This sailboat is easy to sail. It gets going well even in a 6-knot wind.
It handles nimbly at the tiller and responds to steering commands almost like a dinghy. It has a shallow draft, making it perfect for the Havel River or the Baltic Sea. That way, you can always find a nice spot in any harbor.
What sets it apart is the electric drive system. It was newly installed in 2022. This eliminates all the typical diesel engine maintenance tasks—such as annual oil changes, winterizing, and de-winterizing—and, above all, the noise and odor inside the boat. There are also no more starting problems.
Other notable features:
– Mast-laying device
– Dry-separation toilet
– Draft of only 1.10 meters
The boat has been overhauled in recent years, and many minor issues have been resolved. We sailed it on the Baltic Sea for six months in 2024. It proved itself completely—everything worked perfectly and held up! We’re now parting ways with it because we want to downsize for personal reasons.
The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 28.1 has the following technical specifications:
Year of manufacture: 1997
Length / Width / Draft: 8.70 / 2.95 / 1.10
Weight: 2.7 metric tons
CE Category B (Coastal Seas)
Keel shape: wing keel, resulting in a draft that remains approximately constant when the boat heels.
Tiller steering with a spade rudder, equipped with an autopilot (Simrad TP10).
Sail area: Genoa 14.55 + mainsail 17.93 = 32.48 square meters total.
Mainsail:
1 Northsail, 1 original Jeanneau mainsail
Head sail:
1 Beilken 110 % genoa, 1 original Jeanneau genoa,
1x Original Jeanneau jib
Furling system: Selden 105s New for 2023, complete with profile, furling mechanism, and reefing line.
Shrouds, forestay, backstay: New for 2023
The mainsail can be reduced to reef 1 or reef 2 on the mast. The corresponding reefing lines are clamped at the forward end of the boom.
Mast-laying device:
There is a permanently integrated stainless-steel jib boom for mast-laying, equipped with a block and tackle, 6-fold sheaved.
Also permanently integrated is an aft mast rest with a mast roller to support the lowered mast, as well as two wooden/steel mast supports. These are set up behind the anchor locker and at the mast base as needed (e.g., during winter storage) to securely support the mast on the boat.
Motor:
ePropulsion EVO POD 6 kW. New for 2022 with a 9 kWh LiFePo battery, matching charger, side-steering, and a display with GPS and range indicator.
The charger can be plugged into any standard port outlet; it takes about 6 hours to fully charge the device. Power consumption: approximately 2 kWh.
Second engine:
A special mount (included in the price of the boat) for a small outboard motor can be inserted into the swim ladder sockets. It is compatible with a Honda 2.3 PS outboard motor. This can be purchased separately and is not included in the price of the boat. In an emergency, when there is no wind and the water is calm, it can propel the boat at a speed of approximately 5 km/h.
Restroom:
Dry-separation toilet from Kildwick. This means no pumping costs! There are also no clogs, no odors, and it’s incredibly easy to use.
Restroom with a sink, mirror, and cabinets
Pressurized water system with a very quiet pump, a 100-liter water tank (new in 2023), and two faucets—one in the bathroom and one in the kitchen.
The two sinks drain directly into the water through through-hull fittings located below the waterline.
Pantry:
Stove: Origo 300 Alcohol Stove,
Stainless steel sink and cooling well (without cooling).
Ample storage space for groceries, dishes, and cooking utensils in two drawers, two cabinets with sliding doors, and two shelving compartments under the sink and under the stove. This compartment is well-suited for passive cooling, as it is located below the waterline and directly against the hull.
Bow anchor:
10 kg Stainless Steel Bruce Anchor with 30 m Chain, Galvanized
Stern anchor:
Galvanized Bruce anchor, 7 kg, with 25 m of anchor line on a reel
Railing:
With upper and lower beams (Stb. and Bb.).
Stainless steel bow basket with wooden footrest
Aft deck with a removable center railing (with top and bottom rails) for swimming.
The cockpit panel at the stern is removable.
Removable ladder.
The original mounting sockets for the swim ladder were made of plastic and were replaced in 2021 with custom-made stainless steel sockets.
Huge storage chest with a practical division into several compartments.
Storage spaces inside the cabin under all benches and berths, as well as in several cabinets and open storage channels.
Electrical System:
2 12-volt, 100-Ah AGM batteries, one of which was replaced in 2024. The batteries can be used separately or in parallel.
12-volt charger with separate charging for both batteries (Philippi)
Lighting:
4 ceiling lights—in the bathroom, the aft cabin, the galley, and the salon—as well as a spotlight above the navigation table.
All lights have been replaced with LEDs.
Shore power cable in the anchor locker at the bow, 12 meters long, with a CEE plug.
Autohelm echo sounder with log and mileage display.
There is also an electric wind indicator. The display and wiring all the way to the top of the mast are in place, but the sensor at the top is missing. It is unclear where the problem lies (sensor, wiring, display…).
Position lights, all of which have also been converted to LED:
R/G at the bow (new in 2023), white navigation light on the mast, white stern light, white all-around anchor light at the top of the mast
One of the boat's major advantages is the spacious berth in the aft cabin.
Berth dimensions for the aft cabin: 2.00 x 1.55 / 1.00 (head/foot end)
Bunk dimensions (bow bunk): 1.85 x 1.80 / 0.40 (head/foot end)
Standing height: 1.80 max.
Seat height: 1.25
Cockpit bench length: 1.80 with teak decking
Bench length below deck: 1.80
Table in the salon; it can also be easily moved into the cockpit.
Teak handles on the starboard and port sides of the cabin.
Genoa tracks for adjusting the hoisting points on the cabin.
Traveller in the cockpit for the mainsheet.
Upholstery:
Mattress for the aft berth (upper half new in 2022), mattress for the bow berth,
Seat cushions for the Stb and BB benches, as well as for the front bench in the saloon. Also included are three back cushions. The back cushion for the front bench can be used to extend the bow berth if needed (see photo).
Ventilation:
Light enters through 5 hatches: 2 above the forward berth, one each in the aft cabin and the bathroom, and a large ceiling hatch in the salon.
All hatches are equipped with insect screens and blackout shades.
Additional accessories:
– Mainsheet (4-strand sheave with quick-release latch)
– Jib sheet with soft shackle
– Main halyard
– Jib halyard
– The Genoa Case
– UV protection for the headsail (attached via the genoa halyard)
– Tree (bracing replaced by a specialist company in 2022)
– Lazyjack and Lazybag (new zipper in 2024)
– Tree-lowering block (4-strand sheave)
– Dirk
– 2 HARKEN winches
– 2 winch handles
– STB and Bb: 3 folding clamps each, through which the following lines are routed into the cockpit: main halyard, genoa halyard, jib halyard, furling line, derek, downhaul
– Simrad TP 10 autopilot with an extra-secure junction box
– 1 scrub brush
– 1 boat hook
– 4 mooring lines, each about 4 m long
– Cockpit shade for mounting above the boom
– Very heavy-duty winter cover for covering the entire boat when stored outdoors.
– Ropes for securing the winter tarp.
– 3 large and 3 small fenders
