Design and Construction
The hull is a molded, cored fiberglass shell with internal foam flotation and a fully bonded hull/deck joint, and the inner hull is filled with foam so the boat floats even when totally flooded internal foam flotation. A 300-pound lead keel bulb hangs from the daggerboard, and KAPE Boatworks—the yard currently producing the design—added a reinforced deck, stern, and bow along with a composite rudder blade of foam, fiberglass, and vinyl ester resin. With a plumb bow, narrow 4-foot-4 beam, bulb keel, and open transom, writing in Canadian Boating one tester described the boat as a miniature America's Cup yacht, and the modern mini-IMS hull shape carries 730 pounds of displacement against 330 of lead ballast. The capsize screening figure of 1.93 and the impossible-to-capsize behavior both trace to that low, heavy bulb; owners in San Diego Bay report it simply will not turtle or sink.
Rig and Handling
The fractional sloop rig uses tapered anodized aluminum Selden spars, vinyl-coated stainless steel rigging, and Harken carbo blocks and cleats, with a high boom that keeps heads clear self-tacking jib. All control lines lead to the helm's seat and lock in cam cleats; there are no winches to maintain. Steering is a joystick between the legs or a vertical control pushed left and right, while a tiller handle above the rudder lets the rear seat steer. The boat is forgiving and will sail untrimmed, can be sailed nearly flat in many conditions, and in light air moves with a breath of wind—though in the calmest conditions a paddle may be needed to finish a tack in a narrow fairway. Canadian Boating found the helm responsive and light, the wake negligible, and the performance no-compromise enough that club racers from their thirties to seventies would enjoy it as a one-design. PHRF rates 277 non-spinnaker and 261 with the optional asymmetric spinnaker.
Accommodations and Adaptive Layout
Two forward-facing seats sit on the centerline; the sailor's fully adjustable molded fiberglass chair is removable and belted, and a second seat behind holds an instructor or companion. From that front seat the sailor controls everything without shifting side to side as on a standard boat. For those with limited arm strength, a battery-powered Power Assist Unit connects to sheets and steering so a single gentle joystick push handles main, jib, and helm; for sailors with no hand use, a sip-and-puff interface with two straws works the steering and sheets by breath. The design easily adapts to a wide variety of disabilities, letting children and adults leave wheelchairs behind for recreation, instruction, or racing.
Known Issues
The Power Assist Units can be hard to repair without electronics expertise, and when they fail they may need a shop. Craig Dennis reports the most frequent repairs are to fiberglass after boats strike each other or objects, and to running rigging, which lasts around five years in the southern California sun. Because KAPE Boatworks changed some details, parts for older boats are getting harder to source as newer versions do not use all the same components, and small differences exist between versions from different yards. The open transom and low freeboard mean the boat can be wet in chop or when hitting a wake from the wrong angle, though positive buoyancy and a manual pump handle the water.
Refits and Ownership
KAPE Boatworks improvements include the bonded joint, reinforced structure, composite rudder, and a 24:1 purchase keel lift system for the 330-pound lifting keel. A simple owner adaptation adds a length of PVC pipe to extend the vertical steering control and reduce steering force. The boat trails easily, carries a 400-pound total capacity for two people, and serves adapted programs worldwide. Its narrow beam and light displacement make it a straightforward trailerable, while the self-tacking jib keeps close-quarters maneuvering simple.
The Verdict
The Martin 16 is a genuinely engineered answer to accessible sailing rather than a modified standard boat. Its stability comes from a deliberate ballast-and-flotation package, and its control layout lets a severely disabled sailor operate independently. The trade-offs are those of any tiny keelboat: limited capacity, sun-driven rigging wear, and a wet cockpit in rough water. For programs and individuals who need it, few designs match the completeness of the adaptation.
Pros
- Impossible to capsize or sink due to lead bulb and foam flotation
- All sail and steering controls reachable from a fixed centerline seat
- Power Assist and sip-and-puff options enable solo disabled sailing
- Trailerable with lifting keel and simple cam-cleat rigging
Cons
- Running rigging wears out in roughly five years of sun exposure
- Older-boat parts increasingly hard to find after yard changes
- Open transom makes for a wet ride in waves and wakes
- Only two-person, 400-pound capacity limits crew and gear
