Hunter 27 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

The accommodation plan is consistent: a forepeak double berth, a full-width head aft of it, port and starboard settee berths in the main cabin, a port quarterberth with folding chart table, and a starboard galley with sink, two-burner alcohol stove, and icebox. Headroom is just over 6 ft. under the main hatch. Newer boats (post-1979 changes) carry eight opening ports and two hatches with a holding tank system, while older boats have fewer ports and likely portable heads. The T-shaped cockpit is comfortable for five, though with five aboard the stern squats, and the lazarette cannot be used for storage because steering gear, scupper hoses, and exhaust run through it while the starboard seat locker holds the fuel tank.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

On the used market, autopilots and biminis are commonly fitted, while chartplotters are often seen; dodgers, swim platforms, short-handed setups, furling mains, heating, inverters, and spinnakers appear as sometimes-or-owner upgrades rather than standard. The boat comes standard with wheel steering, life jackets, anchor, and fire extinguishers, and late models added Yacht Specialties pedestal steering, international running lights, and a foredeck anchor well. The molded winch islands accept no winch much larger than standard Lewmar 7s, so winch upgrades are constrained. A larger genoa is needed for light-air sailing given the fixed sheeting to the toerail.

What to Inspect

The keel-to-hull joint has caused problems in some Hunter 27s, and the narrow lead keel creates leverage on the hull when heeled, so examine the keel attachment and hull around it closely. Chainplates are stainless U-bolts through the toerail with no backing plates—a poor primary choice—and should be checked for deck crushing. The transom hull-to-deck fairing was sloppy on every surveyed boat, a cosmetic but telling quality signal. Confirm whether a grounding jumper exists between the fuel fill and the aluminum tank in the starboard locker, as none was fitted originally. Renault diesels (through 1979) had shifting attachments that vibrate loose per one owner, and Yanmars are noisy; one owner reported leaking strut bolts and shaft wear from improper shaft alignment, so inspect the drivetrain alignment.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

These boats are typically found in the United States, United Kingdom, Georgia, Canada, Italy, and Australia. For a buyer, the takeaway is a low-cost entry with strong cabin comfort but specific watch items:

• Inspect keel-to-hull joint and narrow fin leverage signs
• Verify chainplate U-bolts and toerail integrity; no backing plates
• Check for fuel-fill grounding jumper; test engine alignment and strut bolts
• Confirm port count and holding tank versus portable head by build era
• Note winch island limit before planning winch upgrades