Martin 16

1996 May 12
By Robert H. Perry

Small boatr

My favorite boat this month is this exciting design from Don Martin in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Martin 16 was designed to bring the joys of sailing to a "diverse group of sailors." Sailors with disabilities will find the Martin 16 allows them to sail competitively with able-bodied sailors. The beauty of Martin's design is that in the end, he produced a boat that has appeal to sailors of all abilities. The Martin 16 is a beautifully refined design, elegant in every way.

The boat features a lifting fin with bulb keel with 300 pounds of lead in the bulb. The narrow, meter-boatlike hull form is slippery and attractive. The depth of the canoe body allows the sailor, seated in a contoured chair, to sit well down in the boat for safety. Have you ever noticed that the closer your eye level is to the water, the faster it seems you are going? There is room aft of the adjustable seat for an instructor. There is a spray deflector to keep water out of the cockpit.

The boat is steered by a joystick allowing the skipper to always face forward toward the sail controls clustered around the command position. This console is also adjustable. Special automated systems are also available for steering, sail trimming and bilge pumping, including sip-and-puff controls for quadriplegic sailors. The ganged sheet arrangement means that both main and jib are trimmed with one line.

It's impossible not to love this boat. The boat was test-sailed by Danny McCoy. McCoy had been paralyzed in a car accident and had given up all thought of ever sailing again despite numerous invitations. Reluctantly he agreed to try out the Martin 16. "After my accident, sailing was a distant thought--it provided me with many great memories as I was lying in my bed at the hospital. But being on the water again was one of the most exciting things that has happened to me since my accident." Imagine Don Martin's satisfaction.