26' Crowninshield Dark Harbor 17 Sloop (2018) - KOTIMANA

Built by the classes of 2017 and 2018 (NWSWB), the Dark Harbor launched at Point Hudson Marina in Port Townsend, WA before heading to the 2019 Australian Wooden Boat Festival before finally making it home to New Zealand.

“She’s a relatively small boat but a true classic,” says owner and Boat School alum Kere Kemp of New Zealand. “I’m pretty sure she’s going to ‘foot it’ with some of the big boats around Auckland.”

ABOUT THIS DESIGN
Originally designed for the Manchester Yacht Club in Massachusetts USA and called the MANCHESTER 17, the first boats were built by Rice Bros in 1908. As it’s popularity spread it acquired a number of different names including the BAR HARBOR 17. The plans for this yacht are credited to BB Crowninshield and were completed by R. N. Burbank, an employee of the firm at the time.

The Dark Harbor 17 1/2 is a pure sailing machine of great beauty, but large enough to offer considerably more comfort through a larger cockpit well and a small cuddy cabin. Low freeboard combined with a wide, self-bailing cockpit well that seats you “down in” the boat puts you very close to the water. The lovely, slender hull lines, long ends, deep draft and large rig provide wonderfully sweet “feel” in this powerful, fast, wet, responsive and handy boat.

25′ LOA carvel-planked daysailer with small cabin. Construction: Carvel planked over steamed frames.