (1968): A 54' 7" ketch with a long keel and an attached rudder, the largest model from Islander Yachts.
Yachtcraft 37 (1966): A variant of the Islander 37 built by Yachtcraft Marine in Canada.
Yachtcraft MS (1974): A motorsailer version of the Yachtcraft/Islander 37 with an enclosed pilothouse.
Cape Bay 31 (1977): A 31' sloop with a long keel and an attached rudder, a traditional and sturdy cruiser.
Signe (1990): A 35 m schooner with a clipper bow and a counter stern, a classic and elegant yacht built by Renaissance Yachts.
Hetairos (1993): A 42.9 m ketch with a clipper bow and a counter stern, a stunning and fast yacht built by Abeking & Rasmussen.
Alejandra (1993): A 41.3 m ketch with a clipper bow and a counter stern, a sister ship of Hetairos built by Royal Huisman.
Sophie (1994): A 28.8 m sloop with a clipper bow and a counter stern, a graceful and swift yacht built by Renaissance Yachts.
Antonisa (1999): A 39.6 m sloop with a clipper bow and a counter stern, a refined and elegant yacht built by Hodgdon Yachts.
Maria Cattiva (2003): A 39.9 m sloop with a clipper bow and a counter stern, a sister ship of Antonisa built by Royal Huisman.
Whitefin (1983): A 27.4 m schooner with a clipper bow and a counter stern, a beautiful and fast yacht built by Renaissance Yachts.
Scheherazade (2003): A 47.4 m ketch with a clipper bow and a counter stern, the largest sailing yacht designed by Bruce King, built by Hodgdon Yachts.

This additional info was drafted by sailboat-cruising.com using GPT-4 (OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model) as a research assistant to develop source material, and believes it to be accurate to the best of their knowledge.