The design isn’t a standard small keelboat with a few accessibility features added. Instead, the helm and every sail control are arranged around a forward-facing centerline seat, allowing a quadriplegic sailor to sail solo without leaving position or relying on crew.
Design and Construction
The hull is a molded, cored fiberglass shell with a fully bonded hull-to-deck joint. The inner hull has internal foam flotation, so the boat remains afloat even when completely flooded.
A 300-pound lead bulb hangs from the daggerboard. KAPE Boatworks, the yard currently producing the design, has added reinforcement to the deck, stern, and bow, along with a composite rudder blade made from foam, fiberglass, and vinyl ester resin.
The Martin 16 has a plumb bow, a narrow 4-foot-4 beam, a bulb keel, and an open transom. Writing in Canadian Boating, one tester described it as a miniature America’s Cup yacht. Its modern mini-IMS hull shape carries 730 pounds of displacement against 330 pounds of lead ballast.
The capsize screening figure is 1.93. The boat’s described impossible-to-capsize behavior is attributed to its low, heavy bulb, while owners on San Diego Bay report that it simply won’t turtle or sink.
Rig, Controls, and Handling
The fractional sloop rig uses tapered, anodized aluminum Selden spars, vinyl-coated stainless steel rigging, and Harken Carbo blocks and cleats. A high boom helps keep sailors’ heads clear, and the boat has a self-tacking jib.
All control lines lead to the helm seat and lock in cam cleats, with no winches to maintain. The sailor can steer using either a joystick between the legs or a vertical control pushed from side to side. A tiller handle above the rudder allows someone in the rear seat to steer.
The Martin 16 is forgiving enough to sail with the sails untrimmed and can be sailed nearly flat in many conditions. In light air, it moves with a breath of wind, although a paddle may be needed to complete a tack in a narrow fairway during the calmest conditions.
Canadian Boating found the helm light and responsive, with negligible wake. The tester also considered its performance sufficiently uncompromised to appeal to club racers ranging from their thirties to their seventies as a one-design. Its PHRF ratings are 277 without a spinnaker and 261 with the optional asymmetric spinnaker.
Adaptive Layout
Two forward-facing seats are mounted on the centerline. The sailor sits in a fully adjustable, removable molded-fiberglass chair with a belt. A second seat behind accommodates an instructor or companion.
From the forward seat, the sailor can control the entire boat without shifting from side to side as they would on a conventional boat. For sailors with limited arm strength, a battery-powered Power Assist Unit connects to the sheets and steering. A single gentle push on its joystick controls the mainsail, jib, and helm. Sailors without the use of their hands can use a sip-and-puff interface: two straws operate the steering and sheets through breath control.
The layout can accommodate a wide range of disabilities, allowing children and adults to leave their wheelchairs behind for recreation, instruction, or racing.
Known Issues and Maintenance
Power Assist Units can be difficult to repair without electronics expertise. When one fails, it may need to go to a shop.
Craig Dennis reports that the most frequent repairs involve fiberglass damage after boats strike one another or other objects. Running rigging is another regular maintenance item and lasts around five years in the southern California sun.
KAPE Boatworks has changed some details, and newer versions don’t use all the same components as older boats. As a result, parts for older Martin 16s are becoming harder to source. There are also small differences among versions built by different yards.
The combination of an open transom and low freeboard can make the cockpit wet in chop or when the boat meets a wake at the wrong angle. Positive buoyancy and a manual pump handle this water.
Refits, Trailering, and Ownership
KAPE Boatworks’ improvements include the bonded hull-to-deck joint, reinforced structure, composite rudder, and a 24:1 purchase keel-lifting system for the 330-pound lifting keel.
One simple owner modification uses a length of PVC pipe to extend the vertical steering control and reduce the force needed to steer.
The Martin 16 trails easily and has a total capacity of 400 pounds for two people. Its narrow beam and light displacement make it straightforward to trailer, while the lifting keel simplifies transport and launching. The self-tacking jib also keeps close-quarters maneuvering simple. Martin 16s serve adaptive sailing programs worldwide.
The Verdict
The Martin 16 is a purpose-engineered answer to accessible sailing, not a modified standard boat. Its stability comes from a deliberate combination of ballast and flotation, while its control layout gives a severely disabled sailor the ability to operate the boat independently.
Its compromises are those of a very small keelboat: limited capacity, running-rigging wear caused by sun exposure, and a wet cockpit in rough water. For programs and individuals who need this level of accessibility, few designs offer such a complete adaptation.
Pros
- Described as impossible to capsize or sink because of its lead bulb and foam flotation
- Sail and steering controls are reachable from a fixed centerline seat
- Power Assist and sip-and-puff options enable disabled sailors to sail solo
- Trailerable, with a lifting keel and simple cam-cleat rigging
Cons
- Running rigging lasts roughly five years under heavy sun exposure
- Parts for older boats are becoming harder to find following changes between yards and versions
- The open transom can make for a wet ride in waves and wakes
- Two-person, 400-pound capacity limits crew and gear
