vancouver 27 sailboat review

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The Vancouver 27 Sailboat Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Vancouver 27, a small but sturdy sailboat designed for ocean cruising, was created by Canadian designer Robert Harris in 1972 and has been built by various manufacturers in Canada, the USA and the UK.

The Vancouver 27 is a cutter-rigged boat with a full keel, a transom-hung rudder and a high freeboard. It has a spacious interior with plenty of headroom and storage space, and can accommodate up to four people. The Vancouver 27 is known for its stability, ease of handling and seaworthiness, and has been sailed around the world by many adventurous sailors.

Published Specification for the Vancouver 27

Hull Type:  Long keel with transom-hung rudder

Hull Material:  GRP (Fiberglass)

Length Overall:  27' 0" / 8.2m

Waterline Length:  22' 11" / 7.0m

Beam:  8' 8" / 2.6m

Draft:  4' 4" / 1.3m

Rig Type:  Cutter

Displacement:  8,960lb / 4,064kg

Designer:  Robert Harris

Builder:  Pheon Yachts Ltd (UK), Northshore Yachts Ltd (UK) and Philbrook's Boatyard (Canada)

Year First Built:  1973

Number Built:  More than 250

Owners Association:  Vancouver Yachts Association

Published Design Ratios for the Vancouver 27

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 14.2

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 38.7

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 332

4. Comfort Ratio: 33.2

5. Capsize Screening Formula:   1.7

read more about these all-revealing numbers...

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Vancouver 27

1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of just 14.2 suggests that she'll need a stiff breeze to get her going. In light conditions, unless you've got plenty of time on your hands, motor-sailing may be the way to go.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 38.7 means that unless the bulk of the ballast is concentrated in a bulb at the foot of her keel, she'll have a tendency to heel excessively in a gust, and she'll need to be reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze. 

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 332, tells us she's clearly a heavy displacement cruising boat. You can load her down with all your cruising gear and equipment and it will hardly affect her waterline. Not an ideal choice for coastal sailing, but she'll come into her own on an offshore passage in testing conditions.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 33.2 suggests that crew comfort in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a moderate bluewater cruising boat - a predictable and acceptable motion for most seasoned sailors.

5. Her Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 1.7 tells us that she would be a safer choice of sailboat for an ocean passage than one with a CSF of more than 2.0.

Any Questions?

Is the Vancouver 27 still in production and, if not, when did production end and how many of these sailboats were built?

The Vancouver 27 is no longer in production. The last boat was built by Northshore Yachts in the UK in 2011. The total number of boats built is estimated to be around 250, including the extended version called the Vancouver 28.

What is the history of the builders of the Vancouver 27 and is the company still in business?

The first two boats were built by Tradewind Yachts in Canada, and then molds were made from the second boat. The molds were used by Seair Marine Ltd and Philbrook's Boatyard in British Columbia, Canada, until they were destroyed by a storm in 1988. In the UK, the molds were acquired by Pheon Yachts Ltd, which later became Northshore Yachts. Northshore Yachts continued to build the Vancouver 27 and 28 until 2011, when they ceased trading. The company was acquired by Discovery Yachts Group in 2017.

What is the Vancouver 27 like to sail?

The Vancouver 27 is not a fast or agile boat, but it is easy to sail and handle in all conditions. It can sail close to the wind, but not as well as some modern designs. It performs best on a reach or a run, where it can maintain a steady speed of around 6 knots. The boat is well-balanced and has a light helm, which makes it ideal for single-handed or short-handed sailing. The boat can cope with heavy weather and rough seas, and has a good reputation for seaworthiness.

What is the average cost of a secondhand Vancouver 27?

The price of a used Vancouver 27 depends on its condition, age, equipment and location. A typical range is between £15,000 and £35,000 (or $20,000 to $47,000) as of 2023.

What other sailboats have been created by the designer of the Vancouver 27?

Robert Harris was a prolific designer who created many other sailboats besides the Vancouver 27. Some of his most notable designs include the Tahiti Ketch, the Harris Offshore 38, the Harris Cuttyhunk 41, the Harris Pilot House Cutter, the Harris Gulfstream Cutter and the Harris Explorer Motor Sailer Series.

The above answers were drafted by sailboat-cruising.com using GPT-4 (OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model) as a research assistant to develop source material; to the best of our knowledge,  we believe them to be accurate.

Other sailboats in the Vancouver range include:

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Bluewater Sailboat – Vancouver 27

Also called: vancouver 27f, vancouver 274, vancouver 28, vancouver 27, “go anywhere” pocket cruiser.

The Vancouver 27, a “go anywhere” pocket cruiser built by Canadian Robert Harris in 1972, is the first in the Vancouver Yacht series.

This strong 27-foot cutter was specifically designed for couples who wanted to explore the oceans of the earth. The first boat, which was specifically constructed for this purpose, successfully completed a voyage from British Columbia to New Zealand and back. 

• LOA: 27′ 0″
• LWL: 22′ 11″
• Beam: 8′ 8″
• Draft: 4′ 3″
• Displacement: 8,700 lbs
• Ballast: 3,500 lbs
• Sail Area: 379 sq. ft.
• Headroom: 6′ 6″
• Designer: Robert B. Harris
• Builder: Tradewind Boats, Philbrooks Shipyard, Seair Marine Ltd (British Columbia, Canada)/Pheon Yachts, Northshore Yachts (UK)
• Year Introduced: 1972
• Total Built: over 250
• Engine: 3 cylinder Yanmar
• Fuel: 45 US Gal.
• Water: 65 US Gal.

The sturdy, attractive design garnered enough interest for moulds to be created from the second boat constructed.

More than 250 have been manufactured in all, including the extended 28 foot variant, the Vancouver 28, which is still being produced in England. Various versions went on to be created in Canada and England. When the moulds were destroyed by a storm in 1988, Canadian production came to a stop.

Her wide freeboard, tidy cockpit, and integrated bridge deck help prevent water below in choppy seas. The configuration of her keel, skeg, and stern-post shields her propeller and rudder from damage caused by grounding and fouling. Large amounts of headroom, storage capacity, and handling comfort are noticeable.

She is neither quick nor particularly close-winded, as would be expected from her design, but she is simple to handle in any situation and is perfect for a crew with fewer members. English sailor Rona House, who circumnavigated alone in her Vancouver 27, can attest to this. With the outboard rudder and cutter rig, a cruiser can use self-steering devices, which are their strongest companion on prolonged trips. Experience has proved that, even when loaded down with cruising gear, her classic hull shape can handle the rigors of offshore journeys.

The Vancouver 27’s interior features a practical small-boat layout with three berths as the standard, though a four-berth arrangement was also available, just right for a pair at sea. The three-berth version features a third berth in the saloon rather than a forward berth, providing plenty of space for stowage up front as well as enough for a roomy quarter berth, galley, and chart table. The comfort level inside is headed up by the 6′ 6″ headroom.

Performance

She is small and quite heavy, but she contributes much in the case of speed or performance. She has a complete keel with a cutaway forefoot below the surface of the sea, which gives her a steady helm and good balance on all points of sail. A three-inch addition to the beam at the waterline strengthened the design in the UK, giving the hull a prominent tumblehome that the Canadian boats lack.

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VANCOUVER 27 Detailed Review

If you are a boat enthusiast looking to get more information on specs, built, make, etc. of different boats, then here is a complete review of VANCOUVER 27. Built by Northshore Yachts (UK) and designed by Robert B. Harris, the boat was first built in 1973. It has a hull type of Long keel w/trans. hung rudder and LOA is 8.23. Its sail area/displacement ratio 14.18. Its auxiliary power tank, manufactured by Bukh, runs on Diesel.

VANCOUVER 27 has retained its value as a result of superior building, a solid reputation, and a devoted owner base. Read on to find out more about VANCOUVER 27 and decide if it is a fit for your boating needs.

Boat Information

Boat specifications, sail boat calculation, rig and sail specs, auxillary power tank, accomodations, contributions, who designed the vancouver 27.

VANCOUVER 27 was designed by Robert B. Harris.

Who builds VANCOUVER 27?

VANCOUVER 27 is built by Northshore Yachts (UK).

When was VANCOUVER 27 first built?

VANCOUVER 27 was first built in 1973.

How long is VANCOUVER 27?

VANCOUVER 27 is 6.99 m in length.

What is mast height on VANCOUVER 27?

VANCOUVER 27 has a mast height of 9.14 m.

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Vancouver 27 - any problems?

• Thread starter srm
• Start date 1 Oct 2008

Well-known member

Hello, Am going to look at a Vancouver 27 which is for sale. Do any of you have first hand experience of these boats? If so can you advise me of any potential problem areas to look for. What I have read suggests that they are good for long distance / ocean sailing. Anyone with practical experience care to comment? Thanks.  

I have zero practical experience on the Vancouver 27, but it was on the top of my list.. The only issue is, for a 27ft boat, they're pretty expensive. You could probably buy a Southern Cross in the 31+ foot range for that kind of money in the US.  

Thanks for the comment. Way back when I was a student in the late 60's an insurance exec told me that there was no such thing as a cheap boat. Subsequent experience owning a number of boats and skippering other peoples charter yachts has confirmed that. As I am based in Europe importing a boat from the US would probably double the cost after VAT and paying all the eurorats for their meaningless bits of paper. What I would really appreciate are observations of the V 27 based on experience.  

Fr J Hackett

Owned one for several years, solidly built, good headroom 6 foot plus, very easy motion and comfortable, Getting long in the tooth now, the last ones were produced in 1986 by Pheon at the time of the Northshore takover when it was changed to the 28. So it will require a refit or is likely to be expensive. Not fast, nor particularly close winded but very easy to handle in all conditions. A cruising chute and or gennaker is a must if you want to sail most of the time. Engines were mainly Bukh 20 Hp with the last few Bukh24s both if maintained should be OK some were reengined Betas seem popular, expect reletivly high engine hours. Several layouts were offered from the standard 3 berth to the 4 berth pipecots often fitted in the 3 berths to get them up to 5 berth but that would be a bit crowded. There were some home completed versions! The cockpit is deep and safe accomodating 4 comfortably. Loads of locker space no matter which model and all come with a genuine wet locker. Many will have cruised extensivly and will be equiped as such but may also show the wear and tear. David Rainsbury who writes in PBO etc has recently bought one and has written several articles. There is an owners association with a web site and a forum. I had the four berth and only changed because I wanted a quicker boat. They have no real faults but do look for all the usual signs of wear and tear, I only know of one early boat that had minnor osmosiss the layup was substantial and well laminated and were treated at manufacture with an epoxy paint which some times shows signs of blistering off but is easily abraded back and replaced with one of the standard treatments. PM me if you have any specific questions and I will try to answer and may be able to find someone who can if I can not.  

Many thanks Petehb, most helpful, especially the information about epoxy from new. May well take you up on the offer of further help once I have seen the boat.  

We have one of these and have found it great for a couple, for the seaworthiness reasons mentioned above. I had my mind set on a Vancouver 27 when living in Australia, but it wasn’t until I was seconded to the UK for work that I actually found one. I didn’t want one with a teak deck so it took us a while to find the right one, as the teak deck is in the majority. The reason I didn’t want teak is that after 20+ years it looks tied and in many cases water has leaked through the screws into the marine ply underlying the GRP deck layer (causing potential rot problems). I’m sure the decks can be re-laid with teak, but naturally at a cost. We purchased ours late last year. It seems that those which are in reasonable condition (needing some non-urgent cosmetic work) sell for between £22k and £26k, and those that need more substantial work in the high teens (say £18k-£19k). I know there are some on the market that are in top condition asking as much as £30k, not sure if they will get that though. Overall a fantastic boat if you want to cruise (distance is no limit) on your own or with a partner. One downside is that they are not very manoeuvrable in reverse, particularly in a tight marina!!  

I was aboard a V27 a few months ago in Kyleakin. I seem to remember that she had come from up your way, or perhaps from even further north. Great boat, loadsa room, great reputation. If I had the dosh either a V27 or V28 would be my next boat. (What a fine place Stromness is)  

PM sent  

Complete replacement of the teak is very expensive - could be £8-10k done professionally. Recaulking and plugging perhaps half that - if there is still enough thickness to do it. Alternative is fake teak - a bit cheaper than real but probably easier to DIY or stripping, filling, epoxy coating and paint. Good negotiaiting point with the vendor.  

[ QUOTE ] There is one in Devon that the broker has admitted that the teak deck is lifting. [/ QUOTE ] I think I know the one. It has been there for a while and I have been watching the price come down. I suggest offering low as you may very well get a bargain there. PM me if you want further details.  

I've got a 10 year old V28. And have lived aboard since May 06, crossing the Atlantic to Brazil in January. Can second the comments on teak decks. Don't, especially if you plan on going to the tropics, get a teak decked boat. Teak gets too hot to walk on (in barefeet) and my seams started to open up a bit and let water in underneath. For some reason there a lot of holes had been drilled in the deck (not all associated with the teak deck) and she began to leak like a sieve into most of the lockers. Very fiddly to stop these leaks. Otherwise most of my problems have been minor but irritating quality control issues not picked up by the first owner. They are not fast boats, particularly when kitted out for long term cruising. Mine is very easy to sail single handed and our Aries windvane does most of the steering. Not a lot happens with under 10 knots of wind. I plan on 100 mile days and we averaged over 4 knots Cape Verdes to Brazil. Make sure you get a surveyor who is very familiar with these boats. Northshore gave me a list. PM me if you need more info.  

Many thanks for all the comments, most helpful. I went to see the boat at the weekend, clean and tidy but basic sails and inventory, most of the instruments were probably original fit. Can any one tell me how the teak decks on these boats are fastened down? No sign of screw holes or teak plugs in the deck, but was able to see the under side of the grp deck in the forepeak and there were a lot of small holes. Did not poke into them but they may have been pilot holes for self tapping screws. On deck one plank end was slightly loose and in a few places could push my thumb nail between the caulking and a plank. Also, how reliable are the water tanks? they look like heavy PVC fabric but seem to be connected in series so one leak could empty the lot.  

I think the decks were stuck down, as you say the holes could be from screws used to pull or hold the deck down whilst the adhesive set, it would certainly be possible to find out. The water tanks are fine I did think of installing valves or taps in between but in the end never bothered. The 32s and 34s were fitted out the same and I have had no problems. They are very easy to remove for cleaning both the bags themselfs and the compartments they sit in. When I removed them on the 34 I lined the space with polythene sheet as a precaution against wear. If and its a big if, I bought or god forbid owned a boat with a dodgy teak deak I would be tempted to strip the lot off and re gelcoat the entire deck, I have seen a couple of good repairs like this and they were significantly cheaper than new teak. The chain plates are a relativly common source of leaks but easily removed and resealed from above.  

Twister_Ken

Possible that you're looking at the second deck, the first having being screwed, the second bonded.  

• 18 Oct 2008

jamie_Cacique

Hi I have a V27 Cacique She was circumnavigated single handed by Rona House 1990 to 1993. I bought her in 2003 she had been left in the yard for 10 years. It took me 3 1/2 years of 2hrs every night and every week end to rebuild her (friday night and the odd wedding and anual holiday are the only breaks). She had osmosis, I had her peeled and epoxy coated with 5 layers of gelsheild. (She had previously been treated some years before). Some of the bulkheads had to be replaced due to de-lamination but this I beleive was due to water ingress and lack of maintainence. The king plank that was glassed under the foredeck had completely rotted (under the windlass) and was a big-ish job to do as it was glassed over and the glass cover on the underside had to be ground off to enable me to epoxy in a new peice of marine ply. It was only after removing the wildlass that I found that the plank was U/S. I don't have laid teak decks, just the diamond effect grain on the side and fore decks which are painted with nonslip. In the cockpit I have strips of teak about 2 1/2" wide with about 1/2" gaps attached to the upper surfaces and locker tops. I removed all the strips so the paint could be applied and refitted them, this is ideal as water can't get under without the owner realising. I have converted the port berth into a double. Pay attention to the mast support in the cabin, the support in mine at the floor was beggining to collapse, also at the deck head the teak support was split, these are common problems easily rectified. On the port side the staysail track fixings had been leaking that caused the balsa core to rot this is a fault you can't detect without removing the headlining. On the plus side she is a dream to sail and if you trim the sails right she will sail with the tiller unattended, the staysail is the key to sailing her. I have a roller yankee and a hank on staysail. Please pm me if you want more details I can go on for ages, she's no racer but A fantastic boat.  

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Vancouver 27

The vancouver 27 is a 27.0ft cutter designed by robert b harris and built in fiberglass by northshore yachts (uk) since 1973..

The Vancouver 27 is a heavy sailboat which is slightly under powered. It is stable / stiff and has an excellent righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a bluewater cruising boat. The fuel capacity is originally small.

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NEW LISTING – 1979 Vancouver 27 ‘MARTHA MARIA’

Monday 18th September 2023

Mark Cameron Yachts are delighted to have been appointed to act in the sale of the 1979 Vancouver 27 ‘MARTHA MARIA’.

Robert Harris set up his own design office in Vancouver, Canada during 1972; following an early career in the Navy and cutting his teeth in yacht design with Crosby Yachts and Sparkmans and Stephens. The Vancouver 27 was the Robert Harris design offices first design, a client commission to design a pocket ocean cruiser for a crew of two to sail from Canada to New Zealand. The Vancouver 27 proved to be highly successful with the boat built under license in Britain and Canada, establishing the Vancouver brand.

The British Vancouver 27 ’s were built by Pheon Yachts and differ slightly with only the UK hulls having tumblehome, increasing stiffness when compared to the Canadian hull shape. MARTHA MARIA is a UK built example of the Vancouver 27 with the traditional three berth layout below decks. She has benefitted from regular maintenance and upgrading with her inventory including:

• Full osmosis treatment to underwater hull in 2004
• Nanni 20hp marine diesel engine
• Raymarine ST2000+ tiller pilot
• Aries windvane self-steering
• Tacktick wireless multi display showing Depth/Speed/Log information
• Icom M421 DSCVHF
• NASA AIS Radar display
• Taylors Spirit stove, two burner, gimbal mounted
• Refleks diesel stove cabin heater
• Standing rigging, fully replaced in 2004
• Selden Furlex 200Sroller reefing system on forestay for Genoa/Yankee (2009)
• Selden Furlex 100S roller reefing system on cutter stay for staysail (2015)
• Stackpack style mainsail cover (2014)
• Sprayhood (2015)
• Cockpit Tent (2016)
• Mainsail (2013)
• Staysail (2015)
• Lodestar inflatable dinghy

Lying ashore at Creran Marine in Argyll, the Vancouver 27 MARTHA MARIA is now available for viewing by prior appointment.

Find full details of the 1979 Vancouver 27 ‘MARTHA MARIA’ here

1979 Vancouver 27 ‘MARTHA MARIA’

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• Sailboat Guide

1975 Vancouver Vancouver-27 Offshore Cutter

• Description

Seller's Description

Are you looking for a comfortable well-found offshore cruiser at an affordable price? Wendelin is one of those good ole boats. A proven design with a pedigree that includes sailing to New Zealand, Hawaii and Mexico (three separate trips which all departed from the Pacific Northwest). Weve owned Wendelin since July 2000. In 2009-10 we completed a refit before sailing north around the northern tip of Vancouver Island, south to Puerto Vallarta Mexico, and up the Sea of Cortez to Guaymas. We’ve had the most amazing adventures in the Sea of Cortez and south along Pacific Mexico. She is currently stored on-the-hard in a secure privately owned facility in San Blas Mexico (just north of Puerto Vallarta, 80 or so NM along the Riviera Nayarit, past Sayulita, Rincon de Guaybitos etc.)

The sails, halyards and sheets are all in good shape. The upper and lower shrouds were upgraded in 2010. The interior was recently painted but is in need of a couple of coats of varnish. The topsides could use a paint job as could the deckif youre particularly enthusiasticand needing something to do other than sail😊 The bottom is in great shape. It received a fresh coat of bottom paint in Feb of 2024. There have never been blisters on her hull. In 2000 three coats of inter-protect were applied. The 12 hsp single-cylinder Yanmar diesel is not running at the moment. A rebuild of the head is underway.

Wendelin is a great boat, very well equipped, sea-kindly with a very balanced helm. She has been a good friend to us. She’d work well for a experienced single-hander (or couple, like us, who are able to share small spaces in harmony). Knowledge and experience operating and maintaining diesel engines would be a plus.

For more information about this classic design, we can provide a copy of Robert Harris book Tracks on the Water about the origins of the Vancouver 27 and the article “Test of Time Vancouver 27” published in the Classic Boat Magazine, June 2009.

Equipment: Please see to our ad on Craiglist Victoria for a detailed list of the equipment on board….and a few more photos.

Thanks for your interest!

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

From BlueWaterBoats.org :

The first in the Vancouver Yacht series, the Vancouver 27 is a ‘go anywhere’ pocket cruiser designed by Canadian Robert Harris in 1972. This sturdy 27-foot cutter was squarely aimed for couples looking to sail the world’s oceans. Purpose built for exactly this purpose, the first boat sailed successfully from British Columbia to New Zealand and back. The solid good-looking design attracted enough attention that molds were made from the second boat built. Various versions went on to be produced in Canada and in England and more than 250 have been built in total including the extended 28 foot version, the Vancouver 28, which is still being made in England today. Canadian production ended when the molds were destroyed by a storm in 1988.

Though small and relatively heavy, she’s uncompromising with few concessions to speed and performance. Under the waterline there’s a full keel with a cutaway forefoot which gives her a stable helm and good balance on all points of sail. In the UK the design was tweaked by adding three inches to the beam at the waterline to stiffen her up, the result being a pronounced tumblehome in the hull which the Canadian boats don’t have.

In breaking seas her high freeboard, neat cockpit and built in bridge deck help prevent water below. Her propeller and rudder are protected from grounding and fouling damage by the set-up of her keel, skeg and stern-post. Lots of headroom, plenty of stowage space and ease of handling are characteristic. As would be expected by the design she’s not fast nor particularly close winded but she’s easy to handle in all conditions and ideal for a short-handed crew. English sailor Rona House can testify to this having completed a solo circumnavigation in her Vancouver 27. The cutter rig gives maximum sail plan versatility and the outboard rudder allows for use of self-steering mechanisms that are a cruiser’s best friend on long passages. Experience has shown that her traditional hull design copes easily with the rigors of offshore passages, even when chock full of cruising gear.

Inside the Vancouver 27 is a sensible small-boat layout just made for a couple at sea with three berths being the norm, although a four berth layout was also available. The three berth version has no berth forward but instead has the third berth aft in the saloon leaving plenty room for stowage up front as well as space for a generously sized quarter berth, galley and chart table. 6′ 6″ of headroom heads up the comfort factor inside.

Buyer’s Notes

The majority of boats are to be found in the UK although some can still be found in North America.  New boat prices can be obtained from Northshore yachts and a current search of the used boat market reveals prices for these boats between 12,200 – 26,600 Pounds Sterling or 19,500- 41,500 Canadian dollars depending on age and condition. Although no major problems have been discovered, the heel of the rudder is one weak point that needs careful inspection.

Links, References & Further Reading

» Vancouver 27 Review on boats.com »  Vancouver 27 Brochure on patsturgeonyachts.com »  Vancouver Yachts Association , info, images, history. »  History of Vancouver Yachts in the UK by Andrew Dandridge »  History of Pheon Yachts/Vancouver on Owner’s Site » Vancouver 28 on the Southerly website (Northshore Shipyard).

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Our most recent news is the publication of Nick’s latest sailing book – on Japan – about which we’re very excited. For further details, including how to order it in hard copy or as an e-book, see Sailing to the Heart of Japan – the book . Then, coming up January 15, 2025, Nick’s next book will be out, with stories and illustrations from our 70,000 miles of offshore sailing. See Under Wide and Starry Skies – the book ; this can be ordered already.

We’ve described (and photographed) the dozens of exotic destinations – hot and cold – that we visited as we sailed 30,000 miles from South Africa to our home waters in British Columbia.  For more detailed notes on areas not well covered by cruising guides – Solomon Islands; Kodiak & the Alaska Peninsula – see our Notes for Cruisers .

Nick has recounted our adventures in the wintry waters of Argentina and Chile, near Cape Horn, in his book “Winter in Fireland: A Patagonian Sailing Adventure”; take a look here for reviews and colour versions of the photographs from the book, which is available at all the usual online outlets, including Amazon and UAP , in soft cover or as an e-book. An excerpt from the book, with illustrations, was published in the September 2020 edition of the popular UK sailing magazine Yachting World. For some recommendations for further reading see The best books on sailing in Patagonia .

More recently we’ve been sailing in Alaska and British Columbia, which we now consider to be our home waters .  Recent voyages include a summer in Haida Gwaii ; an exploration of remote Seymour and Belize Inlets, behind Nakwakto Rapids ; and, in the summer of 2020, a less ambitious COVID cruise to Desolation Sound and Princess Louisa Inlet. Summer 2021 was the Summer of the Engine as we replaced our 40-year-old Bukh diesel engine. In 2022 we made up for lost time with a 900-mile, 11-week cruise Around Vancouver Island and in 2023 with a shorter cruise to waters last visited 35 years ago: Desolation Sound .

In case you’re interested in reading how ocean voyaging has changed over the past thirty years, we’ve included a short section on our earlier circumnavigation of the world (1985-89) aboard Tarka the Otter , an Albin Vega 27. A year ago we had a serendipitous reminder of that voyage when news reached us of a long-forgotten Message in a Bottle .

Nick is the author of three other books – one on Colombia, another on Sudan and the most recent on South Sudan: “ Collapse of a Country ” with a foreword with Romeo Dallaire and Shelly Whitman.  He is also a regular contributor to the UK’s “ Sailing Today ” magazine; a number of his articles can be found here.

Happy sailing!

Updated: June 2024

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