Production began in 1976. Hess’s influence shows in the narrow, easily driven hull, which tracks well. The boat carries 3,100 pounds of internal lead ballast, with no keel bolts to maintain—a familiar concern removed from long-term ownership of a long-keeled boat.
Design and Construction
The lapstrake hull uses alternating layers of 1½-ounce mat and 18-ounce woven roving in polyester resin. Laminate thickness increases from 5/16 inch at the sheer to ¾ inch at the keel. Fiberglass liners and plywood bulkheads provide structural reinforcement.
The deck is fiberglass over a plywood core. It joins the hull at six-inch centers with adhesive sealant and stainless bolts. Factory-finished boats were completed to a very high standard, but Heritage also sold the Nor’Sea 27 in stages. Buyers could start with a bare hull, deck, bulkheads, ballast, and rudder, then work upward toward a complete boat. As a result, the owner-finishing history of any particular example is worth noting.
Rig and Handling
Both rig options are deck-stepped, single-spreader masthead sloops. Buyers could choose the standard 30-foot 6-inch rig or the 34-foot version, with no meaningful speed difference between them.
A tabernacle base allows an owner to raise or lower the mast without using a yard. Even so, an experienced hand still needs several hours to prepare the boat for sailing.
Underway, the narrow hull is easily driven and tracks well. The reviewer’s Comfort Ratio of 32 was the highest he had calculated for any 27-footer. Sea trials did reveal one handling caveat: the boat’s balance is somewhat fussy, and the helm doesn’t like to be left unattended.
Cockpit and Interior
Buyers could choose either an aft-cockpit or center-cockpit deck plan. The center-cockpit version proved more popular, thanks to its slightly better interior layout and additional stowage.
In the center-cockpit arrangement, the saloon dinette converts to a double berth. A fully enclosed head and chart table are to port, while the starboard galley includes a gimbaled stove and oven, stainless sink, and icebox. The aft cabin, entered from the cockpit, contains two comfortable sea berths and bulk storage.
The aft-cockpit model retains a similar forward layout but has a slightly longer trunk cabin and quarter berths. On either version, the cockpit is tight for more than two people, although four can squeeze in when necessary. The side decks are narrow but protected by double lifelines on solid stanchions.
Deck, Engine, and Equipment
Both models have a teak bow pulpit with dual anchor rollers positioned over a recessed foredeck well. Hardware, hatches, and ports are top-grade bronze or stainless. The cockpit and foredeck scuppers are 1½ inches in diameter.
Most boats left the factory with a two-cylinder Yanmar installed beneath the cockpit deck. The installation is well insulated against noise and vibration, and a 30-gallon tank gives strong motoring range. A few boats instead received a 9-horsepower Farymann diesel.
Verdict
The Nor’Sea 27 is a seriously built small cruiser with offshore credentials. Many passages and a handful of circumnavigations attest to that capability, all in a trailable package with an eight-foot beam. It requires hands-on owner involvement when raising and preparing the mast, but in return it offers the unusual option of being trucked to a new ocean and then sailed there.
Pros
- Internal lead ballast eliminates keel-bolt maintenance
- Heavy, well-laid lapstrake hull with a thick keel laminate
- Tabernacle mast allows trailering without a yard
- Center-cockpit layout provides added stowage and a practical aft cabin
- Proven on offshore routes and circumnavigations
Cons
- Fussy balance; the helm dislikes being left unattended
- Cockpit is tight for more than two people
- Narrow side decks
- Rig takes several hours to step and tune
