Supercat 17 Buyer's Guide
The Supercat 17 is a 17-foot fiberglass catamaran designed by Steve Edmunds and Bill Roberts and first built by Boston Whaler, Inc. in 1985, with later production at other yards as well. On the used market it presents as a minimalist beachable day cat rather than a cruiser, and the authority material centers almost entirely on what a buyer should look at before committing.
Layouts on the Used Market
Supercat 17s on the used market are open day-catamaran platforms with no cabin structure, reflecting the original 17-foot hull with an 8-foot beam. Buyers should expect a beachable sailboat rather than a pocket cruiser, with space defined by the length-beam proportion rather than enclosed accommodation.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Individual boats may carry assorted fractional rigs, sail inventories, and trailer gear of varying vintage, so each item should be judged on its own condition rather than assumed as a standard factory package.
What to Inspect
The fiberglass hull itself is the one substantive construction point a buyer can verify, and the boat's hull requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season anchor. At a viewing, confirm the hulls are sound fiberglass without undocumented repairs, and treat any non-factory modification or amateur patch as a negotiation point rather than a disqualifier. No structural defects or recurring hull-core problems affect the design, so a standard used-boat survey of rigging, mast step, and rudders remains the buyer's own diligence.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
With no regional data to draw on, the practical buyer's checklist is short and drawn from the boat's documented character:
- Confirm the hull is original fiberglass and free of undocumented repair
- Verify the fractional rig and mast step are sound
- Check draft behavior under load given the 1.17–2.5 ft range
- Expect minimal seasonal hull maintenance, not a project boat