Henry Croce and Ken Lofthouse of
Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia started as importers of the wooden Wayfarer, until a
labour strike in the UK cut off the supply. They had the boat adapted for fibreglass construction and started their own production line as C&L. Ian Proctor considered it an unauthorized copy of the Wayfarer. The CL 16 is a recreational
sailboat, built predominantly of
fibreglass, with
mahogany wood trim. It has
double-chined;
planing hull; a
fractional sloop rig; a
raked stem; a plumb
transom; a transom-hung, kick-up, fibreglass
rudder with an
aluminum head, controlled by a
tiller and a retractable
centreboard. Unusually for a dinghy the
mainsail is equipped with one set of
reefing points. The boat displaces . The boat has a draft of with the centreboard extended and with it retracted, allowing
beaching or ground transportation on a
trailer. A motor bracket is a factory option, to allow the boat to be fitted with a small
outboard motor for docking and manoeuvring. The boat is designed to be sailed by a crew of two, but can accommodate up to six people. For sailing the design may be equipped with a
spinnaker and a
trapeze. ==Operational history==