Design and Construction
Dockrell Yachts built the 27 in Tavistock using fairly low-tech GRP methods, and the boats are solidly built with an excellent ballast ratio. The hull is fiberglass solid, the deck the same, and the ballast is 3,200 pounds of iron set in a displacement of 7,000 pounds. What sets the underwater shape apart is a most unusual shallow winged long keel — a long iron wing keel with a flared base that keeps the ballast weight low, and one that is virtually unique to this design. Compared with Folkboat types, the Dockrell has a shallower, longer iron keel and flatter bilges, while on deck it presents a virtually identical layout to the Hurley 27, a boat whose hull moulds were reportedly modified below the waterline to produce the Dockrell's reduced draught. The sheer is attractive, and the transom-hung rudder completes a traditional small-cruiser profile.
Rig and Handling
The Dockrell 27 is cutter rigged with a self-tacking boomed staysail that makes single-handing easy, while a yankee or genoa is carried for light winds. The mast sits in a tabernacle, a feature that complements the shoal 3-foot draught and the long iron keel's flared base, which helps her take the ground upright, aided by removable beaching legs if necessary. Builders claimed the yacht can safely stand upright unsupported on the keel base, though few owners are brave enough to try it. The sail plan is modest: a published sail area of 314 square feet, with a mainsail of about 207 square feet and a 155% genoa near 470 square feet. Sailing performance is moderately good, though not spectacular to windward, and the design carries a good reputation for seaworthiness.
Accommodations
Below, the Dockrell 27 offers up to five berths in two cabins — a saloon and forecabin — with a small separate heads and hanging locker. The cooker is often mounted on rails so it slides out from under the cockpit seat, a practical cruising detail. Because many Dockrells were home completed and some bare hulls were sold, interior finish and exact layouts may vary; factory-finished boats were nicely finished, while the bare-hull completions depend on the builder.
Ownership and Refits
On deck she is fitted out as a proper cruising boat with good solid deck fittings, and the standard propulsion is a 15 to 20 BHP inboard diesel. The tabernacle mast and beaching capability make yard storage or shallow-water cruising straightforward, but the variation in home-completed interiors means a buyer should assess each hull on its own merits rather than assume a standard layout.
The 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 unique winged keel and cutter rig with self-tacking staysail suit single-handers and gunkholers, even if windward performance is merely moderate.
Pros
- Virtually unique shallow winged long iron keel with flared base for low ballast and upright grounding
- Cutter rig with self-tacking boomed staysail eases single-handed sailing
- Solid GRP construction with strong ballast ratio and good seaworthiness reputation
- Tabernacle mast and beaching legs support shoal-water cruising
Cons
- Moderate, not spectacular, windward performance
- Many home-completed or bare-hull boats mean inconsistent interior finish and layout
