Balboa 17 (Bj 17)
Description
The BJ 17 (also known as the Balboa 17) is a compact, trailerable daysailer sloop designed by prolific American naval architect Gary Mull in the early 1970s. Built by Balboa Boat Company in Newport Beach, California, it's celebrated for its simple, responsive handling, shallow draft, and affordability—making it an ideal starter boat for inland lakes, bays, or coastal day sails. With a focus on family fun and ease of use, it features a versatile centerboard for beaching and a roomy cockpit for 4–5 people. Approximately 200 were produced before Balboa ceased operations in 1988.
Construction Details
| Designer | Gary Mull |
|---|---|
| Builder | Balboa Boat Company |
| Length | 17.000 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 19.50 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 7.67 ft |
| p | 22 ft |
| e | 10.25 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19.50 ft | 7.67 ft | 22 ft | 10.25 ft | - | - | - | - |
Blueprints
Sails
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 12.25 ft - (3734 mm) |
| Foot | 6.5 ft - (1981 mm) |
| Leech | 11 ft - (3353 mm) |
| Length Perpendicular | * 5.81 ft - (1771 mm) |
| Area | * 35.6 ft² |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.