Coastal ducting at 27Mhz? I didn't think that was a mode that would work on HF.
I think it more likely that some E Skip is taking place here. I've read that during this season, it can happen at virtually any time, including late at night. It seems to be more common during times of low sunspot activity, which we sadly are in right now. AFAIK the actual cause is not well understood. 73 Mike