Design and Construction
Wall's hull shape for the CS 27 is strongly marked by the IOR of its era: a narrow, tucked-up stern, pronounced tumblehome amidships, high topsides, and a flat sheer. A contrasting coloured stripe in red, "Nicholsons' blue," or yellow was used to camouflage the height of those topsides, and the aluminum toe rail runs higher at the bow than the stern, dipping lowest amidships. The reverse sheer at the transom sits about ten degrees from vertical. CS Yachts' "no-wood-trim-on-the-exterior" styling began with this model, leaving only the companionway drop-boards and tiller as wood on deck. The bustle fin leading from the aft edge of the keel to the lower bearing on a partially-supported outboard spade rudder defines the run aft, and the well-proportioned outboard rudder itself is transom-hung.
Beneath the surface, Pat Sturgeon of Pat Sturgeon Yachts noted that the original moulds were built in England, and that the bulkheads were glassed to the hull all around their periphery—unusual in boats of this size. He also described the CS 27 as one of the first models to incorporate an all-fibreglass grid system with the cabin sole to stiffen the hull, and characterized the boat as built as a robust, ocean-going boat. The balsa-core deck and coachroof age well and do not suffer from the chronic deck problems seen on many early balsa-core boats.
Keel, Ballast, and Specifications
The deep-keel version carries a 2,400-pound cast-iron fin bolted to the hull, yielding a ballast-displacement ratio of 0.39, while the optional shoal-draft model used a longer bolt-on lead keel casting at 2,800 pounds for a 0.43 ratio; about 90 boats were built with those lead fins. Displacement is 6,100 pounds against a 23-foot 11-inch waterline, placing the design in the moderate-displacement category with a displacement-length ratio near 200. The standard draft is 5 feet 2 inches.
Rig and Handling
The CS 27 is a masthead sloop, and in 1980 the mast section changed from Proctor to Isomat. Earlier, in 1977, rudder area was increased and CS offered a retrofit kit adding two inches to the forward edge to improve helm balance—a design change that could be applied to older boats. Owners have addressed residual weather helm by shifting the mast to the furthest-forward hole in the mast step and extending the backstay tang to remove rake. On the race course, Don Stark reported the CS 27 as a good heavy-air boat that can point and stay competitive, and he found it easy to drive at five and a quarter knots to windward with no comparable boat out-pointing it to weather. Its PHRF rating is 216 seconds per mile in white sail, dropping to 198 with a spinnaker.
Accommodations
The interior places the galley and navigation station aft, leaving no room for a quarter berth under the deep cockpit in the narrow stern. The stove and sink sit to starboard, with a poorly insulated ice box forming the base of a port-side nav station. A shallow U-shaped dinette with a folding table to port converts to a small double, while a straight settee opposite extends its foot into the hanging locker forward for an overall berth length of 6 feet 6 inches. The brochure claims six feet of salon headroom, though one reviewer under six feet found the overhead liner pressing on his head. Forward, a multiple-folding panel screens the forepeak and head. The holding tank is 32 gallons—twice the capacity of the fresh water tank—and a 5.8-cubic-foot icebox is fitted below.
Known Issues
The boat's propensity to blister is well known on the second-hand market, and many CS 27s have had gel coat stripped before an epoxy barrier coat. One estimate puts nearly half of all boats as having suffered boat pox at some point. There is no bow roller for an anchor locker forward, though most boats have a hawsepipe near the bow cleats leading the rode to the fore peak below.
Refits and Ownership
Beyond the 1977 rudder retrofit and 1980 mast change, the same year brought a teak-and-holly cabin sole replacing fibreglass, and cupboard doors finished with woven cane fronts. The engine evolved from the Yanmar YSE horizontal-cylinder diesel to the 1GM Yanmar—a smoother, higher-revving unit with similar output. Narrow side decks and high topsides are the trade one owner accepted for the interior comfort.
The Verdict
The CS 27 is a thoughtfully engineered small IOR cruiser-racer whose structural grid, fully glassed bulkheads, and balsa-cored deck have aged better than many peers. It sails to windward with unusual pointing ability for its size and carries a practical if compact interior. The blistering record is the principal caveat for any buyer, alongside the awkward anchor-gear detail forward.
Pros
- Early all-fibreglass grid stiffening and peripheral-bulkhead bonding for a robust hull
- Strong upwind pointing and heavy-air performance with competitive PHRF numbers
- Balsa-core deck that avoids the usual chronic failures of its era
Cons
- Well-known blister tendency requiring barrier-coat remediation on many hulls
- No bow roller; anchor rode routed through a hawsepipe to the fore peak
- Claimed six-foot headroom not realized for some adults near six feet tall
