Hartley TS16/18/21

Hartley TS16/18/21

This range of multichine plywood trailer sailers were designed by Richard Hartley beginning in the late 1950s for home construction. The TS16 was the first truly trailable sailing boat which incorporated accommodation. His genius for design and identifying the need for yachts that gave a little more room and comfort than that offered by Off-the-Beach yachts initiated a whole industry. TS16's have been built in Australia since 1963, and there are records of TS18's and 21's being built in the early 1970s.

The Hartley TS16 is the most popular trailer sailer in Australia. It is a clean lined, conventional trailer sailer with performance and versatility proven over more than 30 years. It is light, easy to rig, launch and retrieve and can be towed comfortably by a four-cylinder car. Many Hartley TS16s have been built by amateur builders and this is a popular way of acquiring one at a reasonable cost. This emphasis on people building their own boat has continued for well over a decade. The advent of fiberglass trailable boats and increasing materials cost has meant a decline in the practice of "Build Your Own". However the number of Hartley TS16 TS18 and TS21 boats that have been built meant the continuing popularity of the class as an economical entry to sailing.