American Sail Inc...American 14.6
Description
Overview of the American 16.5 Sailboat The American 16.5 sailboat, often referred to as the American 16 or A16, is a classic fiberglass day-sailer designed for recreational use, particularly for beginners, families, or solo sailors on inland waters like lakes or calm bays. Produced in the 1970s by American Fiberglass Corporation (a division of General Recreation Corporation), it's a compact monohull emphasizing stability, simplicity, and ease of trailering. At approximately 16 feet in length (with some sources listing it as 16.5 feet LOA including overhangs), it features a fractional sloop rig and a retractable centerboard for shallow draft, making it ideal for beaching or easy launching. Measurements taken from factory sails Main Luff 15.017 Leech 11.096 Foot 8.017 Jib Luff 13.079 Leech 12.017 Fot 6.017 FLeeh
The standard boat dimensions
| i | - |
|---|---|
| j | - |
| p | - |
| e | - |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 15.5 ft - (4724 mm) |
| Foot | 8.33 ft - (2539 mm) |
| Leech | * 17.13 ft - (5221 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.93 ° |
| Diagonal | 17.33 ft - (5282 mm) |
| Head (inches) | 4 in - (102 mm) |
| Area | * 66.82 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 13.79 ft - (4203 mm) |
| Foot | 6.17 ft - (1881 mm) |
| Leech | 12.17 ft - (3709 mm) |
| Length Perpendicular | * 5.44 ft - (1658 mm) |
| Area | * 37.53 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 13.67 ft - (4167 mm) |
| Foot | 6.25 ft - (1905 mm) |
| Leech | 12.167 ft - (3709 mm) |
| Length Perpendicular | * 5.56 ft - (1695 mm) |
| Area | * 38.02 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 13.75 ft - (4191 mm) |
| Foot | 6.35 ft - (1935 mm) |
| Leech | 12.15 ft - (3703 mm) |
| Length Perpendicular | * 5.61 ft - (1710 mm) |
| Area | * 38.58 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 15 ft - (4572 mm) |
| Foot | 9 ft - (2743 mm) |
| Leech | 13 ft - (3962 mm) |
| Area | * 101 ft² |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite.