Last Updated: November 23, 2006
Most information was provided by Jack F.

Boat Design History:

The history behind my boat is that it originally was the "Skipper's Mate" designed by Charles Ludwig. He completed the design in June 1981 and sold the design to Southern Sails, Inc. Therefore he retained no ownership or royalties to the boat.

It was built by four manufacturers:

• 1982 to early 1984 - The original "Skipper's Mate" was built by Southern Sails, Inc. (XUT) in Clearwater Florida.
  
  Charles told the story of the Skipper's Mate. Southern Sails was building a boat called a Skipper 20; which was a lapstrake hull lifeboat with a cabin and deck. They commissioned Charles to design a 17' sailboat, called a Skipper's Mate. However, Southern Sails didn't like the cabin on the design so they grafted the cabin from the Skipper 20 onto the Skipper's Mate; that's why they look similar.
  
  

• 1984 - The "Widget" is a "Commodore 17" built by Commodore Yacht Corporation (XYV) in Saint James City, Florida.
  
  

  This is the Sales Brochure for the Commodore 17.

• 1985 to 1988 - Later it was built by Captiva Yachts, Inc. (CVI) in Oldsmar, Florida and first named the "Sanibel 17" and then renamed the "Sanibel 18" in August of 1986. The deck on the Sanibel was replaced and a number of changes took place for the 1987/88 boats. Here they are:
  
  

  	This is a Sales Brochure for the Sanibel 17 from a boat show in Orlando, FL.
  	This is the original Sales Brochure for the Sanibel 18.

  • Prior to 1986

    
    
    

    • No headliner in the cabin.
      
      

    • Nonskid surface on deck was a molded diamond pattern.
      
      

    • Carved, arched teak handrails on cabin roof.
      
      

    • Hatch is installed utilizing an adapter plate to compensate for the curve of the cabin top.
      
      

    • Stern light was a flush mount style.

    
    
    

  • 1986 to 1988

    
    
    

    • Headliner in cabin: a grey cloth headliner was glued into the cabin top. It helped to insulate and quiet the interior. Water staining from leaks is a downside.
      
      

    • Increased kneeroom in the port and starboard berths. The cockpit seats were raised as were the coamings (backrests). This was pointed out in the 1987 Small Boat Journal article.
      
      

    • Nonskid surface on deck was changed to sand, replacing diamond pattern, which is a bit harder to sit on and clean.
      
      

    • Carved, arched teak handrails on cabin roof were replaced by 6 molded-in pads and 2 straight piece of teak.
      
      

    • Foredeck hatch directly mounted on cabin roof, on redesigned flat area. Most early Skipper's Mate 17s, Commodore 17s, and Sanibel 17s did not have a hatch.
      
      

    • Stern light was relocated from flush mount style to a top mounted light next to the tiller. It's possible that the flush mounted light was obscured by the rudder, prompting the change.
      
      

    • Most post 1987 boats had swim ladders and bow pulpits standard. Stern rails and Bimini tops were optional. The Bimini tops came either fixed or with sliding tracks for fore/aft adjustment.
      
      

  • Since the boats were semi-custom, variations can be found boat to boat.
    
    

    • Early boats had the cabin light mounted forward of the post, later ones aft.
      
      

    • Mast height varies too. Variations are from 18' to 22'6" . Designer, Charles Ludwig, said that rig height was left up to the builder.

  
  
  

• After Captiva Yachts quit making the Sanibel 18, it was thought that the the molds were destroyed. Not quite.

  
  
  

• During Jack's factory tour in January 1987, he now remembers not seeing any molds on the property, just Sanibels and Captiva 240s in various states of production. Richard K. discovered that Custom Fiberglass Products of Florida built the decks, liners, and hulls for Captiva Yachts and they had the molds, selling them to Ken Monday who shipped them to Corvallis, Oregon in late 1989. These molds included the updated deck and liner. The last Captiva Yacht serial number was CVI0169AG889; the 169th boat was built in July of 1988. Captiva Yachts went out of business on October 31, 1988.
  
  

• 1990 - Since it appeared that the molds were destroyed, Leisure-Time Fiberglass Products in Cadillac, Michigan obtained a Sanibel 18, built new molds from it and then made the "Snug Harbor 18". The owner, Walter Treadwell, who built only 2 complete boats, still has the molds with a boat in them for rigidity. Charles Ludwig contacted Walter about obtaining the molds so he could build a Princess 17, but he does not have the space in his facility to build another boat line.

  This is the Sales Brochure for the Snug Harbor 18.

• 1990 - A set of Sanibel Molds appeared on the West Coast (Corvallis, Oregon). Apparently, the owner of the molds tried to create the "Pacifica" which was based on the Sanibel Molds. They made a few boats, but could not make a go of it.

• 2005 - Richard K. found the molds and purchased them as a retirement project when he moved to Oklahoma. He was hoping to build a few boats, recover his costs and keep this great boat alive. Unfortunately, he found out the cost of outsourcing the fiberglass work with shipping made the boat too expensive. Although he had a great idea, his dreams of resurrecting this great boat was slowly slipping away.
  
  

• Richard finally realized that he could not afford this project, so he posted the molds "For Sale" on eBay hoping someone with his dedication would purchase the molds.
  
  

• Fortunately, the molds have been purchased by International Marine, the manufacturers of the West Wight Potter (15 & 19). They are excited about providing the Sanibel 18 as a part of their boating offerings. I am wishing them the best.

  
  
  

  Information on the new IM Sanibel 18.

  

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