Island Packet Yachts Bluewater Sailboats
Island Packet 35 Buyer's Guide, Johnson's Modern Full Keel at 35 Feet
Bob Johnson's 1988 cutter: 38 ft overall with the bowsprit, 4 ft 6 in of draft, room for seven and a reputation that keeps prices firm.
- Length
- 38 ft11.58 m
- Beam
- 12 ft3.66 m
- Draft
- 4.5 ft1.37 m
- Cabins
- 2 (V-berth forward, private double aft)
- Used price
- $75K to $130K
On this page
- Overview
- Why an Island Packet 35 rarely sits unsold
- Not your grandfather's long keel
- Cutter handling from the cockpit
- Seven berths and a starboard galley
- Rudders, PolyCore and the other age questions
- Engine, tanks and liveaboard systems
- IP 35, IP 32 or IP 350
- Specifications
- Price and value
- Strengths and weaknesses
- Used buyer checklist
- Rivals
- Our verdict
- FAQ
The Island Packet 35 is a Bob Johnson cutter built in Largo, Florida from 1988 to 1994, 178 hulls in all. Stiff, shoal-draft and roomy, it trades windward speed for comfort and sells for about $75,000 to $130,000.
- Liveaboard couples on a mid-five-figure to low-six-figure budget
- East Coast, Gulf and Bahamas cruising
- Sailors who value stability over windward speed
- Buyers stepping up from an IP 27 or 31
Island Packet 35 by the numbers
- Sail area to displacement
- 17.4Balanced power for coastal and offshore cruising.
- Displacement to length
- 289Moderate displacement, a classic cruising balance between load carrying and speed.
- Theoretical hull speed
- 7.3 knThe practical top speed of a displacement monohull under normal sailing, based on waterline length.
- Ballast ratio
- 46%A high ballast ratio, so the boat stands up well to a breeze.
- Capsize screening
- 1.85Below 2.0, the traditional threshold for offshore suitability.
- Motion comfort ratio
- 30.5Moderate motion comfort, typical of modern cruisers.
- Length to beam ratio
- 3.17 : 1Moderate proportions.
Why an Island Packet 35 rarely sits unsold
Search for an island packet 35 and you find a boat with an unusually firm price for its age. Bob Johnson drew it as the step between the Island Packet 31 and the 38, and Island Packet Yachts built 178 of them in Largo, Florida between 1988 and 1994, according to sailboatdata and Wikipedia; SpinSheet's reviewer gives 1989 as the introduction. It is a cutter with a platform bowsprit, a raked stem, a vertical transom and the company's trademark creamy hull color.
The appeal is easy to state. Robert Perry, reviewing the design in 2000, wrote that it combines contemporary hull design with the forgiveness of a long keel to give an easily handled yacht that takes care of itself with little helm assist, adding that this is what a long keel boat should do. Jack Hornor, writing for SpinSheet in 2017, called it a conservative, traditional cruiser for sailors more interested in comfort than speed to windward, and said its prices reflect Island Packet's popularity and reputation for solid construction.
Not your grandfather's long keel
Hornor describes the underbody as a modern full keel. Instead of a wineglass section, the boat has a canoe body with a long, fin-like keel attached, and the base of the rudder is tied to the keel by a stainless strap rather than hung on it in the traditional way. Wetted surface is still high, but the keel generates more lift than an old-style long keel, the wider waterline beam and fuller sections add initial stability, and the propeller and larger rudder see cleaner water.
The waterline is 30 ft on a 35 ft 4 in deck, beam is 12 ft and the boat displaces 17,500 lb with 8,000 lb of ballast. Draft is just 4 ft 6 in, or 3 ft 8 in with the optional centerboard raised and 7 ft 2 in lowered. Hornor's advice was blunt: unless extreme shoal draft is your first priority, the fixed keel is the better choice. Remember too that the bowsprit stretches overall length to 38 ft, which is what the marina will charge you for.
Cutter handling from the cockpit
Both headsails furl: the jib on the headstay and the staysail on a boom of its own, so the inner sail tacks itself. The mainsail has single-line reefing and mid-boom sheeting to a traveler on the cabin roof, which keeps the sheet out of the cockpit. Wikipedia's description lists two mast-mounted halyard winches, two cockpit jib winches, double backstays and an adjustable topping lift. Wheel steering on a pedestal is standard.
Hornor noted that the IP 35 offered real gains over earlier Packets and has won the odd race in ideal conditions, but he would not call it a performance cruiser. The cutter rig earns its keep on passages and in heavy weather, when you can roll the jib away and carry the staysail and a reefed main. For daysailing and short coastal hops it adds little. Expect a stiff, steady boat that likes a breeze and a reach, and plan on motoring more than lighter fin-keel boats in light summer air.
Seven berths and a starboard galley
Below, the plan is simple. A V-berth forward is followed by the head, then a saloon with facing settees: the starboard one converts to a single and the port one to a double. An aft-facing nav table sits at the aft end of the port settee. The galley runs along the starboard side with a three-burner gimballed propane stove and oven, a double sink with pressure hot and cold water and a 12 cubic foot icebox. Aft to port is a private cabin with a double berth, bringing total sleeping space to seven.
Hornor credited the 12 ft beam and wide waterline with pushing the accommodation outboard for livable space and stowage that is hard to match at this size. Trim is teak over a teak and holly sole, and ventilation comes from opening ports and hatches in each cabin. Headroom is about 6 ft 4 in. In the cockpit there is a cold-water shower and a separate icebox, details that matter on a Bahamas cruise.
Rudders, PolyCore and the other age questions
Construction is solid. The hull is fiberglass cloth in polyester, with a blister-resistant gelcoat below the waterline and a gloss gelcoat above, stiffened by a structural grid and molded liners bonded with glass or adhesive. Deck and hull are sealed and bolted on an inward flange. Island Packet backed the boats with a 10-year warranty, and Hornor had never found a significant structural hull failure.
He did flag one recurring problem: rudder delamination and separation, which he called quite common on a number of older Island Packets including the 35. Survey the rudder carefully, with moisture readings and a look at the strap and bearings. The PolyCore deck, a resin and filler mix used instead of balsa, does not rot, but Hornor occasionally found minor laminate separation on older boats, so sound the deck. Beyond that, a 30-plus year old boat needs the usual: standing rigging, chainplates, ports, wiring and tanks.
Engine, tanks and liveaboard systems
Sailboatdata and Wikipedia list a Yanmar diesel of 35 or 38 hp; Hornor recorded a Yanmar 3GM driving a fixed three-blade propeller, which suggests installations varied, so check the engine plate and the paperwork. Access is good, and these Yanmars last when maintained. Many boats have been repowered by now, and a documented repower is one of the biggest value adders on the market.
Tanks hold about 48 gallons of diesel and 90 gallons of water, adequate for a couple on coastal and island cruising. Liveaboard owners often add solar, lithium house banks, a watermaker or air conditioning. Those upgrades raise the price but also add complexity; ask for installation records and check that the original electrical panel and wiring were updated alongside.
IP 35, IP 32 or IP 350
Three similar-sounding Packets share the used market. The IP 32 (1990 to 1996, about 120 built) is a smaller sister with 13,500 lb displacement and a 27 hp engine, cheaper and handier but with a smaller interior. The IP 350, introduced in 1997 and built to 2004, is a different hull, not a renamed 35: sailboatdata lists it with a 29 ft 4 in waterline, 16,000 lb displacement and a contemporary swim platform. It costs noticeably more.
If you want the most boat for the least money and are happy with an older interior, the 35 is the sweet spot. If a swim platform, newer systems and slightly better looks aft matter, stretch for a 350. Whichever you pick, buy the best-maintained example rather than the newest year.
Island Packet 35 specifications
| Length overall | 38 ft11.58 m |
|---|---|
| Waterline length | 30 ft9.14 m |
| Beam | 12 ft3.66 m |
| Draft | 4.5 ft1.37 m |
| Air draft | 48 ft14.63 m |
| Displacement | 17,5 lbs7,938 kg |
| Ballast | 8, lbs3,629 kg |
| Sail area | 735 sq ft68.3 m² |
| Fuel capacity | 48 gal182 L |
| Fresh water | 9 gal341 L |
| Cabins | 2 (V-berth forward, private double aft) |
| Berths | 7 |
| Heads | 1 |
| Standard engines | Yanmar diesel, 35 or 38 hp |
| Maximum power | 38 hp |
| Hull type | Moderate canoe body with a full-length foil-section keel and keel-strapped rudder |
| Keel | Fixed long keel, 4 ft 6 in draft; optional keel and centerboard drawing 3 ft 8 in up and 7 ft 2 in down |
| Rig | Masthead cutter with furling jib and furling boom-mounted staysail, mid-boom mainsheet on a coachroof traveler, double backstays |
| Hull construction | Solid fiberglass and polyester hull with a structural grid and molded liners, PolyCore cored deck bolted to an inward hull flange |
| Builder | Island Packet Yachts (Traditional Watercraft Inc.), Largo, Florida, USA |
| Naval architect | Robert K. (Bob) Johnson |
| Production | 1988 to 1994 |
| Status | Discontinued |
Figures come from builder documentation and independent tests where available. Displacement is usually quoted light, so a loaded cruising boat will weigh more. Compare these specs with another model.
How much does a Island Packet 35 cost?
When SpinSheet reviewed the boat in 2017, 20 Island Packet 35s were asking $99,000 to $159,000 and eight recent sales averaged $119,000. Nearly a decade later, with the youngest boats past 30, we expect most to trade between about $75,000 and $130,000. Repowers, new standing rigging, a sound rudder and air conditioning or solar for liveaboard use account for most of the spread, not the year.
Estimate your yearly cost
A planning estimate using common rules of thumb: insurance near 1.5 percent of value, maintenance near 3 percent, haul out and bottom paint by length. Your marina, region and use will move these numbers. Open the full cost calculator.
Versions and options
- Fixed keel
- 4 ft 6 in draft; the choice recommended by most reviewers unless you need extreme shoal draft.
- Keel and centerboard
- 3 ft 8 in board up and 7 ft 2 in board down for thin-water cruising grounds.
Island Packet 35 timeline
- 1988Island Packet 35 enters production in Largo, Florida
- 1994Production ends after about 178 boats; the IP 37 follows
- 1997Island Packet 350 introduced as a new, different design
- 2000Robert Perry praises the 35's easy, self-tending long-keel manners
- 2017SpinSheet finds 20 boats asking $99,000 to $159,000
Strengths and weaknesses
What owners like
- Forgiving long-keel handling that needs little helm
- Shoal 4 ft 6 in draft, or 3 ft 8 in with the centerboard
- Sleeps seven with a private aft double and a big galley
- Both headsails on furlers and a self-tending staysail
- Solid hull with no history of structural failure
- Strong resale and an active owners' community
What to weigh up
- Conservative sail area makes light-air sailing slow
- Rudder delamination is a known issue on older Packets
- Bowsprit pushes overall length to 38 ft for slip fees
- Single head for up to seven berths
- Prices are high compared with production 35 footers
Used Island Packet 35 buyer checklist
Take this list to a viewing. Your ticks are saved in this browser so you can come back to it.
Always commission an independent marine survey and an engine survey before you buy. How a marine survey works.
Rivals to consider
Pacific Seacraft 34
Crealock double-ender with a more offshore pedigree, a narrower interior and higher prices.
Compare side by sideCape Dory 36
Classic Alberg full-keeler, narrower, slower in light air and generally cheaper.
Compare side by sideCatalina 36
Fin-keel coastal cruiser with a faster turn of speed and lower prices, but less bluewater intent.
Compare side by sideHallberg-Rassy 352
Swedish center-cockpit cruiser with a fin and skeg, deeper draft and a sought-after build.
Compare side by sideOur verdict on the Island Packet 35
The Island Packet 35 does exactly what Robert Perry said a long-keel boat should do: it looks after its crew. It is not quick upwind and its light-air numbers are honest about that, but it gives a couple shoal draft, a self-tending cutter rig, seven berths and a hull with a clean structural record. Check the rudder and deck as Hornor advises, value a documented repower, and the 35 is one of the most livable 35 footers you can buy for around $100,000.
Island Packet 35 questions answered
How much is an Island Packet 35 worth?
Expect roughly $75,000 to $130,000 in 2026. In 2017 SpinSheet found asking prices of $99,000 to $159,000 and an average sale of $119,000.
How many Island Packet 35s were built?
About 178 between 1988 and 1994.
Is the Island Packet 350 the same boat as the 35?
No. The 350 was introduced in 1997 with a different, slightly lighter hull and a swim platform, and it sells for more.
What is the draft of the Island Packet 35?
4 ft 6 in with the fixed keel, or 3 ft 8 in with the optional centerboard raised and 7 ft 2 in lowered.
What problems do Island Packet 35s have?
The main known issue is rudder delamination on older Packets. Also check the PolyCore deck, chainplates and the age of the engine and rigging.
How many people can sleep on an Island Packet 35?
Seven: two in the V-berth, two in the aft double and three on the convertible saloon settees.
More bluewater sailboats to explore
Cabo Rico 38
Bluewater Sailboats, 38 ft
Used $55K to $190K
Tartan 37
Bluewater Sailboats, 37 ft
Used $25K to $85K
Hallberg-Rassy 372
Bluewater Sailboats, 37 ft
Used $200K to $430K
Alberg 37
Bluewater Sailboats, 37 ft
Used $20K to $65K