"Sylvan" is a British built Hunter Pilot 27. These boats are a design miracle, offering a lovely deck saloon with inside and outside steering and two double cabins, all in 27'. They sail well and are easily handled with a self tacking jib and all control lines lead aft to the cockpit.

As Hunter Pilot 27's go this one will be hard to beat. She is in excellent condition throughout, has been extensively refurbished and has a comprehensive inventory.

Hunter Association info.

With the same David Thomas designed hull and twin fins with substantial bulbs as the Ranger 265 and Channel 27, the Pilot 27 achieves exceptional stability and sailing performance.  With all main control lines led aft, this is an easy boat to sail single handed.  The dual engine controls and inside wheel steering gives great flexibility and allows one to venture out on days when one might otherwise give it a miss!

One of the advantages of the layout is the great panoramic view that one gets when sitting at the raised dinette in the saloon.

A great boat for a gentle relaxing potter, these boats are also great for more adventurous trips and will really look after you in a good blow.  One of the early ones got caught out in the middle of the Bay of Biscay in a Force 10 for 2 days during a single handed voyage to Spain.  Both the boat and the owner survived unscathed!

If you go to the Hunter Association website there are a couple of interesting articles.

"How to retire in style - Crossing the Bay of Biscay in a Pilot 27"

"Sailing with Serenity"

Dimensions & general info.

• LOA - 8.44m
• LOD - 7.62m
• LWL - 6.85m
• Beam - 2.8m
• Draft - 1.04m (Twin keel)
• Displacement - 2745kg
• Ballast - 1073kg
• Builder - Hunter Boats Ltd. (UK)
• Designer - David Thomas
• Build year - 2000

The Hunter Pilot 27 was designed by David Thomas for British Hunter and built between 1996-2205 with about 100 boats being produced. Although both fin-keel and twin keel versions were built, the twin-keel versions were more popular.

Hunter resolutely refused to call these boats bilge-keelers, preferring the term 'twin fin' to emphasise the performance. The two keels are asymmetric, and angled, to provide lift when heeled. In practice, there is little performance difference in most conditions between fin and bilge-keeled British Hunters.

Hull, deck & superstructure

• Dark blue GRP hull. Painted in Awlgrip Allcraft 2000 "Aristo Blue"
• White GRP deck and superstructure.
• Twin keels.
• Transom hung rudder with tiller steering and tiller extension. Fully refurbished.
• Internal wheel steering.
• Old antifoul completely removed, hull and keels coated with Hempel Hempadur 45143 epoxy paint and Hempel underwater primer with aluminium.
• All hull seacocks recently replaced.
• New anodes.

Interior & accommodation

• Teak interior - In good condition.
• Blue patterned upholstery in good condition.
• Eberspacher diesel fired warm air central heating with day timer control.
• Pressurised hot and cold water system.
• Clock & Barometer.
• Kenwood KDC W3037 stereo radio CD player.

Forward cabin

• Large double V berth with extended length/seat on the port side.
• To starboard is a hanging locker.
• To the hull sides are long fabric pouch for storage.
• Storage under the berth.
• Central deck hatch.
• Port and starboard opening portlights.
• Door to the main cabin.

Deck saloon

• Raised U shaped seating area to port.
• Large teak table with chart storage box beneath.
• To starboard is the internal helm position and galley.
• Panoramic windows, 3 forward and two each side.

Galley

• Linear galley to starboard.
• Stainless steel sink with pressurised hot an cold water via a mixer tap.
• Storage cupboards and a drawer below the counter top and storage outboard.
• Plastimo Neptune 2000 stainless steel, gimbaled gas cooker. 2 burner hob with flame guards and pot holders. Grill and oven.
• Opposite the galley is a fridge with ice box mounted in the end of the seating.

Internal helm

• To starboard with folding seat and moulded foot rest.
• Wheel steering & Morse throttle/gear control.
• Instrumentation and ships electrical distribution panel.

Heads

• New Jabsco manual marine toilet & plumbing.
• Moulded vanity unit with inset sink.
• Hot and cold pressurised water via a mixer tap.
• Separate mixer for the shower and a separate shower head.
• 3 x mirrors.
• 2 x open wet hanging storage lockers and a locker under the vanity unit.

Aft cabin

• Large double aft cabin which extends under the cockpit.
• There is a well insulated access panel to the engine compartment.
• To the hull side is a long fabric pouch for storage.
• Small round window aft.
• There is a hanging locker with dressing seat.
• Magazine holder and two water bottle holders.

Forward cabin

• Large double V berth with extended length/seat on the port side.
• To starboard is a hanging locker.
• To the hull sides are long fabric pouch for storage.
• Storage under the berth.
• Central deck hatch.
• Port and starboard opening portlights.
• Door to the main cabin.

Deck saloon

• Raised U shaped seating area to port.
• Large teak table with chart storage box beneath.
• To starboard is the internal helm position and galley.
• Panoramic windows, 3 forward and two each side.

Galley

• Linear galley to starboard.
• Stainless steel sink with pressurised hot an cold water via a mixer tap.
• Storage cupboards and a drawer below the counter top and storage outboard.
• Plastimo Neptune 2000 stainless steel, gimbaled gas cooker. 2 burner hob with flame guards and pot holders. Grill and oven.
• Opposite the galley is a fridge with ice box mounted in the end of the seating.

Internal helm

• To starboard with folding seat and moulded foot rest.
• Wheel steering & Morse throttle/gear control.
• Instrumentation and ships electrical distribution panel.

Heads

• New Jabsco manual marine toilet & plumbing.
• Moulded vanity unit with inset sink.
• Hot and cold pressurised water via a mixer tap.
• Separate mixer for the shower and a separate shower head.
• 3 x mirrors.
• 2 x open wet hanging storage lockers and a locker under the vanity unit.

Aft cabin

• Large double aft cabin which extends under the cockpit.
• There is a well insulated access panel to the engine compartment.
• To the hull side is a long fabric pouch for storage.
• Small round window aft.
• There is a hanging locker with dressing seat.
• Magazine holder and two water bottle holders.

Deck equipment

• The deck is secured with a stainless steel pulpit, quarter pushpits and stanchion posts with 2 guard wires. The cockpit is a good size with large cockpit locker to port.

Deck gear

• Double bow roller.
• There is a stainless steel plate formed to the bow section to protect against anchor damage.
• Anchor locker, lid to port (chain markers noted underneath lid) and Treadmaster to starboard for grip.
• Deck mounted Lofrans electric windlass with remote control.
• Anchor with 50m of chain and 20m of warp.
• Foredeck, midship and aft mooring cleats.
• Mooring warps.
• 6 fenders with fender covers.
• Boarding ladder with teak step covered with Treadmaster for extra grip..
• Outboard bracket.
• Boathook and buoy hook.
• Dodgers with guard wire padding..
• Canvas hatch screen.
• Small boom tent.
• Ensign staff and Ensign.

Rig, rigging & sails

Rig & rigging

• Z Spars silver anodised fractional rigged single spreader mast.
• Z Spars silver anodised boom.
• Plastimo roller furling headfoil system for the Jib.
• Self tacking jib track with singe sheet.
• Standing rigging recently replaced 2023.
• Adjustable backstay.
• Main control lines and halyards lead to the coachroof winch including the genoa sheet and reefing lines.
• Meissner self tailing coachroof winch. 

Sails

• Hyde mainsail with 3 reefs. Stack pack with lazy jacks.
• Hyde self tacking furling jib.
• Cruising chute.

Engine

• Nanni 2.50HE 14hp diesel engine with shaft drive to two blade bronze prop.
• Engine hours - Approx. 800.
• Rope cutter.
• Single lever Morse control in the cockpit and at the internal steering position.
• New fuel pump.
• New alternator and wiring.
• New engine mounts.
• New stern gland.

Electronics & navigation equipment

• Garmin GPS 152 chart plotter. At internal helm.
• Raytheon ST60 multi data. At internal helm.
• Icom IC-M603 DSC VHF with hand mic. At internal helm.
• Raytheon ST2000+ tiller pilot with remote control unit at the internal helm.
• There is a position for a second hand mic by the hatch but no additional mike.
• Raytheon ST60 wind direction and speed. Cockpit.
• Raytheon ST60 tridata. Cockpit.
• Suunto bulkhead magnetic compass. Cockpit.
• Plastimo bulkhead compass. Internal forward bulkhead.

Tankage & systems

• Fuel - 50L
• Water - 100L. New flexi tank.

Systems

• Eberspacher diesel fired warm air central heating with day timer control.
• New gas system – regulator, fittings, connectors, hoses.
• Gas bottle storage locker in the cockpit which drains overboard.
• New water system – Plastimo 100L flexible tank, all fittings, valve, hoses, connectors. There is room to increase the tankage if required.
• Pressurised hot & cold water system.
• Hot water via a calorifier tank, heated by 230v immersion heating element or engine heat exchanger.

Electrical

• 230v shore power with internal 3 pin sockets.
• Solar panel mounted on the foredeck for battery charging.
• Epever MPPT dual battery solar controller.
• 12v ships electrical system with distribution panel at the internal helm station.
• Sterling battery charger and battery management system.
• BM1 battery voltage indicator.
• Engine alternator.
• 2 x 105Ah leisure batteries.
• 1 x engine battery.
• Emergency couple to use domestic batteries for engine start.
• SL anchor windlass breaker/isolator.
• Galvanic isolator.

Safety gear & equipment

• Navigation lighting.
• Horseshoe life buoy with light on stern mounting.
• Stern mounted Liferaft cradle (No Liferaft).
• Dan buoy.
• 2 x Fire Safety Sticks. Replacement date 2033.  Fire extinguishers.
• Fire blanket at the galley.
• Engine exhaust alarm.
• Electric and manual bilge pumps.
• Radar reflector.
• Electric fog horn.