Hunter 27 Buyer's Guide, From Cherubini's Original to the Last 27 Ft Hunter

Four 27 ft sailboats, one name

Hunter Marine reused the Hunter 27 name for four unrelated boats, which is why owners and brokers now add suffixes. The original Hunter 27 was a John Cherubini design built from 1974 to 1984, with about 2,000 completed. The 27-2 was a lighter, fractional-rigged family boat built from 1989 to 1994. The 27-3, a Glenn Henderson design originally marketed simply as the Hunter 27, ran from the mid-2000s to about 2013 and spawned a racing sister, the 27X. Finally the Hunter 27 Edge of 2008 to 2012 was a trailerable, water-ballasted motorsailer that could plane at more than 20 knots behind a big outboard.

This guide concentrates on the Henderson boat because it is the newest, the most valuable and the one most buyers searching for a 27 ft Hunter today are comparing against a Catalina or Beneteau. The earlier boats get their own sections below, because a 1978 Hunter 27 and a 2010 Hunter 27 have almost nothing in common except length.

Glenn Henderson's 27: big-boat thinking in a pocket cruiser

When SAIL reviewed the new Hunter 27 in August 2005 it led with the volume: 6 ft 2 in of headroom and nearly 10 feet of beam in a 27 footer, with a separate aft cabin containing a double berth, a hanging locker and room to stand up and change. The plumb stem and long waterline, 23 ft 7 in on a 27 ft 4 in hull, are what make that possible. Cruising World's 2010 look at the boat described elbow room everywhere older 27 footers lack it, and called it a new yardstick for the size.

The boat was aimed at novices who want stability, ease of handling and value. Cruising World noted its CE Category C rating, which is the right expectation: this is a coastal and inshore cruiser for weekends and short hops, not an offshore boat. Hunter's Deluxe Package, which most buyers should look for, added shore power, a combined electric and butane two-burner stove, a microwave and a 12 volt cooler that slides into a purpose-built galley drawer.

Inside: aft cabin, V-berth and a table for six

Below, the 27 sleeps two in the V-berth, which in this layout works as an extension of the saloon, and two more in a large athwartships double in the aft cabin under the cockpit. The saloon table seats six adults and drops to form another berth, and there is a small aft-facing nav table. The enclosed head started with a portable toilet and vanity; pressurized hot and cold water, a marine head and a shower were options, so check what any given boat actually has.

The galley is simple. SAIL described a single-burner stove, a stainless sink and a locker sized for a 40 quart portable cooler; the later Deluxe Package upgraded the stove and cooler. For a couple that is plenty for a weekend, and the volume makes the boat feel much larger at a dock or on a mooring than its length suggests.

B&R rig, bulb keel and how it sails

The Henderson 27 uses Hunter's B&R rig, a fractional rig with swept spreaders and no backstay, with optional in-mast furling. The mainsheet is double-ended, one end with a 3:1 purchase for quick trimming and the other at 6:1 for fine tuning, and the cockpit is set up for singlehanding. Wheel steering is standard and Lewmar's folding wheel was an option; Cruising World noted that the helm seat sits so far aft that the stern lifeline gets in the way.

Sailboatdata lists the standard shoal keel with bulb at 3 ft 6 in draft, a 7,656 pound displacement and 2,052 pounds of lead, and an optional deep keel drawing 5 ft. With 297 square feet of sail on the standard rig, the sail area to displacement ratio is a modest 12.3, so this is not a light-air flyer. Expect to motor sooner in light conditions than you would in an older, lighter 27, and consider the performance mast or deep keel if sailing feel matters to you. The 27X, a racing version on the same hull with a 5 ft 6 in keel and 327 square feet of sail, addresses exactly that, but few were built.

A small Yanmar with unusually good access

A Yanmar inboard diesel of about 9 to 10 hp was standard, which suits a 7,600 pound boat in sheltered water. Cruising World praised the access: the companionway steps hinge up on gas struts to expose most of the service points, along with the water heater. Fuel capacity is 15 gallons and water 20 gallons, both modest, which again points to weekend and coastal use. Ask for impeller, exhaust elbow and shaft seal records on any boat over ten years old.

The original 1974 to 1984 Hunter 27

The Cherubini Hunter 27 was the boat that made Hunter's name, with about 2,000 built. It is a 27 ft 2 in masthead sloop with a skeg-hung rudder, 7,000 pounds displacement and 3,000 pounds of lead on a 4 ft 3 in fin, or 3,200 pounds on a 3 ft 3 in shoal keel. Early boats had an 8 hp Renault diesel; from 1979 Hunter switched to Yanmar. Headroom is just over six feet.

Practical Sailor's used boat review is candid. It praised the strong, simple hull to deck joint and fair gelcoat, but found the boat underpowered, prone to strong weather helm and poorly equipped for sail trim, with no traveler and no genoa track. It also flagged U-bolt chainplates through the aluminum toerail without backing plates, gate valves rather than seacocks below the waterline, and reports of oilcanning, leaking keel bolts or keel misalignment around the narrow keel joint. Bought cheaply and upgraded sensibly, it remains one of the least expensive diesel 27 footers on the market.

The 27-2, the 27X and the 27 Edge

The 1989 to 1994 Hunter 27, now called the 27-2, is a lighter 5,000 pound boat with a fractional rig, a 3 ft 6 in wing keel, a walk-through transom and 6 ft 1 in headroom. Many were sold with an outboard; a Yanmar 1GM10 diesel was a factory option. It is a good budget family boat for protected waters.

The 27X used the Henderson hull with a deeper fin, more sail area and a Yanmar 1GM10 or optional 14 hp 2YM15, aimed at club racing. The 27 Edge is something else again: a trailerable power and sail hybrid with a centerboard, about 1,600 pounds of flooding water ballast for sailing, and an outboard of up to 75 hp that could push it past 20 knots with the ballast drained. Do not confuse it with the keelboats when comparing prices.

Buying after Hunter's long decline

Hunter Marine of Alachua, Florida, entered Chapter 11 in 2012 and was sold to David Marlow, becoming Marlow-Hunter. Practical Sailor reports that production of all Hunter boats stopped in 2024, and the company is now closed. For the Hunter 27 that mainly matters for warranty and factory parts; most hardware, the Yanmar engines and the rigging are standard items, and owner forums are active.

Running costs are modest. Expect roughly $4,000 to $10,000 a year for a slip or mooring, insurance, haul-out and bottom paint, engine service and small parts, depending on region.