Mike's Boat by Michalak
Description
Mike's Boat is a compact, versatile 17-foot multichine sailboat designed by the prolific American naval architect Jim Michalak in the late 1990s, drawing inspiration from his earlier Piccup pram but scaled up for greater capacity and capability. Built using simple taped-seam plywood construction, it's an affordable, trailerable dayboat or expedition cruiser ideal for solo adventurers, families, or small crews exploring lakes, rivers, or coastal waters. With no cabin but ample storage and buoyancy compartments fore and aft, it supports boom-tent camping for overnight trips, and its leeboard foil and sharpie sprit rig emphasize ease of handling and windward performance. Known for its "bulletproof" simplicity and rough-water prowess, it's a favorite among amateur builders—over a dozen documented builds exist, including one that completed the grueling 200-mile Texas 200 endurance cruise on its maiden voyage. Plans are available as a PDF from Duckworks Boat Builders Supply for around $20-30, making it accessible for DIY enthusiasts.
Construction Details
| Designer | Jim Michalak |
|---|---|
| Length | 17.000 ft |
| LOA | 17.000 ft |
| Beam | 5.500 ft |
| Displacement | 450 lb |
| Max Draft | 3.500 ft |
| Min Draft | 1.000 ft |
| Year Built | 1998 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | - |
|---|---|
| j | - |
| p | - |
| e | - |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Documents
Sails
Mike's Boat by Michalak - MIZZEN
| Luff | 10 ft - (3048 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 5 ft - (1524 mm) |
| Leech-AftHdBd | 9.98 ft - (3042 mm) |
| Tack Ang | * 75.52 ° |
| Diag (clew/head) | 10 ft - (3048 mm) |
| Head (inches) | 1.5 in - (38 mm) |
| Area (no Roach) | * 24.83 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Mike's Boat by Michalak - STANDING LUGSAIL
| Luff | 8.083 ft - (2464 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 11.83 ft - (3606 mm) |
| Leech | 15.75 ft - (4801 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 81.06 ° |
| Diag (clew/throat) | 13.25 ft - (4039 mm) |
| Head | 10.167 ft - (3099 mm) |
| Area | * 114.14 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.