M17 classic 'shopping points'

Posted By: dave scobie
Date: 1/4/09 4:34p.m.

Report: outside forum guidelines

In Response To: Older M17's (pic) (Mitch Carnes P-15 Blu Bayou)

mitch: yes the M17s are hard to find. the past 10ish months these boats have been much more rare (about 1/2 the 'normal churn'). the boats are not sold often, IMO, and when a good hull does hit the market it is sold quickly. things to be aware of when looking at the older 17s - the steel centerboard and ballast - if the boat has been well cared for and the owner has done appropriate maintenance all is good ... if not PROBLEMS. confirm that the centerboard is OK by having the boat lifted, the stop pin removed, and the board extended way past the stop tang. the older 17s have a cutout for the outboard. these transoms are prone to cracking at the hull-deck joint. this allows for water into the marine plywood 'sandwitch' between the transom and cockpit = rot. if there are cracks take time too look VERY carefully at the issue. repair is easy but takes some time. i've been told if you do the project yourself $300-$400 and 24+ hours of work ... and, IMO, 1500+ to have it done by a 'shop'. water into the bulsa deck core. if the deck hardware has not been rebedded it must be done. the desk must be checked for water damage. this is a costly and time intensive repair. after you get past the above you have the standard older boat issues: gelcoat, teak, sails, standing and running rigging, electrical system, outboard ... now, after i've said these things the Mboats are overbuilt. jerry built a quality boat. one would say they are 'built like tanks' ... but sail like BMW's. as has been said a M17 (or an M15) will out sail larger boats. if you find one ask the owner for MANY MANY pictures of all parts. then, my 2-cents are visit the boat. dig around for a 1/2-day. a top quality classic M17 with no issues and in good repair should sell for about $7000-8000. remember that a good quality M15 will go for $4000-5000. excellent condition boats for more. you see a M17 for less than $6000, IMO, has one, or more, of the above faults. BUT, there are some Mboats that hit the market for cheap becuase the owner 'doesn't know what they have'. if you find a deal get it fast (a GREAT 2000ish M17 was got for $8500 a few months ago through ebay. THIS WAS A STEAL!) dave scobie, M15 #288 - SCRED