BoatsWatkins Yachts 27

Watkins Yachts 27

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1977–1984

A masthead sloop with a skeg-hung rudder, offered in rare pilot house and keel-centerboard configurations

Designed by Walter Scott.

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

See her sail

The Watkins Yachts 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.

Shoal draughtDraws 1.12 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

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

Capsize screening 2.05
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 252
EasygoingPowered-up

14.8 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 14.8
TenderStiff

47% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 47%

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

  • Draws less than ~84% 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 Watkins Yachts 27, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Watkins Yachts 27 is a fiberglass masthead sloop built by Watkins Yachts in Florida from 1977 to 1984, with approximately 500 hulls produced.2:15 Designed by Walter Scott, the 8.2-meter LOA boat has a 3.0-meter beam and 3401 kg displacement, with a 46% ballast ratio contributing to its stability.2:49 Hull speed is 6.5 knots, though real-world speeds are lower.4:16 The wide beam allows for a full V-berth, quarter berth, convertible dinette, enclosed head, and standing headroom.5:11 Keel options included a shoal-draft fin or a rare keel/centerboard version, and a pilot house version was also available, with fewer than 10 built.3:41 All models feature a skeg-hung rudder.3:49 Aboard *Practical Sailor*, one owner sailed his Watkins 27 from South Carolina for over 20 years, including trips to the Bahamas, reporting no unmet needs after outfitting it with dinghy davits and ground tackle.5:55 Common weaknesses include cored decks susceptible to moisture intrusion and vague steering.7:12

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 Watkins Yachts 27 on video

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
46.7%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
14.8
Displacement / length
252.5
Comfort ratio
21.9
Capsize screening
2.05
Hull speed
6.5 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
846
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1977–1984
Units built
500
Designer
Walter Scott
Builder
Watkins Yachts Inc

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.

Islander Yachts 288.51 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA Robert Perry-designed masthead sloop with over 400 built, favored by the designer himself for her balanced performance
The ONE Question That Changes Everything About Buying a Boat7:09from Be The Captain
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
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
Newport 27S8.23 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1974 masthead sloop with a 1.3-metre 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
Bristol Yachts 288.53 mSame hull family0.3 m longerAn IOR Half Ton racer with reduced stern overhang, serving as the performance-oriented predecessor to the Bristol 29.9
TOP 3 Small Sailboats You Can Sail AROUND THE WORLD! Ep 331 - Lady K sailing10:23from Lady K Sailing

The family

Boats like this

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

Watkins Yachts 27PA masthead sloop sharing the Watkins 27 hull, designed by Walter Scott for stable, shoal-draft coastal cruisingWatkins Yachts 29A masthead sloop with a skeg-mounted rudder, later rebranded as the Watkins 30, designed for stable coastal cruisingWatkins Yachts 17A lightweight, high-performance fractional sloop with a centerboard designed for easy trailerability and shoal waterWatkins Yachts 30A masthead sloop derived from the Watkins 29, featuring a fin keel with a skeg-mounted rudder for coastal cruisingWatkins Yachts 25A masthead sloop later rebranded as the Com-Pac 25, featuring a modified hull and coachroof designWatkins Yachts 33Featuring a reversed transom and updated interior, this 10-metre masthead sloop offers a stable, shoal-draft platform

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