LEISURE 17

[Guest]

DEAR ALL- ANYONE SAIL OR HAS SAILED A LEISURE 17?
OPINIONS PLEASE-NOTHING RUDE I HOPE!
WOULD LIKE TO KNOW BOTH GOOD AND BAD POINTS- SAILING PERFOMANCE- D.I.Y. IMPROVEMENTS/ALTERATIONS THAT CAN BE MADE - ETC.

I HAVE JUST PURCHASED ONE BUT HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO SAIL HER YET!

KIND REGARDS AND THANKING ALL [IN ANTICIPATION] FOR YOUR REPLIES.

ROGER RIDLEY-HUGHES.

 

[Avocet]

My wife and I bought one as our first boat. We think they're fantastic! Stable, forgiving, easy to trail and launch. They're not fast and pretty spartan but we loved it to bits.

 

[Guest]

DEAR AVOCET- MANY THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENT-WE HAVE BOUGHT ONE-AN OLDIE!! IT IS IN NEED OF SOME TLC! BUT SEEMS BASICALLY SOUND-ANY IDEAS RE A SECONDHAND TRAILER FOR HER?-A NEW ONE WILL COST MORE THAN THE BOAT!!!!!!

KIND REGARDS

ROGER.

 

[Avocet]

No easy answers to this. Is there no trailer at all or is the one with the boat just a bit (or a lot) ropey? If the latter is the case, it will be a relatively simple matter to re-build it. If not, you'll have to start from scratch.

Most Leisure 17s (including ours) sit the "wrong" way round on their trailers -stern to the tow vehicle. It makes launching a doddle and they seem to tow very nicely (but lash the helm because the rudder will get blown hard against its stops if you don't. Our boat sat on two flat plates (one under each keel) and a third under the skeg. It's worth having big up-stands at the backs of the keels for when you recover it and can't see under the water. I can't remember exactly how ours was but I'm sure you could find someone's to have copied. Alternatively (using a sledgehammer to crack a nut) a small, old car transporter would probably work. The whole lot will be heavy enough to require brakes but other than that I think it would be straightforward to make one. I'll try to do some sketches from memory for you if you can't find one.

Good luck,

 

[Guest]

Many thanks-again-Avocet!
Will start shopping around and will let you know developments.

Kind Regards

Roger.

 

[peterager]

Roger,
Did you get anywhere with a trailer for your Leisure 17?
Are you looking to buy one complete or make one?
I am interested because I have just made a boat trailer using second hand bits (wheels, suspension, mudguards etc) for a 14' boat. The price of new bits was a lot more than I had anticipated!
I am frankly staggered by the prices that are being asked for new trailers, especially if you have an old boat like mine!

Regards
Peter