Sails

[atrometer]

I've read that a 150 genoa  (large) is required to get a 16 "to sail" - is this correct?  When reefing I assume the genoa would come down 1st, then reef the main - is this correct? Probable new owner!

[carry-on]

I think the 16 sails great and it is a strong little gem. My boat has a 120% jib with 5oz. material.  With 8-10 knots of wind, hull speed ( I use 5 knots for hull speed) is not tough to attain. You need good sails.
Now at 3-4 knots of wind, I think a genoa with light weight material would be great. This afternoon, on Pensacola Bay the wind disappeared about 1330. Maybe 3 kt. and variable direction. Tough to sail at least in the direction I wanted to go ..ie: the marina. Used the iron wind for the last mile. I may have done better with a genoa or drifter.
If you think the weather calls for a reef, you might want to rig that way at the dock. I sail alone 95% of the time. Seems to me it would be preferable to shake the reef out while underway rather than reefing at sea with the wind kicking. I've never reefed my main on the 16 except for drill.
Again, if I had a 150 genoa, I doubt I would use it on a day that was more than 10kt. wind. If I really thought it was a day to reef the main, the genoa would stay in the bag and a small jib would do.
My boat can take a lot more than the owner, so I try to enjoy with a margin of safety.
Hope you find a good 16.

[Salty19]

As a former 16 owner and small lake sailor, I would say yes, a 150 or 155% should be part of your sail inventory if the conditions near you tend to be light. A 110/115 should also be part of the inventory and if you could only pick one for now, get a 115%.

Generally speaking while setting your boat for the day, you'll judge if a jib or genoa should be used. Then when out on the water, if you've chosen the genoa and wind conditions pickup to a point where you want to reef, you should change it out to a jib. Problem is actually doing this on deck. So you'll want to reef the main and continue on, judging if you should take the step to change out the genoa to a jib too.
With not much to hang onto, pulling the in sail and rehanging might be a little tricky.  I've done this on our 19, but it's a much bigger deck, lifelines, and more stable (even then I was tethered to the mast for safety).

The issues with reefing the main and a full genoa are increased lee-helm, which might make the boat harder to control and might not round up in a gust and more strain on the typically lighter 3.5-4oz genoa sail material.  Not that it will rip out, but stretch which over time hurts the sail shape.

This dilemma is one reason furlers are nice, you can hang a genoa and reef it in a little, a lot, or all of it without leaving the cockpit. It's not ideal for a few reasons, but for casual sailing it's a whole lot better than going on deck.

Remembering the days of my 16 when I received it.  Original baggy worn out sails, no genoa, and flat original rudder. Could barely get out of it's way when the wind was light. I was frustrated with it after having a very fast dinghy and on several occasions being unable to tack, requiring the motor to do so and get home due to lack of upwind progress. New sails and the IDA rudder made a big difference.   Also I put a homemade furler on it (genoa designed for it) so I could reef that sail a little bit. It was never too much sail, but then again I'm the type of sailor that's not afraid to put the rail in the water once in a while.  Keeps you young