Annie L — Herreshoff H-28 Ketch

The Herreshoff H-28 is a timeless, classic cruising sailboat designed by renowned American naval architect L. Francis Herreshoff in December 1942, originally published in Rudder magazine in 1943 as a build-it-yourself project for post-WWII sailors. Intended as an affordable, seaworthy family cruiser emphasizing simplicity, beauty, and performance without rating rule compromises, it’s a long-keeled, heavy-displacement design suited for coastal or short offshore passages on bays, lakes, or oceans. The H-28 accommodates 2-4 people comfortably for weekends or extended voyages, with a focus on easy short-handed handling and a “noiselessly propelled” joy of sailing, as Herreshoff poetically described.

Annie L is a well-cared-for ketch-rigged version of the venerable H-28. Built in 1961 on the shores of Lake Erie by Albert Sprock, she has had diligent stewards for owners over the years and perhaps especially so under the current ownership, who has lavished her with attention and upgrades including deck and cabin restoration work, new North Sails, and new electric motor auxiliary propulsion.

Contact us to learn more about Annie L and schedule a time / day to see her in person.

Interior Accommodations and Layout

The cabin is warmly lit by newer brass lights and original brass lanterns. Two benches with new Forest Green cushions will also serve as berths. The interior woodwork is varnished mahogany and tongue and groove cedar. A sink (no longer connected to the original water tank) is situated on the starboard side adjacent to the cabin’s aft bulkhead, and a small stainless steel food prep or hot plate area is opposite. Cabin furniture includes several built-in drawers, and open storage space under benches. Head room under main cabin is 4’ 10”.

Hull and Deck Construction

• Full keel with keel hung rudder configuration
• Traditional plank on frame hull construction
• Cedar planking over steam-bent oak frames
• Varnished mahogany rub rails with bronze ½ oval guards port and starboard
• Varnished mahogany toe rails and taff rail
• Varnished mahogany opening hatch above forward cabin
• Decks: Traditional planking, with original canvas, stripped and painted in 2025
• Cabin top: Fiberglass over canvas; painted in 2025
• Varnished mahogany cabin sides with polished bronze opening ports
• Varnished mahogany cabin top hand rails

Deck Hardware and Features

• All deck hardware is of cast bronze construction
• Bronze stem iron with attachment points for inner and outer headstays
• Bronze chainplates
• Cast bronze docking line bow chocks
• Bronze chafe strips on toe-rail at bow
• Cast bronze samson post / bow cleat
• Bronze deck fills for Water and Gas (tanks removed)
• Cast bronze stern docking cleats port and starboard aft

Spars and Rigging

• Single-spreader, masthead rigged ketch configuration with removable inner forestay
• Spars are keel-stepped
• Varnished Sitka Spruce hollow box construction main and mizzen masts
• Varnished Sitka Spruce solid box construction main and mizzen booms
• Stainless steel wire standing rigging (shrouds and stays)
• Open body bronze turnbuckle adjusters

Sail Trim and Handling Equipment

• Bronze genoa tracks with adjustable cars port and starboard side decks
• Bronze primary winches port and starboard on cockpit coamings
• Main and Jib halyard winches on main mast
• Main halyard can be lead aft to cabin top winch
• Mizzen halyard winch on mizzen mast
• Cast bronze blocks for main, mizzen and genoa sheets
• Cast bronze cleats for sheets and halyards
• Main halyard is rope to wire
• All other halyards and running rigging rope

Sails and Canvas

• North Sails Main, new in 2025
• North Sails Furling Genoa, new in 2025
• North Sails Mizzen, new in 2025
• Forest Green sail covers for main and mizzen, new in 2026
• Dark Blue Sunbrella cockpit cushions
• Additional / Older Sails: Main, Mizzen, Furling Genoa

Auxiliary Propulsion

• Electric Yacht Quiet Torque 10.0 10kW electric motor with Electric Yacht System monitor and controls
• Stainless steel prop shaft, 1” diameter
• Bronze propellor strut with cutlass bearing
• Bronze fixed 2-blade propellor

Electrical Systems

• 120 Volt AC shore power / charging system
• Shore Power cable and inlet
• Blue Seas 120 Volt AC Panel with voltage and amp meters, main breaker, reverse polarity indicator and circuits for battery charger and outlets.
• Battery charging by 120 Volt AC shore power
• Schauer battery charger
• 12 Volt DC ships / lighting system
• Heavy duty 12 Volt marine batteries (2ea)
• Blue Seas master battery switch
• Blue Seas 12 Volt DC Panel with voltage meter, 2 circuits for bilge pump control and 8 circuits for ships lighting and electronics
• 48 Volt DC electric propulsion system
• 12 Volt DC Lithium Ion batteries (4ea) wired in series for 48 Volts DC supply
• Blue Seas master battery switch

Electronics and Navigational Equipment

• Garmin GPSmap 547 chart plotter
• Icom M-424 VHF radio with remote Command Mic

Plumbing and Sanitation Systems

• Sink basin in galley
• Manual head (not operational)

Steering Systems

• Keel hung rudder of wooden construction
• Bronze pintles and gudgeons
• Tiller steering

Ground Tackle Equipment

• Herreshoff Anchor
• Danforth Anchor
• Appropriate type and length anchor rode and / or chain

Safety Equipment

• Navigational lighting
• Type IV PFD (life ring) 1ea
• Fire extinguishers

Dewatering Equipment

• Electric / automatic bilge pump (2ea)

Additional Equipment

• Porthole screens
• Yankee stay