Thompson T27

[Neddie_Seagoon]

Have recently aquired a Guy Thompson T27. As there's no info on the internet about this yacht I'd like to compare notes with other owners - anyone got a T27 who's prepared to talk about it?

Mine is reputedly c. 1975, has a long keel and looks to have its original interior - 2 cabins providing 4 berths (2 x Vee, 1 quarter berth (starboard), 1 pipe cot (starboard alongside cockpit)); galley with sink, cupboards, gimballed 2-burner hob, grill oven port side and 4' seat; folding table mounted on mast support; sea toilet under 1 vee berth. The main cabin has a very round ceiling with just about 6' headroom at the aft end. Engine is a recent Yanmar 1GM10 replacing an older petrol unit. Two hatches in the cockpit to aft storage, and the aft deck behind the cockpit has been covered with chequerplate. I don't know if this is original, I haven't wriggled my way underneath to check yet (if it isn't it has been very well fitted). The gas bottle sits on the steel aft deck. The cockpit is cosy, OK for 2 but too small for 3, and the tiller comes from just inside the transom, over the aft deck, to protrude about 9 inches into the cockpit. The traveller is between the cockpit and the companionway hatch. Standing rigging is 2 forestays, 3 stays either side and a backstay. Galvanised pushpit & pulpit. Sheets come to the cockpit, all other running rigging is at the mast.

Anyone got a T27 and thinking "that's not right, mine's not like that" etc.? Please get in touch - I would love to share info and learn more about what I've got. She sails well.

Ta,

Steve

 

[paulrossall]

A mate of mine has a Thompson T24 which I understand to be almost identical to your boat, but I think you have a counter stern. The T24 sails very well indeed. He took his through the French canals down to the Med for 4 years and brought it back in 2004. Five of us spent a week travelling East along the Spanish Med coast almost to France. You say your cockpit is small but we had 5 in the T24 most of the time and I do not remember being too short of room.
If you go to this Boatshed web site
http://hamble.boatshed.com/viewboat.php?boat=15457
you should be able to see the similarities with your boat. If you are not registered with Boatshed you will need to do so to see all the photos but it is free and worth doing. Hope this is of interest to you. Good luck with the boat.

 

[Neddie_Seagoon]

Thanks Paul, there are strong similarities but an array of differences too. For instance the cockpit on mine doesn't cover the full width of the hull, the coaming is inboard by around 9 inches each side allowing the sidedecks to continue aft past the cockpit onto the aft deck, The cockpit well is c. 18 - 20 inches wide so a squash for two adults to sit opposite each other. The mast on the T27 seems further forward - there is a hatch behind but no room for a hatch in front, but then again mine has a hatch on the foredeck as well opening into the forward cabin. No doubt there is a strong family resemblance between the two.

Steve

 

[rudolph_hart]

Acquaintance of mine, named Tommy Mills, owned one in the '80s.

They were far fewer T27s built than either the T24 or T31. He raced and cruised, and I do remember the T27 was very fast and as stiff as a church to windward, especially in a blow, and also very wet. Her ballast ratio was so high that she preferred to go through, rather than over, waves!

Don't have his details, but he is an active member of Maldon Little Ship Club and you may be able to contact him through their site (www.mlsc.org.uk).

 

[Neddie_Seagoon]

>> Acquaintance of mine, named Tommy Mills, owned one in the '80s

Many thanks for that, I've emailed MLSC to see if they can pass my enquiry to Tommy.

Thanks again,

Steve

 

[sighmoon]

Hooray, I thought I had the only one! (well not quite, but they are rare)

Ours sounds a bit different. We have a longish fin keel, but not a long keel (i.e. the rudder is on a skeg behind the keel, not joining it). Also, in the cockpit, our cockpit goes all the way from the cabin to the transom - no aft deck. The cockpit is the full width of the boat too - the coamings are plywood and curve in to the cabin. Mine's more like the T24 on the link.

Did you get in touch with Tommy Mills - the last owner bought my boat from somewhere on the Blackwater - might be the same one.

I agree with what's been said about the sailing qualities though - very stiff and quick. We were beating, under full sails, behind a reefed Sigma 33 once, and they were broaching all over the place, while we hardly heeled.

Good choice of boat /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Neddie_Seagoon]

>> Ours sounds a bit different.

This is what I suspected - I'm not aware of any other Guy Thompson long-keels. She was sold to me as a Thompson T27 but there's no means of confirming it - not that it matters either way, I bought the boat not the type. MLSC have passed my enquiry onto Tommy, not heard back yet but it's only been a few days.

Here's a couple of photos, one by the previous owner when she was moved to Windermere, and one by me recently.

In this you can see the keel - clearly long!

And looking aft here you can see the cockpit coaming ends well before the stern. (The waterline is a bit cleaner now, but I think I'll have to lift her out this winter.)

Does she look like yours in other ways? I must take more photos, I've been too busy working on her or sailing since I got her /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif .

I think you must have bought Harrier from Wells01, I PM'd him a little while back to ask if he still has her but he doesn't seem to have been on the forum lately, so I've no idea where he got her from.

Cheers, Steve

 

[rudolph_hart]

Tommy's T27 was named Harrier.