messingdd97 Posted September 3, 2025 Posted September 3, 2025 I'm starting work on a new build, and need to make room. I'll get some pictures up and an ad in the classified section later this week. Also, I'm planning to bring the boat to the Messabout in October. I'm thinking $5500 with trailer and choice of motors. It's ready to sail, and the trailer is ready to roll. Quote
messingdd97 Posted September 9, 2025 Author Posted September 9, 2025 I'm getting ready to go out of town for a couple of weeks, so I was a little delayed getting the pictures. Story of the boat: The boat and trailer are titled and registered in Virginia. I believe this was built and owned by William Highsmith in 2015, who's got some videos of it on youtube. There have been several owners between me and him. I think he had an incident during the Florida Challenge that resulted in some damage to the boat, and it was later repaired by B&B. There is no evidence of prior damage. Originally, it had some brightwork, and that's been painted over, with the exception of the tilller. The tiller needs to be refinished now, and I'll try to get to that before the messabout. The prior owner painted the boat not long before I bought it. He did a thorough job, and was a little over generous with the paint in a few spots. He brushed it on, and there are brushmarks in the paint. In short, it's not a show-quality paint job. For me, that's good, as I can more easily maintain this level of finish and I don't have to worry if there's a little dock rash, as it's easy enough to brush on a little more paint. The boat is in overall good condtion. I'll try to cover the specifics of this boat in comparison to other CS17's. Rigging: The rigging is in good shape, and is pretty much to plan. The prior owner changed the sheeting for the main and mizzen, so see the pictures for the details. I would likely change this, but the next owner will be able to make that decision. The mainsail has two reefing points, but the rigging is in place for only one, so you can set the full sail with one reef ready to go, or you can start with one reef with the second reef rigged. If you want to be able to go from full sail to the second reef, then you can either go forward to change the downhaul, or rig an additional downhaul and cleat. The mizzen reefing is done right at the mizzen mast, where there's easy access to the necessary lines. Mast raising: The prior owner made an interesting device to raise the main mast. The main (with float) weights 20 lbs, and is awkward (for me, anyway) to raise by hand while standing on the foredeck. Normally, I launch the boat, then drop the mast in from the dock, which is usually a few feet higher than the foredeck, and that's the quickest way for me to do it. If I want to raise the mast on the trailer, the mast raising system is easy and safe, but takes longer than dropping the mast in the hole from the dock. The system is made from a 15' 2x3 that has a block on one end. This device weighs only 10 lbs, and is easily handled. To operate it, you raise the 2x3 to a vertical position, drop it into the slot where the trailer winch is attached, and then into the spare tire. Then, you attach a hook from the block to the mast, slightly above the center of weight of the mast, and pull the line, raising the mast into position so that it can be dropped into the hole. It could be made even easier by making the purchase on the block 2:1 and adding a camcleat instead of the existing horn cleat. This is a good solution, and could be adapted to other boats. I'd rather have a tabernacle, but adding one for the main is a piece of work. It's easy enough for me to raise the mizzen by hand, but long term I'd consider adding a tabernacle for the mizzen, which I think would be pretty easy. With a mizzen tabernacle, you could use the mizzen as a crane to raise the main mast. Motor mount: The prior owner built a motor well into the transom. I like the Suzuki 2.5 four stroke, which doesn't fit in there very well. I've got a Nissan 3.5 2 stroke that fitst better, or perhaps the best option is the pictured electric trolling motor I bought with a 100 amp hr lithium battery. I don't know what the range is with this combo, as I normally only use a motor to get into and out of the creek where I most commonly sail. Other features: Very nice oars Boarding ladder (one step) Removable split seat for a rowing position forward of the mizzen Removable full width aft seat Trailer in good condition Quote
messingdd97 Posted September 9, 2025 Author Posted September 9, 2025 I forgot to mention that I added topping lifts to hold the sprits up when the sails are down. Both topping lifts are run from the mizzen, with the adjustment on the sprit end. 2 Quote
Deepseadivver Posted September 12, 2025 Posted September 12, 2025 Where in Virginia is the boat located? Quote
messingdd97 Posted September 12, 2025 Author Posted September 12, 2025 Boat is located near Remington, VA. I sail mostly on the lower Potomac, near Coles Point, VA. There's also a reservoir near me where I occassionally sail. Quote
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