Design and Construction
Dockrell Yachts built the 27 in Tavistock using fairly low-tech GRP construction methods. The boats are solidly built and have an excellent ballast ratio. Both hull and deck are solid fiberglass, while 3,200 pounds of iron ballast sit within a displacement of 7,000 pounds.
The defining feature is the most unusual shallow winged long keel. This long iron keel has a flared base that keeps the ballast weight low, and the arrangement is virtually unique to the design. Compared with Folkboat types, the Dockrell has a shallower, longer iron keel and flatter bilges.
On deck, the layout is virtually identical to that of the Hurley 27. The Hurley’s hull moulds were reportedly modified below the waterline to produce the Dockrell’s reduced draught. An attractive sheer and transom-hung rudder complete its traditional small-cruiser profile.
Rig and Handling
The Dockrell 27 is cutter rigged, with a self-tacking boomed staysail that makes single-handing easy. A yankee or genoa is carried in light winds. The published sail area is 314 square feet, with a mainsail of about 207 square feet and a 155% genoa near 470 square feet.
The mast is stepped in a tabernacle. Together with the shoal 3-foot draught, this arrangement suits shallow-water cruising and yard storage. The long iron keel’s flared base helps the boat take the ground upright, with removable beaching legs available if needed. The builders claimed that the yacht could safely stand upright, unsupported, on the keel base, although few owners are brave enough to try it.
Sailing performance is moderately good, though not spectacular to windward. The design also carries a good reputation for seaworthiness.
Accommodation
Below, the Dockrell 27 provides up to five berths in two cabins: a saloon and a forecabin. There’s also a small separate heads and a hanging locker. The cooker is often mounted on rails so that it slides out from beneath the cockpit seat, a practical detail for cruising.
Many Dockrells were completed at home, and some were sold as bare hulls, so the interior finish and exact layout can vary. Factory-finished boats were nicely finished; the quality of bare-hull completions depends on the individual builder.
Deck Gear, Engine, and Ownership
The Dockrell is fitted out as a proper cruising boat, with good, solid deck fittings. Standard propulsion is a 15 to 20 BHP inboard diesel.
The tabernacle mast and beaching capability make yard storage and shallow-water cruising straightforward. However, because home-completed interiors vary, buyers should assess each hull on its own merits rather than assume a standard layout or finish.
Verdict
The Dockrell 27 is a distinctly British take on the small long-keel cruiser: strongly built, shoal-drafted, and able to take the ground almost like a bilge-keeler. Its unusual winged keel and cutter rig with self-tacking staysail suit single-handers and gunkholers, even if its windward performance is merely moderate.
Pros
- Virtually unique shallow, winged long iron keel, with a flared base that keeps the ballast low and allows upright grounding
- Cutter rig with self-tacking boomed staysail makes single-handed sailing easier
- Solid GRP construction, an excellent ballast ratio, and a good reputation for seaworthiness
- Tabernacle mast and removable beaching legs suit shoal-water cruising
Cons
- Moderate rather than spectacular windward performance
- Home-completed and bare-hull boats can have inconsistent interior layouts and standards of finish
