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Is anyone familiar with C-Lark's? Photos added

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/07/2013 : 18:36:02

Got an opportunity to purchase a project boat. It's a 14' C-Lark that's been neglected for nearly two decades. The cockpit pan has definitely got a rotten core and I'm worried about the centerboard trunk. I'll post some pictures shortly.

I'm looking for some original drawings if possible, so I can figure out if I can just cut out the cockpit floor, hog out all the rotten core and glass it back in. The current owner is very forthcoming about the boat's short comings and really wants to see it sail again, but doubts he'll ever get it done. I could also possibly inject the pan with epoxy, but I think the core needs to come out. I'd like to see drawings to see if that's a viable project.

It's got all the gear stored away, the running rigging all needs replacing, and probably the standing rigging as well. He's got a main, jib & spinnaker for it, as well as hiking straps, the rudder & tiller, & centerboard.

The trailer is in decent condition as are the tires. Neither the boat or the trailer are titled, it's been sitting in his yard for 17-18 years upside down. They only recently turned it over & put it back on the trailer to try to sell it (they're downsizing from a large house & property to a much smaller place, Rita's thrift store is helping them sell a bunch of stuff).

This is the most obvious problem, you can see the pan has broken away from the core, and the core is rotten. I would sort of expect this is the entire pan, but parts of it sounded OK while I was tapping away at it, so maybe it's not total destruction. The owner said that when he was sailing it years ago, the trunk would move around as he changed tacks, so I suspect it's not sound all around the trunk.

David
C-250 Mainsheet Editor

Sirius Lepak
1997 C-250 WK TR #271 --Seattle area Port Captain --

Edited by - delliottg on 09/07/2013 19:36:26

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 09/07/2013 : 20:25:47

<i>Purchase??</i>

A quick Google turned up a few sailing organizations in WA that have C-Larks or support racing fleets. [url="http://www.sailchelan.com/aboutlcsa"]Lake Chelan Sailing Association[/url] is one... You might check in with them, and also [url="http://bbs.trailersailor.com/forums/trailersailor/index.cgi"]Trailersailor.com[/url].

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 09/08/2013 07:21:37

awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2013 : 08:32:22

They were locally made by Clark Boats (who also made the San Juan racer/cruisers).

I don't know where to find drawings, but there is a lot of info about these boats locally. They are also often listed on Seattle Craigslist.

They aren't worth that much even in great shape (I've never seen one listed for over $2k, most are more like $1k), so it would be a labor of love, not an investment. They look like they'd be a lot of fun though, and if you do finish it you should bring it out to Goose Bumps or Duck Dodge. I hope to be racing in the dinghy category of both races next year.

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2013 : 19:05:32

Our first boat was a C-Lark 14, red hull, #746. We bought ours, used, in 1973 or 74 for about $900, with good trailer, no spinnaker. I wouldn't pay more than about $500 for one today. In my day, they were slow, compared to other dinghies on our lake (Thistle, Lightning, Windmill, etc.), but then again, maybe it was just my sailing abilities. LOL
Also, they have a hull shape like a scaled-down Thistle. On the plus side, it was easy to rig and fun to sail, and in a brisk wind would get up on a plane. However, I would not want to own one again unless there was a fleet on my lake or a nearby lake.

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 09/10/2013 : 08:58:53

Check this out:
http://www.peninsulasailingclub.org/C%20Lark%20Info%20Main%20Page.htm
Rigging info, etc.
and this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-Lark
I actually pulled ours behind a VW Beetle shortly before selling it when we moved up to the C-22, and got a bigger car.

Edited by - dmpilc on 09/10/2013 09:06:50

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 09/10/2013 : 09:08:53

This one is hull 664(?). After reading some of the pages you guys found, and others, and then doing searches on CL for comparable boats, I'm not sure I'd even be interested in this one if he gave it to me. As Dave & Alex pointed out, it'd be a labor of love, not anything I'd get any money back out of at the end.

I've seen a couple of nice examples just in the Seattle area in the past week or so, one of which was going for around $900 and it was ready to sail. Trailer needed some work, but there's always something. Someone else had one that was missing all the rigging except the mast & boom, but the hull looked OK. I had brief thoughts of trying to marry a couple of boats together, but those passed quickly.

As we've said many times before on here, a $1000 boat's going to cost you $1000 no matter how much you pay for it.

Edited by - on

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