17' Lofland Picnic Sailboat

Feb 20, 2020
28
Lofland Picnic 17' Lake Lanier, GA
Hey everyone! - SO glad this thread has recent posts!!! I'm one of the few and proud team of co-owners of this unique and RARE sailboat - so HELLO to my fellow owners!!!
@Geosailor Hey! Welcome to the exclusive club!
I'll be able to get you some photos and measurements of the tiller assembly this weekend, when I go back to my boat .
Rvharvey.com has dimensions for the original sails.
 
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May 6, 2020
3
Lofland 17 Picnic Palatka, FL - St. Johns River
Welcome @Geosailor glad you found the thread and that we have more knowledge to go with these boats, I believe my Jib and tiller are both original, but I’m currently away sailing, once I’m back in a few weeks I’ll try to send some measurements for them. Unfortunately I can’t load the photos you posted due to poor cell service, do you currently have a jib?
That would be great! - whenever you can share. The boat I bought did not come with a jib and has no furling hardware. I believe the mast is original so there is a halyard and pulley/block that can be used for a jib. I have purchased 3 different jibs on eBay over the years that were affordable for me. One is very small (from a Hobie 16 I believe) and 2 are medium sized. One of them has the correct Luff (from bow to mast pulley), but I think it has a shorter foot than original - as the sail does not extend past the side-stay when up. Hoping to go out this weekend - will get more pics of everything to share.
 
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Mar 4, 2020
14
Catalina C 30 4292 Vancouver
Haha still alive! Nyssa is looking fantastic! Sorry mate I must have missed your last couple posts! But congrats on the progress. Catalina is coming along well, was working on it out of a marina for a month then hauled it out for a bottom job which turned into 5 weeks on the hard, pulled the inboard, new transducer, new water system, new head, the list goes on and on. But today is our 3rd day out on the water, we’ve gone 46 miles and seen a tiny bit of what B.C.’s coast has to offer, we’re just waiting for a few more parts and we’ll be on our way to princess Louisa inlet (a marine park). Unfortunately the picnic has been moved to the back burner for now, but I’m sure throughout the summer I’ll get that new rigging sorted and ready to go sailing!
 
Feb 20, 2020
28
Lofland Picnic 17' Lake Lanier, GA
Haha still alive! Nyssa is looking fantastic! Sorry mate I must have missed your last couple posts! But congrats on the progress. Catalina is coming along well, was working on it out of a marina for a month then hauled it out for a bottom job which turned into 5 weeks on the hard, pulled the inboard, new transducer, new water system, new head, the list goes on and on. But today is our 3rd day out on the water, we’ve gone 46 miles and seen a tiny bit of what B.C.’s coast has to offer, we’re just waiting for a few more parts and we’ll be on our way to princess Louisa inlet (a marine park). Unfortunately the picnic has been moved to the back burner for now, but I’m sure throughout the summer I’ll get that new rigging sorted and ready to go sailing!
@smkinna that sounds amazing. Can't wait to see some pics of the adventure and new boat.
Now that there's 3 of us in this picnic group, maybe we can all plan on doing the Florida 120 run next year. It's a group that takes an annual coastal cruise in pocket yachts!
 
Jul 4, 2020
6
Lofland 17 picnic lofland aurora
Hi Lofland 17 club.

I bought my lofland for 500.00 3 yrs ago and had to redo the cabin. The boat was stored nose down and filled with water rotted out the bed only. Looked like carpet was glued all over. Ran through a harbor freight grinder to the cabin to remove much of it. Next acetone to get the the fine stuff left over. Hull on my boat seemed very thin before grinding. I added 1 layer of chop strand.

Then got hit by a jet ski in cherry creek dam aurora Co 2018. The one layer of cop strand acted like a thin liner. It pulled away from the hull but kept the water out. Back to the 2ND grinder and a respirator mask. I repaired hole and added 3 layers of chop-strand inside after re grinding down the inside of the hull. I used a laser line and placed tabs along hull at the bed level Made a frame with cedar down center and Y cross supports to the bulkhead. I used the left over gel coat to repaint the inside of the cabin. I found that with just a little sanding of the gelcoat you can repair the fiberglass over it. You can not do that with paint.

Next I found ADVANTEC PERFORMS.COM Flooring tongue and grove . This is stiffer and more water proof then marine plywood. I put a sample piece in hot boiling water and let it cool for 8 hrs. It swelled 1/16 in but kept all of it's strength.

FYI- the lofland 17 only needs one sheet of wood to do the cabin. This is tongue and grove. It took days to think out the best way to do this. I made card board template held togtther with wing nut blots pushed through to help with adjustments . The front 3 feet was a triangle and and side parts like a H-bottom then removed a v center for lift out storage. The v center on the bulkhead was cut out at a angle so that it can not fall through .To hold down the 3 front parts only 3 screws are needed. all the tongue and grove matchup. The cuts at the hull were cut out at an angle to match the hull. I added foam play mats to cabin in the same shape as the wood so you can lift out the V, and Velcro lights.

Flotation in this boat was due to the front cabin being a air tight bed and two side foam floats behind the seats. I had to add flotation because my bed now is not air tight. Also added sand in the front bilge for stability. I made a new fiberglass top for the cabin. It came out almost perfect. Did the boat come with a fiberglass top? I also made a deck top deck cover from fiberglass. Haven't shined that up yet, you can stand on the thing. The only thing now is to make is a fiberglass door with air vents.

If anyone needs a better description or photos contact me.

Now for a few photos inside cabin before, my anchor, my horn form a vacation in St Lucia, inside cabin after.

danw7504@
aol
.com
 

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Feb 20, 2020
28
Lofland Picnic 17' Lake Lanier, GA
Hi Lofland 17 club.

I bought my lofland for 500.00 3 yrs ago and had to redo the cabin.
Nice job on the rebuild. Looks great.
I went a bit more complicated on my cabin rebuild, with a hideaway stove and head.
Still not quite finished yet; as you can see the toilet.
I'm also going to be incorporating some raised cabinetry along the hull walls for things like canned foods, toilet paper, etc, etc.
And a 7" TV/Radio in the middle where the cabin slopes down, and adding a shelf to span the rest of the width.
 

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Jul 4, 2020
6
Lofland 17 picnic lofland aurora
Wow! I like your seats and the fridge. I need to work on mine. My toilet is a 5gl bucket with a foam seat and 13 galbags to toss out. Never had to use it but but can if needed. Did you cut down the bulkhead ? Its kinda a pain to have it a different height then the bed. My hatch is about 36in by 38 in I have not found a good way to attach my home made fiberglass hatch.
I Want to be able to lift it up and k eep it open.

No going out Saturday because it will reach 98deg and no wind but I am going to work on the boat.
See ya
 
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Jul 4, 2020
6
Lofland 17 picnic lofland aurora
Working on mount fot mini kota 55lds thrust. For the port side of the transom. Just Got to say I need to patent My two t designs as I have not seen a good way to mount across a1.75 inch transom that has a lip. You think Kota would have come up with a matching ridged plate to mount with that you can cut down to fit your trasum. So that the Motor wont twist off at speed. Dam, it
 
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Feb 20, 2020
28
Lofland Picnic 17' Lake Lanier, GA
Working on mount fot mini kota 55lds thrust. For the port side of the transom. Just Got to say I need to patent My two t designs as I have not seen a good way to mount across a1.75 inch transom that has a lip. You think Kota would have come up with a matching ridged plate to mount with that you can cut down to fit your trasum. So that the Motor wont twist off at speed. Dam, it
There are transom mounted motor mounts you can buy for a trolling motor. They're generally just a plastic square shaped u-plate you mount up to the transom
 
Feb 20, 2020
28
Lofland Picnic 17' Lake Lanier, GA
My little Picnic about to get a big power grid upgrade!!
Going to add this 100watt panel, and have it double as small Bimini.
Just got to work out the frame, and folding system for it.
This, in conjuction, with the 25, will give a total of 8amps of solar power. (after efficiency losses)
Plenty to keep everything running, simultaneously, without drawing the battery.
 

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vwjay

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Aug 31, 2020
7
Lofland Picnic 17 Long Island sound
Hello, I’m a new Lofland Picnic owner myself. Mine is a 1969 model. It’s far from perfect but reasonably complete and sail-able. Question for you guys/gals. Did these boats have any Coast Guard or Data tags? I can’t find anything in mine that shows the hull/serial number. Any idea of where they would be or what they looked like? I have legit ownership documents for it so not worried about registering it. Just putting all the pieces of the puzzle together.
 
Feb 20, 2020
28
Lofland Picnic 17' Lake Lanier, GA
Hello, I’m a new Lofland Picnic owner myself. Mine is a 1969 model. It’s far from perfect but reasonably complete and sail-able. Question for you guys/gals. Did these boats have any Coast Guard or Data tags? I can’t find anything in mine that shows the hull/serial number. Any idea of where they would be or what they looked like? I have legit ownership documents for it so not worried about registering it. Just putting all the pieces of the puzzle together.
You won't find one on a '69 Lofland. These were manufactured before that was a requirement.
Documentation, from an old sales brochure says it can handle 6 occupants; which I've done.
It handled 6 people quite well, though a bit of a tight squeeze.
 

vwjay

.
Aug 31, 2020
7
Lofland Picnic 17 Long Island sound
Thanks for the reply, I’ve been researching that myself since the post and was rapidly coming to the same conclusion. I guess the sail number is the only way to ID it. Fortunately I still have what I believe to be the original main sail or a replacement with the original sail number.
 
Jul 4, 2020
6
Lofland 17 picnic lofland aurora
Welcome to the very small, very rare boat club. Vwjay.
I have been out sailing around Cherry Creek dam in Aurora Co. 20 times this year so far. We get the strangest winds you can see the wind on the water in the distance. Then it vanish or turns to a different path. For a small lake you think the waves would be small. Sunday I took waves over the bow of the boat, none of the water reached us. The bell shape of the hull gets tossed in high winds. I have added 50 lbs of sand to the bilge in the front of the boat in gallon cranberry juice bottles. I think I might take out two bottles. It can be sailed in 25 35 mph winds but if you try to get your sails in tight you will be turned in to the wind quite fast. My sails are not full size so that might of helped in the winds. Scary very scary. Had to keep going till the wind slowed down to dock.

I will see if i can get a few photos of my rudder set up and post here.
 
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Jul 4, 2020
6
Lofland 17 picnic lofland aurora
Hi all! I hope all is well with the lofland crew. I just added a bilge pump to the front of the boat that if needed I can move it around as I have a have removable storage hatch in the v birth bed. My 12volt lead acid batter is 3 years old so this Xmas I got a 100Ah Lithium ion battery. I have installed a breaker box with bilge switch and 8 breaker switches and two usb ports for cell phones. Above the box is a storage shelf for the phones to sit in. At night it runs fans to cool the bead room. I hope to install my mast and anchor light. Just not sure on how to place on mast I have to have it removable. Thinking about placing wires in mast with pool noodles cut up to keep it from tapping the inside of mast and keeping you up at night. I have the led lights.

O did i forget to tell you I got hit by a 2nd jet ski last year. Yep he stopped down wind of me and got spooked as the boat
drifted sideways a little. He decided to get away from me but was to close and ran in to the boat then as the handle bar hit the boat he fell back and gassed it and pop the ski up and hit hard just below the front hull deck joint ripping the glass and rub rail up. This being my 5th glass job it took me a week or so to fix this for the winter. The push from this also broke my weak tiller handle. At least it did not break my rudder box . Just got done with the rebuild of the tiller handle last week.
FYI epoxies do not penetrate hickory. I am now 62 and still having fun on this old boat......
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I will tryto post photos for you enjoyment. lol
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Jul 25, 2022
1
Lofland Picnic 17 PICNIC 17 BROKEN BOW
Howdy! Maybe the second time around will work. I am the very proud owner of one of these wonderful little boats. Like everyone else here it seems, I have little information on which to rely in order to restore to it's former glory my boat. Beginning to believe I may never know for sure what year it actually is.
 
Jul 4, 2020
6
Lofland 17 picnic lofland aurora
Thinking about this year on the lake. I am now 64Yo just lost my wife due to sepsis. I miss her so much. She went out with me a lot. We even got a slip and spent two nights on it with the dog. Good times! I will post soon.

I plan to add lead and glass it in to the bilge, and remove the 40lb of sand. Picked up a 200AH lithium battery so I dont have to bring my 5 hp eska outboard motor, I will use 55ld thrust electric motor should make it around my small lake 15 times. It just a little slower. I usually have both on the boat. I hope more this small club keeps posting.