Leisure 17 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used Leisure 17 means taking on a 1965–1990 Cobramold-built boat that Arthur Howard drew for English coastal cruising, a 5.18 m bilge-keel sloop of 670 kg with 250 kg of ballast anchor. Around 4,500 were built, so the class is well represented, and the boat's trailerable nature has spread examples well beyond their home waters. The earliest boats differ from the later SL deck models, and a buyer should know which generation is on the hard.
Layouts on the Used Market
The standard boat carries cast-iron bilge keels with 0.65 m draught, while a central-keel version with one metre draught and roughly 30 kg more ballast exists for deeper-water sailors. From 1980 the Leisure SL brought angular superstructure windows and a little more space below deck. Below, the two inner shells mould the floor, berths, backrests and headliner; there are bunks for four on 185 cm by 60 cm cushions, stowage under the cushions, sail space in the cockpit-thwart berths, a bow recess for a chemical toilet, and a cooker space under the companionway. A saloon table clips to the mast support. No standing headroom exists in either layout.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Solar panels are commonly fitted to keep house batteries fed on a boat with no engine-driven charging detailed in the record. A short-handed setup is often seen, simplifying sail handling for single or couple crews. Beyond those, the practical inventory is modest: a self-draining cockpit, protected by the pushpit, and no foresheet winches from the factory, so any added winches or led mainsheet are owner improvements worth noting.
What to Inspect
The foredeck can soften with age, and repair is slow because the inner shell obstructs access anchor. The same base softening shows at the mast as hairline cracks anchor. Windows on boats built before 1980 are not watertight anchor. The tiller often has play in the rudder cokers, which degrades steering feel anchor. Keel bolts are overlaminated and cannot be inspected without cutting anchor.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The Leisure 17 turns up in the United Kingdom and Switzerland. For a buyer, the short list is: confirm deck and mast-base hardness, check window seals on pre-1980 hulls, test tiller play at the rudder, and accept that keel-bolt condition is hidden. Prefer an SL deck for tighter glazing and more room, and verify solar or short-handed gear is sound.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Leisure 17. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 8 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 2 | $3,397 | — |
| Oct 25 | 2 | $2,125 | -37.4% |
| Jan 26 | 1 | $4,751 | +123.6% |
| Feb 26 | 1 | $7,202 | +51.6% |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $4,751 | -34.0% |
| May 26 | 1 | $1,699 | -64.2% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $3,127 | +84.0% |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $2,719 | -13.0% |
Where they're listed
Leisure 17 listings appear across 2 countries. United Kingdom has the most listings with 7 (70.0%), followed by Switzerland.
Country view
10 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $2,719 | 7 | 2 | 70.0% |
| Switzerland | $4,346 | 3 | 0 | 30.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leisure 20 | 19.98' | $ 4,348 | 11 | 2 |
| Leisure 17You are here | — | $ 2,921 | 10 | 2 |