| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Reuben Trane |
| Location | United States |
| Year | 1981 |
| Builder(s) | Florida Bay Boat Company Sovereign Yachts |
| Name | Mud Hen 17 |
| Boat | |
| Displacement | 650 lb (295 kg) |
| Draft | 3.50 ft (1.07 m) with centerboard down |
| Hull | |
| Type | monohull |
| Construction | fiberglass |
| LOA | 17.33 ft (5.28 m) |
| LWL | 16.23 ft (4.95 m) |
| Beam | 6.25 ft (1.91 m) |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | centerboard |
| Rudder(s) | transom-mounted rudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | gaff rig |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | catboat |
| Mainsail area | 155.00 sq ft (14.400 m2) |
| Total sail area | 155.00 sq ft (14.400 m2) |
The Mud Hen 17, also called the Mud Hen, is an American sharpie, named for the bird. It was designed by the Reuben Trane and first built in 1981.[1][2][3][4]
The design was built by the Florida Bay Boat Company and by Sovereign Yachts in the United States, from 1981 to 1986, but it is now out of production.[1][2][5][6]
The Mud Hen 17 is a recreational sailboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It is a gaff rigged catboat rig with a plumb stem, an angled, transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a retractable centerboard. It displaces 650 lb (295 kg).[1][2]
The boat is an open dinghy, but may be fitted with a canvas dodger.[1][2]
The boat has a draft of 3.50 ft (1.07 m) with the centerboard extended and 6 in (15 cm) with it retracted, allowing operation in shallow water, beaching or ground transportation on a trailer.[1][2]
The design has a hull speed of 5.4 kn (10.0 km/h).[2]
The boat is supported by an active class club, PeepHens.org.[7][8]