Ericson 27 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used Ericson 27 means weighing a 1,302-boat production run against a design that rewards careful inspection more than cosmetic polish. Bruce King's 1971 design ran nine years, and the later boats with the 1974 upgrades—teak interior, midships hatch, wheel option—are the ones most buyers will prefer below decks.
Layouts on the Used Market
The fleet splits between early tiller boats with an outboard transom cutout and later inboard wheel versions, with wheel steering standard from hull #754. Early interiors are mahogany plywood; later ones teak, with an enclosed head aft of a pointy V-berth and a port-side galley by the companionway. The saloon settees are long but narrow, and the starboard quarterberth is enclosed and cave-like. Later boats gained a midships ventilation hatch that early ones lack, so ventilation differs sharply by build date.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On used Ericson 27s an autopilot is commonly fitted, and a chartplotter is often seen at the helm. Less common owner additions include solar panels and a gennaker or spinnaker for light-air sailing, while a short-handed setup appears only as an occasional upgrade. For a buyer, the autopilot matters most on a boat whose spade rudder and off-center shaft demand constant attention under power, and a gennaker is the more useful light-air cure than the stock sail plan allows.
What to Inspect
Leakage and rot are reported around the shrouds, and the outboard transom cutaway is another area that can weep; both are visible by removing the settee paneling that also exposes the hull-deck joint anchor. Check the engine for the recalled exhaust fitting that let water into some Atomic 4s, and inspect any ports for the leaks that have driven owners to replace them with Lexan. Original ventilation is wretched on early boats, so confirm later hatch additions.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Ericson 27s turn up in the United States and Canada. Prioritize a later hull with the midships hatch and teak interior, confirm the exhaust recall was done, and budget for rudder or ventilation improvements if buying an early tiller boat.
- Prefer hull #754 and later for wheel and hatch
- Inspect shroud and transom core for rot
- Verify Atomic 4 exhaust recall and port seals
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Ericson 27. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 10 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 25 | 2 | $7,500 | — |
| May 25 | 2 | $4,000 | -46.7% |
| Jul 25 | 2 | $3,750 | -6.3% |
| Sep 25 | 2 | $11,750 | +213.3% |
| Dec 25 | 2 | $5,750 | -51.1% |
| Feb 26 | 1 | $8,647 | +50.4% |
| Mar 26 | 3 | $11,975 | +38.5% |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $8,831 | -26.3% |
| May 26 | 1 | $1,000 | -88.7% |
| Jun 26 | 2 | $4,000 | +300.0% |
Where they're listed
Ericson 27 listings appear across 2 countries. United States has the most listings with 10 (83.3%), followed by Canada.
Country view
12 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $6,750 | 10 | 2 | 83.3% |
| Canada | $8,739 | 2 | 0 | 16.7% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
6 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moody 27 | 27.67' | $ 14,957 | 28 | 9 |
| Ericson 27You are here | — | $ 8,074 | 12 | 2 |
| Ericson 30+ | 29.92' | $ 19,448 | 12 | 1 |
| Northshore 27 | 26.97' | $ 17,932 | 11 | 3 |
| Ericson 28-2 | 28' | $ 16,800 | 9 | 2 |
| Ericson 29 | 28.58' | $ 12,500 | 7 | 3 |