WD Schock T27 Gallery
Commentary provided a prospective buyer comparing the Ohio and California builds.
As noted in the production history, WD Schock produced a series of T27 's under contract to Tartan during the period of 1965 to 1968. Some of the differences between the two builds are shown in the photos as noted below.
A 1966 T27 by WD Schock
The photos above are of a 1966 Tartan 27. Immediately upon stepping below, my eye was drawn to the builder's plate (woodgrained formica-type, no less) saying something to the effect of "Tartan 27, Proudly built by W.D. Schock, ____, California."
Here are some of the main differences:
Starting in the cockpit, the tiller comes out of the cockpit sole, and the cockpit itself is 5"-or-so lower than the side-decks. A tall (8") wooden coaming runs around both sides and the stern of the cockpit, and the lockers all have molded fiberglass lids. There are molded-in grooves running diagonally across the cockpit/bridgedeck joint area to drain water into the cockpit footwell from the benches. The cockpit benches and bridge-deck are level with each other.
Going below, the layout of the main cabin is the same as the original-style T-27, except that on the port side, the bulkhead dividing the main saloon from the head is right up at the mast (which has NOT been moved further back from the traditional T-27 spot). So it's just one continuous bulkhead right across the cabin. The icebox (since the main saloon is now 88" long) is down lower (the Ohio T-27s is raised to provide foot room for sleepers, isn't it?) - just above the settee cushions.
The coach roof sides, and bulkheads are all covered in plywood, which appears to have been bonded right to the fiberglass (this includes the bulkhead between the main saloon and the cockpit). The overhead was interesting: It had that thickish vinyl with the nine-million holes that mid-60s cars had. Nicely applied though.
The big windows in the cabin were longer and squarer and had extruded aluminum frames. There were four smaller ports, two of which were in the main cabin (with the port bulkhead moved forward). The bulkead tabbing all looked excellent and rather robust compared to other 1960s boats I've looked at. Still no "proper" fillets, but nearly that nice.
The whole interior had a molded fiberglass pan, and the bilge access pieces were the only wood bits on the sole. The galley was very similar to the "regular" T-27, but was a molded fiberglass unit all in one piece with the floor and bunk bottoms. It had wooden drawers and doors for storage. There was a turned post running from the aft, inboard corner of the galley to the overhead. The table had an aluminum foot and pedestal, which telescoped to bring the table up to eating level or down to sleeping level. The four (two ahead of the mast) small ports were all opening, but looked to have been replaced at some point as they were "modern" plastic units. The quarterberth was the same as the Ohio boats. Nicely crafted shelves ran along the hull-sides (which were bare fiberglass but nicely smooth) along both sides of the main cabin - thick wood had a quality feel.
Ahead of the mast things got interesting. I had been wondering how they could fit a head, a hanging locker, and a V-berth all AHEAD of the mast - without moving the mast back. The secret is that there was no anchor locker, so the V-berth (which was entirely under the foredeck, not under the raised coach-roof section at all) got VERY pointy at the foot end and was about 1" wide. It was also only about 70" long (I measured about 53" from the "head" end to where it got to about a foot wide at the "foot" end. The owner had rigged up a plastic laundry basket in the foot of the V-berth to catch the anchor rode. There were two triangular areas of opaque fiberglass in the foredeck roof letting light into the V-berth area.
Just aft of the V-berth - under the forward hatch (which was opaque woven roving) - was the head and hanging locker. The head was on the port side, and had a nifty molded fiberglass sink and counter running along the hull-side, behind the head itself. Across the way was a 2' wide hanging locker, with two symmetrical louvered doors. In the head/hanging-locker area, the coach-roof walls had the same plywood bonded to them. It gave a nice bit of warmth to the cabin, offsetting the stark look of the molded fiberglass liner. Surfaces were either solid wood, plywood, or creamy-colored fiberglass.
On this boat , the main saloon the same as the Ohio boats. In spite of (essentially) giving up the V-berth (which now didn't even have sitting headroom, and was VERY pointed at the foot), they didn't really seem to gain anything in the main saloon, with the exception of moving the icebox down a little (if it was raised in the Ohio boats, not sure if I remember that correctly). I think I might have been tempted to change the main cabin arrangement somewhat with the extra room because one of the things I'm not so fond of is how the galley sink is under the lower part of the cabin where I don't have standing headroom - and then there IS standing headroom over the quarterberth.
I really, really liked the cockpit. One of the (very few) things I'm not so fond of on the Ohio T-27s (the older ones anyway) is how the cockpit benches are on the same level as the side-decks. I always find myself wishing they were lower, for a more "in the boat" kind of feeling. I got this feeling on the Schock boat, and the coaming board across the rear of the cockpit was a nice touch.
The side-decks and toe-rails did look the same as on the regular T-27s, and there was a wooden trim piece on the top of the bulwarks (which are one of the things I've always loved about the T-27 - such high toe-rails for a small boat!). BTW, the rig had just 6 shrouds (is the Ohio boat the same?). In other words, a forestay, a backstay, cap shrouds, and just one set of lowers. I guess that's probably fine since the mast is keel stepped, although visually, I kind of like to see fore and aft lowers.
Chainplates:
I checked the chainplates out with interest, as the chainplate installation can be a problem on older T-27s.
On the main saloon side of the main bulkhead (just aft of the mast), there was a thick stainless tang running down the face of it, with four or five large bolts securing it. On the "back" of the bulkhead (in the head and hanging locker) were beefy triangular pieces (painted white - I thought they were hardwood, but not sure) with another tang and the other side of the bolts.
The chainplates were a completely different design from the Ohio-built Tartans and the knees run fore-and-aft, not athwarships like the usual ones. In other words, where the usual ones are set in perpendicular to the hull, these are parallel and in a ways from the hull sides, straddling the bulkhead that's just abaft the mast. They appeared to be solid material, not encapsulated core as in the regular boats. I thought it looked like an excellent design, very beefy, and with nothing hidden or covered up to rot away when you least expect it.