Silluete17

[Wansworth]

A design from the late 1950 byRobertTucker.Accordingto a reader of PBO they are great little sea boats .Headroom is limited to sitting.In my quest for a new boat I have to admit thetoilet facilities of many small craft leave a lot to be desired.In my youth this didn’t seem to be a problem but looms quite large in my choice these days .Icansee the siluetee 17 being a great singlehander and quite capable of extended coastal cruising butaddoneother person?………..how did a family of four cope?

 

[Daydream believer]

When I was 12 I had my first weekend cruise with a friend in my father's one. That was from Stone to Bradwell- to Maldon - back to Stone In company with the class assn. I also had a 10 day trip on the Norfolk Broads.
I do not recall him ever sailing it. He just built it for fun- because he could.

But I have to admit it was a bit boring as a sailing boat. Poor performance due to having bilge keels & a central keel. 2 teenagers was plenty for such a small boat. I sailed it so hard once that we lost the mast. Cannot imagine how 4 adults get in one, let alone sleep in it.

 

[Robin]

4 club members of my one time Lilliput SC Poole club sailed one to Cherbourg and back. IIRC their average age was in the high 80s. No GPS plotters no inboard diesel only an old Seagull ouboard. No rich pansies in big fully furnished boats back then

 

[LittleSister]

Even as a single hander, the Silhouette is small by today's standards.

I have had many happy voyages and adventures in boats I've owned of that size and smaller (and I might yet have to have one again), but -
(a) a 17 footer is, in terms of interior space (for comfort, practicality and storage) much, much smaller than the e.g. 21 and 23 footers you have mentioned before;
(b) few of us are as slim or as lithe as we used to be, and that makes moving around in that size boat less easy and less comfortable;
(c) in my experience, the larger the boat (up to a point well beyond what you are considering) the easier to single hand they are - less tippy and sensitive to weight being moved around, more inclined to track a straight course if you have to let go of the tiller for a few moments, more reassuring in boisterous conditions;
(d) the Silhouette side decks are narrower than the Daimo 23 you recently dismissed, apparently for that reason.

It could do, but I think you can find something more suitable.

Good luck, whatever you do.

 

[Wansworth]

Even as a single hander, the Silhouette is small by today's standards.

I have had many happy voyages and adventures in boats I've owned of that size and smaller (and I might yet have to have one again), but -
(a) a 17 footer is, in terms of interior space (for comfort, practicality and storage) much, much smaller than the e.g. 21 and 23 footers you have mentioned before;
(b) few of us are as slim or as lithe as we used to be, and that makes moving around in that size boat less easy and less comfortable;
(c) in my experience, the larger the boat (up to a point well beyond what you are considering) the easier to single hand they are - less tippy and sensitive to weight being moved around, more inclined to track a straight course if you have to let go of the tiller for a few moments, more reassuring in boisterous conditions;
(d) the Silhouette side decks are narrower than the Daimo 23 you recently dismissed, apparently for that reason.

It could do, but I think you can find something more suitable.

Good luck, whatever you do.

It was more a comment on what was the norm years ago……it was my wife’s comment on the narrow side decks as she would be going forwards to get the anchour up or set the drouge,?

 

[LittleSister]

it was my wife’s comment on the narrow side decks as she would be going forwards to get the anchour up or set the drouge,?

You obviously need to break her in, as you would a horse.

Have her on the trapeze of a flighty racing dinghy for a while, then anything to do with a small cruiser will seem very acceptable to her.

 

[Wansworth]

You obviously need to break her in, as you would a horse.

Have her on the trapeze of a flighty racing dinghy for a while, then anything to do with a small cruiser will seem very acceptable to her.

She has a chronic bad neck……..unfortunately i her youth she would have loved it?

 

[Supertramp]

When I looked for a boat a few years ago full standing headroom and walk round decks were on my essentials list as my body ages. Hard to find in a small boat. The (really) old Westerly 22 I grew up sailing on was quite inspired with the cabin out to the sides but going forwards was hairy in big seas. Small Hunters and Parkers are among the best modern designs ive seen and some of the American ones with lifting cabin roofs might be worth a look.

Back in the day a triple keel W22 would easily out sail a Silhouette. The Felicity was a bigger version but still cramped.

 

[Blueboatman]

Whereas the Corribee mk2 grafted the cabin and deck from another ( American?) design into the mark 1 hull.
Result , sidedecks.
And imo a prettier profile without the full width cabin

 

[Wansworth]

There are several small American boats with much fuller hulls affording more space below allowing sitting headroomunder the side decks

 

[Blueboatman]

I can definitely imagine you and the missus in an elegant US catboat

 

[Wansworth]

I can definitely imagine you and the missus in an elegant US catboat

There’s on for sale in Pontevedra I wonder how it arrived in Galicia………too expensive?

 

[The Q]

I for many years sailed a similarly sized Lysander 17, in the outer Hebrides ( weather carefully chosen) and mostly the Norfolk Broads, 90% of the time single handed.
Toilet facilities were, yes, primitive, bucket and chuckit.

I never found roof height a problem, I was either out sailing, sitting in the cockpit in good weather or lying almost flat inside, radio on, reading a book.
A great help was mid winter, was arm out of the sleeping bag, light cooker. Kettle was already in place. Arm back in.
Watch the frost melt on the windows as the heat moved down and warmed the cabin. The make a cuppa.

I've quite happily raced my Lysander both in 3hour races and in the 24hour 3 Rivers Race, successfully completing the course several times in my own and a friend's Lysander. The best performance for my Lysander was 60th out of just over 100 boats that was however on 25% off the finishing time handicap the max the 3RR gives. A Lysander's true handicap is 35%, that would have placed her 16th.

Some 40 years later, I'd be happy to have one again, but I no longer need a cabin, as I live within sight of the Norfolk Broads.

 

[Blueboatman]

There’s on for sale in Pontevedra I wonder how it arrived in Galicia………too expensive?

Link?

 

[Wansworth]

Link?

It’s advertised on cosa de barcos…….not up to links…….pontevedra

 

[Blueboatman]

This looks quite nice
Dayboat Catboat America 18, 17.500 € | iNautia.com

————
Edit: One way to post a link is to open the advert on another page and lightly touch the header at the top with your finger , a menu should open offering
SELECT, SELECT ALL.
Choose SELECT ALL
Then it will offer you COPY
Select COPY
Then come back in here and lightly touch the space where you want to write and the same menu should appear , offering PASTE, Copy etc
Paste it
That’s it .

Worth a play if you have a few moments spare perhaps

There’ll be many other ways of course to skin a cat .. boat

 

[Wansworth]

This looks quite nice
Dayboat Catboat America 18, 17.500 € | iNautia.com

————
Edit: One way to post a link is to open the advert on another page and lightly touch the header at the top with your finger , a menu should open offering
SELECT, SELECT ALL.
Choose SELECT ALL
Then it will offer you COPY
Select COPY
Then come back in here and lightly touch the space where you want to write and the same menu should appear , offering PASTE, Copy etc
Paste it
That’s it .

Worth a play if you have a few moments spare perhaps

There’ll be many other ways of course to skin a cat .. boat

Thanks will give it a go

 

[DownWest]

Only sailed a Silhouette once, on the Thames. Since I was used to slightly quicker c/plate boats from our stable, it was a bit pedestrian. But, many had lots of fun in them back then.

 

[DownWest]

On space, a bunch of friends had a dinghy w/end on Hickling. We stayed in a caravan on a fixed site, owned by a parent. Think we were eight. If you need to kip, just enough space is enough. On a boat, it depends on the weather. The Kelt 6.20 I am fixing up sleeps four. OK if friends and not too wet.

 

[LittleSister]

. . . OK if friends and not too wet.

Drinks locker small?