Design and Construction
Cape Dory Yachts built its sailboat hulls from moderately heavy solid fiberglass hand-layup laminates of mat and woven roving with polyester resin, and the 27’s deck is solid fiberglass rather than a cored sandwich. Her lead ballast is an internal casting encapsulated within the hollow keel molding, the voids filled with a polyester slurry and heavily glassed over. That solid, unembellished structure underpins the boat’s reputation for being sturdy and safe offshore. Carl Alberg’s hand shows in a conservative full-keel profile and attached rudder, a hull tuned for predictable manners rather than racing sparkle—yet the 27 still surprises with her off-wind pace.
Rig and Handling
For a full-keel boat she has incredible handling, and testers found she balances perfectly upwind with very little weather helm if reefed at the right time anchor. Off the wind she scoots right along and can pass boats much larger and heavier, with very surprising speeds in heavier air. The stock Barlow size 16 non-tailing winches are adequate for crew work but a recognized limitation for singlehanding; period reviewers recommended adding self-tailing winches if sailing alone. Under power, the most popular engine is the single-cylinder Yanmar YSM8, a famously reliable 8-horsepower diesel fed by an 8-gallon tank that yields a steaming range of about 100 miles at a third of a gallon per hour.
Accommodations
The 27 trades some interior volume for a large cockpit that is perfect for daysails with friends aboard. Below, accommodations include a large V-berth and two single port and starboard bunks amidships, the portside one doubling as a settee. A longtime owner writing in Cruising World found that while space exists for four, overnighting with three is more realistic because the empty bunk swallows everyone’s gear. The lack of a quarter berth is no hardship: it opens a ton of storage under the cockpit for ground tackle, sails, and cruising clutter. The cabin is simple, not lavish, which suits the boat’s honest brief.
Equipment and Systems
The electrical plant is deliberately basic: a 12-volt system with separate house and starting batteries, governed by a simple breaker board that controls cabin lights, running lights, anchor light, and VHF. There is no complex networked architecture to fail—just the essentials done plainly. That restraint matches the boat’s character and keeps ownership affordable.
The Verdict
The Cape Dory 27 is a small Alberg cruiser that rewards the sailor who values predictability and seaworthiness over interior square footage. She is easy to handle, genuinely capable off the wind, and built with a structural seriousness rare in her size class. The principal compromises are the modest accommodations and the manual winches, both of which a careful owner can plan around.
Pros
- No-nonsense, bluewater-capable full-keel design built without compromise
- Incredible handling for a full-keel boat; balances upwind with little weather helm
- Surprising off-wind speed that can outrun larger, heavier boats
- Solid fiberglass hull and encapsulated lead ballast for offshore sturdiness
- Large cockpit plus extensive under-cockpit storage from absent quarter berth
- Simple, reliable 12-volt systems and widely serviced Yanmar YSM8 diesel
Cons
- Interior space sacrificed to the cockpit; tight for four overnight
- Stock non-tailing winches limit singlehanded sail handling
- Modest 8-horsepower power and 100-mile steaming range under diesel
