Core Sound 17 or Core Sound 17 Mark III?

[mystrwizard]

First time topic in this forum.  Ive been deciding on first build and a few months ago had narrowed it down to a Core Sound 17 and purchased the plans.  Was just about to start purchasing wood this weekend and began to think about the newer design the Mark III. 

 

Wondering if I could get some insight on if it would be worth building the Mark III instead of standard Core Sound 17.  This would mostly be used in ocean off of Southern California, just along the coast in hopefully nice conditions, probably outside of Marina Del Rey.

 

What would advantages be building the Mark III?  is performance different between the 2 models?

 

Look forward to hearing from you all.

 

Reese

Woodland Hills, CA

[Designer]

Hi Reese,

 

It all depends on what you feel that you want to do with the boat. I tried to make the mk3 perform about equal to the mk1. While the there is more weight and windage in the mk3, it has more stability and more sail area.

 

There is a lot more work in building the mk3. It is more a micro yacht than a dinghy but with the advantages of a dinghy. She can be knocked down and recover whereas once you reach the down flooding angle in an open boat, you are over. That said, I have logged a lot of open water miles in the mk1 without ever capsizing, but it can. I like having the cabin for shelter as well as the large cockpit and the electrical system with it's solar charger . I have lived on mine for about 2 weeks so far and I will be spending a lot more nights on board. I will be fitting mine with a cockpit dodger as well as a cockpit awning. I am currently cutting down a trolling motor for an electric outboard.

[mystrwizard]

Thanks so much for that info.  Even though this might be a first build, I probably wont be building any more (If and when this one is finished) any time soon so want to put something together that will keep my family happy for many moons ahead in most of the conditions.  Think I'm going to go ahead and order plans for the MK-III.

 

Thanks!

 

Reese

[PAR]

In your waters, the MK III will have things to offer, such as shelter and will tend to be a bit drier. On the other hand, there's a fair bit of space occupied by a cabin, that isn't particularly useful, unless over nighting. If your sailing adventures are day trips, I'd recommend the origional open version, though if you are interested in "raids" or camp cruising, the MK III seems the logical choice.

[Ken_Potts]

   I have only sailed the original, I haven't sailed the Mark III (so please disregard everything I'm about to say ).  I had a lot of fun with the original design - I usually day sailed and I occasionally took overnight trips as long as 6 days when I camped on the beach.  I only slept on the boat a time or two.  I thought the boat was pretty much perfect for my purposes.  If I wanted to sleep on the boat more often than that I would go for a Mark III.

[Don Silsbe]

I've just completed a Bay River Skiff, which I love.  But I also look longingly at the CS17 MkIII.  It is a well thought out design-- nimble and accommodating.  I would love to have one, to go cruising and exploring.  But Graham's advice is spot-on.  You need to consider how you'll use the boat.  Will you be daysailing, or going on overnight cruises?  Are you going to take a bunch of people out for a sail?  PAR is right-- you'd give up a lot of cockpit space, if you opted for the cabin version.  The stability that comes with the water ballast makes a big difference, too. It's not an easy choice.  But it still boils down to how you're going to use your boat.  For me, the BRS15 is the perfect boat.  I sail inland waters most of the time.  I also use the boat for fishing.  And while distant shores still occasionally beckon, I do know that I've made the right choice.  For me, at least.