Hurley Silhouette Mark 3

Description

The Hurley Silhouette Mark 3 (also known as Silhouette Mk III or Silhouette 17 Mk III) is a classic British pocket cruiser sailboat built by Hurley Marine Ltd. in Plymouth, UK, from 1967 to 1972 (with some production or mold use continuing briefly afterward). It was designed by Robert Tucker (a prolific British naval architect known for affordable, seaworthy small cruisers like the Corribee and Silhouette series); production numbers for the Mk III specifically reached about 365 hulls (per Hurley Owners Association records), out of over 3,000 total Silhouette variants across marks from 1954 onward. Special features include its round-bilge fiberglass (GRP) hull (a major redesign from earlier chined plywood/early GRP versions, built to Lloyd's specifications for durability), bilge/twin keels standard (encapsulated with internal ballast for drying out on tidal flats; fin keel option rarer, drawing ~2.67 ft / 0.81 m), masthead sloop rig for balanced performance, compact 2-berth layout (cramped but functional with basic galley/head), low freeboard and elegant lines, and a strong reputation as a tough, stiff, seaworthy mini-cruiser—often praised for heavy-weather capability, good upwind performance, and surprising comfort in its size, making it ideal for coastal, estuary, or adventurous pocket bluewater use (many have handled rough conditions well).