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Plans for the Candlefish 16 from Devlin Designing Boat Builders
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A sleek red Candlefish waits at the water's edge.
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A green Candlefish 16 pulled up to the shoreline.
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Candlefish 16 casting deck in front of the Chesapeake Light Craft shop
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Candlefish 16
Plans for the Candlefish 16 from Devlin Designing Boat Builders Thumbnail
A sleek red Candlefish waits at the water's edge. Thumbnail
A green Candlefish 16 pulled up to the shoreline. Thumbnail
Candlefish 16 casting deck in front of the Chesapeake Light Craft shop Thumbnail
Candlefish 16 Thumbnail

Candlefish 16

Builder Testimonials

The Candlefish 16 is a burdensome fishing skiff. that is deep and seaworthy enough to keep her occupants dry, yet light enough to launch off the beach, she’s perfect with a 10- to 30-hp outboard.

  • Skill Level Advanced
  • Estimated Build Time 300 Hours

Builders undertaking this kit should be comfortable reading traditional boat plans, and have at their disposal stationary tools such as a tablesaw and a bandsaw. The drawings and documentation assume a good working knowledge of woodworking, epoxy, and fiberglass techniques.

The builder's desired finish—"from workboat-style" to "Concours"—and the level of detail in outfitting will impact construction time significantly.

Build this boat if...

  • You consider fishing in your own boat to be one of life's most worthy activities
  • You are looking for a strong and rugged boat in which you can feel safe whether in open water
  • You would like to have a cockpit big enough to bring a few friends along.

  • Classic Appeal

    Traditional looks that will never age

  • For Woodcrafters

    Boatbuilders, sharpen your block planes! 

  • Versatile

    A design that does everything well

Classic Appeal

Some might argue that small craft design reached the zenith of looks and performance in the 19th century. We wouldn't disagree. Designs like this one will still look good in a hundred years.

If you love woodworking, this is a project where you get to make wood shavings. You'll need to be comfortable with a sharp plane and a Japanese pull-saw, but the reward is a work of craftsmanship that's all your own.

Fast but comfortable, comfortable but sleek, sophisticated but easy to build, elegant but straightforward. If you're going to have just one boat...

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Shipping & Returns

Builders also looked at...

Plan view of Candlefish 16

We Can Help You Build This Boat

We offer classes for many of the boats we sell. For boats, such as this one, we can offer private classes upon request. Some customers also ask us to build the boat for them.
Plans for the Candlefish 16 from Devlin Designing Boat Builders

Plans for the Candlefish 16 from Devlin Designing Boat Builders

A sleek red Candlefish waits at the water's edge.

A sleek red Candlefish waits at the water's edge.

A green Candlefish 16 pulled up to the shoreline.

A green Candlefish 16 pulled up to the shoreline.

Candlefish 16 casting deck in front of the Chesapeake Light Craft shop

Candlefish 16 casting deck in front of the Chesapeake Light Craft shop

Candlefish 16
Plans for the Candlefish 16 from Devlin Designing Boat Builders Thumbnail
A sleek red Candlefish waits at the water's edge. Thumbnail
A green Candlefish 16 pulled up to the shoreline. Thumbnail
Candlefish 16 casting deck in front of the Chesapeake Light Craft shop Thumbnail
Candlefish 16 Thumbnail

Specifications

Length
16' 2.25"
Beam
82"
Draft
7.5"
Hull Weight Dry: 3/8" Plywood
630 lbs
Hull Weight Dry: 1/2" Plywood
750 lbs
Max Horsepower
30-hp

Performance

Stability

5 out of 5
Very Tippy
Very Stable

Speed

5 out of 5
Cruiser
Racer

Cockpit Room

5 out of 5
Close Fit
Huge Cockpit

Payload

5 out of 5
Day Tripper
Freight Hauler

Ease of Construction

1 out of 5
Requires Patience
Very Easy

Overview

The Candlefish 16 is a burdensome fishing skiff. Deep and seaworthy, it is wonderfully suited to life in the changeable weather and strong tides of Washington's Puget Sound. Deep enough to keep her occupants dry, yet light enough to launch off the beach, she’s perfect with a 10- to 30-hp outboard.

Lockable storage and enclosed flotation augment the factor of safety and add a great deal of rigidity to her 16-foot length. She’s the boating version of a pickup truck: strong, rugged, and versatile.

The Candlefish 16 is easy to build to a workboat fit and finish, or take as much time as you want to showcase your craftsmanship. The choice is yours, but either way she makes a wonderful utility skiff.

The Casting Deck version of the Candlefish 16 has a small foredeck and generous side-decks to complement the raised fishing platform that covers the forward half of the boat and that helps the casting fisherman to do his work. Underneath his feet is a large compartment for all kinds of fishing equipment and boat supplies.

Both versions are a great way to get you to your fishing grounds quickly, and a wonderful place to relax as you enjoy the wait for the fish to bite.

We offer both imperial and metric dimensions on our plans.

LOA:  16′ 2-1/4" --  4.94m

Beam:  6’ 10" --  2.08m

Draft:  7.5″ --  19.0 cm

Max HP:  30-hp


Buying Options

Choose Your Boatbuilding Experience

Building your boat begins with selecting the option that best fits your skill level and shop size.

  1. Select Your Configuration

    Build From a Kit:
    Most builders will start with the Base Kit. Everything’s there.
    Build From Scratch:
    Source your own materials and hardware, and work from full-sized patterns.
    Build From a Wood Parts Only Kit:
    We provide the CNC-cut wooden parts and timber. Typical "wood parts only" kit buyers have their own supply of epoxy, fiberglass, and hardware.
    Order Study Plans or Manuals:
    Like to study up a bit first? Download study plans or a copy of the assembly manual.

  2. Choose Options and Add-Ons

    Additional Components:
    Some of our boats have options such as a center console. Many boats can be enhanced with nonskid decking, storage covers, trailers, and more.

  3. Get Building!

    Computer-cut kits feature all of the latest tweaks to ease assembly, including slot-together frames, pre-drilled holes for stitching-and-gluing, puzzle joints, and precision in the fitting of parts.

Standard Configuration

Every builder will need the Candlefish 16 CNC-cut hull parts and building plans.

$45.00

Devlin's Boat Building Manual: How to Build Your Boat the Sti...

Devlin's Boat Building Manual: How to Build Your Boat the Stitch-and-Glue Way, Second Edition,  Second Edition.

The bible of modern backyard wooden boatbuilding, expanded with new designs, improved techniques, and in a larger format.

Videos

A Legacy of Craftsmanship: Devlin Wooden Boat Building

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I order this kit?

Click on the Buying Options tab the top left of this page and follow the directions.

How much does this boat weigh and how much can it carry?

The weight and payload of this boat, along with other statistics such length and beam, can be found under Specs in the Specifications section, which is just below the lead image seen at the top of this page.

Can you send me the plans digitally?

Sorry, but until digital rights management technology for marine architectural work catches up to that used for books and music, we are unable to transmit digital plans. Currently, only study plans and manuals can be sent digitally.

Candlefish 16 Exterior

Closeup of exterior rail.

Candlefish 16 Exterior

Exterior port quarter closeup looking forward.

Candlefish 16 Interior

Looking toward the bow.

Candlefish 16 Interior

Looking toward the stern.

Classes

We Can Help You Build This Boat

We offer classes for many of the boats we sell. For boats, such as this one, we can offer private classes upon request. Some customers also ask us to build the boat for them.

View Classes

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