Design
Orca 16
Designed by Evan Gatehouse
A 15 ft 7 in sea kayak designed by Evan Gatehouse for Bateau / Boat Builder Central, plan SK16. It is a full redesign of the Orca 17 for smaller paddlers of roughly 100 to 160 lb, with a flatter aft deck and the same peaked foredeck that sheds waves. Beam is 23 in and design displacement 305 lb. A shallow vee gives reassuring initial stability for day trips or tours of up to a week.
Stitch and glue in thin 4 mm plywood with light glass. Not difficult, but recommended for builders with one stitch and glue project behind them. The designer's estimate is 30 hours; a more typical budget is 70 to 120. Real hours from logged builds are below.
What building a Orca 16 actually takes
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Builds of this boat
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Start the first log of this boatBoats like this one
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| Design | Plans from | LOA | Logs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sassafras 16 Canoe | Chesapeake Light Craft | 15′ 7″ (4.75 m) | 0 |
| Swift Canoe 16 | Bateau | 15′ 7″ (4.75 m) | 0 |
| Fisher Prospector | Selway Fisher Design | 15′ 7″ (4.76 m) | 0 |
| Chesapeake 16LT | Chesapeake Light Craft | 15′ 6″ (4.74 m) | 0 |
| Chesapeake 16 | Chesapeake Light Craft | 15′ 8″ (4.78 m) | 0 |
| Diva Kayak | B&B Yacht Designs | 15′ 8″ (4.78 m) | 0 |