BOAT REVIEW: Sparrow 16


Te remarkably comfortable cabin and competent performance of this rug- ged little cruiser leſt us wondering how we’d failed to notice her sooner.


I


t was 1970, halcyon days for fiber- glass boatbuilders. Oil prices were at near historic lows, resin flowed


almost like water, and fiberglass sailboats were hot. Hollywood TV producer turned boatbuilder, Herb Stewart, was already building the West Wight Potter 14 and his H.M.S. 18 (later called the Potter 19) when he decided to round out the line with his newly designed Sparrow 12—the smallest ever produc- tion microcruiser. But Stewart’s plans were disrupted


when a calculating acquaintance al- legedly ordered Sparrow hull number five without windows and proceeded to make a bootleg mold—known in the industry as a “splash-off.” Soon a virtual twin of the Sparrow—the “Guppy 13,” was being marketed by Melen Marine of Encino, California. A couple years later West Wight


Potter dealer Chuck Gaylord, who owned Northshore Marine in Bothell, Washington, purchased the rights from Herb Stewart to build Sparrow 12s. With Sparrows and Guppies in direct competition for sales at boat shows, Stewart initiated legal proceedings against Melen Marine. An apparently lubberly judge ruled that a boat design could not be copyrighted and decided in Melen’s favor. Their legal battle behind them and


the Guppy 13 selling well, Melen Ma- rine sought to expand the line with the introduction of a larger boat. Melen commissioned respected Naval Archi- tect Ron Holder, creator of the Holder 12, Vagabond 17, Holder 20 and others. We spoke with Ron who told us he


was careful not to neglect sailing ability in the design of the new Guppy 16. “I think many designers ignore per-


formance when drawing small utility cruising boats. The ability of his boat to sail well is as important to a cruising sailor as a racing sailor. Tacking off a lee shore, making it to a safe harbor ahead of bad weather, reaching an unfamiliar port ahead of darkness are all good rea- sons to demand performance out of any type of boat.”


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Holder also had to take into account


the builder’s desire for shallow draſt and reasonable production costs. “A shoal keel was chosen for its low


manufacturing cost and its utility for ramp launching and cruising shallow lakes. To offset the shallowness of the keel I moved the cross section quite a bit forward and relied on the rudder for additional liſt. Tis combination of changes gives the boat a little bit of a dinghy feel, which is good. Te steering is very responsive as well. Te cross-sections of the keel and rudder are also key to the performance of the boat.” Aſter the Guppy 16 launched, Melen


Marine, who’d apparently been extending themselves building Guppy 13s for sale on a consignment basis, and was by now undoubtedly facing higher resin prices and a tanking economy, ran aground. Only four Guppy 16s were ever built. About a year aſter Melen Marine sunk,


Chuck Gaylord and Northshore Marine acquired the molds for the Guppy 16 at auction, and renamed her the Sparrow 16. Tis larger Sparrow went on to be- come Northshore’s best seller with more than 150 produced. According to Gaylord the boat was


popular for good reason. “She was a real good performer. I was


a Potter dealer at the time and the 16 would sail circles around the (H.M.S.) 18.”


He also recalled being impressed


with her speed on other occasions. “Years after we’d stopped building


them, my son and I were sailing aboard his Ericson 32 when we spotted a 16 headed downwind with a kite. I said to my son, ‘Let’s sail up there and talk to him.’ No chance. We never could catch him. Te bottom of that boat is built like a sled. It does real well even in light airs.” Gaylord built and sold another


Holder design, a sleeker, perfor- mance-oriented 17-foot centerboarder, but he says there was no comparison. “You know what? Te 16 was faster.


It was just a better boat.” The Sparrow was also fairly stout.


Although Holder had already specified 250 pounds of ballast, Northshore Marine built them with 350 pounds of lead and cement. And Gaylord says they went heavy on the fiberglass. “We tried to build them like big


boats.” They also disregarded specifi- cations that called for balsa coring and went with solid fiberglass throughout. With the additional ballast and ‘glass, Holder told him the boat was probably too heavy. “He was probably right. But the boat


ABOVE—A 1979 Sparrow 16 showing her chine in light air.


RIGHT—A simple 3-stay rig, loose-footed main and fixed lead on the 110 jib. Winches are rarely needed with this headsail. Dennis Brooks at the helm. Photos Debra Colvin


SMALL CRAFT ADVISOR


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