To achieve this, Morgan pushed the boat's beam to a staggering 9.92 feet, providing a footprint that rivaled many 30-footers of the era. Stepping below, the interior reflects this spatial generosity and challenges the traditional layout norms of the late 1970s. Rather than placing a cramped V-berth in the bow, Morgan dedicated the forward cabin to a full-width marine head, complete with a floor drain, integrated shower seat, massive hanging lockers, and dedicated sail storage. This layout served a dual purpose: it functioned as a spacious private dressing room well separated from the main living area, and it critically removed heavy sleeping berths and passenger weight from the bow. Accommodations are instead focused in the center and aft sections of the vessel, with a convertible double dinette and a single settee berth in the salon, complemented by two generous quarter berths flanking the companionway aft. The split galley features a stainless steel sink to starboard and a stove to port, providing an efficient dual-worksurface layout that remains highly functional at heel.
Evolution & Market Standing
The production run of the Chrysler 27 was remarkably brief due to systemic economic factors rather than design failures. When the parent Chrysler Corporation faced severe financial distress in the late 1970s, it was forced to divest its highly regarded Marine Products Group as a condition of its restructuring. In January 1980, the sailboat tooling was sold to Texas Marine International (TMI), a company established by former Chrysler executives. Under this new banner, the design was built as the TMI 27 (or T-27). Concurrently, Charley Morgan’s independent Heritage Yacht Corporation built a closely related sister ship known as the Heritage Super 27.
Today, this shared heritage means the model occupies a unique niche on the brokerage market. It is a relatively rare vessel compared to contemporary mass-production giants like the Catalina 27 or Pearson 27, yet it represents an exceptional value for buyers who recognize the Charley Morgan pedigree 6. It generally trades at a value on the used market, though locating one in pristine condition requires patience. Prospective buyers should understand that while the fiberglass hull structures are remarkably durable, the scarcity of original manufacturer-specific parts means that refitting a Chrysler 27 often demands custom fabrication or the creative adaptation of modern universal hardware.
Sailing Performance & Handling
Under sail, the physical realities of Charley Morgan's design emerge clearly through its hull and rig metrics. Displacing 8,000 pounds on a waterline of 25.5 feet, the vessel carries a moderate Displacement-to-Length ratio of 215.39. This gives the hull sufficient inertia to carry its momentum through messy lake chops and coastal swells without the hobby-horsing or slamming common to lighter modern designs.
The standout technical metric of the Chrysler 27 is its extraordinary ballast-to-displacement ratio of 48.75%. Carrying nearly 3,900 pounds of lead encapsulated in its fin keel, this ballast ratio places the boat in the top tier of stiff, stable cruisers. This translates to an exceptionally upright ride; when hit by sudden gusts, the boat resists heeling and stands up to its canvas immediately, providing a secure, confidence-inspiring feel for the crew. This reassuring stability is corroborated by a Comfort Ratio of 22.36, which describes a gentle, slow-rolling motion in a seaway rather than a quick, violent snap back to center.
With a Capsize Screening Ratio of 1.98, the hull sits safely below the critical limit of 2.0, reinforcing its suitability for coastal passages and offshore club races. The sail plan is a conservative masthead sloop with a Sail Area-to-Displacement ratio of 16.16. While some purists may consider the boat slightly under-rigged in light-air regimes—requiring a substantial genoa to maintain speed in under ten knots of wind—this conservative rig profile makes it incredibly forgiving and easy to handle when the breeze freshens. Coupled with a responsive fin keel and a transom-hung rudder, the boat is highly maneuverable and turns on a dime, though it requires a watchful eye on the helm during long, downwind runs where it lacks the natural tracking of a full-keeled vessel.
Known Issues & Triage
Despite its stout build, the Chrysler 27 is a product of its era and exhibits several well-documented areas of vulnerability that require careful triage. The most common point of failure is deck core rot. The deck is constructed with a balsa core sandwiched between layers of fiberglass. Over the decades, degraded sealant around the chainplates, stanchions, handrails, and the companionway hatch can allow water to seep into the core, leading to localized rot and soft spots. Tapping the deck with a phenolic hammer during a survey is essential to map out any areas of delamination.
Another critical inspection area is the keel joint, often referred to universally in fiberglass boats of this generation as the keel smile. Because of the massive ballast hanging from the shallow keel sump, hard groundings or structural fatigue can cause micro-cracking at the joint between the lead keel and the fiberglass hull. Owners must inspect the stainless steel keel bolts from inside the bilge. If water has been allowed to sit in the bilge, crevice corrosion can weaken the bolts, necessitating their replacement or the addition of sistered floor timbers to distribute the load.
Lastly, the transom-hung rudder and its hardware should be examined. The pintles and gudgeons can develop significant play over decades of use, leading to a sloppy helm feel. In extreme cases of neglect, water can penetrate the fiberglass rudder blade, freezing and expanding in colder climates and causing the rudder skin to split. Re-bedding the aluminum toe rails and replacing degraded portlight gaskets are also standard DIY restoration tasks required to dry out a damp cabin.
Modernization & Upgrades
For owners looking to modernize the Chrysler 27, several high-impact upgrades can dramatically improve its utility as a modern coastal cruiser. The original propulsion setups varied widely, with some hulls configured for outboards and others featuring small inboard gasoline or diesel engines. For inboard hulls where the original engine has reached the end of its serviceable life, many owners opt to convert to a modern high-thrust outboard mounted on a heavy-duty, spring-loaded transom bracket. This not only frees up immense storage space in the engine compartment but also simplifies maintenance. Alternatively, the boat's generous bilge and stiff hull make it an ideal candidate for electric propulsion conversions using modern lithium iron phosphate battery banks.
Upgrading the DC electrical system is another popular modernization route. Replacing the antiquated fuse panels with a modern marine breaker panel and installing a robust LiFePO4 battery house bank allows owners to run modern navigation electronics, refrigeration, and cabin accessories with ease. Because of the boat's wide beam, there is ample space on the coachroof or on a custom stern arch for mounting solar panels to offset daily electrical consumption, making the Chrysler 27 highly capable of extended off-grid pocket cruising.
The Verdict
The Chrysler 27 is a fascinating piece of American maritime history that punches far above its weight in terms of interior volume and structural stability. Thanks to the brilliant design work of Charley Morgan, it defies the cramped layouts of its competitors by delivering a bright, wide-open salon and a private, forward-positioned head that behaves like a true dressing room. Under sail, its massive ballast ratio guarantees a stiff and forgiving ride, making it an excellent platform for novice sailors or families seeking a secure pocket cruiser. While its rarity means that replacement parts require custom solutions and the deck must be carefully inspected for core rot, a well-found Chrysler 27 remains one of the most capable and comfortable 27-footers of its era.
Pros:
- Exceptional stability and stiffness under sail due to an incredibly high ballast ratio of nearly fifty percent.
- Innovative interior layout with a roomy forward head that keeps heavy weight out of the bow and maximizes living space.
- Remarkable cabin volume and headroom for a 27-footer, courtesy of a generous ten-foot beam.
- Highly maneuverable under power and sail, with responsive turning characteristics.
- Relatively rare production model, making original parts and specialized documentation difficult to source.
- Slightly under-rigged in light air, necessitating a large headsail inventory to maintain performance in light breezes.
- Susceptible to typical vintage deck delamination and core rot around improperly sealed deck hardware.
- Transom-hung rudder setup can be vulnerable to impact and requires regular maintenance of pintles and gudgeons.
