Design and Construction
Herbert Klein's hull carries 5,071 pounds of displacement on a 21.65-foot waterline, with 2,205 pounds of lead ballast fixed in the keel for a ballast-to-displacement ratio of 43.48 percent. Those numbers, paired with a displacement-to-length ratio of 223.09, place her firmly in the moderate-weight camp rather than the featherweight racer or heavy voyager extremes. The hull is a solid fiberglass monohull with a centerboard arrangement, giving a minimum draft of 2.62 feet with the board up and 4.59 feet with it down — a useful trait for gunkholing shallow European estuaries while retaining windward bite offshore. The comfort ratio of 20.37 and capsize screen of 1.91 are consistent with a stable coastal hull that has a good righting capability if capsized.
Rig and Handling
The Rethana 27 is a masthead sloop carrying 322 square feet of sail on the 100 percent rig, producing a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 17.51. That is enough canvas to keep her lively without demanding a large crew. Period assessments describe her as very stable and stiff, and her hull speed is a modest 6.23 knots — appropriate for a boat best suited as a coastal cruiser rather than a passage-maker. The centerboard keel supports the dual personality: shallow draft for sheltered water, deeper lateral grip when beating along a coast. Her reasonable performance envelope and documented stiffness make her a confident handler in the conditions she was designed for.
Accommodations and Systems
Below, the boat's 8.20-foot beam supports a compact but workable interior for a 27-footer of her era. The original systems, however, reveal the limits of her coastal brief. The fuel capacity is originally very small at 7 gallons of diesel, fed to a single 12-horsepower Farymann engine, and the fresh-water tank holds just 24 gallons. Reviewers noted a very short water supply range as delivered, which frames her as a weekender or harbor-hoppers' boat rather than a self-sufficient cruiser. The 12 HP plant is adequate for maneuvering and battery charging in calm conditions but offers little margin against a strong foul-current berth.
Known Issues
The two documented shortcomings are both about endurance rather than structure. The original fuel capacity is very small, which historically constrained range under power and made long motoring legs impractical without jerry cans. The fresh-water capacity of 24 gallons produced a very short water supply range from the factory, a limitation owners living aboard for more than a few days would have felt quickly. Neither point speaks to hull integrity; both are planning constraints a buyer can address with added portable tanks or stricter cruising habits.
The Verdict
The Rethana 27 is a stiff, stable, moderately built coastal cruiser with a clever centerboard hull and a sail plan suited to short-handed sailing. She is best judged as a sheltered-water weekender whose small tanks and modest engine define her range more than her seaworthiness does.
Pros
- Very stable and stiff with good righting capability if capsized
- Centerboard keel gives 2.62 ft shallow draft and 4.59 ft deep draft
- Reasonably good performer as a coastal cruiser under masthead sloop rig
Cons
- Originally very small 7-gallon fuel capacity
- Very short water supply range from 24-gallon tank
- Best suited to coastal use, not extended offshore passage
