Nor'Sea 27 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used Nor'Sea 27 means looking at a Lyle Hess-designed, Dean Wixom-conceived 27-footer built as a trailerable world cruiser. These boats turn up most often in the United States and Mexico. What follows is a buyer's view of layouts, the gear you'll meet, and the few points the record says to check.
Layouts on the Used Market
The center-cockpit version is the more common deck plan and gives a slightly more workable interior with greater storage volume. Its saloon dinette converts to a double, the port side holds an enclosed head and chart table, and the starboard galley has a gimbaled stove, sink, and icebox. The aft cabin, entered from the cockpit, serves as sleeping and storage with two sea berths. The aft-cockpit alternative keeps the forward arrangement but runs a longer trunk cabin and adds quarter berths. Both share narrow side decks guarded by double lifelines and a teak pulpit with twin anchor rollers over a recessed foredeck.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Well-kept examples commonly carry solar panels, an inverter, and a dodger or bimini for cockpit shelter, with an autopilot and chartplotter frequently fitted for short-handed passage work anchor. A self-steering-friendly, short-handed setup is often seen, and an EPIRB belongs to the common safety kit on cruising-minded boats. Less universal but present on serious voyagers is a circumnavigation-grade rigging package. For the buyer, a solar-and-inverter pairing means reasonable anchor independence, while an autopilot plus chartplotter signals the boat was kept current for longer hops.
What to Inspect
Two handling traits deserve a sea trial. Testers found the helm balance a bit fussy and the boat difficult to leave unattended, so evaluate her under varying trim anchor. Mechanically, most boats have a two-cylinder Yanmar beneath a well-insulated cockpit deck, though some carry a 9-horse Farymann; check installation condition and the 30-gallon tank's range. Confirm the tabernacle mast steps cleanly, since raising it is an owner task taking several hours.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in the United States and Mexico. For a buyer, the checklist is short: verify center- versus aft-cockpit layout against your stowage needs, confirm mast-tabernacle operation, sea-trial the fussy balance, and check the engine bay insulation and tank. A clean, factory-finished Nor'Sea 27 remains a genuinely capable small offshore cruiser you can still truck to the water.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Nor'Sea 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 25 | 1 | $20,000 | — |
| Mar 25 | 1 | $8,500 | -57.5% |
| Jul 25 | 1 | $19,000 | +123.5% |
| Nov 25 | 1 | $35,000 | +84.2% |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $10,000 | -71.4% |
Where they're listed
Nor'Sea 27 listings appear across 2 countries. Mexico has the most listings with 1 (50.0%), followed by United States.
Country view
2 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | $35,000 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
| United States | $10,000 | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
3 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver 27 | 27' | $ 21,563 | 15 | 5 |
| Northshore 27 | 26.97' | $ 17,957 | 11 | 3 |
| Nor'Sea 27You are here | — | $ 22,500 | 2 | 0 |