She is an adaptation of an old naval design originally built in wood and gunter rigged.

The hull is round bilged, 16’ 9” overall, 16’ on the water line and 6’ 4” beam. The draught is 10”, and 3’ with the centreboard down. Displacement is 900 lbs. and there are 200 lbs. of ballast.

In the bow there is a buoyancy tank, and under the side seats and cockpit floor there is foam buoyancy.

The hull is now built of GRP and she is rigged as a Bermudian sloop with a 22’ 6” aluminium mast and an 8’ 9” boom. The standard sails are a 75ft² main and a genoa of 60ft². There is one slab reef on the main and optional roller reefing for the genoa.

COCKPIT

This has a flat floor with a self-drainer so that rain water does not accumulate on the mooring. The seats are not very comfortable, unfortunately, but up to five adults can be carried although there is a tendency to get in each other’s way if there are more than three. All sail controls are to hand in the cockpit and the centreboard is easy to lift.

FOREDECK

With the folding hood down access is easy. A Danforth anchor is stowed in a lockable fitting and 12’ of 5/16” chain, attached to 35 metres of multiplait warp, is led onto deck via a navel pipe from the bilge. There is a stout cleat in the centre of the deck, and fairleads either side of the bow stem head roller. The folding hood provides sitting headroom and protection from wind and rain, but is folded down and zipped shut when sailing.

Under the foredeck and the hood there is a raised platform which forms two berths. There are two side lockers, a central locker with a hinged, lockable lid which can be used to house a stove, and an access to the bilge where non perishable items can be stored. Further accommodation can be obtained by rigging a tent over the boom and there is then ample space for two more berths on the cockpit floor.

STERN LOCKER

There is lockable storage across the stern large enough for a 4 or 5 hp outboard motor, kedge anchor, warps, a bucket, petrol can, flares, tool box, fishing line and boarding ladder. With the engine clamped on the transom a small inflatable dinghy could be stowed there too when cruising.

LAUNCHING

This is not difficult, and can be done by two people, either by backing the car down the slip or using a winch attached to the trailer hitch.

RECOVERY

This usually needs three people, and I find the trailer hitch winch enables me to leave the car on dry, level ground.

TRAILING

I have used a 1300 cc-engined car, but a larger engine would cope better with the hills.

RAISING THE MAST

This can be done by one person, either afloat or on the trailer. With the shrouds attached, the mast is stepped in a deck-mounted tabernacle. A rope attached to the bottom of the forestay is passed under the bow roller and back to the cockpit. This will act as a temporary support after the mast has been raised.

SAILING QUALITIES AND STABILITY

200 lbs of ballast, combined with a round bilged hull, make her very stable. Heeling is gentle and 2’ of freeboard amidships allows for about 45º before water comes over the side. There should be no risk of capsizing unless conditions are obviously too bad. I have felt safe in a f5 wind, gusting to f6, when sailing single-handed off-shore — suitably reefed of course. I have had a second slab reef fitted for such conditions, and the roller-reefing genoa has given immediate control. For lighter winds I have added a cruising shute which is fun to use and gives considerable extra punch when reaching and running.

She sails well on all points and will sail herself on a close reach. She will also sail under main alone — useful when approaching the mooring. Leeway is not excessive and she will sail to windward with the centreboard up as there is a shallow but full length keel. She is surprisingly fast and often overhauls larger boats.

AUXILIARY POWER

I use a longshaft Mariner 4, and next season I intend to have a 9’ sculling oar (made in two sections) as there is no provision for rowing.

CRUISING

The Dockrell 17 is a proven cruising dinghy (Practical Boat Owner no. 202), but after two seasons, the second of which had terrible weather, I have not yet cruised myself. Next year I hope to put that right.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion I have found the Dockrell 17 to be a stable, surprisingly fast and roomy dinghy which has already given me hours of pleasure and the expectation of many more to come. Further details can be obtained from:

Dockrell Yachts Ltd, 3 Parkwood Rd, Tavistock, Devon (Tel: 4254) and:

Dockrell Yachts Ltd, 1839 Rt. 46, Parsipanny, New Jersey, USA (Tel: 201—226—3200)

KEY TO DIAGRAMS

1 Stern Locker 2 Outboard Well 3 Side Seats 4 Ballast 5 Locker (loose lidded) 6 Locker (hinge lidded) 7 Locker (loose lidded) 8 Bilge storage 9 Buoyancy (bow, under seats & cockpit floor) 10 Centreboard & Case 11 Roller Reefing Line 12 Cruising Shute Downhaul 13 Navel Pipe 14 Foredeck Cleat 15, 16 Stern Cleats 17 Turning Blocks for Cruising Shute Sheets 18 Jamming Cleats for Cruising Shute Sheets 19 Jamming Cleats for Jib Sheets 20 Sliding Leads for Jib Sheets 21 Shrouds 22 Main Halyard Cleat 23 Cruising Shute Halyard Cleat 24 Topping Lift Cleat 25 Burgee Halyard Cleat 26 Genoa 27 Main 28 Roller Reefing Spar 29 Topping Lift 30 Bilge Inspection Covers 31 Bilge Pump 32 Cruising Shute 33 Self Drainer 34 Fairleads 35 Bow Roller 36 Danforth Anchor 37 Folding Hood 38 Steering Compass