cl 14 sailboat review

Great choice! Your favorites are temporarily saved for this session. Sign in to save them permanently, access them on any device, and receive relevant alerts.

• Sailboat Guide

CL 14 is a 14 ′ 2 ″ / 4.3 m monohull sailboat built by C&L Boatworks starting in 1980.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Embed this page on your own website by copying and pasting this code.

• About Sailboat Guide

©2024 Sea Time Tech, LLC

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

CL 14 Detailed Review

If you are a boat enthusiast looking to get more information on specs, built, make, etc. of different boats, then here is a complete review of CL 14. Built by C&L Boatworks and designed by undefined, the boat was first built in 1980. It has a hull type of Centerboard Dinghy and LOA is 4.32. Its sail area/displacement ratio 49.76. Its auxiliary power tank, manufactured by undefined, runs on undefined.

CL 14 has retained its value as a result of superior building, a solid reputation, and a devoted owner base. Read on to find out more about CL 14 and decide if it is a fit for your boating needs.

Boat Information

Boat specifications, sail boat calculation, contributions, who builds cl 14.

CL 14 is built by C&L Boatworks.

When was CL 14 first built?

CL 14 was first built in 1980.

How long is CL 14?

CL 14 is 4.24 m in length.

Member Boats at HarborMoor

• News & Trends
• Dinghy sailing
• Double-handed sailing dinghy
• CL Sailboats
• Exhibitions

Double-handed sailing dinghy CL14 recreational symmetric spinnaker

Characteristics

4.3 m (14'01" )

Description

No catalogs are available for this product.

Other CL Sailboats products

• Sailing dinghy
• Recreational sailing dinghy
• Single-handed sailing dinghy
• Regatta sailing dinghy
• Multiple sailing dinghy
• Catboat sailing dinghy
• Instructional sailing dinghy
• Sailing skiff
• Asymmetric spinnaker sailing dinghy
• Single-trapeze sailing dinghy
• Symmetric spinnaker sailing dinghy

Caribe CL 14 Review

Venezuelan Beauty   

WORDS + PHOTOS: ANDREW RICHARDSON 

This South American RIB sachays through choppy water with runway style.

Until today I thought the main exports to come out of Venezuela were throngs of elegant, tanned ladies all fighting for the Miss World crown – but wait, there’s more… Caribe Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs).

These vessels may not advocate world peace, but in true Venezuelan style the lady we judged was almost perfect.

At first glance the Caribe 14ft was similar to other RIBs, but closer inspection revealed a vessel with a different approach to performance and some well-designed features that distinguished it from the norm.

The boat’s hull design is unique with an extreme wave-slicing bow section that shifts radically to a more conventional aft section. This design is new to me, so with 75 horses on the back just raring to go, I was keen to get out on the water and see what the 14-footer had to offer.

Down memory lane The first part of the voyage was a trip down memory lane, as we cruised slowly across Port Hacking’s Dolans Bay. This was the place I spent many a long hot summer’s day fishing with my mates, catching the odd bream and leather jacket from the fuel wharf and just mucking about in tin boats. The old fuel wharf and boatshed may be long gone but the memories remain.

Neil Solomon bought his boys Josh and Lochie along for the ride and they certainly enjoyed themselves, but I couldn’t help thinking that they would have liked to ditch the old blokes and get down to the serious business of boys mucking about on boats. With distant supervision of course!

Eventually we made our way to the South West Arm of the Hacking River where we finished the photos. Then it was my chance to be a boy again, at the helm of a 230kg hull with a little more power than it really needed.

Neil explained that the Evinrude ETEC 75hp was a perfect match for this vessel drawing its strength from its closely related 90hp big brother. The two-stroke ETEC engine was smoke-free and delivered extremely quiet power right across the rev range.

When I nudged the throttle the Caribe’s bow lifted confidently and in a snap the hull balanced out to a nice planing angle.

A dry ride at speed

At speed the hull responded positively to leg trim and in a headwind the extra lift added a bit of excitement to the ride.

The clever bow section softened the ride in chop at mid-range speeds, but created radical unexpected turns if the leg is trimmed in too much, which is perhaps the reason for the trim gauge.

So I kept the engine trimmed up and she delivered everything required of a RIB of this size including a dry ride. She was indeed a good performer.

With Neil at the helm and we three kids aboard, the boat clocked a top speed of 38 knots (43mph or 70kmh), but remember, RIB’s respond well to a lightening of load, so with one up, 50mph would be possible and boy that would be exciting!

Layout RIBs sacrifice a bit of internal volume in exchange for the extra stability the tubes provide, but even with this limitation the Caribe had comfortable seating for six. This area consists of a twin helm seat, a centre bench seat and a bow seating area with a step.

The helm had just enough legroom in the seated position, but the wheel position allows the driver to stand while leaning against the bolster seat. It’s your choice and will depend on the speed and conditions being encountered. Instrumentation was very good with gauges for speed, rpm, fuel and engine trim, which is more than ample for this vessel. There were also switches for the navigation lights and cockpit lights.

The Caribe had a few bonus creature comforts including a freshwater shower, a swim ladder stowed in the floor, concealed rod holders, pop-up stainless steel bollards and a self-draining cooler under the aft passengers seat. There’s no stowage for large items like my camera bag except for the bow locker, which would suit an anchor and wet items, but there were plenty of nooks and crannies for everything else, including a long stowage area suited to life vests under the middle bench seat.

Overall finish Overall finish and attention to detail was outstanding on the Caribe CL14. The vessel was constructed from long wearing Hypalon and had protective wear pads at various traffic points on the tubes. The four separate air chambers and extra large rub-strakes were also above average.

These Caribe boats go fast and turn fast, so grab handles are a very important consideration, wary of this, I noted that there were grab holds for every seating position. There were actually 10 holds along the tubes alone.

The CL14 is clearly a well thought out vessel. Her nimble performance, dry ride and abundant creature comforts suggest that this 14-footer’s $30,000 price tag, with the ETEC 75hp motor and trailer, is good value in this category. This vessel would be ideal as a standalone family runabout or as a luxury tender to a larger vessel. And if a luxury tender is her purpose this Venezuelan has ‘lifting point’, so she’s ready to go when you are.

• Forums New posts Unanswered threads Register Top Posts Email
• What's new New posts New Posts (legacy) Latest activity New media
• Media New media New comments
• Boat Info Downloads Weekly Quiz Topic FAQ 10000boatnames.com
• Classifieds Sell Your Boat Used Gear for Sale
• Parts General Marine Parts Hunter Beneteau Catalina MacGregor Oday
• Help Terms of Use Monday Mail Subscribe Monday Mail Unsubscribe

Anyone sailed a 14' American?

• Thread starter themadscientist
• Start date May 21, 2010
• Forums for All Owners
• Trailer Sailors

themadscientist

This craft. http://www.americansail.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6&Itemid=7 I have a line on one, the price and terms of sale are still being discussed. Everything I can find on it suggests it would be a great starter boat for me. I have no experience and am trying to get into a sailing course. I have a very small budget and am looking for a boat that: 1. Is within my budget to purchase and prepare to seaworthiness; it is. 2. Has a positive flotation hull; this does. 3. Has a main and foresail rig so I can learn the handling of two sails; it does. 4. Does not require marina storage; it doesn't. 5. Can confidently and safely carry two; it seems to. I would appreciate any first-hand experiences from those that have owned or had the opportunity to sail this boat, or one similar to it. My one concern is its stability in coastal waters. I would be using it in calm seas around a pacific island.  

Tom Hoffman

You might want to do a site search for Sumner's posts. He sails a 26' water balast boat and he and his wife were brand new to sailing. They took their boat to a lake and proceeded to learn on their own. The 14' boat you are looking at is definitely a beginner boat. I sure wouldn't want to take it into the ocean. I think you will find very quickly that it is not much more than a toy and now you will be faced with selling it and moving up looking for something with more capability. This fall there will be a huge number of boats forsale. I bought a 26' American (different mfg.) in Feb, with trailer included, for $1500. I have had to spend about an additional $1000 to get it ready to sail this next month. The original asking price on Craig's list was $2500. It was iced up in Feb in Iowa and the seller was motivated. Keep looking is my advice. Tom...  

I didn't mean to rain on your idea. I guess I am of the school of American thought: "If a little is good, a lot has just got to be better!" Pay me no attention. I am just frustrated right now trying to get my boat bottom painted and every time I have it scheduled, my helper decides to not show up that day. I would do it my self, except that I don't fit into tight places anymore. Have a good night.  

It really depends on what the conditions are like where you'll sail. If you're in a protected harbor and the water isn't freezing cold year round then this might be ok. I live in Oregon where the ocean is cold and the wind/waves are usually strong/big even in the summer; I wouldn't take it on the ocean. My last boat was a Capri 16.5, not much bigger than what you're looking at, and I really wouldn't consider taking it out on the ocean either. I would use it in a harbor though. If you do go this route there are a few things you should do: 1) Always wear a life jacket - ALWAYS 2) Capsize the boat under controlled conditions (near the beach) and make sure you can right it. I didn't with the 16.5 and came *very* close to wishing I had. 3) If it has a tendency to turtle (go completely upside down) then consider getting a mast float. 4) Make sure you can climb back in the boat from the water. If it's at all difficult near the beach imagine what it will be like in the middle of the harbor with nobody around. Add a fold up step or a fold up ladder to the stern. 5) If you don't have reef points in your main, consider having them added 6) If you think you need to reef then you already should have! I do think there is some advantage to learning to sail in small boats first. The sail controls are often simpler and the action/reaction when you change something is pretty quick and obvious. My progression was as follows: Family trips on Dad's 25' full keel sloop as a kid. Learned basics - rules of the road, raise/lower sails, basic sail trim using the sheets. 30 years later . . . Laser - refresh basic skills, learned about vang, cunningham, outhaul, and daggerboard. Not very effective or comfortable sailing with 2 people. Draft about 3 inches with the board up, 2 feet with it down, expect to capsize often. Takes 10 minutes to set up. Wetsuit a requirement in cold conditions. Capri 16.5 - Added a furling jib to the equation, swing centerboard, stayed mast, reef points and jiffy reefing for the main. Draft is 6 inches with the board up, about 3-1/2 feet with it down. Good for 3 adults or 2 adults and a couple of kids. Huge cuddy forward where you can store lunch, dry clothes, etc. Takes 30-45 minutes to set up. Not as wet as the laser but not a dry ride either and will capsize/turtle. Capri 22 - Adds racing foil and multiple jibs/Genoas, adjustable jib/genoa cars, windward sheeting traveller, and adjustable backstay to the mix; also a spinnaker I haven't figured out yet. 4 foot fixed keel and 30 foot mast. Easily sails with 4-6 adults/kids. Has porta potty and sleeps 2 comfortably. Get to worry about things like batteries, outboards, nav lights, water depth and bridge clearance. Takes 2-3 hours to set up. We rarely get wet and that's usually just a bit of spray. Good luck and let us know what you decide to do.  

Tom Hoffman said: I didn't mean to rain on your idea. I guess I am of the school of American thought: "If a little is good, a lot has just got to be better!" Pay me no attention. I am just frustrated right now trying to get my boat bottom painted and every time I have it scheduled, my helper decides to not show up that day. I would do it my self, except that I don't fit into tight places anymore. Have a good night. Click to expand

I think you are getting a great boat for your area. I would not hesitate to take that into the ocean. I have taken a lot less several miles off shore. When I lived in the Azores the locals took row boats more than 7 miles offshore to fish. The way it is built looks like it is designed to keep the spray to a minimum from coming over the bow and sides. It looks a lot more seaworthy than many of the 22 foot sailboats I see out in the Gulf of Mexico that were really designed for lake sailing. You just have to watch the weather closely and never push it. I bet you can do some great near shore fishing on that boat.  

A few more notes. I watched the video again on the site. There are two additions I would make to the boat right away. If that traveler guide on the stern of the boat is rope or synthetic, I would replace it with SS cable right away. The last thing you want in a knock down situation is to have your boom and mainsail disabled because a gust of wind took out the traveler guide rope. Second I would get a good strength trolling motor and install to one side of the transom. It really kills a great day on the ocean to have the wind die and you have to paddle or swim the boat back to shore, I have done it too many times. The other thing you will find with a trolling motor is that you use the boat more often. There are days when you just do not feel like raising the mast but a nice motor out for a half hour is nice.  

RECESS said: If that traveler guide on the stern of the boat is rope or synthetic, I would replace it with SS cable right away. The last thing you want in a knock down situation is to have your boom and mainsail disabled because a gust of wind took out the traveler guide rope. Click to expand

RECESS said: Second I would get a good strength trolling motor and install to one side of the transom. It really kills a great day on the ocean to have the wind die and you have to paddle or swim the boat back to shore, I have done it too many times. The other thing you will find with a trolling motor is that you use the boat more often. There are days when you just do not feel like raising the mast but a nice motor out for a half hour is nice. Click to expand

I had a traveler rope (that had some age and wear) snap once on Lake Monroe Florida. Really shallow lake that forms white caps fast. Scared the wife. I was able to tie off in a center position and keep on going.  

I took a good look at it today. It is in a lot of four that were used as rental boats. Three are pretty scuffed-up, I picked the nicest of the lot to bid on. The hull is solid with no cracks that I could detect, it could use a good polish and wax of course. The hardware is all stainless. It all could do with a polish, not rusty just cruddy. The blocks are Harken and spin freely, no winches. The rudder blade is fine but the two metal sheets it is sandwiched in and the tiller are junk. All the lines should be replaced. The sails are jammed in the forward storage, it's a toss-up on those, but what I see looks serviceable. It is a rope traveler and I will swap it for cable as suggested or something equivalently significant. The drop-down centerboard needs to be taken apart and serviced. Overall, I see a solid hull that needs no repairs, just cleaning. hardware to remove, clean and shine up. a rudder to be rebuilt. a centerboard system to clean and service. a couple of yards of line to replace. a traveler system to upgrade. No deal-breakers for me there. I won't know until the end of June if I won the auction so back the daily grind and we will see what transpires.  

Get the the March/April issue of Good Old Boat. It has an outstanding how to on building a rudder the right way on pages 35 through 41. It is not just a good article, it is an outstanding how to on building rudders. The project they did was for a large boat, but all the techniques apply to any size rudder. You can order the back issue online, it will be worth the $10 for oversees ording if you are going to build a rudder. http://www.goodoldboat.com/reader_services/back_issues.php#2010  

esterhazyinoz

Good luck on your auction bid. I'm sure you will love the benefits of a small boat that is easy to launch/sail/maintain. I just purchased a new Hunter 15, a similar boat to the American, Catalina 14.6, Precision 15 and probably many more that I am not aware of. I launched my boat for the first time this weekend on the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia. Fortunately the winds were only 5-10 knots, a civilised wind speed for my first time in this small boat. As to whether or not I would take a 15 footer on the ocean really depends on what conditions are usual in your part of the world. I used to sail a 21 foot daysailer of local design and with the strong winds during the summer here I was always glad to have a good deal of lead under the boat. From my first outing I saw that maintaining balance by correct positioning of the crew was going to be very important. Also make sure you have a mainsheet block system that allows you to quickly release the sheet to spill the wind and de-power. FYI, a set of new sails will probably cost you about $600-$700 (that is what a replacement set from North Sails cost for my Hunter). BTW, What is the typical wind strength and swell in your area?  

Hi I teach a basic sailing course at Budd Lake, NJ thru a group called SEAS. Our current fleet is made up of Aqua Finns and an American 14.6, with a few other boats for variety. We have had 2 14.6’s over the years. One of the reasons that we went with the 14’s is that American sail has beefed up the hulls of their boats where they normally get hit by students. (bow, sides) Also- for the same size boat they were a lot less expensive. And there was a spinnaker sail available. The boat is definably designed for protected waters, but that said I have had it out in white caps and small craft conditions, and on the Hudson River.( well that day was a race, and the wind was less than the current in the opposite direction, so I was heading north and making progress south J ). The sizing of the spars and lines is sufficient for the size of the boat, but it may not be for your conditions. I have dismasted it, but I had brought a safety boat along side and then caught the port shroud as I pulled away. The boat will turtle, but that has not been a problem as the lake is much shallower that the height of the mast. Our sister chapter in Westchester, NY does put floats at the top of the masts. When we had to repair the centerboard our maintenance crew installed an access port on the port side of the trunk. When using the spinnaker remember that the pad eye on the mast that receives the spinnaker pole may not be at the correct elevation. It depends on the cut of the sail. It could use a j\iffy reef system, but ours did not come with it. I have used the rock detection function of the centerboard (not on purpose) but the center board release worked well when needed. Please note there are no attachment points for safety lines. This is a beamy boat and the jib fairleads are fixed. I do not normally get a tight beat with this boat. I can get the Finns to point higher. But then again our 14.6 sails are really blown out. The mast is easy to raise and lower, but it is easier to find the split rings and cotter pins that get dropped if you raise/lower your mast over flat ground, and not when it is in the water (been there…). When we took it out of the water in the fall we pulled it up over a roller and on to the grass. We needed 4 strong people. There is a drain plug center stern. If that cavity needs constant draining then there are hairline cracks (or larger). Check the spec hull weight against the actual weight. You will need a manual bilge pump and a scoop. The cockpit will hold rain water, etc. Spin sail, pump and scoops will fit in the front storage area. I will usually place 2 canoe paddles in the boat. If the wind dies 1 paddler on each side will get us back to the beach. I can single hand this boat, assuming I do not need another body for movable ballast. What I will do is knot the 2 jib sheets so that I can always reach them. With 2 people it is good. With 3 people in the boat the 14 is faster than the Aqua Finns and I will have the helms person switch to the windward side as req’d. . With 4 people in the boat the Finns are faster, and it depends on the wind as to who moves. I have had 6 people on board in heavier winds and the boat is fun. Lighter winds with 6 people the boat does not move. Dave down at American Sail does stand behind his products. I have met him several times at the various boats shows that he does on the East coast(Atlantic City and Annapolis ) and parts are still available. Check to see if there are other 14’s in your area. Local support is really important. Hillary  

Especially examine the standing rigging. The boat has been in use by relatively ignorant types [assume this in a rental fleet.] and has probably been worked hard. If it breezes up suddenly assume that you will want the extra strength of slightly heavier standing rigging. Once you are in unprotected water the ability to stay together is very important. I am Hillary's companion and agree that these are able boats. You have to keep up with the maintainence even in a fiberglass boat. Inspect the bilges regularly making sure you drain the hull. This will also keep you posted on the condition of the hull and its tightness. In addition to wearing a life jacket, make it a point to wear the jacket for an hour or two before you purchase it. If it feels comfortable, you are more likely to wear it. Eric  

If you are interested in roller furling, make sure that you upgrade the headstay at least one size. You will be adding new loads to the stay and it can get embarassing if it goes away out on the water. Eric If you have the standard jib on the boat you don't need roller furling. Just add a line to be used as a downhaul from the jib head, run down to the bow and then back to the cockpit. But if you want to go with the roller check with Dave re your conditions to see if he recomends upping the hardware and which hardware to upgrade (forestay down to fasteners) If you are considering it for reefing purposes then yes, and make sure the main can be reefed as well. Also because the shrouds are aft of the mast (better for stresses) the jib lines are usually run outside. which does not give a tight beat. Hillary  

I have a 13' CHrysler Pirateer. I sail it on Lake Michigan close to shore also. I have a ton of fun in that little boat. It is a great way to learn to sail. However, before I every went onto the water I went to ASA sailing school. I have dumped it and was able to climb back in. Adrenaline was running high the first time. Couldn't get back in the second time but I was so close to shore I walked the boat in. Buy it and have fun with it. Use it for a teder for your next boat. Oh yeah, whatever you pay for it you will spend exactly that much on it right away....mark my words. Here's a photo of mine. Boat cost $125.00. After trailer, paint job, spare mast and sails I have $1000.00 invested. http://members.csinet.net/dhapp/pirateer/Chrysler_Pirateer_Page_1.html  

That's a very similar-looking craft. So far, it appears interest in the boat is low. They have a lot of four and I am cautiously optimistic about my chances. The authorities have indicated I am ok with no operator's permit so I can get out on the water directly. Also, I am confirmed for my basic keelboat class in August! :dance:  

• This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies. Accept Learn more…

• Forum Listing
• Marketplace
• Advanced Search
• About The Boat
• Boat Builders Row
• SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

Cal 24 First Impressions

• Add to quote

I'm happy to hear of your acquisition. I've sailed a mid 80s Cal 24 many times, and I was always impressed by it's stability. The one we took out could cut through swells with authority, and my youngest daughter appreciated that. I also liked the external gas tank storage in the back (vented to the cockpit, not the bilge). The only quirk we had with the boat was the outboard motor mount put the outboard a fair distance off the stern, and reaching through the stern pulpit was a bit of an art form for starting, shifting, etc. Odds are you'll have a better mount that we did. Good luck!  

If this is any consultation, I had a 1976 CAL 25, The best boat I've ever had. I replaced her with a Catilana 27, she was too tender for the wife. I sailed my CAL for two years starting in 1997. We took a trip from Maumee Bay in Toledo Ohio to Cedar Point in sandusky Ohio. We were fully layden with the water line stripes under water and still doing six knots. Cals are a great boat, designed to preform. on the way back with little air I started the Merc. 9.9outside the channel at Cedar Point and it only used three gallons of gas to get us home. I say it again, Cals are great! Congrats'.  

Hawkwind, my Cal 24 was the best boat I ever owned. I should never have sold it. I solved the motor lifting problem in a different way that is more compact and nautical. I fixed two snatch blocks each with two pulleys. I tied block No. 1 off a metal handle on the backside of my Nissan OB; then I tied block No. 2 off to my taff rail. Then I took a piece of line and tied it off the same metal handle as block NO. 1. Ran it up to Block No. 2 and through it's first pulley. Then back down to Block No. It went through its first pulley; then back up to block no. 2 through its second pulley. To bring the motor up, a pull on the line and up comes the motor with no effort. You do have to release the motor mount handle out of the last slot first so you can get it moving.  

Would you happen to have a picture or diagram of this system for lifting the engine on the Cal 24?  

• ?            
• 174.5K members

Top Contributors this Month