Alerion 28 Sailboat Review, Specs and Used Prices

From Herreshoff's Alerion III to the Alerion Express 28

The Alerion name goes back to 1912, when Nathanael Herreshoff designed Alerion III, a 26-foot daysailer for his own use on Narragansett Bay. It is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful small yachts ever built, and the original is preserved at Mystic Seaport. Generations of sailors looked at it and wished someone would build one they could own without maintaining a wooden boat.

That wish became the Alerion Express 28. In the 1980s Connecticut sailor Ralph Schacter commissioned Carl Schumacher, the California designer best known for fast, wholesome cruiser-racers, to draw a fiberglass interpretation: Herreshoff's sweeping sheer, long overhangs and low cabin, combined with a modern fin keel, spade rudder and fractional rig. Hull No. 1 was a prototype built at Lost River Marine in Stuart, Florida, in 1989, and production began in 1990. Sailing innovator Garry Hoyt joined the project in 1994 at the invitation of TPI's Everett Pearson, adding his jib boom and a fin-and-bulb keel, and the boat launched a brand.

When people search for Alerion sailboats or Alerion yachts, this is the boat most of them mean. It is the original, the most common and the template for everything that followed.

Schumacher's numbers under the classic lines

The Alerion 28 measures 28 feet 3 inches overall on a 22 foot 10 inch waterline, with an 8 foot 2 inch beam and a 4 foot 6 inch draft. Displacement is about 4,400 pounds, with 2,000 pounds of ballast, a ballast ratio of about 45 percent. Sail area is roughly 353 square feet, split between a 206 square foot main and a 146 square foot jib.

Those numbers explain the boat's character. A sail area to displacement ratio around 21 gives it plenty of power for its weight, and the high ballast ratio keeps it on its feet. The long overhangs add sailing length as the boat heels, so it accelerates in gusts. The narrow beam, at just over 8 feet, keeps the boat slippery and also makes it trailerable.

• Ballast ratio about 45 percent
• Sail area to displacement ratio about 21
• Draft 4 ft 6 in, fine for most harbors
• Beam under the 8 ft 6 in US trailer limit

Designed so one person can sail it well

The Alerion 28's best trick is that one person can sail it properly. Many boats carry a self-tacking jib on a boom, so tacking means turning the tiller and nothing more. The mainsheet and jib sheet lead to the helmsman, and the fractional rig makes the main the primary engine, easy to depower by easing the traveler.

The cockpit is long, deep and comfortable, with room for four or five adults to sit back for an evening sail. Most boats are steered with a tiller, which gives the precise, connected feel that makes a daysailer fun. It is a boat that rewards good sailing, but is very forgiving of guests who just want to come along.

Under sail, quick and very easy

In a moderate breeze an Alerion 28 sails like a much bigger boat. It points well, tracks steadily and makes easy work of a chop. Owners consistently say it is faster than it looks, and in typical New England afternoon sea breezes it passes many cruisers several feet longer.

In lighter air the slim hull and modest wetted surface keep it moving. When the breeze builds, the ballast and narrow beam mean it heels early and then stiffens. A reef in the main is the usual move past 18 knots. This is a daysailer, not an offshore boat, but it handles a sloppy bay with confidence.

A small cabin for a nap, not a week

Below, the Alerion 28 has a V-berth forward, room for three to sleep, about 5 feet 8 inches of headroom, a small sink and a built-in cooler. Some boats carry a portable toilet, others a head with a holding tank. There is a small amount of storage and enough room to get out of a squall or to change clothes. Some owners use it for an occasional overnight, but nobody should buy one expecting a cruising interior.

That is the point. Instead of an interior, you get a long, comfortable cockpit and a boat that is beautiful from every angle. The cabin's real job is to protect sails, cushions and a lunch cooler.

Practical owners make small changes that pay off, such as a fitted cooler that slides under the companionway, a simple battery-powered cabin light and good cushion covers. Keeping weight out of the ends of the boat helps it sail to its numbers, so resist the temptation to load the V-berth with cruising gear.

Who built your Alerion 28

After the Florida prototype, Holby Marine in Bristol, Rhode Island built seven hulls, and Tillotson Pearson Industries in Rhode Island built most of the rest. Around 470 had been built by 2019. Later boats carry the Alerion Yachts name, and the brand has continued to offer the 28 in small numbers. Check current availability directly with Alerion Yachts if you are interested in a new build.

The Alerion range also grew around the 28. Schumacher drew the smaller Alerion Express 20 and the larger Alerion Express 38 in the same spirit, and later Alerion models carried the look to bigger sizes for couples who want more accommodation with the same lines.

Running costs and why Alerions sell quickly

An Alerion 28 is inexpensive to own. Expect about $4,500 to $10,000 per year for a mooring or slip, insurance, winter storage and routine maintenance. The varnished teak trim, rails and coaming are the main labor item. Many owners pay a yard to keep the brightwork up, and it is worth it, because varnish condition drives resale value.

Used Alerion 28s generally ask $38,000 to $95,000. The best boats sell quickly in New England, Long Island Sound and the Chesapeake, where the type is a fixture of yacht club moorings. Boats that are cosmetically tired but structurally sound can be excellent buys if you are willing to do the varnish.

When you shop, compare boats on the things that are expensive to fix rather than the asking price. A dry deck, a sound keel joint, sails less than about eight years old and a well-serviced diesel matter far more than whether a boat was built in 1995 or 2005. Ask whether a cradle, covers and a winter storage arrangement come with the boat, because finding a cradle for a long-overhang 28-footer can be surprisingly awkward.