C&C 27 Mk III Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The Mk III stretched the established hull by six inches in the cockpit and stern region while holding beam unchanged, a subtle lengthening that preserved the generous beam and relatively high topsides the 27-foot class was known for against more traditional, longer-overhang profiles generous beam and relatively high topsides. The raised coach roof rises at a low angle from a high, cambered deck, and sloping side decks of reasonable width run out to the cockpit coamings aft of the winches. Beneath, a swept-back fin keel typical of many 1970s designs pairs with a spade rudder fixed at the aft end of the waterline, the rudder itself redesigned into a higher-aspect shape for this edition. The keel, however, cannot bear the hull's weight on its own, which dictates a strong and elaborate cradle for winter storage.

Rig and Handling

Rob Ball's Mk III increased rig height once more, this time accompanied by a genuine increase in sail area, and the mast is set well back to open a relatively large foretriangle across a spacious foredeck. The mainsheet traveller moved forward to a bridgedeck mount. On the water, the swept-back fin trades absolute windward bite for fluent reaching, while the light helm responds quickly and the boat was fundamentally conceived around tiller steering. Lighter air favors the taller-rig models like the Mk III, and the design as a whole proves strong and seaworthy enough for a coastal cruise, though carrying capacity in both volume and weight stays limited by the type.

Accommodations

Inside, the Mk III kept the basic layout of its predecessors, merely adding smoked acrylic port lights and minor detailing changes. The roomy cabin provides standing headroom, with a V-berth forward, a head and hanging locker just aft of it, a dinette to port, and a settee to starboard; the majority of interior volume sits in that settee and dinette lounging space. Just inside the companionway lies a compact galley with sink and stove, opposite an icebox and counter space. Long, straight cockpit benches reach within inches of the wide transom.

Known Issues

Two practical shortcomings follow the design into ownership. Wheel steering, offered on the Mk III from 1975, forces the helmsman to step onto the seats to get behind the wheel because the cockpit foot well is too narrow to pass. Age tells on the topsides: many hulls show fading gelcoat and have been repainted, and the rubber liner around the port lights is prone to weather-checking and early leakage. A buyer should budget for topside refinishing on an older example if it has not already been addressed.

Refits and Ownership

Diesel auxiliary power became an option in 1978, with the single-cylinder Yanmar SYP 12 standardized near the end of the Mk III run in place of the standard Atomic 4 gasoline engine. Wheel steering remained an option rather than a retrofit necessity given the boat's tiller-oriented DNA. The class races without handicap distinction across all marks, so a Mk III meets its sisters on even terms despite its altered ballast and draft.

The Verdict

The C&C 27 Mk III refines a proven coastal cruiser-racer with a taller, larger-area rig and a higher-aspect rudder while keeping the roomy, standing-headroom cabin that made the line popular. It is quick on a reach and light on the helm, but the fin keel limits windward precision and the wheel-steering cockpit geometry is awkward.

Pros