Practical Sailor notes that the 27 was Harris’s first monohull design after he gained experience with Sparkman & Stephens and moved to Vancouver in 1972. It became the most popular boat in the Vancouver line, with more than 250 built in Canada and England. Canadian production ceased by 1988 after a fierce winter storm destroyed the Canadian molds.
Design and Construction
The Vancouver 27 has a heavy-displacement hull form with a long keel and cutaway forefoot. Practical Sailor describes the solid fiberglass hull as overbuilt by today’s standards and nearly bulletproof, with plenty of glass and resin in the layup. The encapsulated lead keel forms part of the hull structure, eliminating keel bolts, while the propeller is protected in an aperture.
The transom-hung rudder sits well aft and attaches to the keel’s trailing edge. It’s easy to reach for repairs, although the rudder heel is the arrangement’s weakest point. At the hull-deck joint, the deck rests on a sealed, inward-turning flange. The joint is through-bolted and capped with a teak toe-rail.
With a displacement-length ratio of around 328 and a ballast-to-displacement ratio near 39 percent, the boat is stiff. Its narrow 8-foot-8-inch beam limits interior space but contributes to an easy motion at sea. The high-sided hull keeps the decks dry in all but the worst conditions.
A bridge deck strengthens the hull and helps keep stray deck water out of the cabin. Large scuppers drain the small cockpit footwell, reducing flooding risk from a boarding wave.
Rig, Sailing and Handling
The Vancouver 27 is a true cutter. Its deck-stepped aluminum mast has a single spreader and is supported by a compression post at the midships bulkhead. The stainless steel wire standing rigging is supplemented by running backstays with adjustable tackle. The stays run inboard, close to the cabin trunk, leaving the side decks easy to use. Below, the chainplates bolt to bulkheads where they can be inspected.
Shortening sail is straightforward: dowse the staysail and tie in a reef. In strong breezes, the boat jogs along comfortably under a triple-reefed main and staysail, while carrying working canvas up to 18 knots apparent. Trade-wind passages average 120 to 140 miles per day, with 110 miles or more in variable winds and headwinds.
One owner report in Practical Sailor described broad reaching as the boat’s strong suit. Windward performance was sound, if not quick. The full keel helps her track easily and remain balanced in heavier winds and seas.
The outboard rudder lends itself to a simple, effective self-steering vane, and the tiller keeps the steering arrangement economical. These features make a wind vane or other simple self-steering addition relatively inexpensive.
Accommodations and Tankage
The practical small-boat interior uses the forward area for storage rather than berths. No more than three berths are provided—a deliberate choice that keeps the saloon uncluttered—but there’s no provision for a double berth in harbor.
The galley is to port, with the chart table and quarter berth to starboard. Both are comparable in size and style to those found on 36-footers. The galley was designed around a two-burner stove with an oven, though owners can sacrifice a little storage to fit a larger unit. The chart table holds a full-size chart, and the quarter berth makes an excellent sea berth. The settee berths are long and wide enough for a large person, while headroom is 6 feet 6 inches.
The head and forepeak storage are forward of the main saloon bulkhead. Tankage is generous for a boat of this length, at 65 gallons of water and 45 gallons of diesel, in keeping with the design’s load-carrying brief.
Engines and Production Changes
Most Canadian-built boats left the factory with a two-cylinder 12 hp Yanmar, although the Bukh DV20 was also available. Later European-built hulls received stainless steel handrails in place of the teak rails fitted to earlier boats.
Known Issues
Two handling-related weaknesses deserve mention. When the boat is heeled hard over, the stern wave tends to slop spray and a little water into the cockpit, making weather cloths a necessary addition. The cockpit coamings are also nearly vertical and aren’t well suited to long periods of comfortable sitting. That’s the trade-off for the small footwell, which reduces the flooding risk from a boarding wave.
Structurally, the rudder heel remains the soft spot to watch.
The Verdict
The Vancouver 27 is a genuinely ocean-going small cutter. It gives up top-end speed in return for stability, manageable handling and accommodations that feel generous for a 27-footer. It’s a proven circumnavigator with a stiff, overbuilt hull and a full keel that tracks well. The boat is best suited to a cruising couple or singlehander who values security over speed and wants a passagemaker that can be maintained on a budget.
Pros
- Stiff, nearly bulletproof solid fiberglass hull
- Encapsulated lead keel with no keel bolts
- True cutter rig with inboard stays and inspectable chainplates for shorthanded ocean sailing
- Galley, chart table and sea berths comparable in size to those on a 36-footer
- 6-foot-6-inch headroom
- Generous 65-gallon water and 45-gallon diesel tankage for load carrying
Cons
- Rudder heel is the weak structural point
- Nearly vertical cockpit coamings are uncomfortable for long periods
- Stern wave sends spray and a little water into the cockpit when the boat is heeled hard, making weather cloths necessary
- No double berth and only three berths by design
