Sanibel 17/18

BoatsSanibel 17/18

See her sail

The Sanibel 17/18, on the water

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

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 2.38 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 621 kg of hull, so roughly 1,200 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 621 kg of hull, with a keel that raises or a draught shallow enough to float off a trailer — she can go back on the trailer at the ramp, not only into the water.Shoal draughtDraws 0.30 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 9 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 9

CoastalBluewater

At 2.81 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.81

LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 179

EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 22.1

TenderStiff

33% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 33%

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

What the fleet has seen

The Sanibel 17/18, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Sanibel 17/18 is a fractional sloop with a keel/centerboard hull, designed by Charles Ludwig and built between 1985 and 1988 by International Marine and Captiva Yachts. It has a length overall of 5.5 meters, a beam of 2.4 meters, and a displacement of 621 kg. The model evolved from the Skippers Mate, undergoing several name changes including Commodore 17 and Sanibel 17, before becoming the Sanibel 18. A derivative, the Snug Harbor 18, was later produced in small numbers. The Sanibel 17/18 has a comfort ratio of 8.6 and a sail area to displacement ratio of 22.1.

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

32.9%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Fractional Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

22.1

Displacement / length

178.9

Comfort ratio

8.6

Capsize screening

2.81

Hull speed

5.2 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

420

Hull

Hull type

Keel/Cbrd.

Construction

Fiberglass

Production

Years built

1985–1988

Units built

169

Designer

Charles Ludwig

Builder

International Marine, Captiva Yachts

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.

RS 216.40 mSame hull family1.0 m longer

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Dufour Yachts T66.15 mSame hull family0.7 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 life0:56 from NAUTICPIOLI

Marshall Marine Corporation Sanderling5.54 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA gaff-rigged catboat based on a 1941 design, featuring a shallow-draft keel-centerboard hull for versatile day sailing

The History of Beneteau Boats11:37 from Practical Sailor

Sandpiper 154.72 mSame hull family0.7 m shorterA Breck Marshall-designed gaff-rigged catboat with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited light-air sailing

Sandpiper 32 Sharpie Schooner Refit0:04 from Atom Voyager

Farr 50005.08 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA Bruce Farr-designed fractional sloop featuring a swing keel and a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively performance

"Hello World" in the ARC10:27 from SEILmagasinet

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

San Juan 23A versatile keel-centerboard cruiser derived from the racing-oriented San Juan 24 and built internationally under multiple names San Juan 21A high-performance fractional sloop with a swing keel, designed by Don Clark as the first of the iconic San Juan line San Juan 21-2A high-performance fractional sloop with a raised deck design that maximizes interior space for a trailerable cruiser Sage Marine 17A trailerable 5.1-meter fractional sloop with a 40% ballast ratio, engineered for stability and responsive handling Starwind 18A lightweight centerboard dinghy built by the Starwind division of Wellcraft, sharing the hull design of the Buccaneer 18 Skipper 17 (Milne)A Peter Milne-designed fractional sloop with a high power-to-weight ratio, produced in numerous variants until the 1990s

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The fleet has more to say

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