Design
Swift Canoe 16
Designed by Jacques Mertens
A 15 ft 7 in square-stern outboard canoe by Jacques Mertens for Bateau. The fine hull moves fast on little power with a small wake, and with the 6 hp maximum the designer says it will plane with two people aboard. Beam is 4 ft 3 in and hull weight about 175 lb. The plywood bottom is fiberglassed inside and out to above the waterline for a stiff composite skin,.
Stitch and glue with mostly straight panel edges, no scarfing and no special tools; the designer says a first-time builder can build it. The designer's figure is under 20 hours to assemble the hull and 50 hours at most for a show finish. A beginner might budget 50 to 90. Measured medians from build logs appear below.
What building a Swift Canoe 16 actually takes
Medians from the build logs kept on this site, not the designer’s estimate. Nobody has logged this boat here yet, so they are empty until the first builder does.
Those medians firm up as more people log this boat.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orca 16 | Bateau | 15′ 7″ (4.75 m) | 0 |
| Sassafras 16 Canoe | Chesapeake Light Craft | 15′ 7″ (4.75 m) | 0 |
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| 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 |