1975 Vancouver Vancouver-27 Offshore Cutter

San Blas, Nay., MX

Listed Nov 10

$10,000 USD

Seller's Description

Are you ready to live your dream and looking for a comfortable offshore cruiser at an affordable price. Wendelin is classic - 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 . 24 years. 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. She has been in Mexico ever since. We’ve had the most amazing adventures on her … all of it safe and relaxing.

Wendelin is currently stored on-the-hard at the marina in San Blas Mexico (just north of Puerto Vallarta, 80 or so NM along the Riviera Nayarit, past Sayulita, Rincon de Guaybitos etc.) She will be available for viewing in San Blas Mexico around mid January 2025.

Everything on board has been well cared for. The sails, halyards and sheets are all in great 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 deck if you are particularly enthusiastic and needing something to do other than sail😊 The bottom is in great shape. A new coat of bottom paint was applied in Feb of 2024. There have never been blisters on her hull. In 2000 three coats of inter-protect were applied.

Wendelin is a fabulous boat … sea-kindly with a very balanced helm. She would work well for a skilled singlehander (or an experienced couple, like us, who are able to share small spaces in harmony). We now find ourselves ageing (what a shock!) and no longer with the time and energy that she needs.

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

Equipment: Wendelin is fully equipped with a few exceptions (for example, you will need to bring your own computer or TAB downloaded with whatever marine charts you are likely to need. And personal PFDs.)

There are 6 sails, a 12 hp inboard Yanmar diesel (a rebuild of the head is underway), 2.5 hp Suzuki outboard, 8.5 ft Achilles dinghy, radar, plus plus plus….the list is long. A complete list of the equipment onboard is available upon request.

Specs

Designer: Robert B. Harris

Builders: Tradewind Yachts; Seair Marine Ltd (British Columbia, Canada); Philbrook's Boatyard; Pheon Yachts Ltd.; Northshore Yachts

Associations: ?

# Built: 250

Hull: Monohull

Keel: Long

Rudder: Transom hung

Construction: FG

Also Known As: Vancouver 27F, Vancouver 274, Vancouver 28

Dimensions

Length Overall: 27′ 0″ / 8.2 m

Waterline Length: 22′ 11″ / 7 m

Beam: 8′ 11″ / 2.7 m

Draft: 4′ 11″ / 1.5 m

Displacement: 8,700 lb / 3,946 kg

Ballast: 3,500 lb / 1,588 kg

Rig and Sails

Type: Cutter

Reported Sail Area: 381′² / 35.4 m²

Total Sail Area: 381′² / 35.4 m²

Mainsail

Sail Area: 147′² / 13.7 m²

P: 29′ 11″ / 9.1 m

E: 9′ 9″ / 3 m

Air Draft: ?

Foresail

Sail Area: 234′² / 21.7 m²

I: 35′ 11″ / 11 m

J: 12′ 11″ / 4 m

Forestay Length: 38′ 3″ / 11.7 m

Auxilary Power

Make: Yanmar

Model: 3 cylinder

HP: ?

Fuel Type: ?

Fuel Capacity: 45 gal / 170 l

Engine Hours: ?

Accomodations

Water Capacity: 65 gal / 246 l

Holding Tank Capacity: ?

Headroom: 6′ 5″ / 2 m

Cabins: 1

Calculations

Hull Speed: 6.6 kn
Classic: 6.42 kn

Sail Area/Displacement: 14.4
<16: under powered

Ballast/Displacement: 40.2
>40: stiffer, more powerful

Displacement/Length: 322.0
300-400: heavy

Comfort Ratio: 31.2
30-40: moderate bluewater cruising boat

Capsize Screening: 1.7
<2.0: better suited for ocean passages

Notes

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.