1917 Classic Dark Harbor 17
Get More Info
Mirara
17' Classic 1917
Classic Dark Harbor 17 1917 For Sale in Brooklin, Maine
$23,500
Brooklin, Maine
Dimensions
- Length Overall: 17'
- Beam: —
- Maximum Draft: —
- Dry Weight: —
Tank Capacities
- Fuel: —
- Water: —
- Holding: —
Engine Information
General Description
An excerpt from Polly Saltonstall’s wonderful article “Phoenix Rising” in Wooden Boat Magazine issue number 196.
“Designed by B.B. Crowninshield in 1908 for members of the Manchester (Massachusetts) Yacht Club, these nimble, elegant sloops have been one of the more enduring one design classes, achieving cult status with sailors and wooden boat aficionados. At least 65 were built in the early 1900s for yacht clubs in Massachusetts and Maine, including North Haven, Dark Harbor, and Bar Harbor, with several variations in design.
Known as Manchester 17s, Dark Harbor 17s, Northeast Harbor B-boats, or simply “knockabouts,” close to two dozen original boats, most restored or rebuilt over the years, remain sailing and a handful of new ones have been built over the past decade.
Conceived during the heyday of American yacht design (the era of Edward Burgess, Edwin Boardman, Crowninshield, Nathanael Herreshoff), the 171 ⁄2 footers were among the first one designs to be built inexpensively on a large scale, and for more than one community and the class arrived in Maine as summer communities were forming their first yacht clubs. The first one design race ever held off Northeast Harbor reportedly was sailed in Crowninshield’s 171 ⁄2’ knockabouts.
The boats were fast, which made for good competition and with their small cabins and transom bunks, they were versatile enough for short overnight cruising. They also could be sailed easily and comfortably by teenagers.
Dan McNaughton, coauthor of the Encyclopedia of Yacht Designers, echoes many others when he compares the 17s to a luxury car: “The feel on the helm is like a Jaguar Saloon car,” he says. “Nothing sails quite like them. They were designed to be both beautiful and sweet to sail.”
Mirara is a terrific example of the Dark Harbor 17’s. Previously under the care and ownership of Traditional Boat (Unity, Maine) founder and principle John Flanzer, Mirara benefited greatly from that association with a continuing 13 year (1996 to 2009) refit and restoration that included replacement of multiple frames and floor timbers, a new forefoot-stem section, replacement of iron backbone fasteners with bronze fasteners, replacement of multiple planks forward and most of the port garboard, new mahogany rudder with bronze pintles, gudgeons and rudder post, new toe rails and rub rails, new cockpit seating, new main bulkhead, new cockpit and cabin soles, replacement of standing, running rigging and bronze turnbuckle adjusters and finally a new set of Hunter and Gamble sails.
Under her current ownership Mirara has benefited greatly by the wealth of wooden boat knowledge and expertise in and around Brooklin (Maine) and has spent time with some of the areas famed wooden boat craftsman. Currently maintained and stored (inside) with Brooklin Boat Yard Mirara is ready for your inspection. Call our broker (John Maxwell) to schedule a visit.
Bluewater Yacht Sales is pleased to assist you in the purchase of this vessel. This boat is centrally listed by Brooklin Boat Yard. It is offered as a convenience by this broker/dealer to its clients and is not intended to convey direct representation of a particular vessel
Principle Dimensions and Information
Designer: BB Crowninshield
Builder: Rice Brothers / Boothbay Harbor, ME
Year Built: 1917
LOA: 25.83’
LWL: 17.50’
Beam: 6.25’
Draft: 4.25’
Displacement: 3,450 lbs.
Ballast: 1,400 lbs. (lead)
Rig Configuration: Gaff-Headed Sloop
Sail Area: 311 sq. ft.
Auxiliary Propulsion: Torqeedo electric outboard
Hull, Deck and Cabin Construction
Traditional carvel plank-on-frame hull construction
Full keel with cut away fore foot and keel hung rudder underwater configuration
Cedar planking over steam bent White Oak frames
Copper rivet and bronze screw fastenings
White oak stem, forefoot, back bone, floor timbers, keelson, dead wood, stern post, horn timber, sheer clamp and other structural components
Lead ballast keel
Bronze keel bolts
Fir deck beams and carlins
White Pine deck planking / sub-deck with painted canvas overlay
Varnished White Oak cabin sides with oval portlights port and starboard
Fir cabin beams and carlins
White Pine cabin top planking / sub-deck with painted canvas overlay
Varnished Mahogany toe rails, taff rail, companionway hatch, forward cockpit bulkhead and cockpit seating
Varnished White Oak cockpit coamings
Yellow Pine cockpit and interior cabin soles
Mahogany and bronze fabricated rudder with bronze rudder post, pintles, gudgeons and shoe
Varnished Black Locust steering tiller
Excluding varnished components as mentioned above, vessel color scheme as follows.
Topsides and transom: White
Boot Stripe: Red
Bottom: Green
Decks: Buff Tan
Cabin Top: Buff Tan
Hull interior planking, interior cabin sides, deck and cabin overheads, interior main bulkhead and interior cabin sole: White
Deck, Cabin and Cockpit Hardware
All deck hardware cast or fabricated bronze
Stem Iron furthest forward
Docking line chocks port and starboard at bow
Single bow cleat on centerline at foredeck
Jib sheet pad eyes and turning blocks at foredeck
Mast partners on center line just forward of cabin
Mast shroud chain plates port and starboard
Running back stay chain plates port and starboard
Halyard cleats port and starboard at aft end of trunk cabin (2 per side)
Jib sheet cleat on port side deck outboard of cockpit coaming
Running back stay cleats on port and starboard side decks outboard of cockpit coaming
Main sheet traveler, blocks and cleat on centerline of aft deck
Side-mount outboard bracket fixture on starboard side deck outboard of cockpit coaming
Transom mount outboard bracket on centerline of aft deck
Spars and Rigging
Gaff-rigged sloop rig configuration
Keel stepped mast
Single spreader varnished Sitka Spruce mast with bronze spreaders and hardware.
Varnished Sitka Spruce boom with bronze hardware, blocks and sail track
Varnished Sitka Spruce jib club with bronze jib sheet block
Stainless steel wire standing rigging (shrouds and forestay) with Merriman bronze turnbuckle adjusters
Stainless steel running backstays with 3-strand Dacron runner tails.
Bronze halyard and sheet blocks
3-Strand Dacron halyards (peak, throat and jib)
3-Strand Dacron sheets (main and jib)
Sails and Canvas
Gaff main sail (Gamble & Hunter)
Jib (Gamble & Hunter)
Main sail cover (White canvas)
All sails and canvas have been cleaned, serviced and ready for 2025 sailing season
Auxiliary Propulsion
Torqeedo electric outboard motor with engine control located in cockpit
Torqeedo Sunfold 50-Watt solar panel
Transom mounted outboard bracket
One (1) oar / paddle
Navigational Equipment and Electronics
Ritchie bulkhead mounted helm compass
Moor depth sounder
Electrical Systems and Equipment
Two (2) 12-Volt marine batteries stored in secured / covered battery boxes located under cockpit seats,
Sunpower 50-Watt solar panel
Ganz GSP 12-Watt solar panel
Nature-Panel 5-Watt solar panel
12-Volt outlet
Dewatering Systems and Equipment
Rule electric / automatic bilge pump
Attwood “Water Buster” battery-powered, portable bilge pump
Thirsty-Mate manual / hand bilge pump
Ground Tackle
Danforth anchor with appropriate chain and rode
Safety Equipment
PFD’s, Type II, Life jackets (3ea)
PFD’s, Type III, Life vests (2ea)
PFD’s, Type IV, Cushions (3ea)
PFD, Type IV, Life ring and line (1ea)
Flares Kit
First Aid Kit
Safety boarding ladder (Plastimo)
Additional Equipment
Boat hooks / aluminum telescoping (2ea)
Fender (1ea)
Shroud mounted wind indicators
Listing MLS by Yachtr.com
