CL Sailboats 16

BoatsCL Sailboats 16

See her sail

The CL Sailboats 16, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

TrailerableBeam 1.85 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 175 kg of hull, so roughly 750 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 175 kg of hull, with a keel that raises or a draft shallow enough to float off a trailer — she can go back on the trailer at the ramp, not only into the water.Shoal draftDraws 0.20 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.

LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a beamy beam gives 4 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 4

CoastalBluewater

At 3.35 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 3.35

LightHeavy

53 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 53

EasygoingPowered-up

42.7 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.

Sail area / displacement 42.7

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

What the fleet has seen

The CL Sailboats 16, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The CL Sailboats 16 is a 4.9-meter fiberglass centerboard dinghy designed by Ian Proctor, Graham Dodd, and George Blanchard, first built in 1968. It shares the same wetted hull shape and fractional sloop sail plan as the Wayfarer, from which it was derived, but features an altered cockpit.2:35 C&L Boatworks produced the CL16 in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, as an all-fiberglass replacement for the wooden Wayfarer when UK supply was interrupted.2:22 With a 1.9-meter beam and 174 kg displacement, the CL16 offers a larger platform than smaller dinghies like the Sunfish or Laser, accommodating multiple passengers.3:42 Its kick-up rudder and centerboard facilitate beach landings, and its durable, low-maintenance construction makes it suitable for casual day sailing.4:05

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions

Weights

Rig & sail area

Rig

Fractional Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

42.7

Displacement / length

52.7

Comfort ratio

3.5

Capsize screening

3.35

Hull speed

5.2 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

322

Hull

Hull type

Centerboard Dinghy

Construction

Fiberglass

Production

Years built

First built 1968

Designer

Ian Proctor, Graham Dodd, George Blanchard

Builder

CL Sailboats, C&L Boatworks

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Small Craft Ltd. Wayfarer4.82 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn Ian Proctor-designed centerboard dinghy with a high sail-to-displacement ratio, built since 1957 in wood and fiberglass

The Easiest Sailboat You’ll Ever Own – The Wayfarer0:47 from Practical Sailor

Lido 144.27 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA fractional sloop dinghy designed by Barney Lehman, updated in 1995 with a modern mold for improved longevity and safety

Restoring covid-quarantine project boats - a Lido 14 sailboat and Seaflite 179SS ski boat0:03 from Ravenswing

Mutineer 154.57 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA prolific 15-foot centerboard dinghy with a 43.54 SA/D ratio that has remained in production since 1972

Sailing Dighies NOT to Buy - How to Learn Sailing Ep 318 - Lady K Sailing7:04 from Lady K Sailing

MacKay Boats Ltd. 49erfx4.88 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA high-performance skiff utilizing the 49er hull with a downsized rig specifically optimized for lighter crews

Christoffer Sundby - from top sailor to top business leader.0:32 from SEILmagasinet

LaserPerformance 49er4.88 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn Olympic-class high-performance skiff featuring a massive sail-area-to-displacement ratio for elite racing

From Olympic drama to flying motorboats: Petter Mørland Pedersen in "Peiling på Seiling"11:34 from SEILmagasinet

Finn (Monotype)4.50 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA Richard Sarby-designed Olympic single-handed dinghy featuring an unstayed cat rig and a long history of competition

SEILmagasinet TV Episode 3 - 202551:39 from SEILmagasinet

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

CL Sailboats 14A 109-kilogram fractional sloop built since 1980, offering a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively handling Small Craft Ltd. WayfarerAn Ian Proctor-designed centerboard dinghy with a high sail-to-displacement ratio, built since 1957 in wood and fiberglass Clark Boat Co. C-LarkA lightweight fractional centerboard dinghy designed by Don Clark for high-performance, responsive sailing M-16 ScowA high-performance fractional sloop with a rotating spar, sharing the modern MC Scow hull design since 1999

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The fleet has more to say

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