C&C 27 compared to a C&C Corvette

doogymon · 2013-02-08 03:22:06

Hi

Any comparisons? i.e. maintenance, costs, tenderness, sailability and the ability to Race at the club? Also single hand? Shoal draft could be a bonus. Or is this apples oranges?

Thanks

Doog

davidww1 · 2013-02-08 06:30:04

Corvettes are nice boats. A friend has one and loves it. Mind you, it's a bit narrow, which means a lot of the room provided by the extra length over a 27 is lost to the narrower beam (compare the interior layouts) and it feels like a much older design than a 27. There can be issues with the board, particularly if it hasn't been carefully looked after.

The issue of the Corvette's relatively larger main/smaller headsail vs the 27's smaller main/ larger headsail is a question only you can answer, but in my view, the relative smallness of both boats' sails and the efficiency of contemporary roller furling plus full-batten mains renders this a relatively unimportant question, even for a single-hander. If I were in your shoes, it would come down to which type comes up first with a good state of repair, good inventory (remember, inventory is a big part of the value of a boat, and if you buy a "deal" with clapped-out sails and other gear, your deal isn't going to look so hot) and a price that's appropriate to the boat's and inventory's state of repair.

You'd probably be happy with either. The only deciding issue would be the local presence of a bunch of Corvettes or a bunch of 27's to race level against.

David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV

clanning · 2013-02-08 12:00:05

I was 4 when we took delivery of our Corvette from Morch's in Belleville. Fortunately, since that was a very long time ago, I've had an opportunity to look at one close-up recently.

The Corvette has a full keel and shoal draft (3'-0" board-up). We once put into Northport (between Deseronto and Belleville) in a marsh to wait out a blow. In zero wind conditions, the centreboard clunks back and forth. It also had a tendency to wipe-out because the rudder loses effectiveness.

It came with a 180% genoa, and we had a screecher (a huge genoa) that had a few hanks down the luff -- you could fly it on a close reach (like a code zero) or clip it onto the forestay if you wanted to go closer. The roller reefing boom left a lot to be desired. It also had 2 stopper cars on a traveller track aft of the helmsman and the tiller swept the cockpit, but that's the way they were.

A C&C 30 is a little more modern, with the fin keel and spade rudder, draws a little more water, but still no quarter berth (same as a 27). Very similar inside. Much the same generation, but a little beamier maybe.

It feels a little older than the 27 or 30, but there's no magic difference in the layout.

So, David is right -- depends on the condition of the boat, and the local fleet and waters. I'm not so sure about inventory as you can find used sails, and if you ever race they need replacing periodically anyhow, but it's certainly true for the gear you want on the boat. It had better come with the furler, bimini, dodger and wheel steering if that's what you want, because you can't afford to buy them and put them on separately!

Cheers
Chuck Lanning
NSC, Ottawa

Last edited by (2013-02-08 12:01:40)

davidww1 · 2013-02-08 13:16:47

When I speak of inventory, I don't mean just the sails, though they're an important part of it. I'm speaking of things like the fenders that won't hold air, the frayed lines and the unworkable line stoppers, the blocks that won't run under load and the cushions that give people allergies who never had them before. All these things are sorta/kinda elective, but good inventory contributes to a good experience, bad inventory to a so-so one. And all this stuff - even leaving aside major items like sails, furlers and wheel steering - costs significant money. It's worth paying a bit more at the outset to get a boat with decent equipment, because you will, as Chuck points out, pay a lot more to replace it or add it after the fact.

David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV

doogymon · 2013-02-08 13:55:40

Not sure if links are permissible:

http://newyork.craigslist.org/fct/boa/3593035880.html

diva27 · 2013-02-09 02:06:28

All good things so far in the posts regarding the 27 vs the Corvette. I will only add that a couple years ago I did a club race on a friend's Corvette on the Hudson River and it really did feel like a smaller boat than my Mk 1 27. The narrower beam (as well as the cb trunk) has a big effect below decks and a lot of that additional length is in the long stern overhang. It's definitely a design from a different era. The upside is that like the 27 it has a lot of passionate owners, so you'd never lack for company.
Doug Hunter
Diva
C&C 27 Mk1
Midland Bay Sailing Club
www.douglashunter.ca

sony2000 · 2013-02-10 02:04:48

Last summer during a club race, a Corvette with new sails stayed right beside us for a quiet a while. We were on our C&C33 MkII. I was impressed.

diva27 · 2013-02-10 02:58:16

If you want an endorsement of the general quality and appeal of the Corvette, consider this. The Corvette I raced on in the Hudson River (out of Nyack Boat Club) belonged to ex-C&C designer Rob Mazza. When Rob and his wife Za moved back to Canada recently, they brought their Corvette with them and moored it at Royal Hamilton. In a storm last fall she broke away from her mooring and was seriously damaged along the starboard side. The insurance company wanted to cut Rob a cheque and write her off. No way: he wanted the boat restored, and she was.
Doug Hunter
Diva
C&C 27 Mk1
Midland Bay Sailing Club
www.douglashunter.ca

doogymon · 2013-02-10 12:14:54

Thanks to all who have responded thus far.
Warm fuzzy for both. Going to sail both to
decide.

Douglas your web page is a treasure chest of
Canadiana and I shall be exploring more of it
as a new found hobby. I have often wondered
if the game of hockey played a role in the way
Canadians performed in other areas of life i.e. war
Bravo to you Sir.

diva27 · 2013-02-10 12:42:04

thank you, good sir <img src="emoticons/icon_smile.gif">
Doug Hunter
Diva
C&C 27 Mk1
Midland Bay Sailing Club
www.douglashunter.ca

clanning · 2013-02-13 02:28:23

The stereotypical politeness falls away pretty quickly when we go into the corner after the puck...

The Corvette is a very pretty boat. The things that make her a little less efficient (i.e., overhang, narrower beam) are to blame for that. Bottom line: check the inventory (David is quite right) and the local fleet. Then sail them both.

Cheers
Chuck Lanning
NSC, Ottawa

C&C 27 Association Forum

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#1 2013-02-08 03:22:06

C&C 27 compared to a C&C Corvette

#2 2013-02-08 06:30:04

Re: C&C 27 compared to a C&C Corvette

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Re: C&C 27 compared to a C&C Corvette

#4 2013-02-08 13:16:47

Re: C&C 27 compared to a C&C Corvette

#5 2013-02-08 13:55:40

Re: C&C 27 compared to a C&C Corvette

#6 2013-02-09 02:06:28

Re: C&C 27 compared to a C&C Corvette

#7 2013-02-10 02:04:48

Re: C&C 27 compared to a C&C Corvette

#8 2013-02-10 02:58:16

Re: C&C 27 compared to a C&C Corvette

#9 2013-02-10 12:14:54

Re: C&C 27 compared to a C&C Corvette

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Re: C&C 27 compared to a C&C Corvette

#11 2013-02-13 02:28:23

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