After walking through row after row of big, bodacious, multi-engine center console fishing boats at the Annapolis Powerboat Show, it was one of the smallest boats tucked back in a corner that got me the most excited: the Cotton Thomas Calvert 16 by Mispillion Marine. Its roots trace back several decades to Lusby, MD, where boatbuilder Cotton Thomas offered this 16’ and an 18’ as well as custom designs, back in the 1980s. Mispillion Marine in Milford, DE, got ahold of one of the molds, and has breathed new life into this V-hull skiff.
The best thing about the Cotton Thomas Calvert 16 is how simple it is, and—let’s be honest here, people—how inexpensive it is. We eschew printing prices on these pages because they change so quickly and vary so much depending on options, but Mispillion has a starting point of $16,400 for the bare boat (excluding power) on their website and the boat they showed in Annapolis, with all the bells and whistles and a 60-hp Tohatsu on the transom, ran just under $30K. And we give bonus points to Mispillion for transparency on this count, because unlike many boatbuilders you can easily price out all the different options, from trailers to Bimini tops, right on their website.
The base boat consists of a hull and self-bailing deck, a 19-gallon integrated fuel tank, hardware, running lights, and an elevated enclosed foredeck with stowage compartments. You can choose to have a center console and leaning post, or opt for the boat in a tiller-steer version with a wide-open deck. Such simplicity means there’s very little to maintain, and very little to go wrong with the boat.
What about construction? Again, simple is a keyword, but along with it add “stout.” Stringers are molded glass and the deck is Coosa-cored. When I climbed aboard and did some stomping and shaking everything felt nice and solid. The gunwale cap gives the boat an upgraded look from regular rolled-edge skiffs and the gelcoat work was flaw-free. In fact, the level of finish work on the model I saw was a grade above what one usually finds on small skiffs of this nature and closer to custom styled than mass-produced.
The boat’s rated for up to 75 horses, but Mispillion says a 60-hp powerplant is ideal for this rig. It keeps cost and weight relatively low, while delivering a top-end over 30 mph (they say they’ve hit 33.5 on sea trials). And truth be told, there isn’t a 16-footer on the planet that really needs to go any faster than that.
When it comes to finding a small, simple, relatively inexpensive skiff, your choices in this day and age are depressingly limited. And the few that are available new tend to be mass-produced boats that are short on character and pricier than expected. If you’re looking for a boat that’s perfect for a morning of crabbing, an afternoon of fishing, and a full day of fun on the tributaries, the Cotton Thomas Calvert 16 offers an option that shouldn’t be missed.
Cotton Thomas Calvert 16 Specifications
- LOA – 16’0”
- Beam – 6’9”
- Displacement – 950/lbs. (tiller)
- Transom Deadrise – 12 degrees
- Fuel Capacity – 19 gal.
- Max. Power – 75 hp
- For more information visit the Mispillion Marine website.