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 keeldragger

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. It measures 8.1 meters LOA with a 3.2-meter beam and 1.1-meter draft, displacing 3628 kg.8:58 Johnson, a naval architect, designed the full-foil keel using NACA airfoil sections to provide tracking stability and gentle motion with less than five feet of draft, a contrast to the fin-keel trend of the late 1970s.7:22 The hull and keel are a one-piece, hand-laminated solid fiberglass molding with no keel bolts.7:53 Aboard *keeldragger*, an Island PACKET 27 named *Frog's Leap* sailed from San Diego to Ensenada, Mexico, in January 2022.2:04 The crew achieved speeds of 5.5 to 5.7 knots under an asymmetrical spinnaker in light wind and maintained 3.5 knots while hove-to overnight.5:58 The autopilot failed during the passage, requiring hand-steering.8:00

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Island Packet 27 on video

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
Unpacking My New Sailboat: Christmas Comes Early1:34from Garrett’s Adventure
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
TOP 3 TINY Sailboats You Can Live On! - Ep 346 Lady K Sailing1:41from Lady K Sailing
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.
Cape Dory 27 Refit Part 3 Water Tank and Stove9:45from Atom Voyager
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
Escaping a Pacific Atoll with NO Engine | Ep. 189:24from Sailing Songbird
Cape Dory 288.56 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA classic Carl Alberg full-keel masthead sloop designed for steady, comfortable cruising
3 Tiny Sailboats You Could Actually Live On7:03from Lady K Sailing
Cape Dory 278.25 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 1977-1985 production masthead sloop featuring a 40% ballast ratio for stability in a traditional full-keel hull
5 Overbuilt Hulls Proving You Don't Need a $500,000 Yacht4:53from Knot Your Average Boat

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

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