Pearson 27 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used Pearson 27 means looking at a Bill Shaw design built from 1986 through 1991, a 26-foot-1-inch sloop with a winged keel and an outboard rudder. She was offered with inboard or outboard power, and her claim to fame in the brokerage pool is a layout that gives two people real privacy below without stepping up to a 30-footer. Cross-shoppers often weigh her against the Catalina 27, Hunter 27, or O'Day 27.
Layouts on the Used Market
The boat's interior is fixed around an amidships galley with stove and sink to port and a large ice box under a chart table to starboard. Forward, the V-berth was pushed aft and wrapped into a dinette that becomes a 7-foot double; a hanging locker and storage bin sit at the bow. A private aft stateroom is to port and a large enclosed head to starboard, with double quarter berths aft. Headroom in the main cabin is six feet. Because the beam is carried into a broad transom, the quarter-berth volume is genuine rather than nominal, and the separate head is a strong selling point against same-length competitors.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Solar is commonly fitted by now, and many boats will have a bimini, chartplotter, and hot water as often-seen additions. Less common are autopilot and short-handed rigging tweaks, which tend to be owner upgrades. For a buyer, the power-and-energy cluster (solar plus any house-battery refresh) matters more than a stereo; canvas and sail-handling gear like a bimini and furling genoa affect livability; and a chartplotter is the navigation item worth confirming works. Hot water is a comfort upgrade that signals a functioning pressure system.
What to Inspect
The winged keel has winglets at about 35 percent chord with a non-tapered tip, so inspect the tip for impact damage and the wing roots for cracking in the gelcoat winglets starting at about the 35 percent chord position. The outboard rudder hangs clear of the hull and avoids a tube and stuffing box, but examine the pintles and gudgeons for play and the blade for the slight bend Shaw drew, confirming it is not distortion from a grounding.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are found in the United States. For a buyer, the practical checklist is short:
- Confirm the hull-to-deck seam is dry and fasteners are tight.
- Inspect the winged keel tip and winglets for impact or cracks.
- Check the outboard rudder bearings for free play.
- Verify the enclosed head and aft stateroom are watertight and odor-free.
- Test the galley ice box and chart-table conversion.
- Confirm solar and any hot-water system function as described.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Pearson 27. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 11 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25 | 2 | $12,500 | — |
| May 25 | 1 | $6,000 | -52.0% |
| Jun 25 | 1 | $6,500 | +8.3% |
| Jul 25 | 1 | $8,000 | +23.1% |
| Nov 25 | 2 | $11,500 | +43.8% |
| Jan 26 | 1 | $11,000 | -4.3% |
| Mar 26 | 4 | $4,750 | -56.8% |
| Apr 26 | 3 | $14,998 | +215.7% |
| May 26 | 2 | $14,000 | -6.7% |
| Jun 26 | 2 | $13,000 | -7.1% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $9,800 | -24.6% |
Where they're listed
Pearson 27 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 14.
Country view
14 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $10,999 | 14 | 3 | 100.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina 27 | 26.83' | $ 7,900 | 77 | 20 |
| Pearson 27You are here | — | $ 11,000 | 15 | 3 |
| Mirage Yachts 27 | 27.17' | $ 5,000 | 9 | 4 |