C&C 27 Mk III
Built 1974–1981 by C&C Yachts
About the C&C 27 Mk III
Researched from public sources for this model. Any individual boat may have been modified or repowered — confirm before relying on any figure.
- Built
- 1974–1981
- Builder
- C&C Yachts
- Designer
- Robert Ball
- Length
- 27.86 ft
- Waterline
- 22.86 ft
- Beam
- 9.16 ft
- Draft
- 4.5 ft
- Displacement
- 5,500 lb
- Ballast
- 2,116 lb
- Hull
- fiberglass
- Hull / keel
- fin keel
- Rig
- sloop
- Propulsion
- inboard
- Fuel
- 20 gal
- Water
- 24 gal
- Stern thruster
- none
- Steering
- tiller
The Mark III name was applied retroactively by owners; boats were sold simply as the C&C 27. Hull numbers are given as 451/452-914 by the owners association and 435-915 by sailboatdata. The association says the Mark III came from a new mold with a longer cockpit/stern, deeper keel, less ballast and a taller rig. Wheel steering became a popular option in the mid-1970s (1975 per the association, 1976 (sailboatdata)). Diesel became available in 1978 and a single-cylinder Yanmar (SYP12 (sailboatdata)) was standard by the end of the run; many boats have been repowered. Shoal-draft keel (4.0 ft) was offered. Hull is solid glass (Practical Sailor says the 27 has no hull coring); deck is balsa-cored. External lead ballast through-bolted. The Mark IV (1981-82) and the later, unrelated Mark V (1984-87) are separate versions.
Known problems for this model
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Wet balsa deck core around hardware deck
The deck is balsa-cored and old bedding on fittings often fails, letting water into the core; rebedding hardware and checking for delamination is a priority.practical-sailor.com
-
Bulkhead rot at chainplates interior
Water tracking down the chainplates through the deck can rot the plywood bulkheads they bolt to; inspect where the plates attach.practical-sailor.com
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Cracking at stanchion and pulpit bases deck
Sidedeck laminate is thin at the outboard edges and pulpits lacked backing plates, so look for cracks around stanchion and pulpit bases.practical-sailor.com
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Mast compression support rot hull
Practical Sailor advises checking the interior structure that carries mast compression for rot, along with the deck core.practical-sailor.com
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Bulkheads not tabbed to deck hull
On many C&Cs of this era the bulkheads are not tabbed to the deck, which can let the deck lift as the rig works; relevant if planning offshore use.practical-sailor.com
1 more
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Keel shape makes blocking tricky other
The swept keel has no flat bottom run, so the boat tends to rock forward on jack stands and needs careful blocking when hauled.practical-sailor.com
Engines & parts
Universal Atomic 4 parts: good
Factory standard engine — you entered “Universal Atomic 4”
Tens of thousands were built (sources say from 40,000 to 50,000). Despite being out of production for decades, the engine is well supported: Moyer Marine sells parts, rebuilt engines, fuel pump rebuilds and exhaust parts, and hosts an owners' forum; Old Lyme Marina and others also supply parts, and electronic ignition upgrades are available.
Parts sources: Moyer Marine
Common problems (3)
-
Raw-water cooling scale and corrosion cooling
Most Atomic 4s are raw-water cooled, so the block scales up and corrodes, especially in salt water; cranking without starting can also flood the engine with seawater through the exhaust.goodoldboat.com · moyermarineforum.com · keelindex.com
-
Gasoline vapor fire/explosion risk fuel
Gasoline vapor is heavier than air and settles in the bilge, so ventilation, blower use and shutting the fuel valve (a stuck carburetor float can overflow) matter.goodoldboat.com
-
Ignition and fuel system faults electrical
Points, condenser, cap and wires, plus gummed carburetors and contaminated fuel, are the most common reasons an Atomic 4 won't run well.keelindex.com · goodoldboat.com
Sources disagree on first year, last year, number built — left blank rather than guessed.
Model sources (4)
sailboatdata.com · practical-sailor.com · practical-sailor.com · cc27association.com
Other C&C models
- C&C 30 Mk I 1973–1985
- C&C 33 Mk II 1984–1988
- C&C 34 1977–?
- C&C 35 Mk III ?–1987
Researched from public sources. Spotted an error? The sources are listed above — tell us what they got wrong.