BoatsPacific Seacraft Orion 27

Pacific Seacraft Orion 27

Cutter · Long Keel · 1979–1981

A heavy-displacement cutter by Henry Mohrschladt, built for offshore stability with a long keel and conservative rig

Designed by Henry Mohrschladt.

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

See her sail

The Pacific Seacraft Orion 27, on the water

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

Footage from Practical Sailor

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a narrow beam gives 32 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 32
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.72
LightHeavy

409 — very heavy for her waterline, a serious load-carrying cruiser.

Displacement / length 409
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.3
TenderStiff

32% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 32%

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

What the fleet has seen

The Pacific Seacraft Orion 27, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Pacific Seacraft Orion 27, designed by Henry Mohrschladt and built from 1979 to 1981, is a cutter-rigged sailboat with a long keel, measuring 9.4 meters LOA, 2.8 meters in beam, and displacing 4535 kg. Its 1.2-meter draft and encapsulated lead ballast in a full long keel contribute to straight tracking and a kindly motion in chop.2:16 The rig is a true cutter, and a reefed main with staysail provides a balanced ride in deteriorating conditions, according to owners and reviewers.3:12 The boat requires low-teen winds to perform optimally and does not point high.4:55 Construction features solid fiberglass below the waterline and a balsa-cored deck.3:26 External chainplates are visible, inspectable, and field-replaceable.3:36 The Pacific Seacraft Orion 27 is considered an offshore-capable vessel, evidenced by its displacement-to-length ratio above 400 and a comfort ratio in the low 30s.6:50

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

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
US$50,000Median asking

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
32.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.3
Displacement / length
408.6
Comfort ratio
32.2
Capsize screening
1.72
Hull speed
6.3 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
733
Hull
Hull type
Long Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1979–1981
Designer
Henry Mohrschladt
Builder
Pacific Seacraft

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.

Sea Sprite 309.20 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA 9.2-metre cruiser with a 41% ballast ratio, delivering a stiff and steady motion for coastal passages
S/V SeaSprite Refit Update - 19 August 20260:04from Hold Fast!
Cape Dory 30C9.21 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA cutter-rigged cruiser with a full keel and a 1.27-metre draft, built for steady performance between 1976 and 1987
Cape Dory 30 Sailboat Refit Part 2 - Interior Modifications5:11from Atom Voyager
Alberg 309.22 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA classic Carl Alberg long-keeled masthead sloop built for over two decades, offering a stable and comfortable motion
Towing a Fixed Keel Sailboat: Trailer Setup and Transport tips0:04from Atom Voyager
Cape Dory 288.56 mSame hull family0.9 m shorterA classic Carl Alberg full-keel masthead sloop designed for steady, comfortable cruising
Delivering a 1983 Cape Dory 28 Sailboat from Oxnard To Dana Point, California3:28from Sailing Triteia
Bayfield 30/329.75 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA rare 32C variant featuring a tall rig, built in a limited run of five hulls for increased sail area
Bayfield 32 Boat Tour - The Canadian Cruiser That Crossed the Atlanticfrom Practical Sailor
Allied Boat Co. Seawind9.30 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Thomas Gillmer-designed masthead ketch with a long keel, marking both the beginning and the end of the Allied Boat Co.
Sailing Channel Theater: EP5 - Dancing With The Wind0:48from TheSailingChannel.TV

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Pacific Seacraft Orion 27-2A Henry Mohrschladt-designed cutter with a long keel and extended coach roof, offering versatile sloop or yawl rigsOrion 33An IOR 3/4 ton masthead sloop designed by E.G. van de Stadt, ranging from professional Huisman builds to home-finished hullsSailstar Boats Orion 19Fractional Sloop · 5.79 mPacific Seacraft 25-1A Henry Mohrschladt-designed masthead sloop with a long keel and shallow draft, built for coastal cruisingPacific Seacraft 25-2A cutter-rigged evolution featuring a bowsprit and a long keel, built for steady cruising in shoal waters

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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

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