I have recently been looking up the Hartley site and the photographs of
the Hartley 28, as well as its size appealed to me. I am from Goa,
India, and build boats with a friend. So far, we have built two
eight-footers (ply on frame), a 12-footer and two 18-footers (all three
clinker planked).

We would like to build a boat for coastal sailing and open sea
crossings, and the Hartley 28 looked like a good candidate.
Unfortunately, the site has very little information about it. In any
case, the designer isn't the best person to give an objective view
about his or her own boat. So I was hoping someone could tell me:

(1) How does the boat handle big seas and high winds?

(2) Does she sail well upwind? Does she tack/gybe well?

(3) Can she be fitted with a spinnaker - is a spinnaker sail provided
for in the plans?

(4) Do the plans have a rig and sail plan as well? What is the mast
height?

(5) Can she be fitted to carry a small dinghy tender at the back?

(6) How much headroom does the cabin provide?

(7) What is the configuration of the bunks (a vee, two setees and a
double OR two singles)?

(8) How far has she been sailed by you or anyone you know?

(9) Is she easy or difficult to build?

(10) Did your friends like to sail in the boat while you had it?

I know that is a lot of questions, but I hope you will take the time
out to answer at least some of them. Any info on the Hartley 28 is
welcome.

Ashwin