Hvalsoe 16 (HV 16)

Description

The Hvalsoe 16 (often abbreviated HV-16) is a lightweight, traditional lapstrake (clinker-built) dinghy designed by Eric Hvalsoe of Hvalsoe Boats in Shoreline, Washington, as part of a series (including the Hvalsoe 13 and 18) inspired by the wooden boat revival in the Seattle area since the 1970s. First produced in 2001, it is built primarily in cedar (plank-on-frame construction) for classic aesthetics, strength, and low weight, with a focus on excellent rowing performance combined with capable sailing under a simple, traditional rig—typically a spritsail (around 65 sq ft) or balanced lug yawl in some builds. It features a centerboard for shallow draft versatility, making it ideal for daysailing, camp cruising, beach launching, sail-and-oar adventures (e.g., events like the Salish 100), and use in protected waters or near-shore coastal gunkholing. Eric Hvalsoe builds them to order, teaches construction classes (e.g., at the Center for Wooden Boats), and has influenced student-built examples; production is custom/small-scale (dozens built over two decades, not mass-produced), with rave reviews for its stability, speed under oars/sail, and handling in challenging conditions.