Seascape 27 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The hull and deck are built from unidirectional and biaxial glass vacuumed over a foam core and set in vinylester resin, with carbon fiber stiffening the critical structure under the mast and around the root of the swinging keel anchor. That GRP vacuum-infusion approach gives the 27 a powerful and stiff hull form, while an aggressive hard-chined shape locks the boat upright when heeled hard. Buoyancy chambers fitted into the bow and to port and starboard under the cockpit will keep the boat afloat in the event of a hull breach, and a storage area for a life raft is built into the stern. The keel and rudders retract, letting the boat gunkhole in shoal water with the rudders pulled up as well as the keel, and the whole package—boat and trailer—fits inside a standard 40-foot shipping container and can be towed by a modest SUV.

Rig and Handling

Manuard gave the 27 a carbon-fiber rig carrying a high-aspect square-topped mainsail and a long retractable sprit for headsails, with an inner forestay for a small jib when things turn ugly. Test sailors found the helm precise and smooth rather than twitchy, and in a fresh 15-to-25-knot breeze with higher gusts the dual outboard rudders held steering without faltering even when laid over in strong gusts. Playing the traveler in those gusts produced noticeable helm response. Under the jib alone, testers made 6 knots closehauled on a tight 28-degree apparent wind angle, and in 13 to 15 knots of true wind they broke 10 knots under a big A-sail cracked just off a beam reach; the builder's hosts claimed 15 knots under the furling gennaker in 20 knots, and a tester was confident nearly 20 knots was possible if pushed in the right conditions. A hefty dab of ballast more than 6 feet below delivered a reassuringly stable ride, and the boat strictly followed CE Category B (Offshore) and ISAF OSR Category 3 safety rules.

Accommodations

Below, the 27 sleeps four in comfort and six in a pinch. A V-berth cabin forward doubles as a wet room and sail locker, while just aft a marine head uses folding doors that convert the space to a wet locker or storage; a proper head with a lightweight folding magnetic door is also described. The main cabin has two bench seats usable as berths and two more aft under the cockpit, with storage outboard carrying integrated hanging gear bags that move kit on and off the boat. A center table transforms into a nav station using a folding leaf or waterproof case on the keel-box, and a folding motorcycle-style seat attaches to the keel-box for the navigator. There is dedicated space for a cooler and a swinging stove, an icebox under the companionway steps that can take a small refrigeration unit, and provision for a water tank.

Equipment and Deck Layout

The cockpit controls run through four Andersen winches and Spinlock clutches, with Ronstan blocks and hardware elsewhere, and an articulating multifunction display swings horizontally in and out for use underway. The midship hideaway outboard-engine well is a clever detail—one test boat carried a 6 hp outboard lying on its side in a cockpit-sole compartment that articulates down through a hatch in the bottom of the boat, while the spec record also notes a 9.8 hp outboard. The swinging keel is driven by a simple manually powered hydraulic system with an easily replaced fuse that lets the keel kick up on impact. A proper anchor locker sits forward.

The Verdict

Blue Water Sailing called the Seascape 27 an inventive, offshore-capable racer-cruiser that provides quite a thrill, yet it remains practical to own through its trailerability and modular interior. Its light displacement, deep ballast, and hard chines make it both quick and composed, while the retractable keel and rudders open shallow water that similar performers cannot reach.

Pros