SeaHawk 17: the mini yacht that has it all

Clive Marsh

Can’t choose between a bilge keel, fin keel or drop keel/centreplate for your boat? Then why not get a yacht that has all three…

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Twenty-four years ago, I wrote an article in PBO about the SeaHawk 17, Tempus Fugit and I still admire this clever mini yacht.

I have owned two and wouldn’t mind another. She has the feel of a ballasted yacht yet can be sailed and maintained like a dinghy.

The SeaHawk 17 was designed by John A Bennett.

John designed many fine yachts and boats including the Atlanta 31 Southerly 28, Victor 34, 40 and 53, the Colvic Craft 31 and the little SeaHawk 17.

SeaHawks were built by Moore’s of Wroxham and Reedcraft, both first-class boatbuilders. So, as you’d expect a boat designed by a top designer and built by two of the best builders is going to be a good boat.

Having kept a fin keel boat on a deep A3 mooring at Bosham for three years I wanted a boat that I could beach at places like East Head in Chichester Harbour.

A boat that can’t be beached is a bit like an aeroplane with no undercarriage.

So I bought my first SeaHawk 17 from Sea Cruisers at Rye, a boat built by Moore’s of Wroxham.

She was on a heavy trailer and I found an old established firm of carriage builders in Ashford, Kent, who came and serviced the suspension, bearings and brakes before I towed her down to Itchenor to launch from the hard.

For a little boat, she was fairly heavy with a displacement of 1,200lb (544kg) and ballast of 440lb (200kg).

A SeaHawk 17 on a mooring

Clive’s Moore’s of Wroxham SeaHawk on her mooring at Bosham. Note the rounded cockpit entrance. Credit: Clive Marsh

Add the weight of the trailer and once released from the tow hitch we let her roll down the hard and launch herself – a painter on the bow and a rope on the trailer.

Time to service the bearings and brakes again. Not wishing to do this too often I kept the boat on a swinging mooring and just used the trailer for an annual haul out.

She was comfortable on her deep water mooring with her stub keel and a little plate down keeping her tide rode along with larger yachts in the line of moorings.

Her cockpit had self-draining holes in the transom which kept her dry.

For beaching, I would pull the plate up and let the heavy stub keel touch the putty first. She would then tip a little to rest on one of her bilge keels. All very easy.

At sea, the SeaHawk 17 is responsive like a dinghy but she is also seaworthy in a little chop. The cockpit is long and seats four.

Anchoring off East Head we used her as a swimming platform with a rope to get back on board. Four berths can be arranged, a bit cosy but better than a tent.

Her sail area of 126ft2 (11.7m2), including the working foresail, gives good performance and I was confident sailing her between the moored boats.

I rarely needed the outboard motor, but I had a 4hp clamped to the transom just in case. She sails very well and dry.

Her flared bow and distinctive rounded companionway keep the water at bay and build in headroom while going below. It also builds in stiffness to the hull.

The newer boats carry more sail and have modified centreplates to comply with the Recreational Craft Directive.

My second SeaHawk 17 was built by Reedcraft and delivered to my berth at Rye. I kept her on a drying mooring close to Strand Quay in the town centre.

She took the ground very well but when I came to lower the centreplate once underway I found that mud and stones had jammed up the trunk and prevented it from lowering.

A boat tied alongside a quay

The Redacraft SeaHawk 17 had a raised centreplate. Credit: Clive Marsh

The plate relied on gravity to drop, being raised and lowered using a wire strop.

The solution to this was to replace the wire strop with a length of galvanised steel so that I could push the plate down and not have to rely on gravity.

However, I found that she sailed very well with the plate remaining up.

A new set of sails by Jeckels was delivered by post and made an amazing difference to her performance.

Jeckels have the templates so all that is needed is a quick phone call to discuss any special requirements and they deliver the sails ready for use.

The SeaHawk 17 is constructed to the SBBNF standard of Lloyds-approved materials. The ballast is encapsulated within the stub keel and the boat seems robust.

Down below there were bulkheads but no watertight compartments as is common in boats of that era.

I made a few semi-watertight lids and added buoyancy here and there to give me time to clamber into the inflatable should the need arise.

There are still plenty of SeaHawks in use and on the used boat market.

You’ll see plenty on the East Coast at places like Blakeney and the Norfolk Broads.

Down south there are plenty on drying mud berths at Dell Quay and other parts of the harbour that dry out.

You’ll also see SeaHawks abandoned and submerged waiting for an enterprising youngster with plenty of energy to rescue them.

You probably wouldn’t give them a second look because of their dated 1970s topsides and windows. But where it counts, beneath the water, they have a very good shape.

If I was looking for a project I might buy one and change the windows to either small round or square portholes.

For those interested in buying, selling or maintaining a SeaHawk 17 there’s a very good owner’s site with technical details and a forum at www.seahawk17.org.uk

Specifications for the SeaHawk 17

LOA: 16ft 11in (5.16m)
Beam: 6ft 6in (1.98m)
Draught: 1ft 6in to 3ft (0.46m to 0.90m)
Max cabin headroom: 4ft 3in (1.30m)
Sail area: 126ft2 (11.7m2) Main: 97ft2 (9.01m2) Genoa: 75ft2 (6.96m2)
Ballast: 440lb (200kg)
Displacement: 1,200lb (544kg)
Materials: GRP
Designer: John A Bennett
Builders: Moore’s of Wroxham/Reedcraft

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