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1972
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 7 / 2.6 m
Draft
4 3 / 1.3 m
Displacement
8,700 lb / 3,946 kg
Ballast
3,500 lb / 1,588 kg
Drawing of Vancouver 27
  • 1 / 10
  • 2 / 10
  • 3 / 10
  • 4 / 10
  • 5 / 10
  • 6 / 10
  • 7 / 10
  • 8 / 10
  • 9 / 10
  • 10 / 10

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

Accomodations

Water Capacity
65 gal / 246 l
Holding Tank Capacity
?
Headroom
6 5 / 2 m
Cabins
?

Calculations

Hull Speed
6.6 kn
Classic: 6.42 kn

Hull Speed

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.

Formula

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

A more accurate formula devised by Dave Gerr in The Propeller Handbook replaces the Speed/Length ratio constant of 1.34 with a calculation based on the Displacement/Length ratio.

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

6.57 knots
Classic formula: 6.42 knots
Sail Area/Displacement
14.4
<16: under powered

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.

Formula

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.
14.41
<16: under powered
16-20: good performance
>20: high performance
Ballast/Displacement
40.2
>40: stiffer, more powerful

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.

Formula

Ballast / Displacement * 100

40.24
<40: less stiff, less powerful
>40: stiffer, more powerful
Displacement/Length
322.0
275-350: heavy

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.

Formula

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

  • D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
  • LWL: Waterline length in feet
322.0
<100: ultralight
100-200: light
200-300: moderate
300-400: heavy
>400: very heavy
Comfort Ratio
31.2
30-40: moderate bluewater cruising boat

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.

Formula

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam1.33)

  • D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
  • LWL: Waterline length in feet
  • LOA: Length overall in feet
  • Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet
31.17
<20: lightweight racing boat
20-30: coastal cruiser
30-40: moderate bluewater cruising boat
40-50: heavy bluewater boat
>50: extremely heavy bluewater boat
Capsize Screening
1.7
<2.0: better suited for ocean passages

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.

Formula

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

  • Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet
  • D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
1.68
<2: better suited for ocean passages
>2: better suited for coastal cruising

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.

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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