BoatsIsland Packet 27

Island Packet 27

Cutter · Long Keel · 1984–1992

A Robert K. Johnson-designed cutter with a long keel, built for stability and comfort in a compact 8-meter package

Designed by Robert K. Johnson.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Long Keel

See her sail

The Island Packet 27, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Lady K Sailing

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

Shoal draftDraws 1.13 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a beamy beam gives 22 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 22
CoastalBluewater

2.10 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.10
LightHeavy

250 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 250
EasygoingPowered-up

16.3 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 16.3
TenderStiff

38% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 38%

A balanced, easily-driven cruiser — comfortable and forgiving for coastal work.

  • Beamier than ~92% of boats her size on file

Compared with 299 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Island Packet 27, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Island PACKET 27 is a cutter-rigged, long-keel sailboat designed by Robert K. Johnson and built by Island Packet Yachts from 1984 to 1992. With an LOA of 8.1 m, a beam of 3.2 m, and a draft of 1.1 m, it displaces 3628 kg. Aboard *keeldragger*, an Island PACKET 27 named *Frog's Leap* sailed from San Diego to Ensenada, Mexico, achieving speeds of 5.5 to 5.7 knots under an asymmetrical spinnaker in light wind.5:58 The boat maintained 3.5 knots while hove-to overnight. *Lady K Sailing* notes that the 1985 model, often available for around $20,000, features a full keel, teak and holly flooring, a wet head, and a Yanmar diesel engine.8:59 A primary structural concern for this model is the original 304 stainless steel chain plates, which are prone to hidden corrosion and failure after 20 to 25 years due to their encapsulated design; replacement can cost approximately $18,000, or owners can install external chain plates.5:43 The designer, Bob Johnson, developed a full-foil keel using NACA airfoil sections, providing tracking stability and gentle motion with less than five feet of draft.7:22 Construction features a one-piece, hand-laminated solid fiberglass hull-and-keel molding with no keel bolts.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 2 times across 2 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Island Packet 27 on video

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model for sale, and the asking prices that came with it.

1seen for sale
1channel looked into buying
$20,000Median asking

  • A 1985 Island Packet 27 is presented as a potential purchase for $20,000, offering a low-cost housing alternative

    from Lady K Sailingseen January 2025watch

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
37.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.3
Displacement / length
250.4
Comfort ratio
21.6
Capsize screening
2.10
Hull speed
6.6 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
910
Hull
Hull type
Long Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1984–1992
Units built
243
Designer
Robert K. Johnson
Builder
Island Packet Yachts

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Nor'Sea Marine 278.23 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA masthead sloop with a versatile rig and ballast configuration, designed for trailerable offshore cruising
Problems in Paradise2:15from Garrett’s Adventure
Compass 288.59 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA long-keeled masthead sloop and Australian favorite, developed from the Northerner 28 with a Duncanson-designed deck
Offshore Sailing legend and Rocna inventor Peter Smith.3:32from Sailing Learning By Doing
Pacific Seacraft Dana 248.31 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA heavy-displacement W.I.B. Crealock cutter designed for offshore stability and serious coastal cruising
Diagnosis, Troubleshooting, and a mini shakedown in San Diego - Dana 24 - (Dec 2018)from keeldragger
Pearson Yachts-USA Triton8.63 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA Carl Alberg-designed long-keel fractional sloop that pioneered fiberglass cruising and saw international production.
Shadetree Sailboat Awning0:08from Atom Voyager
Vindo 328.95 mSame hull family0.9 m longerA classic Carl Andersson-designed masthead sloop featuring a long keel and traditional build for stable, comfortable cruising
Edvard Hambro - shorthanded pioneer continues double-handed sailing3:14from SEILmagasinet
Vancouver 278.23 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA Robert B. Harris-designed cutter with a long keel, built across two continents to provide a stiff, comfortable passage
White-Water Engineless Sailing Into an Atoll—Most Dangerous Sailing I've Done | Ep. 14from Sailing Songbird

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Island Packet 29A 9.75-meter cutter with a 1.3-meter draft, offering a stable, heavy-displacement platform for coastal explorationIsland Packet 32A 32-foot cruiser with a 1.32-meter draft, optimized for shallow-water access and offshore stabilityIsland Packet 31A 10.46-meter cutter with a shallow 1.22-meter draft, engineered for stable, long-distance cruising in shoal watersIsland Packet 35A 10.77-meter cutter featuring a 45% ballast ratio, engineered for heavy-weather stability and extended offshore range

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Island Packet 27, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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