Vancouver 27 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

Canadian production stayed true to the original Harris plan: a small cockpit to limit flooding, a raised bridge deck, and an interior with the galley to port and quarter-berth and chart table to starboard, both of 36-footer scale. The forward area is storage, not berths, and the boat makes no more than three berths with no double in the layout. UK-built boats from Pheon added three inches of beam with tumblehome and later lengthened the deck aft to become the Vancouver 28; a cabin-modified 27F with a quarter berth also appeared there, but those changes did not cross to Canadian hulls. Later European examples traded teak cabin-top handrails for stainless. The sleeping cabin has single berths port and starboard with lee cloths, and the head has a manual toilet and small holding tank.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

On the used market, autopilots, cabin heating, and radar are commonly fitted, reflecting the boat's offshore intent. A frequent owner upgrade cluster centers on power and energy: watermakers, solar panels, wind generators, and AIS or chartplotter navigation additions appear as owner-supplied kit rather than factory standard, alongside life rafts and circumnavigation-prep rigging. The original tiller steering lends itself to an economical wind vane, and the outboard rudder accepts a simple self-steering device. Most Canadian boats carried a two-cylinder 12 hp Yanmar from new, with the Bukh DV20 also documented; a single large aluminum deck hatch and three dorade boxes provide ventilation, and a manual windlass with dual hawse pipes serves the bow.

What to Inspect

The rudder heel is the weakest point of the transom-hung rudder, so check that bearing and the trailing-edge attachment closely. When heeled hard over, the stern wave slops spray and a little water into the cockpit, so confirm the large scuppers and bridge deck drain paths are clear and that weather cloths are present or planned. Practical Sailor also notes the cockpit coamings are near vertical and not conducive to long-term comfort — a fit-and-finish point rather than a defect, but worth sitting in before you commit.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

These boats turn up across the United Kingdom, Netherlands, United States, Germany, and Croatia. For a buyer, the short checklist is: verify rudder-heel condition and steering attachment; confirm cockpit drainage and bridge-deck integrity against minor flooding; sit the cockpit to judge the upright coamings; and match layout expectations to a three-berth, storage-forward interior with 36-footer-grade galley and nav station. A well-kept example is a stiff, nearly bulletproof small cruiser built to keep a couple at sea in comfort.