It’s not too hard to imagine the scene around the conference table at Lamport, Fox, Prell, and Dolk advertising back in early 1964. The South Bend, Indiana advertising agency would handle Evinrude’s promotional work for decades. Most of these tobacco-and-martini-fueled Midwestern execs run their own boats during the summers with other baby boomer families on nearby Lake Michigan. After chatting with fellow boaters at the ramp and in dealerships and tapping the ashes off Camels behind mirrored walls during focus groups, they’re gathered to grapple with a problem presented by the era’s increasingly powerful outboards and hull design.
“Dad wants a boat for fishing,” waxes a smooth-faced Don Draper sort. “Mom wants a boat that’s comfortable. The kids want a boat for water skiing.”
He pauses. “Well, for fishing you need reliability, fishing rods, room to move around and stash coolers—and easy-rinse decks and seats. To satisfy the speed-hungry youngsters, though, you need power and maneuverability.”
“Something’s got to give,” as their brilliant ad from 1965 warns the dads. “And unless you play the cards exactly right, it could be the fishing!”
The savvy solution is the Ski-Lark. At nearly 14 feet, 7 inches, she’s not big (especially by modern standards), but pushed along by a Lark 40, she’s plenty powerful. Her flip-back seating for four is versatile for both fishing and posting a ski-lookout, while her fold-down windshield puts wind in the hair. She boasts push-button controls and even a rudimentary ski post. Does she bear all the amenities of a modern dual console? Of course not, but the Ski-Lark does represent one of the first attempts we’ve seen at a true crossover. Or as Evinrude’s mad men put it: “Fishing boat, skiing boat, or luxury runabout—it’s all of these things on a moment’s notice.”
This article originally appeared in the October 2025 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
