Cal 2-27 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The 2-27's hull is solid fiberglass with internal lead ballast dropped into an envelope keel, and the deck was cored with plywood sections set in resin and glass, held down by sandbags until cured. The hull-to-deck joint was sealed with putty and glassed over on the inside, while bulkheads were bonded to hull and deck and a half pan formed the cabin sole and hull stiffeners. A small skeg was incorporated to provide a bearing for the rudder, and the overhead was finished with a soft liner rather than a fiberglass molding. Overall integrity of the hull and deck structures seems to be above average.

Her numbers tell the story of a moderately heavy coastal cruiser: 6,700 pounds displacement on a 22-foot 8-inch waterline, 3,100 pounds of lead ballast for a 46.27 ballast-displacement ratio, and a displacement-length ratio of about 278. The beam of 9 feet 3 inches and 4-foot 3-inch draft reflect a fin-keel, spade-rudder hull intended for cheerful handling rather than offshore passage work.

Rig and Handling

The Cal 2-27 carries a masthead sloop rig with single spreaders and single lower shrouds, the untapered mast supplied by SuperSpar or Kenyon and stepped on deck atop a compression post resting on a transverse fiberglass molding. Total sail area runs about 374 square feet, split between a 158-square-foot main and a 216-square-foot foretriangle, and the reported sail-area-displacement ratio of 16.7 places her firmly in the cruiser-racer band.

The builder claimed she was designed to race competitively under MORC and CCA rules, rating about 21.6 and 24.1 respectively, and with larger headsails and a penalty pole she would rate half ton under IOR; under PHRF she rates about 200. Owners report she is quite stable, heeling to 20 degrees and settling in, and stands up well to windy conditions without excessive heel, though weather helm can become a problem at higher wind speeds.

Accommodations

Inside, the 2-27 is roomy for her length, with a V-berth forward, settees amidships, and the galley aft under the companionway and bridge deck. Owners describe the forward cabin as a mini-stateroom far less claustrophobic than comparable boats, and all berths are a generous 6 feet 4 inches long; pilot berths were offered as options to sleep six. Headroom runs 6 feet 2 inches throughout. The head forms part of the forward cabin, which draws complaints about privacy, and the athwartship galley means companionway traffic crosses over it. Storage is a bit limited, and the ice box requires kneeling on the port settee with your head under the overhead to inspect. For cruising she suits two persons best, with the cockpit most comfortable for two or three when tiller steered, yet she remains more than adequate for weekend and short cruises.

Known Issues

Owners cite several recurring shortcomings. Inadequate backing plates for stanchions and deck hardware are common, along with gelcoat crazing and difficulty sealing chainplates at the deck. Hull-deck joint leaks appear, as do through-hull gate valves, flimsy companionway drop boards, and a loose rudder post. A proper ground tackle system—bow roller, chocks, anchor well—is often lacking. Engine accessibility draws criticism as less than ideal, and the few Farymann diesel options suffered electrolysis and poor parts availability, while diesel owners felt underpowered.

Refits and Ownership

As the years passed, interiors were upgraded with more teak veneers, opening ports, and better equipment. The Universal Atomic 4 gasoline engine was fitted in many boats, with a single-cylinder 12-hp Farymann diesel a rarely chosen option and some boats receiving outboards; owners have also reported Volvo MB10A and 11-hp Universal diesels. The Crown 28 in Canada, developed by Calgan Marine, carried the lineage forward.

The Verdict

The Cal 2-27 is a thoughtfully evolved Lapworth cruiser-racer whose beamy hull and stable manners made her a practical family coastal boat. She rewards a careful survey with her above-average structural integrity, but the deck-hardware and sealing weaknesses demand attention.

Pros