Sparrow 16
Description
The Sparrow 16, introduced in 1978 by Northshore Marine of Bothell, Washington, is a classic fiberglass trailer-sailer that exemplifies the "pocket cruiser" philosophy of the late 1970s. Designed by company founder Chuck Gaylord, the Sparrow 16 was developed as a more substantial, cabin-equipped successor to the Sparrow 12 dinghy. While the production run ended in 1984, the vessel remains a staple in the Pacific Northwest small-boat community, prized for its simplicity, ease of trailering, and ability to navigate shallow coastal waters. Unlike its smaller sibling, which was an open-cockpit daysailer, the Sparrow 16 was engineered to offer a bridge between recreational day-sailing and overnight coastal "gunkholing."
Construction Details
| Designer | Ron Holder |
|---|---|
| Builder | Northshore Marine |
| Length | 16.000 ft |
| LOA | 16.330 ft |
| LWL | 14.500 ft |
| Beam | 6.500 ft |
| Displacement | 900 lb |
| Ballast | 350 lb |
| Max Draft | 1.830 ft |
| Min Draft | 1.640 ft |
| Year Built | 1978 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 15.92 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 5.25 ft |
| p | 17.42 ft |
| e | 7.75 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15.92 ft | 5.25 ft | 17.42 ft | 7.75 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Sparrow 16 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 17.42 ft - (5310 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 7.75 ft - (2362 mm) |
| Leech | * 18.65 ft - (5685 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 18.82 ft - (5736 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 3.5 in - (89 mm) |
| Area | * 69.68 ft² |
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Sparrow 16 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 13.41 ft - (4087 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 6.99 ft - (2131 mm) |
| Leech | * 11.59 ft - (3533 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115.05 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 6.04 ft - (1841 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.97 ° |
| Area | * 40.5 ft² |
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Sparrow 16 - GENOA
| Luff | * 15.93 ft - (4855 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 8.51 ft - (2594 mm) |
| Leech | * 14.96 ft - (4560 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150.1 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 7.88 ft - (2402 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.94 ° |
| Area | * 62.76 ft² |
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Sparrow 16 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 15.93 ft - (4855 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 9.45 ft - (2880 mm) |
| Foot | * 9.45 ft - (2880 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 128 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
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. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.
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