newport 27 sailboat review

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Review of Newport 27 Mk III

Basic specs..

The hull is made of fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season. And outside the sailing season, just bottom cleaning and perhaps anti-fouling painting once a year - a few hours of work, that's all.

The boat is equipped with 76.0 liter fresh water capacity.

The boat equipped with a masthead rig. The advantage of a masthead rig is its simplicity and the fact that a given sail area - compared with a fractional rig - can be carried lower and thus with less heeling moment.

The Newport 27 Mk III is equipped with a fin keel. A boat with a fin keel is more manoeuvrable but has less directional stability than a similar boat with a full keel.

The boat can enter most marinas as the draft is just about 1.57 - 1.67 meter (5.15 - 5.45 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.

Sailing characteristics

This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.

What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?

The capsize screening value for Newport 27 Mk III is 2.04, indicating that this boat would not be accepted to participate in ocean races.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 6.3 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Newport 27 Mk III is about 126 kg/cm, alternatively 709 lbs/inch. Meaning: if you load 126 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 709 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

Sailing statistics

This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.

What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

What is Displacement Length Ratio?

What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?

Maintenance

When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy. The surface of the wet bottom is about 22m 2 (236 ft 2 ). Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Newport 27 Mk III it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us . Criticism helps us to improve.

Newport 27 1

The newport 27 1 is a 27.0ft masthead sloop designed by c&c design group and built in fiberglass by capital yachts corp. since 1970..

The Newport 27 1 is a moderate weight sailboat which is a reasonably good performer. It is very stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a coastal cruiser. The fuel capacity is originally very small. There is a very short water supply range.

Newport 27 1 for sale elsewhere on the web:

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• Sailboat Reviews

Newport 28/28 II

While initially there were questions about quality, the 28 is a good entry-level cruiser-racer for those on a budget..

The Newport 28 was one of the longer-lived small production cruising boats, having been in production from 1974 through 1987. Almost 1,000 of the C&C-designed boats were built by Capital Yachts of Harbor City, California.

There is a strong family resemblance between the Newport 28 and other C&C designs of the same period. In addition to the Newport 28, Capital built the Newport 41, another mid-1970s C&C design. The styling of both boats is characterized by the sweeping attractive sheerlines for which C&C is justifiably known.

As with any boat whose production run spanned more than a decade, many changes were made in the Newport 28, both outside and inside, over the years. The original scimitar-shaped keel and rudder gave way to more modern high aspect ratio appendages with 1983 models, increasing draft from 4′ 6″ to 5′ 2″. A shoal draft version drawing 4′ was optional, but

less popular than the deep-keel boat. Versions with the modern keel are designated Newport 28-II.

Sailing Performance

The Newport 28 has a tall, high aspect ratio masthead rig. The newer deep keel models are about six seconds per mile faster than the original version of the boat, which typically sails with a PHRF rating of 192. This is comparable to other cruiser-racers of the same size.

Despite a fairly high ballast/displacement ratio, owners report that the boat is tender. This is due in part to the fairly round midship section, and in part to the fact that few 28′ boats are really very stiff.

Racing in Newport 28s is quite keen in some areas, particularly on the West Coast, where there are large fleets that race both as one-designs and under PHRF. The boat is a competitive PHRF racer, and enough boats have been rated so that its handicap appears fair. This means you are likely to get a rating based on the boat’s performance, not on your own sailing ability.

Most owners report that the boat is very well balanced. This is typical of C&C designs, which usually have fairly small mainsails. With a large foretriangle and a small mainsail, it may be necessary to rake the mast aft slightly to give the boat a little weather helm. It’s far easier to add weather helm than to reduce it.

Construction

Make no mistake about it, the Newport 28 is a boat built to a price. A common complaint by owners is mediocre fitting of woodwork, leaking hull-to-deck joint, cockpit drains that are too small, plastic valves on through hull fittings, inadequate backing plates for hardware—in short, the entire litany of problems associated with boats built to be low in price.

One owner who races his boat hard noticed a large crack in the hull molding aft of the primary sheet winches, and discovered that he could see daylight through it. Apparently, the hull had been cracked in removing it from the mold, and the cracked patched over with auto body filler. This was on a new boat. The factory made good on that one.

Why would so many people buy a boat that apparently has a history of minor construction flaws and mediocre quality control?

The answer, according to owners, is that the basic styling, accommodations, and performance are better than other boats of the same size and type, making up for other shortcomings. When you buy a Chevrolet you know in advance that it isn’t going to be built like a Mercedes.

The interior is one factor that many owners report is a major influence in their decision to buy a Newport 28. With a waterline length of 23′ 6″, there’s a lot of interior for a 28′ boat.

Despite the fairly low freeboard and pronounced concave sheer, there is just over 6′ of headroom on centerline over the main cabin. The pronounced camber of the main cabintop keeps the deckhouse profile low, but at the expense of headroom, which diminishes very quickly away from the centerline. Fortunately, on a boat this small you’re almost always walking near the centerline.

There have been three basic interior arrangements over the years: galley along the starboard side of the main cabin, galley aft on the port side, and galley aft on the starboard side. On later models, only the two aft galley configurations were available. The galley aft on starboard side is the only layout that offers a stove with oven, due to the setup of the main cabin settees.

Unfortunately, this galley arangement required cutting away the starboard main bulkhead beneath the chainplates to make the starboard settee long enough for sleeping, which in our opinion is a structural compromise.

Since there are four other berths in the boat—two forward, the port settee, and a quarterberth—using the starboard settee as a berth isn’t necessary with anything less than a full crew. For family cruising, it is likely that at least one member of the crew would be short enough to use the starboard settee even without the foot extension.

Originally, the boat was equipped with the Atomic Four gasoline inboard, a standard engine in most auxiliaries until the proliferation of diesel power in the early 1980s. Diesel power was optional until the introduction of the 28-II model.

Some boats have Yanmar diesels, others Universal. It took the builder a while to decide which diesel engine to use, as owners report engines ranging in horsepower from 11 to 18. To most owners, there appears to be little difference in performance between diesel engines of various sizes. All of the Universal diesels should be adequate for the boat, and the Atomic Four is far more power than she needs.

Obviously, the diesel engine is a big plus when shopping for a used boat. Retrofitting a diesel on a gas-powered boat of this size is usually more expense than can be justified unless you’re planning to keep the boat for a long time.

Access to the engine for service varies from awful to good, depending on the model year. Fortunately, newer models have better access from the interior as well as a flush hatch in the cockpit sole directly over the engine.

Buying A Used Boat

Because so many owner complaints center on fairly mediocre construction detailing, a used boat should be carefully surveyed before purchase. Particular attention should be paid to structural details of the hull-to-deck joint, attachment of bulkheads, and mounting of deck hardware.

Obviously, a later model boat with a diesel engine is more desirable than an older boat with a gas engine. We would also consider the 28-II version with updated keel and rudder to be more desirable than the earlier design.

Because of the large number of Newport 28s built, at any given time there are a number of boats on the market. This means you should be able to find the combination of ingredients you’re looking for for in age, power plant, keel, and interior layouts—especially if you’re shopping on the West Coast.

It would be a good idea to look at all three interior arrangements before making a decision, although if you opt for a newer boat your choice will be between the two aft galley interiors.

Some of the boats have been seriously upgraded by owners, including such things as larger cockpit drains and higher quality hull hardware.

We would be wary about any boat that showed a lot of inexpert do-it-yourself characterisitics, such as caulking along the hull-to-deck joint, around the ports, or around the chainplates.

Although a tiller is standard, a fair number of boats have been equipped with wheel steering, either as an original option or as a retrofit.

The steering pedestal takes up far less room than the tiller, but it does require that the helmsman sit all the way in the back of the boat. While this arrangement keeps the cockpit less crowded for racing, it also puts all the helmsman’s weight at the aft end of the boat—not a good place for it.

In addition, the helmsman on a wheel-steered boat cannot reach either the mainsheet or the jib sheets, a serious shortcoming. He furthermore has trouble hiding from rain and spray under a companionway dodger.

Life for the helmsman on a wheel-steered Newport 28 will be a lonely one. Wheel steering, being hardly necessary on a boat this size, is hardly desirable on the Newport 28.

The Newport 28 is a good entry-level cruiser-racer for someone wanting a reasonable combination of accommodations and performance, as long as you’re not too persnickety about details. It would be a reasonable compromise for someone who likes more traditional appearance in a modern boat, but doesn’t have the money to spend for a higher-quality boat of the same size and type, such as a Sabre 28.

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• Sailboat Guide

Newport 27S

Newport 27S is a 27 ′ 0 ″ / 8.2 m monohull sailboat designed by C&C Design and built by Capital Yachts Corp. starting in 1974.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

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Newport 28 Mk II

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Hi everybody, What are your thoughts and/or experiences with this little boat?  

My first big boat was a Newport 28. Sail it all over LIS and Block Island sound. It was very easy to sail and handled any weather and conditions that I put her in. Loved it so that when I was moving up I found a Newport 33 and wasn't disappointed. Where are you goin to be sailing Her? Peter  

Thanks for the input, Peter! I’ll be sailing her on a lake near the golf of Mexico, and wonder if at some point it would be posible to do a bit of coastal cruising.  

BarryL said: Hi, Back in 2004 I bought a 1986 Newport 28 mark II. It was also my first "big boat" with inboard diesel engine, self tailing winches, wheel steering with autopilot, roller furling headsail, spinnaker in sock, marine head with holding tank, pressure hot and cold water, etc. I found the boat sailed well, but I was pretty inexperienced at the time. My family and I did a fair amount of cruising on that boat. I'm also in the Long Island Sound. We sailed from Mt. Sinai to Northport, Mattituck, Milford, etc. With my family of 5 (my kids were 3, 6, 9 at the time) the boat was great for an overnight but go real small for more than 2 nights. In 2006 I bought an O'day 35 so we could spend more nights aboard. I sold the Newport in 2007. Anyway I think a N28 would be a fine coastal cruiser. I wouldn't want to go far offshore, but given reasonable weather you could go as far as you wanted. Barry View attachment 144969 View attachment 144970 View attachment 144971 Click to expand...

Thanks to everybody for the input! I decided to put an offer on her and am having a survey done next week. The broker insists that I do the haul out at a place (closer from dock) where they need to remove the backstay and Bimini to haul her out. Given that the purchase agreement verbiage states that I’m responsible for any costs associated with returning the vessel to the same status it was prior to the survey, I’m not confortable with removing anything during the survey. What are you all‘s thoughts on this? Am I being unreasonable?  

GcSail said: What are you all‘s thoughts on this? Am I being unreasonable? Click to expand...

You shouldn't have to remove the backstay. removing the or dropping the Bimini isn't a big deal. Most travel lifts are open on the front or back side so that they can maneuver around the rigging. The mast is deck stepped, so what is going to support it once the backstay is removed??? Find a different haul location, Its your choice not the broker's  

The reason they need to remove the backstay at the broker’s preferred place is because they use a crane. The closest place I found that uses a travel lift it’s 50 minutes away from the dock. Hence the reason why the broker prefers the other place.  

Hi, Generally, the owner or his agent (broker) is responsible for making the vessel available for the survey AND operating the vessel during the survey. If the broker wants to use the close service yard, the the broker should handle removing / reconnecting the backstay. good luck, Barry  

This. do ask what the cost will be. Some marinas practice predatory charging for survey related services, as we found out.  

As a current owner of a 1986 Newport 30 I encourage you to complete this purchase. I have met and talked to several owners of 28's and we all agree they are awesome boats. Build quality is high and finishings are easy to maintain. In addition they sail great! Look for wiring issues and expect to reseal the dog house windows. Mike  

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