Dark Harbor 17 1/2 Buyer's Guide
The Dark Harbor 17½ is a wooden gaff-rigged daysailer designed by B. B. Crowninshield in 1908, built through 1935 with 200 hulls produced by Rice Brothers, George Lawley, and others. On the used market she is a traditional project or sailor’s companion rather than a modern turnkey boat: a 25-foot-class wooden hull with a full keel, hard turn of the bilge, and 310 square feet of sail on a gaff-headed sloop rig. Buyers should approach her as a piece of American sailing history that rewards careful inspection.
Layouts on the Used Market
She was built as a daysailer, and the available construction record describes a wood boat whose interior was never anything but open daysailing space. Expect a relatively small boat with classic lines rather than a compartmented cruiser.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The market record carries no commonly fitted, often seen, or owner-upgrade equipment tiers for the Dark Harbor 17½, so no specific gear clusters can be cited. A buyer should treat any engine, winches, or sail inventory as individual to the hull and verify each item against the boat’s documented wooden construction and gaff rig rather than assuming class-standard equipment.
What to Inspect
Because the Dark Harbor 17½ is a wood boat built by lofting hull lines, a strongback, laminated deckbeams, and a shaped transom, the structural integrity of those elements is the first thing to confirm on any candidate. Examine the deckbeams for delamination or softening where they land on the hull, and check the transom shaping and its fastenings for age-related movement. Owners report a full keel and hard turn of the bilge, and these should be sounded for hidden rot along the garboards, while the gaff rig’s spars are reviewed for the wear typical of century-old wood.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Dark Harbor 17½ boats are typically found in the United States. For a buyer, the takeaway is straightforward:
- Inspect wooden deckbeams and transom fastenings closely
- Sound the full keel garboards for rot
- Verify gaff rig spars for age damage
- Confirm hull lines match documented Crowninshield shape
- Budget for ongoing wood maintenance
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Dark Harbor 17 1/2. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 5 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 25 | 1 | $41,500 | — |
| Oct 25 | 1 | $34,000 | -18.1% |
| Dec 25 | 1 | $26,500 | -22.1% |
| Jan 26 | 1 | $29,500 | +11.3% |
| Aug 26 | 2 | $34,000 | +15.3% |
Where they're listed
Dark Harbor 17 1/2 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 5.
Country view
5 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $29,500 | 5 | 2 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
2 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custom Harbor 17 1/2You are here | — | $ 29,500 | 5 | 2 |
| Herreshoff 15 | 24.5' | $ 59,900 | 5 | 2 |