BoatsO'day 27

O'day 27

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1972–1979

An Alan Gurney-designed masthead sloop featuring a skeg-mounted rudder for stable, predictable coastal cruising

Designed by Alan P. Gurney.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

See her sail

The O'day 27, on the water

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

Footage from Life is Like Sailing

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 23 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 23
CoastalBluewater

1.91 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.91
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 254
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.4
TenderStiff

33% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 33%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

  • Draws less than ~77% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1924 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The O'day 27, as the fleet has seen it

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

The O'day 27 is a masthead sloop sailboat designed by Alan P. Gurney and built by O'Day Corp. from 1972 to 1979. It measures 8.2 meters LOA, with a 2.7-meter beam, a 1.2-meter draft, and a displacement of 3039 kg. The hull features a fin keel with a rudder on a skeg. An inboard engine was available as an option. The O'day 27 has a comfort ratio of 23.1 and a SA/disp of 15.4. One sailor previously owned an O'day 27, keeping it at a marina for weekend use before transitioning to a larger liveaboard vessel.2:31

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The O'day 27 on video

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model come up for sale.

1seen sold

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
33.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.4
Displacement / length
254.0
Comfort ratio
23.1
Capsize screening
1.91
Hull speed
6.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
732
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1972–1979
Units built
720
Designer
Alan P. Gurney
Builder
O'Day Corp, Bangor Punta Corp

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.

Coronado Yachts 278.13 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA William Tripp Jr. design featuring a masthead sloop rig and fin keel, sharing a near-identical hull with the Columbia 27
103. Sailors' Meeting. Sea stories told by those who lived them.49:10from A Son de Mar
Sabre 27 (Hill)8.23 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn Alan Hill-designed masthead sloop featuring a skeg-hung rudder and a stiff, stable hull for coastal cruising
The story so far latitudes and attitudes magazine5:41from The Sailing Brothers
Watkins Yachts 278.23 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop with a skeg-hung rudder, offered in rare pilot house and keel-centerboard configurations
Bahamas for $5000? The Watkins 27 foot Sailboat0:47from Practical Sailor
Newport 27S8.23 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1974 masthead sloop with a 1.3-meter draft, offering a stable fin-keel platform for shoal-water coastal cruising
Live On A Cheap and Small Sailboat! The Newport 27from Practical Sailor
Cascade Yachts 278.23 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, designed by Robert A. Smith for balanced coastal cruising
Salt & Tar: Ep.235- Buddy Boating to the Islands (We have Friends!)8:18from Salt & Tar
Catalina Yachts 278.18 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop with 6,662 hulls produced over two decades, serving as a staple of coastal cruising since 1971
Ep# 27 Interview with Chris2:02from Sailing Into Oblivion

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.

O'day 272A Raymond Hunt-designed masthead sloop featuring a shallow-draft wing keel for versatile coastal cruisingO'day 25A successful decade-long production run defines this 25-foot masthead sloop, built with a versatile keel-centerboardO'day 26A short-lived 1980s masthead sloop featuring a keel-centerboard design for flexible draft in coastal watersO'day 20A masthead sloop with a keel-centerboard configuration, offering a stable 5.57-knot hull speed for coastal cruisingO'day 37A C. Raymond Hunt-designed masthead sloop built for charter fleets and sold internationally as the Trinidad 37O'day 28A versatile C. Raymond Hunt design offered with multiple keel and rig configurations for varied coastal cruising needs

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