At one time, Clark Lake’s Fleet 58 had more Hobies than any other inland lake in the United States.  But how many Hobies during the years of peak popularity?  The Clark Lake Boat Count has taken place since 1959, but the numbers from 1961 to 1986 were lost.  Until now.  It has been Josie Hones’ practice to clip newspaper articles about Clark Lake.  Recently, while going through her archives, she found Cit Pat clippings from 1977 and 1978 reporting on each category of the Clark Lake’s Boat Count.

Clark Lake in the 1970s

The 1978 clipping differentiated two categories for sailboats – sailboats (presumably one-hull), and twin-hull (Hobies).  Of 257 sailboats in 1978, 111 were Hobies.  The 111 Hobie count was up from 1977 when 100 were counted.  So, a deduced answer to “how many Hobies during a Fleet 58 peak year” is 111.

Now, let’s set the scene on a 1978 summer Sunday.  A potential of 111 Hobies were zipping around the lake on a typical Sunday morning as Hobies competed.  Add to that scene afternoon sailboat races when the potential population of 146 Rebels, Interlakes, Lightnings, etc., took to the lake.

New to 1978 was this entry – four jet skis made the count.  The Cit Pat reported the 1978 boat total as 885.  By 2024 it was 1,505.

Because the articles give the previous year results too, the Boat Count manifest maintained by this website can be updated to include 1976, 1977 and 1978.

What about some other numbers?  Rafts were in the nascent stage of what would explode.  Here’s how they grew:

• 1976 – 271
• 1977 – 293
• 1978 – 290
• 2024 – 640

The most rafts were 656 in 2022.

In her Clark Lake memoir, Carlotta Graziani tells of the first time she saw a raft under its own power.  Within the timeline of her story, the recollection appears to be from about 1945:

“One bright morning, I saw my first raft going slowly down the lake. There was nothing fancy about it, just a plan raft. There was a man sitting at the back with a large umbrella over him. The raft was driven by a motor at slow speed. I later learned that it was Larry Miller. He was the first one I knew to use a raft with a shade on it. After that in the next few years, more rafts appeared and each one more lovely than the other.

The Cit Pat credited George W. Eagy with conducting the Boat Count.  At Clark Lake, he was known as “Bowser.”  Those who have been around for awhile know he was a proponent of Clark Lake fun and had much to do with the raft experience and the staging of the first Raft-O-Rama.  The MC numbers from his last raft, the Seavan, are on display at the Community Center.

Click here to see Cit Pat newspaper clippings.

In 2024, the Boat Count was under the command of Terry Scott with two working groups.  On the command raft, Terry piloted, Randy Guernsey was the scribe, and Rick Belcher, the barker.

Simultaneously, Josie and Frank Hones counted the boats from Mud Point to the spot where Lakeview West meets Eagle Point Road.  Because of shallow water, they counted from a canoe.

Jose and Frank Hones.  Photo is from a previous year.

The Count takes place on July 4th under the theory if a boat is going to be used for the season, it will be moored by then.  Bright and early at 6 am, the count began.

The most horsepower on a raft award goes to this one – Two 400s!

Thanks to Joe Collins and AOS.  Every year, Joe prints a sign that hangs on the shore side of the command raft so Clark Lakers on their docks know what counting crew is up to.

For an update on Fleet 58 today, check out this video from the Yacht Club’s Fall Regatta.

More on the Fall Regatta by clicking here.