Design and Construction
Marine Construction built the Cutlass 27 as a solid fibreglass hull with stout but unsophisticated construction, and a meaningful number of the fleet were home-completed rather than finished at the factory. The underwater configuration is a long keel, and the deck layout is simple. At 27 feet overall with a 20-foot waterline, 7 feet 8 inches of beam, and a 4 foot 6 inch draft, she displaces 6,496 pounds and carries iron ballast at just over 50 percent of that weight. The Comfort Ratio of 30.1 places her motion in a seaway closer to a moderate offshore cruiser than a lightweight dayboat, and her Capsize Screening Formula of 1.7 marks her as a sound candidate for ocean passage-making.
Rig and Handling
The Cutlass 27 is a masthead sloop with 338 square feet of working sail in the main and genoa, and a Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 13.4. That figure puts her firmly in the ultraheavy displacement category with a Displacement/Length Ratio of 363, and it means she needs a stiff breeze to get her going. Once powered up, the 50 percent ballast ratio lets her stand up well to her canvas in a blow and power through waves. Tested behavior matches the numbers: she sails very well with a light and sensitive helm, shows good performance across wind conditions, and is a good sea boat that is reasonably quick and easy to handle. The long keel that gives her that seakeeping also costs her in close quarters, where she is harder to manage in tight spaces and shallow water and shows more drag and less maneuverability than a fin-keeled boat.
Accommodations
Below, the Cutlass 27 offers four berths split between a saloon and a forecabin, with 5 feet 10 inches of headroom and basic cooking and navigating facilities. The interior is very plainly finished and small compared to more modern boats, and by current standards it reads as somewhat cramped. The cockpit, by contrast, is spacious, and the low coachroof and simple deck plan keep her easy to move around on deck.
Known Issues
Three weaknesses recur across period reviews. The interior's plain finish and small volume are the most cited discomfort, especially for anyone used to modern layouts. She is also significantly under-rigged, carrying less sail area than most similar sailboats, and that shortfall blunts her speed and performance in light winds and pushes the skipper toward the engine more often than ideal. The long keel, already noted for maneuvering penalties, is the third chronic complaint: more drag and less agility than a fin-keeled boat in confined or shallow water.
Refits and Ownership
Some Cutlass 27s carry windvane self-steering gear, and a few have a modified main hatch or other customizations for long offshore passages. The first boats were launched simply as "Cutlass" in 1968, with the design extensively updated in 1974 and renamed "Cutlass 27" after those changes; nearly 200 were built across a long production run that ran into the mid-1980s.
The Verdict
The Cutlass 27 is an honest, seakindly long-keeled cruiser with Folkboat-derived looks and a stout hull, best suited to a sailor who values stability and offshore composure over speed in light air or easy marina maneuvering. She rewards patient sail trim and a tolerance for a plainly finished, compact interior.
Pros
- Stands up well to her canvas and powers through waves in a blow
- Comfort Ratio and Capsize Screening mark her as a capable offshore seaboat
- Spacious cockpit and simple, easy-to-handle deck layout
- Stout fibreglass construction with Folkboat-inspired hull
Cons
- Significantly under-rigged; sluggish in light winds and leans on the engine
- Long keel limits maneuverability in tight or shallow spaces
- Small, plainly finished interior cramped by modern standards
