03-08-2008
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Western Long Island Sound
Posts: 156
Rep Power: 6
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See below - copied from my post on the sailboat owners.com website in November.
BTW- no issues so far with cored hull - was surveyed before purchase. Also, S2 is known for good build quality and layup (certainly their Tiara powerboats are known)
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Have had the 27 for one season. Also, have spoken to another S2 27 owner, and have looked at some posts in other sites. Here is more or less my comments in random order...overall i am happy with the boat.
1) is a relatively stiff boat that sails well to windward - can point very well. not too bad in lighter air.
2) not that fast downwind for some reason. need to fly the chute to get speed.
3) thoughtful placement (for the most part) of exterior sail handing gear, halyards, sheets, etc.
4) quality materials and very good build quality thruout - which is typical of S2/Tiara sail and powerboats.
5) the 1987 has a redesigned interior which seems better than the 85-86
6) is a mainsail driven boat - you can sail nicely with main alone - although the stock main has too much roach and gets caught on the backstay easily in light air.
7) the inboard yanmar 9hp is underpowered. in any seaway or chop or wind or tide, you will be lucky to get her over 4-4.5 knots - in low wind with current - and a clean bottom and prop with 6 people, I struggled to get over 5 knots - really needs a 12-13 hp motor.
8) you need to check the keel/blige area - some reports of cracking of inner liner to hull - but only in an area where there was no use of fiberglass cloth - so likely it is cosmetic.
9) the bilge design is not very good - way to shallow and no real way to place a pump effectively.
10) handles on a dime - it has a real tight turn radius and the rudder is well balanced.
11) these boats have a cored hull (and deck)- some people are not bothered by this - so you need to have a GOOD surveyor do a GOOD moisture check.
12) check chainplate areas - are prone to leaking (like most boats....) the spinnaker downhaul block also can leak - need to check that area too
13) generally she likes to sail in 10-15 knots with 3-4 people on board. since she's lighter than most 27 footers (5K lbs vs. 6-7 lbs) she'll start to heel more quickly in heavier air.
14) the life line stanchions are strange - the uprights mount such that you have to remove the base in order to remove the upright - which is not a good design in my mind.
15)i am thinking that the boat would motor better with a fixed 2-blade prop - but would suffer speed under sail
16) if you plan to race her - i think she suffers from a PHRF rating that is too low - the boat has a SA/D of 17 vs. C&C 27 MkV which has a 19-20 SA/D - yet the rating is the same - the boat is more a true "performace cruiser" than racer cruiser.
17) the location of traveller in middle of cockit is not great - you get your shins bruised...
Last edited by rperret : 03-08-2008 at 01:46 PM.
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