halycon 27

One of the nicest boats I've owned (I've been very promiscous in my boat ownersip), and often regret selling her.

Good, classic looks, reassuring seaboats (though a bit wet), very powerful to windward, cramped by modern standards, well balanced though a bit heavy on the helm.

Passage planning at 4 knots is probably not going to be far out, on average.
 
I remember there used to be three H27s on consecutive moorings at Fambridge in the early 70's. Back then they were relatively big boats (amongst the Vivacitys, Alacritys, Silhouettes, Hurleys etc).
 
My dad bought a Halcyon 27 in 1969, and we loved it. They are well built, and very seaworthy, but do heel quite a lot. At the time we thought that the accomodation was super, but times have changed! If still on the original engine, ours was a Sabb, then it will probably need work, and the sails may be tired, but these comments apply to any boat of that era. In terms of speed they were considered fairly fast in their day, but as an example my Ecume de Mer is faster and had better accomodation from a couple of years later. If you buy one you will not be disappointed - every time you leave her and look back you will see one of the prettiest 27 footers around.
 
Re: Halycon 27?

Deep in these archives is a thread about the Halcyon being tender which says something about the sailing characteristics. Alan Buchanan must take responsibility, an East Coast designer wary about too deep a draft. For the record I vetoed adding extra ballast but did suggest lowering the sail plan by removing the headsail tack strop and not hoisting the main chock-a-block, strategies which had produced some 'improvement' in my own case - to be replaced by chafing the genoa foot and head-banging in the cockpit!!
As for the poor finish, what can you expect of boats built to budget in Royston Herts?

The short list in 1972 were Folkboat derivatives: Invicta and Conti 26 won on performance (see Portsmouth yardsticks) but lost on headroom, and the Liz 29 was too dear.

To put these criticisms into context. our Halcyon was the first of nine boats owned and many others chartered since then. Memorable bad points were the SL loo and the var-pitch prop driven by a thumping single-cylinder Saab donkey.

Would I buy one again? Probably not - there are roomier, drier, stiffer and faster designs out there.
 
Re: Halycon 27?

Remember that thread, and still trying to find it with our Halycon 27, in fact it's the first boat the wife will helm, as it's not tender. May be a personal thing / interpretation.

Our boats previous owner took her across to America, down the East coast to the West Indies, across to Gib via the Azors, East Med and up through Biscay home. They were refitting for another trip when we bought her, as they had found a cheap steel boat in the West Indies.


Brian
 
Fond memories of sailing Halcyon 27s when in RN so when looking to buy bigger boat about 5 years ago I looked at a couple.

Only trouble I had was I couldnt lie out straight in any of the berths so the boats I saw were rejected. In all other aspects she would have suiyed me to bits.

Don't recall them being tender as others have suggested. In fact I can remember beating into the Beaulieu River 'cos the engine didn't have enough poke to motor into the F5 headwind!
 
Maybe the advantage we had with the previous owner's rebuild, 3 births 6 ft 6 in long. Two births in the bow, and pilot birth in the saloon on starboard side.

Brian
 
As the owner of a virtually "unmodified" Halcyon 27, with original Sabb 8 and variable pitch prop, let me comment on (and correct) some the opinions stated here and in your other thread:

a) Sailing characteristics: The narrow beam folkboat inspired hull will heel initally, then dig in and go no further. That's what this kind of hull design does. When heeled, our boat is beautifully balanced, with virtually no weight on the helm at all, and directionally stable. Not far off 50% ballast in a 3 ton hull means the waves don't knock her off course. She doesn't accelerate that fast but holds her way well once up to speed (5-6 knots). Also surprisingly quick (and to windward) in light airs (hull shape again). Autopilots love this design...they've got so little work to do! Many were raced very competitively in the 70s...and that says a lot. The Joint Services Sail Training Association bought a whole fleet of them.

b) Handling in marinas / under power: Lots of misconceptions about long keelers...you've got to get to know what they'll do / and won't do. The H27 has a huge rudder which will turn the boat very well in tight spaces..and if it has the Sabb engine with variable pitch prop, even better! Going alternately from forward pitch to reverse with the tiller held over to port, she'll spin around to starboard in her own length using the prop kick (always in the same direction). To port, the turn is not so tight, but no real problem. The long keel means she doesn't start going sideways in gusts (like modern hull designs). When in Cardiff Bay I used to reverse ours out of her berth, down past all the fingers, and out into the river...and only then go into forward. The pundits will tell you this can't be done in a long keeler...but our H27 did it in most wind conditions. She won't punch to windward in big seas with the standard engine, but in flat water she easily reaches hull speed at low revs

(c) Space down below / berth lengths: You do get 6ft headroom under the hatch...amazing for a 27 footer of its day! The reason again is hull design...deep bilges and cabin sole. As you go forward, this drops away, and yes even by the standards of the late 60s she's tight on personal space, but with surprisingly a lot of stowage. Our original layout has two saloon berths with trotter boxes, giving well over 6ft length in each...BUT a lot of H27s have been significantly modifed down below, and some of these have very much compromised the berth and stowage arrangements. You'll need to look around at a few...

(d) Age / Condition / Price: This is the biggest problem. There are a lot of tired H27s around (all are 35-40 years old), that need a lot of work, TLC and money to get them into what I consider as an acceptable condition for serious cruising and have pride of ownership. However, this may not be your intent, or an issue for you. You can pick one up for £7000 or less, but it'll be a major renovation project if the ones I see are anything to go by...

Anyway, I could go on and on...to sum up...they are great little boats, very seaworthy and reassuring when down below. If you come to terms with the accomodation they are really quite comfortable. They sail very well, and the much maligned Sabb engine / prop is beautifully matched to this hull...again you need to understand how to start them / use them.

And NO...ours is not for sale /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Re: Going backwards - yawn . . .

"The pundits will tell you this can't be done in a long keeler."

Au contraire. it's been well hammered only recently. not least by some people who learned how to do it yonks ago.

Do wake up at the back there!
 
[ QUOTE ]
previous owner's rebuild, 3 births 6 ft 6 in long. Two births in the bow, and pilot birth in the saloon

[/ QUOTE ] Previous owner must have been an obstetrician.

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Sorry Brian could not resist
 
People we know who live near us circumnavigatedin one twenty years ago.

Great boats by all accounts - the only other boat for the price I would have considered instead of the Vega as a pocket blue water cruiser.

If you don't want offshore capability then there are probably others for the price/size with better performance or better accommodation tho'.

- W
 
[ QUOTE ]

Previous owner must have been an obstetrician.

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Sorry Brian could not resist

[/ QUOTE ]

Would not rule it out.

Brian
 
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