Islands 17
Description
The Islands 17 (1972–1980s) is a lightweight, trailerable daysailer and pocket cruiser designed by Johann Tanzer (though often credited as a near-identical copy of his Tanzer 16 with a reverse transom for a slightly longer 16′8″ LWL), built in fiberglass by Ocean Yachts (early models) and later Sumner Boat Co. (with added cockpit flotation and refinements). At 17′ LOA and 6′ beam, the centerboard dinghy displaces just 575 lb with 100 lb of ballast, delivering a high SA/D of ~25 from its 135 sq ft fractional sloop rig (100 sq ft main + 35 sq ft jib)—making it lively, responsive, and capable of planing in a breeze while remaining stable and forgiving for single- or short-handed sailing in protected waters. The open cockpit seats four comfortably, with basic cuddy accommodations for overnighting, and its ultralight construction ensures easy towing behind a compact car; praised for simplicity and seaworthiness in reviews, it's a cult favorite among vintage enthusiasts for beer-can races or family outings, though its low righting moment demands respect in gusts.
Construction Details
| Designer | Johann Tanzer |
|---|---|
| Builder | Ocean Yachts |
| Length | 16.580 ft |
| LOA | 16.750 ft |
| LWL | 15.830 ft |
| Beam | 6.500 ft |
| Displacement | 575 lb |
| Max Draft | 3.500 ft |
| Min Draft | 0.580 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 16.42 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 5.25 ft |
| p | 20.67 ft |
| e | 9.83 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16.42 ft | 5.25 ft | 20.67 ft | 9.83 ft | - | - | - | - |
Documents
Sails
Islands 17 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | 19.25 ft - (5867 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 9.33 ft - (2844 mm) |
| Leech | * 20.89 ft - (6367 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.91 ° |
| Diagonal | 21.083 ft - (6426 mm) |
| Head (inches) | 4 in - (102 mm) |
| Area | * 92.59 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Islands 17 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 14.67 ft - (4471 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 5.92 ft - (1804 mm) |
| Leech | 12.083 ft - (3683 mm) |
| Length Perpendicular | * 4.73 ft - (1442 mm) |
| Area | * 34.73 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Islands 17 - GENOA
| Luff | 16.083 ft - (4902 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 7.25 ft - (2210 mm) |
| Leech | 15.33 ft - (4673 mm) |
| Length Perpendicular | * 6.85 ft - (2088 mm) |
| Area | * 55.1 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Islands 17 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | 17.25 ft - (5258 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | 13 ft - (3962 mm) |
| Foot | 14 ft - (4267 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 205 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
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.