MacWester 27 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used market for a MacWester 27 means looking at a bilge-keeled British cruiser built by Macwester Marine from 1972 to 1980, designed by Jim Roy as the improved successor to the Macwester 26. These are boats aimed at tidal coastal cruising rather than offshore work, and the typical markets where they turn up are the United Kingdom and Germany.
Layouts on the Used Market
The 27 is offered with an aft cockpit and tiller steering over a self-draining cockpit that includes a storage locker. Below decks the arrangement is consistent across the class: four berths in two cabins, with a forward V-berth convertible to a double, two main-cabin settee berths, a port-side galley with gas cooker and grill, and a starboard navigation station ahead of a compact head. Standing headroom reaches six feet, and the volume feels generous for a 27-foot hull, which matters more than any optional layout variation when comparing individual boats.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
A dodger is commonly fitted on boats in this class, useful for extending cockpit shelter on tidal moorings. Beyond that, the most consequential items to verify are those tied to the original systems rather than added comforts: the gas cooker and grill in the galley, the cooler, the navigation station instruments and electrical panel, and the self-draining cockpit locker hardware. Canvas and sail-handling upgrades are less standardized, so a buyer should judge each boat on the condition of its led-back cockpit controls and deck-stepped mast rather than a checklist of extras.
What to Inspect
The defining structural point is the cast iron ballast shaped and fixed to the GRP stub keels; check the keel-to-stub bonding and stud condition closely, since this is the departure from the encapsulated lead keels of the earlier 26. The solid fiberglass hull and deck are robust, but the bilge-keel arrangement means the boat may have spent time dried out, so examine the stub keels and any grounding wear. Confirm the self-draining cockpit and locker remain watertight, and verify the gas system in the galley and the marine toilet installation aft of the navigation station.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
MacWester 27s are most often found in the United Kingdom and Germany. For a shopper, the priorities are straightforward:
- Inspect cast iron ballast and stainless studs at the stub keels
- Confirm self-draining cockpit and locker integrity
- Verify gas cooker, cooler, and head plumbing
- Check mast step and cockpit-led control condition
- Favor boats with a fitted dodger for cockpit use
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the MacWester 27. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 5 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 3 | $5,435 | — |
| Feb 26 | 2 | $7,374 | +35.7% |
| Mar 26 | 2 | $5,775 | -21.7% |
| Apr 26 | 2 | $4,070 | -29.5% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $6,788 | +66.8% |
Where they're listed
MacWester 27 listings appear across 2 countries. United Kingdom has the most listings with 9 (90.0%), followed by Germany.
Country view
10 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $5,435 | 9 | 1 | 90.0% |
| Germany | $5,242 | 1 | 0 | 10.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Island Packet 27 | 26.5' | $ 29,500 | 40 | 16 |
| Moody 27 | 27.67' | $ 14,940 | 29 | 10 |
| Com-Pac 27/2 | 29.58' | $ 24,000 | 27 | 7 |
| Sabre Yachts 27 | 27' | $ 5,433 | 12 | 3 |
| MacWester 27You are here | — | $ 5,337 | 10 | 1 |
| MacWester 26 | 26' | $ 4,754 | 6 | 1 |