If you
google "sailnet boat check" you will find boat
reviews from owners.
Here is my entry for my Venture 17 that I had for 8-9years
I paid $900 US for the boat,
trailer,
sails, everything.
Pros: Good daysailer and overnight
Cons: Not good for long sailing - see Directional Stability below
Background
I have been sailing for 35 years on a variety of sailboats and have owned my V17 for 8 years. I sail in a variety of lakes in northeast
Ohio about 50% of the time on Lake Erie.
This boat fits my needs today but I will be moving up to a 23-25ft boat in a few years.
Size: Great
Boat on the trailer can fit in my garage and it is easy to trailer.
Setup time: Great
30 Min alone, 45 Min if the
kids help.
Launching: Good
I have a large SUV and have no problems launching the boat.
Stability: Great
During a good breeze (30 MPH) in a small lake (no real waves) my nephew and I tried to heel the boat as far as it would go. It got to about a 40 deg heel with no
water in the
cockpit. This excellent stability is due to the 4 foot 200 lbs swing
keel that locks into place. I have taken the boat out many times during small craft advisories in open
water on Lake Erie with no problems, just double reef the main and use a
storm jib.
Directional Stability: Poor
The ability to lock the tiller and have the boat stay on course is poor compared to a
full keel boat. The swing keel is only about 1 ½ ft front to back & 4 ft deep allowing the boat to pivot like a top when hit by a wave. I keep thinking about sailing across Lake Erie but having to hold on to the tiller the entire way (50 Miles @ 3 Knots is about 16 Hours) would be very tiring.
Pointing into the
wind: Poor
Also due to the keel design the boat does not point into the
wind well.
It points best if the heel is keep at about 15 Degs.
Speed: OK
Having a heavy keel and being 17 ft long the top speed in Lake Erie is about 5 knots.
Once as a test I have removed all extra weight in the boat, when out on a small lake during a good breeze and was able to plane (get the boat on top of the water) for a few moments. I would guess I was going about 7-8 knots for a few moments.
Over night: OK
The cabin is really a crawl space. It can sleep 2 adults and 2
kids but it will be tight.
Most of the time, I put a board down in the
cockpit and sleep outside and have 2 kids sleep in the cabin. It is a lot of fun going out at night and watching the stars with the kids.
Wifeability: Poor
My wife does not like the boat because it does not have a
head. So if you want to get way from your wife this is a great boat.