CD 25 vs. CD 27

[casampson]

Thinking of upgrading from my current boat, a CD 25, to a CD 27. I really am enjoying my CD 25, but I don't love the outboard set-up and really covet the inboard diesel of the CD 27. Plus the standing headroom and extra cabin space would be nice. Finally I have read here on the forum that the CD 27 is one of the best all around boats in the Cape Dory line, and it certainly is beautiful to look at.

I have a few hesitations. First, at 7500 lbs of displacement, will the CD 27 be too much boat for me to handle? I will mostly be daysailing, with some occasional overnight trips thrown in over the course of the season. Is the CD 27 too much boat for this? Will I lose that small-boat feel that I had in the Typhoon and still enjoy in the 25? In time I hope to cruise a little, but I don't see it happening in the near future. There are some practical considerations, such as needing to find a deeper mooring and not being able to store the boat in my yard, but these can be accommodated for without too much difficulty.

Looking forward to your opinions on this matter.

[Northstar1014]

I can say that the 27 certainly doesn't feel like too much to handle. I have the inboard diesel and wheel and am amazed at how responsive it is to the rudder, with an impressive turning radius. I single-hand all the time (definitely helpful to have self-tailing winches).

I find that coming to dock single-handed easy enough -- a few minutes out, I bring my bow and stern lines together amidships. At the dock, I jump off and she pulls easily to the dock with both lines. Its an easy boat to push off when you are ready to leave, too.

I think you'll be thrilled with the extra space and won't look back!

[tjr818]

I single hand our 1980 CD-27 all the time, it is a very easy boat to handle. Think about being able to stand up straight and walk around while down below.

[Steve I]

A lot more for the money with a 28' , Great boat, still 4' draft. My 2 cents

[Frenchy]

Chris, I know you sail on Buzzard's Bay, one of the most wind swept venues on the east coast. A 25 is a fine boat for its size
and is perfect (in my opinion) for more protected waters. But I think the 27 is better for the short, choppy waves of
Buzzards Bay and the 20 knot whistlers we get. The diesel, headroom, and roomier galley and head also tip the
scales toward the larger boat. I store a 33 in my back yard so I think the 27 will fit in yours, if you decide to do that. - Jean

[csoule13]

Thinking of upgrading from my current boat, a CD 25, to a CD 27. I really am enjoying my CD 25, but I don't love the outboard set-up and really covet the inboard diesel of the CD 27.

Might want to look into the glories of the Yanmar YSM8 before coveting it. It's a fine little engine, but it is little, and you will need to get used to going very slow with wind and waves on the nose. Obviously, every set up and boat is a little different, but with high teens and an afternoon of rollers on the Chesapeake, we were making 2 kts over ground. It will get you daydreaming about a bigger engine very quickly.

About the headroom - if you are 6' tall or better, you have slouching headroom. If your are 5'11" or taller, you are going to very quickly learn where parts of the lovely teak interior is lower than others. The comment about regarding the 28 should be considered strongly if this is a problem for you. I'm 6' on the dot, and still thwack my head on the lip of the sliding hatch regularly.

For feel, my past experiences are on Flying Scots and and Ericson 30+ with a wheel. I feel the tiller is responsive, though perhaps a bit "heavy". You certainly can feel what's going on with the boat through your fingertips before the rest of your senses catch up.

As for size, the PO of my boat single handed for long weekends frequently. I have so far used it for long daysails. She is seakindly, and a far better boat than the blown out sails and novice skipper does her justice. She won't go anywhere but sideways in reverse, and so we get the boat generally lined up and then just use granny lines to pull the boat into the slip with relative ease.

She's a nice boat that for the most part, does what I need with the skillset I can bring to the table. I do have a bias in the "Should I get a bigger boat" questions, because it's so easy to go from 25 to 27 to 28 to 30. etc Each boat costs more, is a little more work and cost to maintain, to insure, to dock. Eyes wide open.

[tjr818]

...Might want to look into the glories of the Yanmar YSM8 before coveting it....

Some of the later 27s came with the 13hp diesel. We have the YSM8 and although it does sound like The African Queen when chugging into the harbor, that little engine is a piece of cake to maintain, there are no glow plugs to deal with and it will start every time with just a short hit of the starter. We routinely have to motor against the Mighty Mississippi and that little engine can do it. If you are "bucking a headwind" it is time to remember that your 27 is a sailboat, roll out the genny and sail, the 27 loves to take on that headwind, just don't be in a hurry.

[steve poulin]

Hi Chris,

I just finished my first season with a CD 27 on Narragansett Bay and I used that boat as a day-sailor and a weekender and my wife and I spent a comfortable four days aboard when my son was away at camp. I've got the Yanmar 13 horse diesel (the factory upgrade over the 8) and a wheel and never felt under-powered, even when the tide was against me. My wife and son were new to sailing and took to it like naturals, and were valuable crew, though I also single-handed it on those weekends when they couldn't join me and was able to navigate comfortably to and from my mooring in East Greenwich solo. My son is fifteen and though there's a door between the salon and the head, there is none between the V-berth and head (my wife's domain), and so the overnights with all three of us aboard were a little tight. I'll be down at the yard putting the Fairclough cover on this weekend if you want to come and take a look, stand in the boat, walk around, etc.

[casampson]

Thank you all for the replies. So far it sounds like the CD 27 is a wonderfully seaworthy boat with a noisy, slightly under-powered diesel for a motor. If my wife thinks the Tohatsu 6hp Sailpro is a loud and toxic way to ruin a ride on an otherwise lovely sailboat, what will she think of the 8hp Yanmar? I believe she will hate it.

This puts me in a bit of a quandary.

Steve, thank you for the offer. I sent you a PM. Frenchy, my yard is only 90 feet wide. I cannot get a boat into my backyard at all, so it would have to be parked alongside of the driveway. This would make be extremely nervous. One distracted driver, and there are plenty in my household, could be the end of the stability of a CD 27 on Brownell boat stands.

Chris

[Sea Hunt Video]

Chris:

Not to add to your "quandary" but you may also want to consider the Cape Dory 25D (standing head room; diesel). The cabin layout is a little different from CD 27 but there is a separate enclosed head forward in the v-berth which, I am reliably informed, female sailors seem to appreciate. Not sure why.

[tjr818]

...My son is fifteen and though there's a door between the salon and the head, there is none between the V-berth and head (my wife's domain), and so the overnights with all three of us aboard were a little tight....

Steve, we always felt that the door was more in the way than it was worth. We replaced the door with a curtain on a shock cord. We placed four cup hooks, two where the door used to be and two more at the V berth passage. We usually have the curtain suspended between the two bulkheads hiding the head, we can unhook one end and swing the curtain to close off the salon, or unhook the other end and close off the V berth. This arrangement is more convenient than the door and MUCH quieter.

Chris, the YSM8 is more quite than the outboard, but most of the later 27s came with the 13hp, you should not have any trouble finding one of those,

[csoule13]

Heck, here's one with an 18 hp Yanmar. https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1979/c ... %20listing

Tim's right, the 8hp engine isn't that loud, and if you can find something that has more than a single cylinder and a few more HP, you're golden.

[jen1722terry]

Ditto on the door to the v-berth. We have a 31 and, while it does not have a head in the v-berth, it still has the folding teak door. We live aboard for 3-4 months each year and that door was the first thing we removed.

And if you're patient and a bit lucky, you may find a 27 with a larger or, if you're really lucky, a larger and newer engine. The original engines are getting rather long-of-tooth and sometimes require major work to run efficiently with a minimum of smoke.

And also ditto on the 28, if you can afford one. That extra five inches or so of beam may not seem like much but it makes a big difference. I'm not sure, but I suspect you'll get more headroom. There was also more of them made (388 28s . vs. 277 . 27s).

Either way, they're both really nice boats. Rugged hulls and rigs that are worth investing in over years of ownership.

Cheers!

Jenn and Terry

[Nebe]

I don’t feel that my cd27 is underpowered. When do you use the engine ? Docking.. coming to a mooring or no wind. She can hold hull speed no problem.
I just sailed from Newport to ram point marina in the top of point Judith salt pond in 3 hours on Monday with a strong easterly tail wind. These boats are so fast off the wind.

My boat is still available if you want to look at it. There is an interested buyer but he is dragging his feet due to some life issues on his end. I had taken it off the market for him but I am loosing patience.

[fmueller]

I just replaced my YSM 8 with a Beta 14. Quieter and way smoother. I was having trouble with the old Yanmar mechanical centrifugal throttle control, but had made the decision I was going to keep my boat - so spent the $$. I single hand 75% of the time on Narragansett Bay. Great boat for that ...

Single handing is really more a matter of skills first and foremost - as well as a properly equipped boat - than boat size per se. For me, self tailing winches, lazy jacks, and most importantly, a tiller pilot are pretty much mandatory. I'm looking at this for next season : https://pelagicautopilot.com/

I would look for the best condition boat/engine combo you can find in either a 25D, 26, or 27, and buy that boat if you are stuck on Cape Dorys. But there are certainly lots of other pocket cruisers from that era available. As suggested look at a CD 28 if only to be sure of your upper limit.

Here is James Baldwins list of small boats that might work for you: http://atomvoyages.com/planning/good-ol ... -list.html . Baldwins comments are very helpful I think ...


good luck