Joe Dobler Q-17

I am interested in building a minicruiser trailerable with a Subaru Forester.
My Dad had a Silhouette Mark 3 with fin keel. I like the size and performance but a fin keel is not launchable from a trailer. Joe Dobler's Q-17 is the right size and weight. I will be sailing it on the lower Columbia, Oregon coastal bays, and maybe Puget Sound. Does the design point well and sail in light airs?

 

Well, this thread didn't get even one reply in almost 12 years, so clearly there are not many who are familiar with the Dobler (Quicksilver) Q-17. I discovered the design not long ago on the Duckworks site and went ahead and got the PDF plans for just $20. It seems like a very neat, well-thought out design, basically something in between a big camp-cruising dinghy and a small fin-keel cruiser. It looks like a great boat for a solo adventurer, couple, or even a small family. I particularly like the use of a car bumper jack to raise and lower the 400 lb ballast keel and the hinged main hatch cover that can also be raised completely. The rig is less to my taste with the roller-furling mainsail in a slotted mast and three sizes of headsail as I am more interested in ease of use than maximum performance, but that would be easy enough to change to a conventional mast and reefing mainsail and perhaps a medium-sized roller-reefing jib. What do folks think of this design?

Q-17 Plans PDF https://duckworks.com/q-17-plans/

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In another group someone mentioned the option of recycling the rig from an existing production boat to provide an alternative rig for a Dobler Q-17. Personally, I would prefer to build a wooden mast and boom as that is something I'd enjoy but that would certainly require consulting a pro to make that change safely. Does anyone have any experience adapting an existing factory rig to a homebuilt hull...lessons learned, pitfalls to avoid, ideas on where to find affordable options? Similarly, does anyone have any experience to share going from an aluminum mast and spars to DIY wood? Cheers, Matthew

 

These boats are not high performance, so the rigs are not too stressed. If you look at a production boat of similar dimensions, the change will need minimal work. Ideally, you should look for a junk boat that has the boom and sails included.