Defender 27 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used Defender 27 means choosing between two keel philosophies on the same 1971-onward Jacques Gaubert and André Mauric design built by Dekker & Sons/EDOR. At 26 feet 3 inches overall with a 19-foot waterline and 8.2-foot beam, she is a narrow masthead sloop of 4,409 pounds displacement, and the keel you find under a given boat shapes both where she can go and how she handles.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Defender 27 was built with different keel alternatives, and the fin keel is the most common of these the most common keel. That version draws about 4.13 to 4.43 feet and is noted for splendid manoeuvrability. The alternative is a pivoting centreboard lifting keel that lets the boat work coastal and inland waters alike, with the board up reducing draft to roughly 1.31 to 1.61 feet so she can use shallow marinas. Below decks both layouts share two cabins and four berths, so the principal used-market distinction is the appendage rather than the accommodation plan.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The rig specifies sheet lengths and diameters rather than owner-fitted gear: jib and genoa sheets run 26.2 feet at 3/8 inch, the mainsheet is 65.6 feet, and spinnaker sheets are 57.7 feet. A buyer should check that running rigging matches those dimensions and that blocks and winches suit the 3/8-inch line. Any electronics or canvas present should be judged on its own condition rather than as expected specification.
What to Inspect
The construction is solid fiberglass hull and deck with iron ballast in the chosen keel. The centreboard pivoting gear is the one mechanism a survey should scrutinize for wear at the pivot and trunk, since the shallow-draft mode depends on it. With the fin keel, confirm the fixed ballast bond and the skeg-hung rudder attachment. The immersion rate of about 544 pounds per inch and wetted surface near 172 square feet are reference points for how the hull sits and what antifouling area you maintain, not defects in themselves.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in the Netherlands. For a shopper, the short list is: decide fin keel for manoeuvrable coastal sailing or centreboard for inland reach; verify the keel hardware matches the claimed draft; confirm the two-cabin, four-berth layout is intact; and check sheet sizes against the 3/8-inch rig standard. The Defender 27 rewards a buyer who picks the keel for the waters he actually sails.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Defender 27. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 2 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 26 | 2 | $4,951 | — |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $4,951 | 0.0% |
Where they're listed
Defender 27 listings appear across 1 country. Netherlands has the most listings with 3.
Country view
3 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | $4,951 | 3 | 3 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
2 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moody 27 | 27.67' | $ 14,940 | 29 | 10 |
| Defender 27You are here | — | $ 4,949 | 3 | 3 |