Glen L Sweet Sixteen 19ft Custom Built Wooden Boat

The Sweet Sixteen is a playful and elegant utility vessel, instantly recognizable by its rhythmic lapstrake hull and warm, honey-colored varnished decks. Designed with a versatile, open cockpit and a stable beam, the Sweet Sixteen offers a secure and inviting environment for family outings or teaching the next generation to boat. Its aesthetic is one of 'classic charm'-emphasizing clean lines, functional hardware, and the natural beauty of high-grade wood. Our workshop builds faithful recreations using premium marine Mahogany, Western Red Cedar, and Teak-reinforced with fiberglass cloth and sealed with high-grade marine epoxy. Each boat is handcrafted using authentic lapstrake (clinker) methods, with each plank meticulously fitted and finished with multiple coats of marine spar varnish to achieve deep gloss and long-lasting protection. The interior is updated with modern marine-grade vinyls while retaining the period-correct aesthetic and polished hardware. Typical build time ranges from 4-6 months depending on customization. General Characteristics: - Classic lapstrake (clinker-built) hull for a forgiving lake ride - Open-cockpit layout with versatile bench or back-to-back seating - Classic raked windshield with polished frames - Reliable outboard propulsion system Dimension: - Length Overall (LOA): 16ft - Beam: Approx. 6ft - Draft: Approx. 1.2 ft - Passenger Capacity: Typically 4-5 persons - Original Power: 35-60hp Outboard Performance & Use: Designed for comfort and confident cruising, the Sweet Sixteen excels on inland lakes and calm river reaches. Its hull is engineered to pop onto a plane easily and remain exceptionally dry, offering a smooth, stable platform for social entertaining or leisurely exploration. It remains the ultimate choice for those who appreciate a 'user-friendly' classic with a rich family pedigree. This wooden boat crafted by us is built from Glen-l, with full credit given to the original designers. For each custom commission, we acquire the appropriate plans and construct the vessel to order-offering both full-size boats and finely detailed scale models. The Sweet Sixteen is the definitive icon of the 'golden age' of family runabouts, a design that captured the heart of post-war America. Born from the desire for a compact, stylish, and easy-to-handle boat that could fit in a standard garage, the Sweet Sixteen was refined to be the most approachable wooden boat in the world. It represents the 'everyman's masterpiece'-a vessel that brought the beauty of varnished mahogany to thousands of families. Celebrated for its 'fun-sized' agility and user-friendly handling, the Sweet Sixteen was the preferred choice for those who valued simplicity and the joy of a Saturday afternoon on the lake. Its design focuses on being lightweight and easy to tow, yet it retains the same 'soft ride' and dry decks that made lapstrake construction famous. This legacy of accessible craftsmanship has made the Sweet Sixteen one of the most beloved and nostalgia-filled names in the history of wooden boating.