Orion Boat Company
The Orion 27 was a new boat from a new boat company. The hull was based on a 25' Blackfin plug that was never finished. The plug was cut in half and stretched two feet to make her a 27. This was a labor of love for her builder who had already had a successful career outside the marine industry. Unfortunately, the recession hit and there just weren't enough orders to keep the company going. On this project, I provided the structural design and machinery layout. As these boats were all semi-custom, I also provided ongoing support for each of the boats as they were built.
The Orion 27 was a hard-core, no nonsense fishing machine. Power is from a standard Yanmar 315 hp diesel turning a conventional shaft. The construction is solid fiberglass with foam cored fiberglass stringers. To say the Orion 27 was overbuilt is an understatement! The finish was top of the line, as was the performance. Her ride was what you would expect from a well balanced Deep-V with lots of weight down low in the bilge. Her engine was mounted below the console, which tilted up using hydraulic rams.
In the end, I don't think Orion built more than 10 boats. One was powered by a Volvo diesel and had a jackshaft back to a Duoprop sterndrive. One other boat was powered by an outboard on a bracket. All the rest were powered by a diesel inboard. If you are looking for a simple, straightforward fishing machine, you may want to see if you can find an Orion 27!
More photo's of the Orion 27 can be found on their Photobucket page.
For more information, contact:
Orion Boat Company
orionboatcompany@gmail.com
Phone: 786-266-1220