Design and Construction
The Witus 27 is built of fiberglass in single laminate, with an externally mounted iron keel bolted to a long-keel hull and a transom-hung rudder. Her ballast is iron, quoted at 2,205 pounds (1,000 kg), giving a ballast-to-displacement ratio near 37 percent. At 5,952 pounds displacement and 8.2 feet beam, she is a narrow, heavy little ship for her length — the 21.33-foot waterline and 3.94-foot draft speak to a traditional full-length keel profile rather than a fin-and-bulb arrangement. Motala Boatyard built her in Sweden through the 1970s manufactured by Motala Varv during the 1970s, and the construction is straightforward solid glass without a core.
Rig and Handling
The Witus 27 carries a fractional 7/8 sloop rig with the mast stepped on deck, and a reported sail area of about 309 square feet (28.7 m²). The hull speed is listed at 6.19 knots. With a long keel and transom-hung rudder, her steering and tracking behavior will be that of the traditional Scandinavian cruiser — predictable and directionally stable rather than quick to spin. The 10-horsepower diesel (Volvo Penta MD6A or Yanmar, per the Swedish source) is sized for auxiliary propulsion in harbors and light windward work, not for sustained motoring against a sea.
Accommodations
Below, the interior is fitted in mahogany, with a cabin height of about 1.78 meters (5.9 feet) at the centerline. The water capacity is 11 US gallons (40 liters) and fuel is 17 gallons (65 liters), consistent with a simple weekend or coastal cruising layout rather than long-range liveaboard use. The headroom and joinery reflect a period Scandinavian interior standard: compact, wooden, and functional.
Known Issues
The externally mounted iron keel is the obvious area where age and moisture could attack fasteners and the hull-to-keel joint.
Refits and Ownership
With only 46 boats built, the Witus 27 is a rare class. Owners in Sweden, including named individuals, have expressed interest in contacting other owners — a sign of a small, close community around the type. Given the iron keel and 1970s vintage, a buyer or owner should expect typical age-related maintenance: keel-bolt inspection, rudder stock and transom hardware, and the usual systems refresh for a half-century-old diesel and electrical plant. No professional inspection of the design has been completed, so any individual hull should be surveyed on its own merits.
The Verdict
The Witus 27 is a small, traditional, limited-production Swedish cruiser with honest solid-glass construction and a long-keel pedigree. She is not a modern performance boat, but for a sailor wanting a simple, narrow, mahogany-trimmed coastal sloop of known modest dimensions, she is a coherent design.
Pros
- Traditional long-keel hull with transom-hung rudder and solid fiberglass construction
- Mahogany interior with 5.9-foot headroom
- Fractional 7/8 rig with deck-stepped mast and ~309 sq ft sail area
- Only 46 built — a rare, community-minded class
Cons
- No completed professional class inspection on record
- Iron externally mounted keel demands careful fastener and joint survey
- Modest 10 hp diesel and 17-gallon fuel capacity limit motoring range
