Dockrell 17
Description
The Dockrell 17 is a charming, classic British trailerable day sailer designed and built by Dockrell Yachts Ltd. (starting in 1975), with production continuing into the 1980s and possibly later. It's known for its sturdy GRP (fiberglass) construction, excellent stability, forgiving handling, and suitability for beginners, families, or casual coastal/inland sailing. This compact boat was heavily built for durability, making it a reliable choice for day sailing, teaching new sailors, or even light overnight camping with a boom tent. Owners often praise its stability (high ballast ratio for its size), ease of single-handing, and rewarding performance—described as a "dream to sail" with comfortable motion even compared to larger long-keel boats.
Construction Details
| Designer | Dockrell Yachts Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Builder | Dockrell Yachts Ltd. |
| Length | 17.000 ft |
| LOA | 16.750 ft |
| LWL | 16.000 ft |
| Beam | 6.330 ft |
| Displacement | 1100 lb |
| Ballast | 500 lb |
| Max Draft | 3.000 ft |
| Min Draft | 0.830 ft |
| Year Built | 1975 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 15.17 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 6.75 ft |
| p | 19 ft |
| e | 8.92 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15.17 ft | 6.75 ft | 19 ft | 8.92 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Dockrell 17 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 19 ft - (5791 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 8.92 ft - (2719 mm) |
| Leech | * 20.52 ft - (6254 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 20.71 ft - (6312 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4 in - (102 mm) |
| Area | * 87.51 ft² |
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Dockrell 17 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 14.75 ft - (4496 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 7.25 ft - (2210 mm) |
| Leech | 13.25 ft - (4039 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 96.3 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 6.5 ft - (1981 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 2.25 ° |
| Area | * 47.96 ft² |
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Dockrell 17 - GENOA
| Luff | * 15.77 ft - (4807 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 11.46 ft - (3493 mm) |
| Leech | * 14.51 ft - (4423 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 149.93 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 10.12 ft - (3085 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.97 ° |
| Area | * 79.81 ft² |
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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.