Design and Construction
Butler's hull was offered in two principal sub-types from the outset: a fin keeler with a swept fin and balanced swept rudder described as a definite offshore arrangement, and a twin-keel variant drawing 3ft 8in against the fin's 4ft 4in twin keels, drawing 3’ 8’’, as opposed to the fins 4’4" draught. Unlike many twin-keelers of the early 1970s, the 27's twins proved surprisingly efficient, hard to distinguish from the fin in cruising, and their fairly long chord made the boat directionally more stable to windward. The hulls for the UK boats were moulded by Seamaster, and the structure leaned heavily on internal GRP mouldings for furniture modules and hull-side and deck-head linings rather than the framed interiors common to British builders of the decade. The deck-stepped mast bears on a balsa-cored coachroof and is carried below by a substantial kingpost, while the interior furniture is formed by an internal moulding — a method that gave a clean, repeatable finish but concentrated loads through moulded structures rather than a traditional backbone.
Rig and Handling
The rig is a standard masthead affair borrowing on 1970s IOR thinking, with capshrouds and fore-and-aft lowers all well inboard to permit good windward ability. The cap shrouds sit in line with the mast, so the mainsail can be set much squarer on a dead run than on a divided-shroud rig. Some versions carried a split mainsheet spanning the aft end of the companionway hatch; many standard boats anchored the mainsheet at the cockpit rear instead. Under sail the boat is stiff and sails well in light airs yet is powerful enough to make to windward when it blows up. In a stiff breeze a test boat reached at around 6 knots and showed the easy, steady motion of a heavier displacement yacht rather than the bouncy ride of modern lightweights. An owner of a twin-keeler reported she points well, has a balanced rig, feels safe, and is easy to handle with a family aboard. Under power, handling is straightforward but demands a firm tiller when going astern.
Accommodations
Two main layout options shared a large starboard dinette, the difference lying in the port galley: the Mk1 used a linear galley with a quarter berth aft, while the Mk2 adopted an L-shaped galley forward of that with berth or seating ahead either a linear type with ¼ berth aft (Mk1). A third "Aluco" variant substituted a C-shaped starboard seating arrangement. A small forecabin with a V-berth sits forward, separated from the saloon by heads and hanging locker. The large fore hatch, reached by built-in steps in the heads, opens above that corridor and lets sail changes and stowage happen without wetting the berths; the unusually wide main hatch opens most of the saloon. The 8ft cockpit seats six adequately, with coamings angled to sit on comfortably, a voluminous lazarette aft for gas, diesel, and bilge pumps, a deep locker to port, and a rope locker to starboard above the quarter berth.
Known Issues
The twin-keel configuration has no appreciable bilge sump, which becomes inconvenient the moment any water gets below because there is nowhere for it to collect away from the cabin sole no appreciable bilge sump, which is inconvenient if any water gets below. On the rig side, the winches supplied as standard are undersized for the sail plan, a shortfall a prospective owner will feel when trimming the large masthead headsail but the winches are undersized. A handful of boats — at least the Mk2 deluxe "Sunbird" by request of her first owner — carry a transom-hung but skeg-mounted rudder on a full-depth skeg, and some others have a simple transom-hung rudder like the smaller Jaguar 25, deviations worth noting because they depart from the balanced spade rudder of the standard fin model.
The Verdict
The Jaguar 27 endures as a well-proportioned, genuinely seaworthy small cruiser whose Butler pedigree and British moulding discipline produced a boat that sails above its length. The twin-keel option removed the grounding anxiety of the fin without the usual penalty in performance, and the internal-moulding construction gave a tidy, durable interior. The weak winches and the twin-keel bilge shortfall are the caveats, but neither undermines a design that remains ideal for short-handed or family cruising.
Pros
- Stiff, light-air-friendly performance with secure windward ability
- Twin keels efficient and directionally stable, rare for the era
- Extensive internal GRP mouldings for a clean, robust interior
- Spacious cockpit and clever forehatch sail-handling access
Cons
- Undersized standard winches
- Twin-keel variant lacks any real bilge sump
- Rudder configuration varies by example away from standard spade
