Island Packet 27 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for an Island Packet 27 means looking at a blue-water-minded pocket cruiser that Bob Johnson designed and that Island Packet Yachts produced from the mid-1980s into the early 1990s, with the bulk of surviving boats having sailed as cutter-rigged sloops. These are heavy, 8,000-pound fiberglass hulls with roughly 3,000 pounds of lead ballast and a traditional long keel, so the used buyer is evaluating a stout, conservative cruiser rather than a light-air rocket.
Layouts on the Used Market
The typical used Island Packet 27 presents a forward V-berth, a saloon with settees that convert to berths, a practical galley, and an enclosed head, all finished with teak trim and durable joinery. Many boats carry about 31 gallons of fresh water depending on configuration and between roughly 19 and 31 gallons of fuel, with diesel inboards common on many examples. The beam in the neighborhood of 10½ feet makes the belowdecks volume feel broader than rival auxiliaries of her size, and the cabin sole is a fiberglass pan over plywood structural grids glassed to the hull.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market, a dodger, bimini, and chartplotter are commonly fitted, while an autopilot is often seen; a short-handed setup or radar appears as a less common owner upgrade. The standard engine on many boats is the Yanmar 2GMF20 with a three-bladed prop, and the conservative cutter-style rig means a used boat may still carry a staysail arrangement that can boost beam-reach boatspeed between 10 and 20 percent. Because these are vintage boats, dated wiring and electronics are expected rather than exceptional.
What to Inspect
The most commonly cited concern in owner forums and owner-association notes is chainplate and rigging area inspection, and several owners have reported that they needed to re-bed their chainplates to stop leaks. Deck-core moisture and the usual aging-related problems turn up regularly in pre-purchase surveys, while hull laminate cracking when boats are point-loaded on jackstands or reefs is a documented structural note. Early boats also showed deck gelcoat crazing, and osmotic blistering is less widely reported than on some contemporary builders but not absent.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Island Packet 27s typically appear on the used market in the United States, France, United Kingdom, and Panama. A buyer's checklist: confirm chainplate bedding and rigging integrity; survey for deck-core moisture and point-load hull cracks; budget for standing-rigging and electrical-panel refresh; and verify the cutter rig and diesel inboard are serviceable. These are steady, well-built pocket cruisers whose weaknesses are aging systems rather than fundamental structure.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Island Packet 27. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 17 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 25 | 1 | $ 36,000 | — |
| Mar 25 | 3 | $ 38,900 | +8.1% |
| Apr 25 | 1 | $ 34,207 | -12.1% |
| May 25 | 1 | $ 28,900 | -15.5% |
| Jun 25 | 5 | $ 29,900 | +3.5% |
| Jul 25 | 2 | $ 24,500 | -18.1% |
| Aug 25 | 6 | $ 29,900 | +22.0% |
| Sep 25 | 3 | $ 35,000 | +17.1% |
| Oct 25 | 4 | $ 29,700 | -15.1% |
| Nov 25 | 3 | $ 29,000 | -2.4% |
| Dec 25 | 1 | $ 29,500 | +1.7% |
| Jan 26 | 6 | $ 29,700 | +0.7% |
| Mar 26 | 2 | $ 26,900 | -9.4% |
| Apr 26 | 4 | $ 30,950 | +15.1% |
| May 26 | 4 | $ 38,000 | +22.8% |
| Jun 26 | 5 | $ 24,900 | -34.5% |
| Jul 26 | 3 | $ 32,900 | +32.1% |
Where they're listed
Island Packet 27 listings appear across 2 countries. United States has the most listings with 39 (97.5%), followed by United Kingdom.
Country view
40 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $ 29,500 | 39 | 10 | 97.5% |
| United Kingdom | $ 20,019 | 1 | 1 | 2.5% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
5 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Island Packet 27You are here | — | $ 29,900 | 43 | 13 |
| Island Packet 31 | 34.33' | $ 39,900 | 39 | 12 |
| Moody 27 | 27.67' | $ 14,736 | 25 | 8 |
| Com-Pac 27/2 | 29.58' | $ 23,250 | 24 | 8 |
| Island Packet 29 | 32' | $ 58,000 | 22 | 15 |