Looking to buy 27ft. Boat

[VWHumbug]

Just thought I'd run this buy the forum to see if anyone has sailed on either or both the Catalina 27 or the Pearson P-27(1987 or newer) boats. I presently own a Catalina 25 swing converted to a wing and would like to move up to a little bigger boat that has wheel steering and an inboard diesel. I sail in the Great South Bay, Long Island, N.Y. where draft can be an issue in some areas. Wind during the summer is generally 10-15 knts. with many days more towards 20 knts. I don't really race but just sail or sail over to Fire Island and anchor. I'm looking at these two particular boats because they both offer alot for the money. Catalina is still building boats which is a plus for parts but I don't know if the quality is the same as that of the Pearson. Wondering if either or both boats are very tender and if either need alot of upgrading or modifications. Thanks for any and all input.

[cardiacpaul]

I wouldn't do either with a wheel... (ok, start chuckin' stuff at me)
he cockpit is just too darn small to have a wheel.
You won't be able to single hand well at all, your guests won't like the room that it takes up.

Theres not that much difference between the 25 and 27 of either make. 10" LOA, 5" LWL, 10" beam

I won't get into the cat vs. pearson fight, they're both fine boats.

[sailingdog]

If you're looking for something a bit bigger... you might want to look at a 28–30' boat instead of going with two-footitis..

[Sailormann]

CS 27

Specifications:

L.O.A.: 27' 0" (8.23 m)
L.W.L.: 23' 11" (7.29 m)
Beam: 9' 4" (2.84 m)
Draft: 5' 2" (1.57 m)

Displacement: 6100 lbs. (2766 kg.)
Ballast: 2400 lbs. (1088 kg.)
Sail area: 299 sq. ft. (27.78 m²)
Vertical clearance: 37' (11.50 m)

Motor: 8 hp Yanmar Diesel.
Headroom: 6' 0" (1.83 m)
Berths: 4 to 5

Boats with a length of twenty-seven feet and a displacement topping 6000 pounds will generally have more in common with 30 footers than the outboard powered boats in the 25 to 26 foot range. This is certainly true of the CS 27. It is a fast boat with real adult size room below decks, and it comes with an inboard diesel, double lifelines, two speed winches, a pressurized fresh water system, and a huge 5.8 cubic foot ice box. The CS 27 is a sleek boat that was built strong enough for some serious ocean sailing. This boat was available with a fin keel that reaches down 5' 2", and a shoal keel with a very reasonable draft of 3' 11". Close to 500 were built before CS phased out this model in the early 1980s.

[eMKay]

I am considering these two boats as well (along with others) Wouldn't a wheel offer more room in the cockpit? It seems to me that tillers in boats that size extend a long way into the cockpit and with moving it all over the place it seems that passengers would be constantly disturbed...

C27 tiller...


C27 wheel...


Another boat I am considering, Seafarer 26, just love this cockpit setup...

Wheel


Tiller, this one seems not so bad...

[cardiacpaul]

Tiller, moves up out of the way so your guests won't be knocked in the head or have to move. Cap'n can sit to either side or stand with tiller between legs and singlehand easily.

Wheel, smack dab in the center of the cockpit. Problem arises when the Cap'n has to come from behind the wheel, some one is going to get a lap full of feet and a face full of butt... not to mention the wheel has to be locked or have someone take control everytime while sails are trimmed

While the CS 27 is a fine boat, its double the price of a decent cat or pearson, and I just don't think they're "twice" the boat.

[capttb]

I sail a Catalina 270 with a wheel, it also has a T-shaped cockpit which allows a fairly large wheel to be used. I find it quite easy to single-hand, I really don't care if a boat has a wheel or tiller, just takes me a while to adjust between the two.

[cardiacpaul]

the tee cutouts make all the difference in the world.

[BarryL]

Hello,

Why are you restricting yourself to 27' boats? There are lots of nice 28' boats out there that would meet your needs. You should at least look at O'day, Newport, S2, Tartan, and Hunter boats.

For older boats, the care the boat receives is way more important than who manufactured it. You can find hunter and catalina in excellent condition that you could sail tomorrow, and you can find Sabre's that are junk because they have not been maintained.

Good lick,
Barry

[jackytdunaway]

i love my Pearson 27 and it has alot of interior room. i am a little biased but so what. i like my opinions. Good luck