BoatsSiren 17

Siren 17

Fractional Sloop · Swing Keel · 1974–1987

A high-performance fractional sloop designed by Hubert Vandestadt, this swing-keel trailerable remains a Canadian classic

Designed by Hubert Vandestadt, built by Vandestadt.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Swing Keel

See her sail

The Siren 17, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Sailing Into Oblivion

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

TrailerableBeam 2.03 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 340 kg of hull, so roughly 950 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 340 kg of hull, with a keel that raises or a draft shallow enough to float off a trailer — she can go back on the trailer at the ramp, not only into the water.Shoal draftDraws 0.20 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a beamy beam gives 6 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 6
CoastalBluewater

At 2.94 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.94
LightHeavy

99 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 99
EasygoingPowered-up

27.0 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.

Sail area / displacement 27.0
TenderStiff

17% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 17%

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

  • Lighter than ~79% of boats her size on file

Compared with 309 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Siren 17, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Siren 17 is a 5.2-meter fractional sloop designed by Hubert Vandestadt and built by Vandestadt, McGruer Ltd. in Canada from 1974 to 1987. It features a swing keel, a 2.0-meter beam, a 1.3-meter draft, and displaces 340 kg. The model is recognized as one of the most successful production sailboats built in Canada within its size range. When listed for sale, effective presentation, including removing personal items and using high-quality photography, helps attract buyers in a competitive market.1:00:36

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
17.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
27.0
Displacement / length
99.2
Comfort ratio
5.9
Capsize screening
2.94
Hull speed
5.2 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
357
Hull
Hull type
Swing Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Iron
Production
Years built
1974–1987
Units built
3200
Designer
Hubert Vandestadt
Builder
Vandestadt, McGruer Ltd

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Drascombe Dabber4.72 mSame hull family0.5 m shorterA John Watkinson-designed sprit-rigged daysailer with a centerboard, built since 1970 for shallow-water versatility
Getting Underway - Portland to Boston23:16from The Mariner
RS 216.40 mSame hull family1.2 m longer
Training Sea Cadet Instructors | RS21 Keelboat Sailing – Welsh Harp1:37from City Sailing
Microtonner 195.50 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA high-performance fractional sloop designed by Nestor Volker to the International Micro Class rule for competitive racing
I Met the Man Who Puts Sailboats Inside the São Francisco River | #SAL #4256:23from Hashtag Sal
RS Quest4.29 mSame hull family0.9 m shorterA 140kg fractional sloop with a centerboard trunk designed for stable, versatile training and family sailing
Sea Cadet National Sailing and Windsurfing Regatta 20250:48from City Sailing
Dufour Yachts T66.15 mSame hull family0.9 m longerA lightweight 800kg fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited performance in light air
Who I am and why the sea is part of my life0:56from NAUTICPIOLI
Marshall Marine Corporation Sanderling5.54 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA gaff-rigged catboat based on a 1941 design, featuring a shallow-draft keel-centerboard hull for versatile day sailing
EP#370 Buying and Selling Boats with Chelle25:14from Sailing Into Oblivion

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Vandestadt SiriusThe first North American production-built, ballasted cruiser to feature positive flotation via injected foamSirius 23A lively masthead sloop designed by K. Schroter Travenunde with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for her sizeSage Marine 17A trailerable 5.1-meter fractional sloop with a 40% ballast ratio, engineered for stability and responsive handling

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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