Message: Thanks for your excellent site! I've been looking at your site as I learn more about my pre-compac Suncat. With a LWL of 16, a Displacement of 1100 and sail area of 165 sq ft (marconi), your calculator gives me a SADISP of 24.82 and a DISPWL of 119.89; quite different from the compac suncat which is shorter at the water, heavier and has a smaller sail area but different sail shape. I think because of the beam of the catboats, it's probably hard to compare these ratios with boats sloops, but what do these numbers tell me at least with regard to thefor s suncats. I'm guessing my is a bit faster and substantially less stable in higher wind. Can you give me a more robust comparision than that and explain how these ratios inform that comparison? Thanks!

Answer: You are using the calculator as it was intended and you came up with the right answer. You can compare all sailboats by their displacement, sail area and water line length. The best comparison is between boats of about the same general size. We have lots of new sailors that buy a lake boat (a light boat with lots of sail area) to sail in coastal conditions where we have lots of wind. They never learn to sail and quit sailing because it's just too hard to do. You need wind to learn how to sail and you need ballast and a moderate sail plan to see cause and effect while you are learning. The old salt knows what is suppose to happen before it happens. The new sailor needs to see it happen. If I remember correctly, I owned 8 lake boats before I really learned to sail in a boat that had enough ballast. When I owned a boat like yours, I did lots of reefing and sometimes I had a tiger by the tail. It was a great boat in moderate conditions. One time I jibed the boat in a big gust and did a 180. I wet my pants because I was on the low side. I didn't look like an experienced sailor when I did that maneuver in a high traffic area.

I think Clark Mill's designed your boat to have some speed in moderate conditions. Everyone back in the old days wanted clubs to buy and race their boats.

Message: I would like your take on westerbeke vs. yanmar diesal in the horizan cats.

Answer: The little Westerbeke has some problems. The engine is really a German engine that runs well most of the time. The problem with the engine was the accessories. Starting with problem one, the fan belt is located between the engine and the transmission requiring a tool link belt to make it work (no one wants to remove the engine and separate the engine from the transmission to change a fan belt). The second problem was the link belt had some stretch that didn't work well with the magneto styled alternator. A magneto has magnets that produce drag at startup causing belt adjustment problems. Probl three was parts. I think Westerbeke has discontinued sales of this engine.

The Yanmar works great and has lots of parts available. No problems.

Message: I plan to reseal the teak trim and metal fittings on my Compac. Based on your experience what do you think is the best caulk to use. Thanks.

Answer: We use 3M5200. We only seal the screws the hold the metal and teak in place. Remove a screw, clean the old caulk and then caulk only the screw. This procedure makes your boat dry and keeps the mess to a minimum.

Message: Congratulations on your article regarding how to fix leaks on a SunCat. It shows your great experience fixing boats.

Answer: Thanks for the kind words.

Added Answer to Message below: I forgot to list the best option a Sun Cat can have. The rudder raising and lowering handle option works great and Com-Pac has a model for the Sun Cat. The handle locks the rudder in the down position (except when you hit something). That option keeps the owner from hanging over the tramsom as he or she tries to secure the screw clamp that keeps the rudder down. You need long arms to secure the rudder at water level over the transom and you don't use the screw clamp with the handle option. I don't think Com-Pac list the rudder handle as as option for the Sun Cat, but it is available. It's also available as an add on for an existing boat. They are easy to install.

Message: Ordered a new Suncat back in December. I expect delivery near the end of Marc or early April. Just curious what equipment/extras you would suggest for the boat. Also, is there an option for easier reefing than that which comes standard. Thanks. I really enjoy this forum of questions and answers.

Answer: A gaff rig is self-reefing in big wind. As the wind builds, the gaff spar will swing out and dump sail power from the top of the sail. You could say that reefing is automatic.

I would varnish your tiller when you receive your boat. Com-Pac doesn't varnish tillers. Check to make sure that you have a dry boat. Leaks can happen around the mast. Look for water in the anchor locker. We have a solution for most configurations (lights or no lights). Check to see if you have leaks at the ports. Water will puddle under the cushions. It's rare to have leaks on a Com-Pac, but we check to make sure. We have installed several anchor rollers on Sun Cats. Installing them after the boat is built cost more money and takes more time. I think all Sun Cats need a gaff sock. The current plan is to rap a piece of rug around gaff's end to prevent the spar from making a hole in the sail as you go down the road. The sock cost $25 and that's cheap compared to a sail repair. Most current Magic Tilt trailers have bad fenders. The fenders are too close to the tires. We have been installing spacers to make them work without hitting the tires. They may have the problem fixed by the time you get your boat. The other options for a Sun Cat is a long list of items. Anything and everything is possible. We are currently putting a diesel in a Sun Cat chassis

Message: Hi, Keith. I'm enjoying the CP16 you helped me buy last July. I'm still sailing inland water with the standard jib and need some help downwind. Please recommend a suitable whisker pole and fittings for this boat. Is a whisker pole even appropriate for a standard jib, or should I consider going to a genoa? Are used sails worth considering? If so, can you recommend a good source? What would you consider a reasonable price for a used 150 genoa? Thanks.

Answer: A standard pole that we have used for years and years is the Forespar ADJ 4-8. It comes with a mast fitting and screws. The West Marine part number is 111153. Used genoas are like heeth. Not many around these days. A new genoa for your boat cost $400 including shipping.

Message: Hi Folks, I have been considering installing a boomkicker on my Sun Cat,what do you think? Also would a boom vang be required to make it work properly? I'm hoping that the kicker will make sailing solo easier. Your opinions are respected and appreciated. thanks

Answer: I don't have any experience with a boomkicker on a small boat. I did try a rigid boom vang on a larger boat several years ago and I didn't think it worked all that well. I had to play with the trim adjustments all the time. That rig maintained the boom at a predetermined level like a topping lift. Solo sailors use tricks to beat the odds. Raising and lowering your sails in a wind shadow is one that I use all the time.

Message: you mentioned a possable new horizon cat in a power boat type. what did you mean by power boat. did you mean outboard motor. Many thanks

Answer: I think the "Power Boat" that Com-Pac might build on a Horizon Cat chassis would have a diesel. They normally give a customer a choice of power and this could be the case with this boat.

Gerry (Com-Pac CEO) mentioned building a power launch built on a Horizon Cat chassis several weeks ago. I told him a trawler would be my choice for that modification. I'm sure the plans for the boat that I mentioned on the Web are still in the development stage.

The Sailboat Company thinks that a house on a Horizon Cat deck and hull would be a great looking boat. We plan on doing a custom house a Horizon Cat as soon as we have a willing volunteer for the first modification. With 6 feet of standing headroom and the wide deck and hull of a Horizon Cat, you might be able to square dance in the main cabin.

The Sun Cat that we are currently modifying gained lots of room on the inside and has the same configuration as the diesel Horizon Cat.

Message: I am planning on installing an electrical system on my 1983 Compac 16. What part numbers do you recommend and also locations for a bow light, stern light, cabin light and fuse panel.Thanks.

Answer: Boats 16 feet long or less in length do not require lights at night. This rule allows rowboats and other small boats that do not have a power system to be used at night. An all-around white light is normally used on small boats (16 feet or less) for safety purposes. Com-Pac decided in 1986 to install a standard set of running lights on the Com-Pac 16 Mark II as standard equipment and currently offers running lights on their Legacy and Sun Cat models as an option. Mounting running lights on a small boat has always been a problem because we have limited space on deck for a good installation.

To keep you’re cost down and because lights are rarely used on a Com-Pac 16, I would use the battery-operated light sold by West Marine. The part numbers are Bi-Color 8633380 and All-Round White 8633372. The inside light can be a 6-volt battery powered lamp. If you decide on a 12-volt system, a good fuse panel from West Marine is part number 1954874. Aqua Signal's series 25 lights from West Marine are currently used by Com-Pac. The part numbers are Bi-Color 174367 and Stern 174375. Mounts are required for installation and they are Rail Mount 203844 and Deck Mount 176347. Any 12 light will work as a cabin light.

The location for the bow light in this installation is on the bow pulpit. The stern light is on the deck next to the rudder. Other locations will work with different types of lights. The fuse panel is located on the inside bulkhead on the starboard side. West Marine sells several different lights that will work on a Com-Pac 16. The West Marine Advisor explains the rules for Navigation Lights in their catalog and reading the rules will ease your installation.

Message: A couple of comments and questions. First the Suncat is really easy to sail and rig solo as long as you have a decent way to get in and out at a ramp. I don't think you can turn the thing over at least not on a reach ultimately she starts to point up while dumping wind. It gets strange when you can't loose speed no matter how much sheet you let out. What was your wind guage ripples, all white caps etc? Lazy jacks would be nice solo in big wind as the boat blows off the wind fairly quickly and the sail gets hard to handle, tough to reef solo in big wind for the same reason small boat! How much slack do you want in the rig on the lee stay with the sail loaded? By the way, I think thae best point of sail is a run, easy to average 6 mph with a good wind 5 in a strong breeze On a reach by bearing off a tad and letting the sail out to about the edge of the cabin I have surfed to 7.5 and held over 6 mph. Another point is on a long run I find it is worth moving the traveler outboard so you can flatten the sail some and pull it off the stay some. She will sail herself pretty well on a run. Last, she points very good for a cat, but it is too much work to keep it in the groove really pinched, easier to bear off a tad, go faster and make it up the difference with a tack, afterall, tacking is nothing with no jib. Still happy with her.

Answer: My analysis of the Sun Cat's sailing ability is the same. She is a great sailing boat. Clark Mills did good. My wind reference for white caps everywhere is 12 knots. The rest of the reference is listed in my Sailing School link on the left. The slack in the leeward shroud isn’t too important. The sailing rig on those points of sail is really 2 shrouds and the mast or a tripod.

Message: Your site is great! I'm moving to Surf City in the spring and look forward to visting your shop. My question is about removing the swing keel from a Clark Mills Suncat. I want to remove it to paint it and replace the halyard, and to paint the keel pocket. My hull is a 1982 Clearwater Bay, I think hull 401. It's a cabin model with a swing keel encased in a wood finished center keel pocket inside the cabin. The keel looks like it's fiberglass, but there could be some ballast encapsulated inside it. I removed the port and starboard access pieces on the keel housing and I found ¾ inch brass nuts on each side. Each of the nuts has a 3/8 inch brass plug in the middle of it. I'm guessing the method to use is to jack the keel up slightly to take pressure off the pin, remove both the brass plugs and use a smaller diameter bolt or other pin to knock the pin through from one side to the other. Is that right, or do I have to remove the 3/4 inch brass nuts and do more? I guess the next step is to jack the boat up to get at the keel.

Answer: We normally don't remove a centerboard to paint the centerboard and it’s housing. Only a small part of the centerboard and the centerboard housing is below the water line when the boat is in the water. We normally pickup a centerboard boat with a crane and lower the centerboard to the ground. We paint the board that's visible, making sure the part that's in the water is well covered. The same thing applies to the housing. While the boat is in the air, we change the centerboard pennant and any hardware that looks bad.

I don't know for sure, but I think your centerboard has some ballast installed in the board and it should be heavy. Be careful if you remove the board.

Message: I recently found your web site. It is quite informative. To my surprise, you described the Com-Pac 16 Trawler conversion! I am presently converting a Com-Pac 23 to a motor sailor-trawler. The cost you estimated is very close to my expenses as it is being completed. ($6000). My question is, I plan to install a 9.9 Evinrude as calculations made to date indicate this will take it to hull speed. I don't want an inboard as my plan is to use it year around. What are your thoughts on HP and wbest to attach it? Lower the transom, or hang it on an adjustable bracket?

Thanks agin for a great web site.

Answer: Your Evinrude may be a little large. A 5hp Honda is the perfect outboard motor for 23s in North Carolina and a remote control is available. Florida 23 owners like even smaller motors. Their standard motor for the 23 is a 4hp model. In my opinion, the boat sails best with a diesel that's mounted low in the middle of the boat. A diesel can be retrofitted anytime.

I like a jack plate for mounting an outboard. T-H Marine's jack plates are inexpensive and they look good. A long shaft motor should tilt up over the transom with the jack plate mounted high enough on the transom to make tilting possible. Check the top of the motor (adjustable mount in down the position) to its transom position on an average 23 as a good starting location for your installation. You may need to move your outboard up a little to make everything work as it should.

Message: Hi Keith,

Will a Horizon Cat's bow sprit fit on a Sun Cat? What needs to be done to make this happen?

Answer: Yes. Fold the forward inside bulkhead back after removing the 4 screws holding the bulkhead in place (See my last DIY article). You don't have to remove or disconnect the wiring. Remove the forestay tack fitting and fill the old holes with 3M5200. This will leave a flat surface on the bow for the new bowsprit installation. Drill new holes and install the new bowsprit. A new tack fitting will be required for the forestay and in most cases, a solid bobstay should be installed. If yoyour forestay longer and move the tack to the end of the bowsprit, a new jib could be installed. A gaff headed sloop is a pretty boat and this rig should sail well. This type of rig is what the English sailed 100 years ago.

Message: Greetings Keith,

Are there any major differences between a 1987 and a 1982 model CP 19. My old boat Sanity (the 1987) was a mark II, I am being told the 1982 I have located for purchase is also a mark II. I have not been able to see the boat yet and would like to know what changes or modifications may have been made between those years.

I have another question for you.

I seem to recall seeing a price breakdown and work scope of the different restorations offered by the Sailboat Company on your web site a while back.

Is that information still available?

Thanks again Keith you guys are the best in the business, I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best regards.

Answer: A 1982 Com-Pac 19 is a Mark I. The Mark I was a very plain boat with aluminum pulpits. The pulpits were an option on the 19, but most 19s had them installed. Almost everything on the boat was an option when we sold them and we ordered a standard set of options for most of our boats. Our options included genoa tracks and the pulpits for the Mark I. The Mark II was a big improvement and it had a teak interior, stainless steel pulpits, a bowsprit and the late model Mark II boats also had halyards lead aft. Some Mark I owners may have modified their boats with some of the new Mark II improvements over time. The difference in value between a used Mark I and a used Mark II Com-Pac 19 is substantial.

Business has been too good. We took our improvement list off the Web because we had a hard time keeping up with all the work. We still do most of the Com-Pac repairs, changes and improvements for our Com-Pac customers, but we don't advertise that capability. We will be glad to talk to you about your new boat when the time comes.

Message: What would the approximate cost of having the bottom painted on my Seaward?

Thanks.

Answer: We only paint bottoms on boats that we sell. We recommend Terry's Boatworks in New Bern, NC for general bottom painting. Her phone number is 252 259 7052 and her email address is tmb221@yahoo.com.

Message: I have a 1980 Compac 16 (#1278). I want to add Genoa Tracks. Do you sell these? Also, do you sell a Traveller for the main sheet? I am interested in any other upgrade suggestions you might have, too.

Thanks very much

Answer: The Genoa Tracks are available from West Marine, part number 184046. They are a Schaefer product, part number 75-05-72. I would look fo encaps on Schaefer's Web site. West may have them or they can get them for you with a special order. The same tracks with the right blocks will work as a mid-boom traveler. A less expensive way to do the same thing is to use a boom vang. Set the vang to a position that will limit boom lift. This will maintain mainsail twist as you adjust your main sheet. A traveler is designed to change mainsail trim while maintaining sail twist. Both systems will do the same thing and the vang cost less.

Good options for the Mark I 16 are a ladder and the boom tender system with the mast gallows (See the DIY section on this Web site). There are lots of other options that are available, but they are more customer specific .

Message: Greetings from sunny Florida. While I enjoy my Slipper 17, she has some issues when it comes to the kind of shallow water sailing that is common down here. I begrudge her fixed rudder and the difficulty in mounting a ladder. I am buying a old school suncat (twin bilgeboards, no keel, and open cockpit) from a friend up the road. Do you know anything about the history? Hulls look pretty similar except for the stub keel. Any known weaknesses? She is in amazing shape for her age and being sailed regularly. Wish me luck.\ Lee (can I join the Com-Pac group?}.

Answer: I remember the old Clark Mills Sun Cats. The most popular boat was the cabin model with the centerboard in the cabin. Clark hired the glasswork done by someone else and his marina assembled and the finished boats. I purchased 1 new boat way back when and it had some glass issues. The cabin wood on the inside was wonderful because Clark employed some excellent carpenters at the time. Clark also had one other builder building Sun Cats in Tennessee at about the same time. I'm not sure how many boats he built.

A Sun Cat sails like it's glued to the water. I followed a Sun Cat across the Pamilico Sound one time in some strong winds. I was amazed at well she rode the waves with 1 sailor on board. I was on larger boat that didn't do as well. I once put a Com-Pac 23 bowsprit on a Sun Cat. I noticed that the bowsprit fit like it was made for the Sun Cat. I have concluded that most designers may use parts of a good design on several different boats. I think the Com-Pac 23 may have a little Sun Cat in its bow.

Sorry, you have to own a Com-Pac to be a member of the CPYANC.

Message: Sir,

I noticed in your "What's New" section that you installed a "Summer Cabin" on the Sun Cat Lagniappe. I was wondering how much it cost, and did you do the sewing or did you have it made elsewhere and just installed it. It looks very nice and quite use full.

Answer: We make the Sun Cat "Summer Cabin" in house. The cost is $1,200 plus shipping.

Message: I made the dumb mistake last Spring of seeing my boat newly rigged & splashed, and going for a sail without adequetly inspecting the rigging. It turns out that the standing rigging was too loose, and we quickly retreated, but not until damage had been sustained to the mast step. Specifically, the plastic work surrounding the interior bulkhead door on both sides was broken (door to vee-berth). Aside from the damage to the plastic parts (they were obviously chrushed), I can see nor feel any other problems; however, I wonder if any damage to the internal structure of the mast step may exist. I assume that the mast step portion of the cabin roof is plywood, and not any other type of coring. Is this correct? Should I get a survey? If no other work is required, how tough is it to simply replace the plastic parts?

Answer: The short answer is "no problem", just replace the plastic parts. Ask Com-Pac for 2 new replacement bulkhead blocks and they will put them in the mail. The bulkhead blocks were made out of teak on previous models and they had the same problem. The purpose of the blocks is to keep the bulkheads from moving towards the center of the boat. The bulkheads between the cabins function as a mast compression post on the Com-Pac 23. When you tension the mast, the sides of the hull and the bulkheads move towards the center of the boat. We have a point where the rigid deck, hull construction and the blocks will stop this movement. We are talking about some very small distances. Because your boat was new and the initial block placement is only a guess, your blocks were doing all the work on the first sail and they failed. Now that the hull and deck are doing part of the work, drill new holes in the new parts and install the new blocks in the old screw holes. If the bulkheads have moved where you can't use the old holes, consider drilling new holes in the overhead or moving the bulkheads out a little to hit the old holes.

I don't think a loose rig will damage a Com-Pac 23. Your boat should be fine with a little adjustment.

Message: I have a 1998 CP16 CB. A great boat in so many ways, except for the lack of a stern mounted boarding ladder. I think they are essential for saftey. Do you carry them or can you recommend a manufacture that offers one that would fit?

Answer: Com-Pac makes a ladder for your boat. It's a stainless fold-up ladder that will fit your boat. We sell the ladder for $272 plus $35 for shipping. We can have Com-Pac drop-ship it to your address if you prepay the above amount. A personal check is satisfactory and you can mail it to The Sailboat Company, PO Box 575, Richlands, NC 28574. It will make a great Christmas gift. Thanks.

Message: I would like to get sail numbers for my Compac 16 MK III. Who determines the numbers and where can I get them? I'm having fun with this beautiful boat acquired through your company last summer. I enjoy visiting your informative website. Thanks!

Answer: Almost all sailmakers will make numbers for your 16. The correct number is part of the serial number on the top port side of the transom. It will start with the letters ABV. That's the code letters for Com-Pac and then you will see a long number. Your number should be 4 numbers because you have a late model 16. Those 4 numbers are your sail number. The numbers are iron on and easy to install. One of the best sailmakers for Com-Pac sails is Super Sailmakers. Their address http://www.supersailmakers.com. Thanks for the nice words.

Message: Hi Keith; I'm working on safety planning for my 2001 Suncat. I'm using the Small Craft Advisor seaworthiness quiz as a means to identify weak points and will fix as many as are practical. What is the flotation situation for the 2001 model Suncat, does it have foam flotation or a designed air flotation scheme? Another thing they talk about that may not be practical is some way to lock the centerboard down in rough weather so if it rolls the board doesn't slam back into the trunk which makes self-righting more unlikely and could cause a big leak even if it rights. Any ideas on that front? I'm a little torn on that as another tactic I'm familiar with if being hit by a squall is get the sail down, pull the board up to let the boat slip. Obviously my first plan would be to stay out of dangerous weather but planning for the worst is usually a good thing to do. I will be adding hasps to cockpit locker covers and have plugged both mast and stub. I know enough to have hatch closed with board in if it gets rough and will be doing some light air reefing drills to learn how to do it and look for reef system improvements. Have a good Thanksgiving and thanks for everything...

Answer: The Sun Cat doesn't have positive foam floatation. The amount of foam required to make a boat with ballast float when it's full of water would require lots of foam and that would reduce the space for people and gear inside the boat. The Sun Cat does have foam built into the hull and deck, but it there for structural purposes and not for floatation purposes. The weight of a Sun Cat centerboard is about 40 pounds. The stainless centerboard falling into a stainless housing isn't going to do any damage. I have never heard of a Com-Pac turning over to prove my point.

All of your heavy weather precautions sound good to me. As a general rule, I like to think that shallow draft boats with ballast can't turnover when the waves are smaller than the length of the boat. A good general rule for small boats is to stay out of the ocean in bad weather.

Message: My catboat sideswiped a dock and got some superficial scrapes on the dark green hull. I tried getting them out with rubbing compound... didn't work. I then used some dark green gelcoat from the factory mixed with MEK and brush-painted over the long scratches. I had no idea how much MEK to use. When everything dried, the color match was quite good. But the sheen is dulled where I painted and the brush strokes are somewhat visible.

I read somewhere that there's a minute amount of wax in gelcoat and you should wipe some acetone over it to remove the wax. Then you should buff your heart out. Am I on the right track?

By the way, I love your website and have learned a great deal every time I drop in.

Answer: The first decision we have to make when we have a gel-coat scrape is the extent of the damage. Can you see glass in the damaged area? If you can't see glass under the gel-coat in the damaged area, we normally don't add more gel-coat. We buff the scrape or scratch to remove the damage. If we need to add gel-coat to the problem area, we mix 2% MEK with our gel-coat. In the real World, we add a drop of MEK to a dab of gel-coat. The gel-coat can't be worked until the next day. Wet-sand the raised gel-coat repair with 1K sandpaper. A sanding block helps and you should protect the undamaged area with tape. When the gel-coat repair is level with the surrounding area, buff the area to a high gloss. The wax in the gel-coat is not a problem. It is designed to cover the gel-coat surface after the repair and make it kick. Using too much MEK normally causes a dull appearance. If you don't have a super strong professional buffer, buffing anything normally doesn't work. Good luck with the repair.

Message: I currently sail a Potter 15 on NY State Mountain lakes. Lake George is surrounded by mountains on the E and W. The lake runs N to S and generally the wind blows from the south. The Potter does well for the most part but it's cockpit is so small that even one guest is cramped. I'm looking for a boat with a larger cockpit to sail on the lakes of the Adirondaks. The bottom is often rock and a centerboard is a good thing. It is more important to me to be able to launch and recover from a trailer singlehanded, than it is to have a cabin to store equipment. I daysail or camp on the shore. Many lakes are accessed by streams that go under bridges. The ability to raise and lower the on the water gives access to alot of new lakes. I don't care to race, I cruise. I'd like to take 3 or 4 guests with me on occasion. I've sailed for a many years but still consider myself a novice. I think I should sell the Potter and move to a Com-Pac. In your opinion, would the out of production CP-16 III be appropiate or should I stear clear of a cabin and go to the Picnic Cat? The Sun Cat would be my third choice but it's more boat than I really want.(need?) Final question: My wife has family in Virginia and she alwas wants me to come with her to visit them. When is the next time you will be at a boat show, and how far is the show from Norfolk ? You have a really great site, and your "Sailing School" answered a lot of questions that have benn puzzleing me for years..

Answer: I'm glad our "Sailing School" helped. I really like the finesse of sailing small boats and I know the more you sail, the better you get. You never stop learning when it comes to sailing.

The CP-16 III would be my choice. It has the centerboard for the rocks and it also has the ballast you need for lowering and raising the mast on the water. I would add a "Boom Tender" with a mast gallow to make lowering and raising mast work. You can sail a shoal draft ballasted boat in almost any wind condition. That's me sailing a CP-16 III on 2Jun06 by myself. Click Results under Com-Pac Performance on the left. There are 2 pictures that shows the wind conditions on that day. I can remember that it was blowing pretty good that day.

Finding a used CP-16 Mark III for sale will be difficult. The new CP-16 (Legacy) is really a modified CP-16 and it has the centerboard and "Boom Tender" system. It also has 40% of its total displacement in ballast making it a great boat to sail. Sailing 4 people at the same time is no problem.

Our next boat show is Raleigh, NC in February 2008.

Message: Hello Keith; Could you tell me how much work it is to install the factory folding ladder on my 2001 Sun Cat? I've come to the conclusion this ladder is the best one for the boat and the boat will typically be moored just offshore at my place up north, not docked, so the ladder will be the primary boarding method. What kind of backing plates or support is there at the transom bolt locations? How do you get access to the transom and how should the ladder be located? Should I order it from Hutchins or do you have one you want to sell? Thanks in advance.

Answer: It's a big job if you do it the hard way. If you were going to do lots of work on the4 4ransom, you would remove the tiller horn from the cockpit and gain access that way. Removing the tiller horn is a 3-day job and that's the hard way. The 3M5200 really works well on the tiller horn. If I was going to install a ladder, I would cut an access hole and install an access port (a round port that screws into a base that's available from West Marine). The access port would be centered under the folded ladder when it was installed. If you have a white hull, a white port will work well and also look good. The transom on the Sun Cat has a built-in backing plate. I would use 3M5200 and washers under the ladder bolts and nuts. The mounting procedure is put the ladder halfway between the rudder and the starboard edge of the boat. Make sure the ladder's vertical dimension (left side of ladder) is parallel with the rudder when you look at the ladder and rudder from the stern.

You can order your ladder either way. You may have to wait 2 weeks to have 1 made. Business has been good.

Message: Hi Keith

In the design for this boat boat, what is the specification for mast rake?

Answer: The rake of your mast is a dynamic specification. If you normally carry and sail with 4 large people in the cockpit, you would move the top of the mast as far forward as possible to obtain a balanced boat sailing on the wind in 10 knots of wind. If you normally sail with 2 small people in the cockpit, only would only move the top of the mast forward enough of balance your boat. A well balanced Com-Pac 23 has a small amount of weather helm sailing on the wind in 12 knots of wind. 12 knots of wind can be identified when you see whitecaps everywhere, 11 knots of wind is 1 whitecap now and then and 10 knots is darks spots everywhere.

Message: I have a West Wight Potter 19 but I find it cramped inside and shes very slow in light wind. At times I also find it tedious to raise the sails. I'm thinking of getting a catboat with just one sail to worry about. Howeverm the WWP 19 does have floatation that I like and it's relatively cheap ( I bought it new in 2003) Should I trade it in for a Horizon? I also hate the lack of privacy when using the head.

Answer: We can take a West Wright Potter as a trade-in on a Horizon Cat. Back when I was learning how to sail, dealers didn't take trade-ins on new sailboats and it was hard to go from boat to boat. We now do trade-ins when we can and most sailors go from boat to boat as they gain their sailing experience.

I remember owning 9 sailboats before I really learned how to sail. Most sailors have a hard time learning sail shape and trim on a light boat and my budget required a light boat at that time. Light and cheap go hand in hand when you’re talking sailboats. Light air sailing is the most difficult type of sailing. Making a boat go in flat water and no wind is close to magic.

Message: Would like to lead halyards aft and looking for used bronze Barlow 15 for the cabin top to match existing. Do you have one available? Thanks

Answer: Sorry. Good used Barlow 15s with the composite top ring are few and far between. The ring cracks after many years in the sun and makes the winch useless.

Message: I see you are redesigning the Compac 16 "trawler". The picture on your site shows a simpler "mock-up" of the wheelhouse. What is the material used and how will it be finished? Also you state the motor size is up to 25 HP- are you stengthing the stock transom for this ?

Answer: There are several materials that will work. The house on our first boat used 1/4 inch "Luan" panels covered with fiberglass cloth and paint. Our current building material of choice is a foam and fiberglass composite called "Coosa". This material is lighter, waterproof and works like wood. We cover the "Coosa" with a thin fiberglass panel that has a white gel-coat on one side. Both materials are available at marine supply stores like Paxton in Norfolk, VA. We spray paint the finished boat with "AWLGRIP". They say you can use a roller with that paint, but we always use a spray gun with good results.

The "mock-up" picture shows how we build our templates. We make templates so we can check fit and appearance before we start cutting our more expensive materials. The best engine for the Trawler is a 10-hp model that doesn't require lots of reinforcement. An added backing plate for a 10-hp motor will work. A Mini jack plate from T-H Marine mounts the motor in the middle of the transom and we use a long shaft motor.

We plan on writing a "How To" section on Trawler construction this coming winter. The flat floor on the inside and other building steps need to be covered in detail. Look for it on this Web site soon. The most difficult part of Trawler construction is the top of the house. The top will be available early next year as a mail order item. It will be a fiberglass laminate that can be shipped by truck and will cost about $500 and shipping cost.

Message: Is it possible to retrofit the garage package option to a used suncat? If so, is it possible to schedule such a update during a two week vacation in your area. You have a great web site.

Thanks for your help.

Answer: Yes, a retrofit is possible. See the DIY project #13 on our Web site. We can mail you 2 short pieces of stainless steel tubing that's used as boom gallows splices. You cut your gallows using a hack saw, finish the ends and then glue the splices we send you inside the existing pipes (See Project #10). The upper part of the gallows is removed from the lower part of the gallows by pulling it up and out and laying it down. The mast, boom and gaff lay on top of the boat.oject #13 shows how to handle the front end of the mast in some detail. Doing both ends will work using a standard 7 foot garage door.

We can do the work for you if you desire. Let us know your vacation schedule so we can schedule your work. Thanks.

Message: I stopped in last Wednesday and wanted to thank you for the time spent with me and the information provided. On the drive back to Hampstead, in my mind, I was set on the 82 Compac 16 we discussed. However, my family advisors indicate that "I may sometimes need to carry four or five passengers, and the Compac 17's are still within the 2,000 lb. towing capability of my Wrangler".

You and I did discuss the 01 Compac 17's but my impression was that these may not be the best sailboat for a beginner. I thought the ballast was significantly lower than on the Compac 16 which might be the issue with learning to sail.

What our your thoughts on this?

Answer: I think a sloop with 2 sails is the best boat when it comes to learning how to sail. You can see how the wind is flowing in and off the jib and how it modifies the main. Once you master sail shape with a sloop, sailing a cat boat with 1 sail and gaff is the next step up. The gaff is a fine sail shape adjustment tool. Fine adjustments to sail shape are possible with a gaff. I miss the gaff sail shaping capability when I'm sailing a sloop. The Sun Cat has less ballast, but it is really stiff and feels the same as other Com-Pac Yachts.

Message: The com-pac 16 with the picnic cat rig- did you guys set that up or was it a trade in? Would the sun cat rig be too big?

Answer: We modified the Com-Pac 16 that's listed on our Web site several years ago. The extra sail area from a Sun Cat rig would work fine in light wind areas like some lakes. I think the Sun Cat rig could be a handful in some windy locations. Most sailboats should be customized for your local sailing area.

Message: I have been considering a Suncat sailboat for its ease of transportation and set up. I have two questions that I have not found an answer. The garage option apparently requires only 6 foot height, but I cannot find the total length required for the boat and trailer. Is there a folding option for the front of the trailer? Also, how does the set up and ease of use from a trailer compare between the suncat and the Horizion cat. Your web site has been very enjoyable and informative.

Thanks for your help.

Answer: The length of a Sun Cat on a trailer is about 17 feet including the rudder and another 4.5 feet from the boat's bow to the trailer hitch. You can reduce this length by putting the boat in the garage at an angle. A standard garage door has a 7 foot clearance from top to bottom. The trailer cannot be folded.

The Sun Cat mast is the easy mast to raise. Most small people can raise the Sun Cat mast without any help. The Horizon Cat has a standard remote system for raising the mast and requires more effort. I can raise the Horizon Cat mast manually by myself, but I prefer the electric winch system I installed on my Horizon Cat rigged Com-Pac 23. I would never install an electric winch on a Sun Cat because it's too easy to raise by hand.

Message: Keith, although I know you addressed this issue a couple of years ago on your Answers board, we are interested to know if there is a retrofit possible for a small, removable fill-in section with a cushion insert to increase the area near the forward bulkhead for the upper torso when we are sleeping aboard inside (I usually sleep outside on the converted teak floorboards that I fitted with fold-out feet to be flush with the cockpit bride deck and seats) the cabin. I remember that the Hutchins Bros. offered this at the start of the Suncat production run, but pretty quickly eliminated it. We would like to know if a kit is available. Thanks for any help.

Answer: Good n The Sun Cat kit is avale for $350 plus shipping and installation. The cushions in the kit can be used as seat backs when they are not being used to make a larger bunk. I think the official name for this modification is the "Honeymoon" option. Two people can sleep side by side on the beam-ends of the boat.

Message: My Sun Cat sits on a Performance single axle trailer and there is one roller under the centerboard trunk. I have a word of caution and a question. The word of caution is the roller does not contact the shoal keel and so there is a few inches of clearance between the leading edge of the centerboard and the roller if the centerboard lanyard is cleated up tight. When the boat is trailered down often bumpy ramp roads to the launch site that centerboard penant takes a beating as the centerboard's mass reacts to jounce and rebound of the trailer going over those bumps. I always uncleat the centerboard penant and let the board rest on the trailer roller to avoid impact loads on the lanyard which will likely break it over time. Some centerboard boats use a thru-pin to lock the board up but the Com Pac does not have this. Of course you have to remember to pull the centerboard back up and cleat the penant before launch or retrieval. Now my question having read about the centerboard electrolysis problems does this 2001 boat have a zinc on the centerboard and if yes, where is it on the board? If the keel roller were temporarily removed from the trailer could the board be lowered enough to service the zinc on the trailer? If not could you install a zinc on the bottom leading edge of the board that would be accessible by removing the roller and dropping the board on the trailer? Thanks as always for any ideas.

Answer: Early Sun Cats didn't have zincs installed on their centerboards. Our yard installed zincs on those early boats when owners purchased bottom paint. Com-Pac started installing zincs on all Sun Cats centerboard soon thereafter. The installed zincs are small and need to be replaced often. We replace them when the boat is being removed from the trailer for bottom paint and they always need to be replaced. I do not know if they can be replaced with a roller removed from the trailer. I think a new set could be installed in the visible part of the centerboard when a roller is removed. I think the stock location for the zincs might be too high on the board.

If I was going to put an early model Sun Cat in a slip, I think I would do something else. Because the centerboard housing is very difficult to replace on early model Sun Cats and a zinc on the centerboard itself may only protect the board and not the housing, I think I would try plan "B". I would connect a large zinc to a flexible wire and drop it over the side. The other end should be connected to the centerboard housing pennant tube inside the boat through the seat hatch. The electrical connection between the centerboard zinc and the housing is through the bolt.

Message: Hi Folks, You have stated that you have installed lazy jacks on a sun-cat 17. I sail alone in coatal N.J. where we often have winds of 15-20 mph, I would like to hear your opinion on whether or not you feel the installation of lazy jacks are worth the effort. I realize there are many variables ,the biggest might be individual expierience. Just wanted to hear your take on this, as you guys know what you're talking about. Thanks

Answer: We have more experience installing Lazy Jacks than we have sailing with them. I plan on sailing a modified Com-Pac 23 with a Horizon Cat rig when the weather cools off some. I need to install a set of Lazy Jacks on that boat before I go sailing. Last yeai, the biggestisle on that boat was folding the sail when it was time to come home. My sail is larger than your Sun Cat and in 15 to 20 mph, it can be a tiger by the tail. On a Sun Cat, Lazy Jacks may be a tossup because of sail size. I'm sure Lazy Jacks will help me with my sail-folding problem when the wind is blowing big time.

Message: Hello Keith; I got through a major first round of getting my 2001 Sun Cat ready for sailing and garage storage. I successfully rigged the boat and got the sail re-installed on the trailer so that mystery is solved. Once you have seen it rigged it is pretty simple. for the garage storage I cut the gallows off using a brand new Rigid pipe cutter (sharp wheel) which left virtually no marks on the stainless gallows uprights even without any polishing. The upright tubes turned out to be 1" OD and I bonded 3" of the 6" long 7/8" pipe sections you sent me into the uprights on the boat. The Gallows slides on and off nicely and when installed it is hard to see any evidence of modification. On the mast plugs I deviated slightly from your method. I visited West Marine and the smallest piece of Starboard they had was about 12'x24" and $30. I decided that was too much. I did buy their small Evercoat polyester fiberglass repair kit, mainly to do the cockpit drain reinforcement you reccomended as a leak fix, then went down the street to the hobby shop and bought a piece of 1/4" thick balsa for less than $4 and cut a couple small pieces of the fiberglass cloth from the evercoat kit and bonded to each side of a couple of 4" square pieces of the balsa. I used a piece of construction paper set over the mast stub and very lightly tapped around the inside edge of the mast stub with the ball end of a ball pein hammer to get a nice accurate template, traced around the template onto the laminated balsa pieces, cut with a jigsaw, trim sanded to press fit, coated edges with polyester and tapped in. Perfect. The trailer can now be backed into the garage far enough to get the axle onto the flat floor of the garage floor with the gallows removed. To get the mast stub into the garage I have to remove the 2 mast hinge bolts and push the mast down flush with the top of the stub. I then have to disconnect the trailer, remove tongue and so far have used a floor jack to allow the jack wheel to be folded and let the frame down to where it just clears the floor. I will replace the folding jack wheel with a fixed jack wheel assembly that will allow the front of the frame to drop to the same height without messing around with a floor jack. Here then are my next projects and questions: I am working on several anchor schemes. For sure I am installing a deck pipe to utilize the anchor rope locker. From there I am torn between installing an anchor roller or installing a bow pulpit with the West Marine anchor rail straps that pick up the stock either side of the flukes. The roller has mechanical advantage but limits anchor size to one that fits the roller and requires more hole fastener holes. Also I plan to install an electrical system including battery, nav lights, bulkhead mounted sounder, knot meter and compass with lights. I will be starting from scratch as the boat was not equipped with the factory electrical pkg. Where does the factory locate the bow light, stern light and switch panel? Can the factory pkg parts be purchased from Com Pac and how much for the parts roughly? Back to the bow pulpit, you now offer a pulpit and it looks like it has a bow light bracket. This item could make both the anchor scheme and bow light scheme come together nicely. How much is the pulpit and mounting hardware? Thanks a ton for your help.

Answer: I think working on your own boat is almost as good as sailing and I think that you have a handle on that part of our sport. We have installed 2 different pulpits on Sun Cats. I like the Com-Pac 16 pulpit the best. The other pulpit we used was a Com-Pac 23 pulpit and it was a little high. The 16 pulpit cost $230 plus shipping. Installation can be a problem. We had to cut the feet off of 1 pulpit and re-weld to get the right angle. I think that was the 23 pulpit, but I'm not sure. Both pulpits come with a bow light holder that can be removed if you don't have lights.

The standard factory bow light on a Sun Cat (cats eye lights) are no longer available. The current bow light is mounted on the mast with the steaming light while the stern light is mounted on the boom gallows. I think I would find someplace else to mount the stern light because the wires need to be inside the gallows uprights. You might be able to make it work if your upright splice is close to the bottom. Making the hole for the wires at the bottom of uprights can be hard work. The circuit breaker panel is mounted on the starboard side of the forward bulkhead and the battery is installed behind the door. In most cases, a light installation kit will cost more than individual components from West Marine. You have to search for the correct circuit breaker panel that's inexpensive from West Marine. Maybe buying what you can from West Marine and then getting the rest from the factory would be a good solution.

It sounds like you are going to have a great boat. They sail really well.

Message: Hi. Do you sell or know about a kit that could give me a jib for my Sun Cat? I think that even a small jib would help me in pointing higher with this boat. I also wanted to know how much a bimini cost, as well as any special things that would make the inside of the boat more livable, such as custom shelving or something along those lines? Thanks for the reply.

Answer: A small jib can be added for light air performance. A modified Com-Pac 16 Mark I jib would cost about $350 and the hardware to make it work would cost another $350 (owner installed). You can compare your pointing ability to what we did with a Sun Cat last year. Look at our Com-Pac Yacht Performance Results on the left side of our Home Page and run the Sun Cat race. I think the Sun Cat pointed very well in those wind conditions. I also think a Sun Cat could use some added horsepower in light air.

A bimini cost $562 plus shipping and it can be shipped UPS.

We customize Com-Pac Yachts. Shelves, louvered doors, seat backs and other inside modifications are all possible. We call these modifications winter projects and we need your boat on our yard to perform most of these modifications.

Message: In yacht specifications what is PHRF

Thanks

Answer: PHRF (Performance Hanicap Racing Fleet) is a racing handicap system for sailboats. A local committee determines a new boat's PHRF based on other sailboats with similar specifications. Your PHRF is listed on our Yacht Database on the left. Handicaps can vary from area to area.

Message: Who manufactures the portlights. I need to replace the hard and cracked rubber seals. Love the website and plan to stop by and say Hi soon. Thanks

Answer: Several different vendors made the bronze ports for the CPac 27. Most of those vendors were located in the Far East. I don't think replacement gaskets are available for your ports and I would only replace a gasket if it leaked. Make sure you adjust your ports before you replace a gasket. Some of the gaskets in new ports were hard and cracked. Most automobile parts stores sell cork gasket material. Use gasket cement to seal the cork gasket to the port. Adjust the port (top and bottom) so the high point on the glass part of the port leaves an impression 360 degrees around the cork. Most ports that leak only seal at the bottom. The top part of the port needs to be adjusted on most ports that leak.

Stop by and see us anytime. We like to talk boats.

Message: Hi Folks, Really great site! I was going to ask about lazy jacks for my Sun Cat but I see that you have already answered it in your questions section. I would like to be considered for your owners club if it is open to yankee out of staters like me. My boat is new this year, I only wish that I lived closer to your shop so that I could have purchased it from you, my dealer was ok but sells mostly big boats and didn't seem very interested in after market options like you guys are. Thanks again for the great site.

Answer: Thanks for the kinds words. You are now a member of the CPYANC. An email will explain the password procedure.

Message: I just purchased a 2001 Com Pac Sun Cat from Yacht Works in Sister Bay, WI. The boat was sailed exactly once by the previous owner who then carefully stored it away for the winter in a closed garage, then died, so the boat is essentially a brand new boat. The boat was completely de-rigged and sail removed for a 235 mile trip to it's new home, my summer home in Garden, MI on Lk Michigan where it will spend part of it's time sitting outside but on the trailer, some of the time moored in the water and I want to store it in my new garage there for the winter.

I have 2 questions: Not being familiar with cat-rig sail rigging I ordered an owner's manual from Hutchins. Will the manual have good pictorials and pictures on how the mast is rigged for sail handling? If not how could I get a pictorial diagram showing proper routing of throat halyard/gaff halyard/boom and gaff connections to mast, boom control rigging, etc and explanation of how the center board depth is controlled?

Second question has to do with how best to reduce the overall height of the boat on the trailer to get it through my standard 84" high garage door openings for winter storage. It looks like the gallows is the worst problem as it measures about 96" off the ground with the boat trailer frame fairly level and the mast at the stub is about the same height when folded. If the gallows and standing rigging including mast and stub were removed I think the boat would go right into the garage. It looks like removing the gallows is a big project because the bolts on the tube flanges at the deck are probably secured under the deck with lock nuts and you would have to take off the rudder pass-thru to get to these nuts. I'm thinking an easier way is to use a tubing cutter and cut the gallows uprights about 6" above the deck then finding some close fitting tube sections to insert at the cut to make a sleeve joint similar to your DIY project on the C16 bow pulpit. This way the pulpit could be lifted off to store the boat and slid back on for sailing. As for the mast stub is it feasible to remove the base bolt below deck and un-step the stub provided it is properly re-sealed when it is re-installed? Is there anything else holding the stub in place? I'm thinking halyards could be removed from deck routing hardware, boom control could be outfitted with a snap swivel at the car for easy removal, side stays could be disconnected from deck stays and the sail could remain on the boom with sail cover and mast/boom/gaff could all be lashed together and removed as a unit from the boat. With all of that standing rigging and gallows off the boat it should be just a matter of rolling th boat into the garage. Any ideas or comment on this lunacy is welcomed. Thanks in advance for your time.

Answer: If I remember correctly, the Sun Cat manual isn't going to help all that much with your rigging problem. The Sun Cat brochure has the best rigging picture. The good news is that when you start rigging your boat, you will figure out how it done by trial and error. The sail should only be removed for major maintenance or replacement because it takes a long time to reinstall. I don't think you will have any major problems when you rig your boat. The centerboard is either up or down. We normally forget to secure the centerboard line when we launch our boat and the centerboard will get stuck on the last trailer roller. Then we have to bring the boat back on the trailer and secure the line with the board up.

You are right about the boom gallows. Cut the tubes about 12 inches above the deck. I use a cut off saw with a metal blade. I strap the saw to the tubes. The mast stub can be reduced in height by installing another hinge above the deck. Install the new hinge backwards and fold the stub forward for the garage. Your idea will work, but unsealing the 3M5200 will be a job. Keep as many parts and pieces connected as possible. Good luck with the project.

Message: What are the most important differences between the ComPac 16, 16II and 16III?

Answer: The Com-Pac 16 Mark I is a very basic boat with an aluminum bow pulpit and a 3/4th headsail rig. The Com-Pac 16 Mark II, vintage late 1985, cost $1,600 more retail than the previous Mark I and had lots of improvements. The Mark II has a stainless steel pulpit, 7/8th headsail rig with a bowsprit, genoa tracks, 5 square feet more sail area and some fancy teak on the inside. The Mark III came along in 1988 and added an opening see-through hatch on the foredeck and room for a gas tank in the cockpit.

Message: The portlights on my recently purchased 87 19/II have that salty green look to them. How do I get them back to the clean looking bronzes again. 2Thanks and really enjoy your web site.

Answer: We use a solution of vinegar, salt and water to remove the ugly stuff. Remove the ports and soak the bronze parts overnight in this solution. Clean and polish the ports after the soak and then spray a light mist of varnish for a lasting finish.

Message: My wife and I have 2 small children, ages 3 and 4. We are looking for our first sailboat. We have never sailed before and wish to daysail / trailer. Want an easy to rig and launch used boat that will give us a positive learing experience, and then upgrade / upsize down the road. we would use a smaller boat more than a big one, and have been looking in the 16-20 foot range. What do you have available in a quality boat, and what models would you recommend? Thanks, great site.

Answer: Almost all small cabin boats built in the 80s will work on most lakes. You can have fun with just about all of them. Most of the boats built in the 80s have their ballast inside a stub keel and this is the most popular configuration for small boats on a trailer today. You can learn more about sailing from a boat that has extra ballast. Light boats are cheap to build and make money for the builder. Heavy boats are more expensive to build, cost the buyer more and provide a better learning experience. An experienced sailor can take a light performance boat and do some great sailing. They all learned how to sail on heavy stiff boats or they wouldn't have become experienced sailor. I think sailboats should be sold by the pound.

Almost all sailboats are a compromise. When it comes to launching and maintenance, a 16 is better than a 20. A 20 may be better than a 16 when it comes to its physical mass or displacement. It all depends on your passenger requirements, your age and where you plan on doing most of your sailing. The mast raising on smaller boats is very easy. When boats get to be 20 feet long, the mast is longer and is more difficult to raise. You will sail more if the parking lot business is quick and easy. We can say that all sailboats have a territorial character, categorized as performance or cruising and that we should not expect standing headroom and air conditioning in a 16 foot sailboat.

Message: Good aftenoon. 1. isn't thee somewhere i might peruse 'costs ' of up-grades, IE: bottom painting / life lines / etc. Also, the cost of a new trailer for said 16 / 11.

Thanks

Answer: Com-Pac still sells most of the parts and pieces for your 16. They will answer your emails and phone calls concerning parts and prices. The best way to get a trailer (the Legacy trailer is the same trailer) is from a dealer. We pickup more than one trailer at a time when we pickup boats in Florida. That saves some of the cost of transportation from Florida. A trailer cost $1,575 at my yard. Sternrails and lifelines cost $345.87 plus shipping to your location and bottom paint cost $500 on my yard.

Message: Scott, we are having one major problem with t. When raising the sail, we can't get the boom to rise at the gooseneck as high as it can go just beneath the mast hinge. Even with the downhaul for the tack, we can't get raise it at all unless we go forward and push up the boom at the tack. This is just not possible when single-handing. Nothing is fouled above -- when we lift the boom, the gaff throat halyard works smoothly. We can't figure out what the problem is.

The other problem is that the reef hook and the extension from the slug at the top of the gaff throat where the halyard is attached both are repeatedly fouled from the two square brackets that frame the mast just above the hinge. We have had to repeatedly strike the sail to unfoul either or both hooked onto especially the starboard bracket.

Are these brackets really necessary? We keep speculating on what they are for, but we can't figure it out!

Any help would be appreciated.

Answer: The reason the boom doesn't move that last few inches is because you are lifting everything at that time including the boom. When you get to the point where the gooseneck stops moving, look at the boom on the gallows end and you will see that the boom has just lifted off the gallows. You can sail like that, but not very well. I use a barber haul system to get the gooseneck and the boom up where it should be. You lock the throat halyard in its cleat at highest point. I then pull sideways on the halyard from a spot in front of the cleat. This gives you the extra power you need to hoist the weight of the rigging and the boom those last few inches.

The wire brackets on both sides of the mast are not required. They were designed to guide the slugs through the joint between the stub and the mast. A normal cure without removing the brackets is to make sure you are moving directing into the wind when you raise your sail. At least during the first part of the maneuver where you are having a problem. The brackets are suppose to guide the slugs into the groove if you fall off after that time.

Message: I would like to put an 8 hp electric start outboard motor on my com-pac 19/II. Is the weight of about 94 lbs too much for the original motor mount which is in good condition? I have also been considering a 6 hp 4 stroke Nissan motor. What is your advice re: purchase of a motor. Love your website as I have found a lot of good information on it.

Answer: If you have the aluminum mount and not the stainless steel mount, I would upgrade the motor mount for the big Honda and most other 4 stroke outboards of that size. I think the aluminum mount has too much sideways play for that much weight. If you decide to change your motor mount, I would add another backing plate at that time. That will reduce the transom flexing with that much weight going up and down. I think a 5hp Honda really works well on your boat. It will start on the first or second pull every time. The 56 pound motor is really easy to put up and down on your mount and you wouldn't have to change anything on your 19 to accommodate that motor. The power is more than enough to take you to hull speed in most conditions. We use the 5hp on our 23s.

Message: is it possible to install a jib on a suncat,will it help up wind purformance.is it even worth the effert

Answer: Most sailboats including your Sun Cat would benefit from more sail area if they are used in the light wind conditions. A Sun Cat will sail up wind really well above a specific (bottom end) wind speed. If you look at the Com-Pac Performance link on the left, you will see a Sun Cat sailing upwind in 10 to 15 mph. It really sailed well at that wind speed. All sailboats have a bottom end wind speed where they can't go upwind. I don't know the Sun Cat's bottom end wind speed, but I do know that it's 9 mph for a Com-Pac 23. If the wind falls below that speed, you don't have enough sail power to make a boat move to windward. The Sun Cat should do better than a 23 because of the displacement difference between the 2 boats. I think the Sun Cat's bottom wind speed may be around 5 mph. That's dark spots on the water and a Sun Cat should sail really well in the 6-9 range, dark spots everywhere.

If the water is flat (wind speed of 0-3 knots), you can use a loose jib to flag the wind and its direction. Then you need to move your boat and jib into the best position to start sailing on the wind. If you can squeeze the air between the jib and the main, the boat will start sailing (you will need a small slot between the two sails that will open up with boat speed, you hold the jib clew with your hand close to the main). In flat water, you can only sail on the wind (pointing). The relative wind is what makes it work in flat water and relative wind is not as great on other points of sail. You also can't use a small slot on a beam or broad reach to get started.

A jib, bowsprit and the running rigging for a Sun Cat will cost about $4,000 installed. This type of installation will work in heavy and light air. The installation is a winter project for us and needs to be scheduled. Using a small jib connected to the anchor roller or the bow will work as a light air test system for this summer. I would borrow a small jib from a friend and see if you can make it work. This may solve your light air problems. They say that lake sailors are the best sailors in the World because they do so much with so little.

Message: Thank you for the great advice you offer here. We appreciate it!

Saw your recommendation for Pettit Trinidad bottom paint, and it raised a couple of questions:

1. I have a two year old Suncat which has been trailer sailed, and has no bottom paint and no blisters. The boat will now be kept at a dock for the season. Will the Trinidad provide protection against osmosis, or do you still recommend epoxy before the antifouling?

2. Can the Trinidad also be used on the rudder and centerboard? If not, what type of coating do you recommend for those surfaces?

Thank you for your time.

Answer: We have been using an undercoater (epoxy) on new boats (boats without bottom paint) since 1989. All fiberglass boats that live in hot water areas like theo southern United States may develop blisters and need protection. Boats that live in cold water areas (like Canada) may not need as much protection because blisters are not normally associated with those cold water areas. I would check with a local marina in your area and see if your local boats have blisters. If your local marina repairs blisters, I would undercoat my boat. Trinidad or any paint (even house paint) will provide some protection against blisters. Undercoater and bottom paint together is an excellent blister protection plan for our area.

Trinidad is copper bottom paint. You can't use copper bottom paint on metal parts. It will make the metal parts into an anode and the metal will be destroyed through electrolysis. We use tin bottom paint for metal parts. That type of paint was designed for the inboard/outboard lower units in powerboats. It comes in a spray can and you should cover the centerboard and the centerboard housing. I would pickup or fold the rudder at a dock. It will be above the water level and shouldn't need anti-fouling.

Make sure you replace your zinc on the centerboard when you paint your bottom. I think they should be inspected and/or replaced every year. I wish we had an easy way to do this without picking up the boat. I have considered making a removable zinc that connects to the pennant tube in our older Sun Cats. Dropping a zinc over the side at the dock would solve our electrolysis problem in these boats. See the DIY Maintenance link on the left concerning Sun Cat leaks.

Message: Thinking of trying a mooring or a slip; have NO bottom paint, and wonder if you have a summary on what to put on for a Lake like Kerr, a river like the Pamlico, or even saltish water like Oriental. Thanks; is there any kind that is good for all of it?

Answer: We use Pettit Trinidad for all our applications. You need bottom paint for protection from blisters on most southern lakes (any paint will do) and a good antifouling paint for the coast. Of course, an antifouling paint will work for both situations. You scrub your bottom with a soft brush to renew your antifouling paint on the coast. Locations like Oriental will need more scrubbing than places up river from Oriental. An up river location like New Bern may only need 1 scrubbing per year.

Message: My rub rail is pretty nasty looking. I'm already planning a paint job, and would like to replace the rub rail at the same timWhere do you get the right stuff, and what kind of adhesive is used? Any other thoughts on the subject would be very helpful. Thanks.

Answer: Older Com-Pac 16s through 23s use the same rub rail. Com-Pac recently purchased the machine and the rights to make this type of rub rail from a local vendor. The best place to buy this rub rail is from the Factory because that will save shipping it twice.

The tape under the rub is installed when the caulking is still wet. Com-Pac wants to keep the rub rail clean and that's why they use tape under the rub rail. It is not required for subsequent installations. Pull the rub rail off the side of the boat with your hands. Warm weather helps the installation and removal process. Remove the end caps. Remove the screws that are holding the rub rail ends. The rub rail will fall off the boat. Start the installation by cleaning the rub rail joint. Remove the old tape and clean the joint. Start at one end and install a screw to hold the rub rail in place. I would try to put it in the old hole. Pull the rub rail in the opposite direction while keeping it on top of the deck. The rub rail needs to be installed as tight as possible between the two ends. This prevents too much sag when the weather is hot and also saves material. Put a screw in the other end. After the ends are secured, put the rub rail on the hull to deck joint by hand or with a rubber mallet and replace the end caps. The job is finished and the boat looks much better. No adhesive is required or needed for installation.

With the rub rail off, it's a good time to repair the hull to deck joint if it shows some voids. If you see spots between the glass that needs caulking, add some 3M5200 to those spots. Removing the screws or the rivets is not a good idea. Clean and groove the exterior joint for the 3M5200. It takes several days for the caulking to get hard. Cover the caulking with white duct tape if you want to proceed with your rub rail installation at that time.

Message: I understand from the Compac owners website that there is a leaking problem with some older Suncats. What causes this and what is the cure?

Answer: Not having a dealer that repairs leaks is the big problem. Some boats go from the Factory to the buyer's home without stopping at a dealer's yard. These buyers are located in an area where we don't have a dealer and the leaks were not identified and repaired when the boat was new. I have helped lots of Sun Cat owners with leak problems and they were all successful. The owners fixed most of the leaks with a little email help from me.

Places to check for leaks: Ports, centerboard pennant hole, gas hatch, mast entry and the centerboard housing. The centerboard housing screws can corrode if the boat stays in the water and the centerboard is not protec om electrolysis.

The most common leak for all Sun Cats is at the seat hatch. The gutter around the seat is shallow on its aft edge. The boat can be on its trailer and in a bad position where water will puddle in that area. The angle of the boat's deck when it is on a trailer is very important. If it is in a bad position, water will drain into the aft bilge during a rainstorm and can't be seen. The water in the aft bilge will not move to the forward bilge where it can be seen until the boat is moved on it's trailer or the boat is launched.

Message: Hi Keith,

First, congratulations on the nice piece on the CP 16 trawler in Small Craft Advisor.

We are starting our second season on the Picnic Cat we got from you last year, and we are having a great time sailing Cape Cod Bay -what a fabulous boat.

But perhaps you could help me with one problem I am having.

I find a small amount of water forward of the structural bulkhead under the forward hatch. I thought it was only rainwater that came down the open mast groove, and indeed that may be happening. But I dried it all out Saturday, went sailing Sunday and found it again. No rain.

Since the PC is never stern higher than the bow, indeed the opposite on launch and retrieval, and there is not much water, I am thinking that the water most come in forward of the centerboard trunk. The only hole through the hull that might be responsible is the bow eye.

Can I back those nuts off and rebed the bow eye without fear of losing the backing plate in a difficult -to-impossible to get-to spot?

Also, the grey paint has worn off where the puddle has been sitting showing pink(?) fiberglass mat. What do I paint that with (when dry)?

And lastly, I fear that I have created the problem as when fully winched-in the bow hangs on the bow eye. There is a padded bunk beneath it, and a roller aft of that but they only come into play as the boat winches onto the trailer.

Should I be moving the winch to a different position so that the bow actually has some weight on that forward pad?

Thanks for being such a resource to all us Com-Pac sailors!

Answer: I think Small Craft Advisor did a super job on their Trawler layout. I was pleased with what they published.

Picnic Cats have a built in low spot in the forward part of the hull. Another way to say the same thing is that we have a dam between the bow and where you see the water. Water that collects in this area is hard to remove. The water will move around as the boat starts and stops while it is on the road. We keep seeing water from time to time and wonder where it came from. The way to remove all the water from the bow is to tip the bow up high, maybe 3 or 4 feet by putting a long 2X6 under the trailer hitch. All the water in the hull will drain to the rear and can be removed. Rainwater from the mast area should have caused your leak.

Use a good quality enamel paint from the hardware store to touch-up your interior gray paint. Making it match is the hard part.

You have to prove that a boat leaks at a certain point before you attempt to repair a leak at that point. It is doubtful that the trailer eye leaks. It is put together with lots of 3M5200. If you can prove that it leaks (water hose with a dry boat on the inside), we can talk about a repair at that fitting.

The trailer bow roller belongs on top of the boat's trailer eye. This position prevents the bow of the boat from bouncing up and down as you trailer down the road. The pull of the winch locks the bow of the boat to the roller. The pad on the trailer frame is designed to prevent the hull from hitting the trailer on launch and retrieval. It is not designed to support the hull while the boat is on the trailer.

Message: Would a 4hp motor be too much for a C-16? Also, any thoughts on how to charge the battery on a boat kept stored on trailer at the lake? No elec. available.If solar, who makes a good panel, waterproof, etc? Thanks.

Message: Should have put this into my previous message, sorry. My 16 has motor mount that lifts. Do I use a short shaft, or long shaft motor. Read somewhere that it takes a short shaft. Thanks.

Answer: A 4hp, 2 stroke will work fine. A 4hp, 4 stroke may be a little heavy. We use the flexible solar panels sold by West Marine. The part number is 8632945. The Com-Pac 16 was designed to use a short shaft motor.

Message: I have a 1987 CP23/2 with the brown cove stripe.It is getting a little faded. Polishing helps for a little while,but half way through the summer it is faded again. I was wondering if the paint was still available, if not is there a different brand that would be a good match? I really like the look of the brown, besides I don't want to change my sail cover,tiller cover and the sunband on my jib and genoa which are also brown. Thank you for your help.

Answer: The brown cove stripe on your boat is gel-coat. That's why is fades as fast as it does. We use a 2-part AWLGRIP paint to fix the problem. The paint can be applied with a roller and it can be buffed to a smooth super shine after it gets hard. The paint color is Sable Brown and the part number is G6001.

Message: Hi. Saw the reconditioned 16 on the Web-Site, and fell in love. Is that topside paint over the entire hull, or matching bottom paint? How the heck does a guy on a budget get the boat off the trailer to paint below the waterline? What paint did you use, two part, or one part? Are the stripes painted or tape? Since I just joined this weekend, that's probably enough bothering you. Thanks

Answer: We normally don't paint decks. The decks are repaired and then reconditioned with compound and wax. The hulls are painted with AWLCRAFT, a 2-part paint. Paint is much better than gel-coat for a long lasting finish. We paint 16s inside our shop. A floor jack picks the boat off the trailer. We put wood blocks under the keel and then move the blocks back and forth until we can remove the trailer. The boat is held in an upright position with lines tied to cleats on the shop walls. All of our stripes are tape. We use a crane to apply anti-fouling paint outside the shop. We don't find too many 16s without anti-fouling paint these days. We think the best anti-fouling paint for an old boat that's going to stay on its trailer is a new Pettit paint called Vivid. You can get this paint with a white color and that makes the boat look like it doesn't have bottom paint. Good questions.

Message: Are catbird seats available to order for my Com Pac 19/3? If so, how much are they and what is the order time? I saw the pics of Hildegard ...beautiful job! What does a refurbish similar to this cost?

Many thanks

Answer: The catbird seats cost $636.30 plus shipping. If the boat was on the yard, the installation labor would be about $300.00. The installation also requires new life lines at $200.00. The catbird stern pulpit is a Com-Pac 23D pulpit. The Factory needs about 4 weeks of lead time to build this special purpose pulpit.

The basic restoration cost of a Com-Pac 19 is about $6,450. The waiting period for a restoration is 1 year.

Message: Hello

Do you have any of your "trawl boat" conversions?

Answer: I have the plug on the yard, but it's not for sale. We hope to build some trawlers this winter.

Message: I am interested in locating a Picnic Cat, used preferred but might have to go to new. Anything available? Price? Trailer? Motor? Thanks.

Answer: I'm sorry, we don't have a used Picnic Cat. A new boat, including a sailcover cost $8696. A trailer cost $985.50 and a 2hp Honda cost $900.

Message: In preparing the Suncat to get back in the water, I noticed that I am missing one of the plastic slides that attaches to the sail and slides up the mast. Do you know where I can get several new ones? Are they specific to the Suncat, so that I would need to ask the folks at Hutchins, or are they generic? There is a Hutchins dealer near here, but they were certainly not knowledgable about the the boats a year ago. That's why I went all the way to N. Carolina to buy from you. Also, is there an add-on kit for lazy jacks recommended for the Suncat, or is the boat too small to make that worthwhile? On a windy, choppy day, getting the sail down quickly and into the the boat singlehanded can be a little tricky. Thanks.

Answer: The sail slides are generic. The slide that fits the Sun Cat are called sail slugs at West Marine and the part number is 2690840. You will also need a plastic shackle to install the new slug. I think the correct shackle part number is 2690949. The new slugs will look different, but they will fit the groove in the mast and the front to back length should be the same or almost the same.

We have installed a lazy jacks on a Sun Cat and it worked well. The system is a Harken product from West Marine, part number 336461. The pre-swaged wires had to be cut and re-swaged because they were too long for our Sun Cat. We used our inexpensive life line swaging tool for that job that's also available from West Marine. We plan on installing a system on a Horizon Cat soon. I think we can install lazy jacks on that boat without any modifications.

Message: Hello, I enjoy you site very much and you've inspired me to consider converting my 1976 Com-pac 16 to a catboat. You mentioned that you carry the hardware needed, could you give me an idea of the cost? I'm trying to compare the upgrade to the cost of a new mainail and standing rigging. Thanks in advance.

Answer: Thank you for the kind words. The cost of a conversion is going to be more money. The modification cost about $1,500 for the basic parts. You use your existing mast and standing rigging with our modification. We also haven't developed a good boom gallows that can be owner installed. We do some welding after we fit the gallows to the boat. The current teak and stainless gallows is an extra $500. We would like to develop a stainless gallows that could be owner installed and cost less. Itiitho's on our list of things to do.

Message: The Sock for the mast stub looks like it will work much better than the plug since I have wiring for Nav lights, etc.

What is the cost for the Sock that goes on the Mast Stub and the one that goes on the end of the gaff?

Available in Sunbrella color: Toast?

All my other canvas is Toast.

Thanks

Answer: The cost of the mast sock is $95 and the gaff sock is $45. They come in Sunbrella colors including Toast. It takes about 3 weeks to make the socks and the shipping is extra.

Answer to Message below continued: The seat back filler option for the Sun Cat is available for $397.00.

Message: On your ad for a Sun Cat you listed "The inside options include seat backs with the ability to make a filler for wall to wall sleeping" Could you please send more information about this and a Bimini?

Thank you.

Answer: The seat back and filler option was designed for new boats. We are currently asking Com-Pac if this option is available for any Sun Cat. I don't know how they would match the cushion cloth for a used boat. They may come up with a solution if they can solve the cloth problem. The bimini comes in a choice of colors and moves forward and back on an included track. In the stowed position, the bimini rest against the boom gallows below the boom and is out of the way. It comes with a boot and can be shipped in 2 parts (UPS). The cost of a Sun Cat bimini is $562 plus shipping.

Message: Hi,

I read a few places, most recently in a review of the Picnic Cat for a small craft magazine, that some people optimize their boats by replacing he factory rudder with a foil rudder ( idasailor.com). Do you he any insights in the value of these? As always, I enjpy your site. ( Semper Fi)

Answer: All of my customers that own a foiled rudder like their rudders. Some have complained about the rudder's construction, but most of them seem satisfied with the Company's warranty program.

As a technical person, I like the original flat aluminum rudder best. The lift created by a rudder is caused by the difference in pressure between the sides. The rudders on all sailboats are the same shape on the both sides. This means that a rudder cannot create lift like an aircraft's wing. Lift from a rudder is created when the boat slips sideways sailing on the wind (keels work the same because all sails create sideslip). The reason large rudders are shaped like an airfoil is to reduce drag. The rudders on large sailboats have to be thick enough to be strong. I think if we compared the drag generated by the flat aluminum rudder and a foiled rudder on a Picnic Cat, the flat aluminum rudder would have less drag. (Semper Fi)

Message: Hello Keith,

On my 89 model CP23, I noticed the gaskets on the ports are very hard and brittle and that there is evidence of some leaks. How hard is it to replace these and do you stock them?

Thanks!

Answer: Gaskets for the 89 ports are no longer available. The old port gaskets work longer than most people think. Look at the seal line between the moveable part of the port and the gasket. There should be a line on the gasket that makes contact 360 degrees around the gasket. The ports can be adjusted at the top hinges to make this happen. Most bronze ports that we see do not make contact at the top and they will leak after a hard rain. Adjustment should fix the problem.

Message: I absolutely love your site for all your sailboat information. It is very informative and really helps prospective buyers.

I have a couple of questions. Com-pac doesn't advertise any positive floatation in the Suncat or new Legacy. Sailboats like Monygomery 15, Catalina 18, Sanibel 18, Potter 15 & 19 do have it. Please give your views on this. The new Legacy has a low slung transom. Your views on safety as far as following seas and being pooped.

Thanks

Answer: Thanks for the kind words.

Com-Pac also has floatation. They had foam in their boats back in the 70s when no one else did. Com-Pac Yachts are NMMA (National Marine Manufactures Association) certified. That's like the UL (Underwriters Laboratories) certification on electrical appliances. Foam floatation is part of that certification. Check out my "What's New" link on the left.

Com-Pac doesn't advertise as much as some builders. They think their customers are their best advertising tool.

The time it takes to get a trailer sailboat ready to launch is very important. You use the easy access transom in the parking lot every time you use your boat. Com-Pac really works at making launching easy. You will use your boat more if launching is fast and easy.

The low transom on some of our Com-Pac Yachts might be problem if you were sailing around the World. We don't recommend sailing around the World in a Com-Pac Yacht. Following seas on lakes and coastal waters hasn’t been a problem. The hull has lots of buoyancy and moves up and down with the waves. The perceived transom problem isn't a problem after you sail the boat.

Message: Thanks for your reply regarding the trailability of the CP16&19.You mentioned the 19 would trailer better with a longer trailer.Are you talking about the entire trailer or a longer bed from the wheels back to give it a longer keel guide and shoe for the keel to sit on?The CP16 on your web site has the exact color scheme I thought of for restoring a boat. Can you tell me what brand and color you used in restoring the boat's topsides and waterline? Thanks for your reply.

Answer: I was talking about the 19 trailer being too short overall. The tow vehicle gets wet on most ramps with the stock trailer. A longer trailer will float the boat off without any problems. A 23 trailer can launch a 19 without the vehicle or my feet getting wet.

WeW use AWLCRAFT paint on our hulls. We try to avoid painting the decks because of the time and money it takes to paint a deck. Dirt in the air falls on horizontal surfaces when you spray paint decks. Vertical surfaces like hulls avoid that problem. Gel-coat on the decks can be restored in most cases. We do gel-coat repair and then compound and wax. If a deck is really bad, painting may be the only option.

AWLCRAFT paint is made for spraying by a professional. AWLGRIP paint can be sprayed or applied with a roller by almost anyone. In both cases, the paint needs to be compounded after it gets hard. I have seen some good results using AWLGRIP with a roller. The secret to both processes is the buffer and the person doing the compound work after the paint gets hard.

The color of our green hulls are Forest Green and the decks are the originals off white gel-coat in most cases.

Message: Good afternoon. I currently own a Marshall Sanderling catboat that I sail on Currituck Sound, and am considering moving to an easier-to-trailer model like the Com Pac Elipse, 19, or the new Legacy. Do you take other boats in trade, and if so, how do you determine the trade in value? also, do you service what you sell? Thanks!

Answer: We do take sailboats in trade on sailboats. We can't take a sailboat in trade that cost more than a sailboat that's being purchased. We determine the trade-in value of sailboats by identifying a market value "asking price" less 10%. The value of used sailboats varies greatly by location and condition. If the value of a trade-in is greater than the new boat, we recommend a broker sale for the old boat.

I think we may be the last dealer in the World that services what we sell. We have lots of experience.

Message: Thank you for your answer to my fire extinguisher question. However, in your answer you used a term I've not heard before. You mentioned you were getting ready to put a "Summer Cabin" option on a Sun Cat. Could you please clarify what that is? Do you have any photos?

Answer: Your welcome. The summer cabin that we are building is a canvas cover for the cockpit. It's going to look like a cockpit awning with sides. The Sun Cat owner that ordered the summer cabin is going to sleep in the cockpit when anchored. We hope to have his summer cabin built by the end of this month and we will publish pictures when it's finished.

Message: would it help if i insalled a vang on my suncat

Answer: I don't think so. The primary purpose of a vang is to flatten your sail while sailing downwind. If you are sailing downwind and you want maximum sail-area perpendicular to the wind, a vang might help. The mainsheet on the Sun Cat uses mid-boom sheeting and it is almost as good as a vang installation going downwind.

Message: I have owned sailboats from a Sea Sprite 23 to a Cape Dory Typhoon. I have been out of sailing for several years restoring wooden motorboats.I am now back in the market looking for a sailboat.I was looking for another Typhoon.I have become interested in the Com-Pac boats.When I saw your website it convinced me to look further. Your website is very good and your interest in your boats and customers is outstanding.The two boats that interest me are the CP16 and 19.I belong to a sailing club that does not allow a boat less than 22' to have a slip so I will have to trailer it. I can use a land parking place so I can leave the boat rigged.I like the roomer 19 but I do not know how hard it is to trailer.Is the 16'a lot easier to trailer than the 19'? What year did they start putting centerboards in the keel of the 16' and 19'? I understand it points better.Thanks for your reply.

Answer: Thanks for your kind words. I owned a Cape Dory 27 for 5 years and I think people that like Cape Dory boats like Com-Pac boats. We are traditional boat people.

Launching a 19 would be easy if you had it on a longer trailer and the mast was already in an upright position. The 19s were a little tall on the trailer and you needed a ladder to gain access to the cockpit in the parking lot. Both problems were solved when they designed the Eclipse. I think the 19 would work for you if you had a longer trailer. Pulling a 2000-pound boat down the road was never a problem.

The older Com-Pac 16s has the same room on the inside as the Cape Dory Typhoon. The new Legacy has more room on the inside. Both boats are great daysailors and they launch from powerboat ramps.

Being a Com-Pac Dealer, I normally pick my boat for its intended purpose. If I planned on daysailing from a trailer, I would select a 16 (Legacy). If I planned on spending a week at some location that I had accessed with an automobile and trailer, I would select a 19 (Eclipse or Sun Cat). Boats that live in the water follow the same general rule. An overnight works well using a Com-Pac 23 (Horizon Cat). If I planned on staying a week at some remote location (like the outer banks), the standing headroom under the bimini and in the cabin makes the Com-Pac 25 the perfect boat. I know that most people can't own a boat for every purpose, but you can pick the boat that best suits your current needs. Changing the boat when you needs change is pretty easy.

I think Com-Pac only made a few 19s with centerboards. I never sold one. The Mark III 16 had a centerboard and it did point higher (about 5 degrees) in light wind. You could normally gain back the lost time with a Mark I or II on a beam reach and downwind because they have less drag.

Message: do you have a mast tender to fit a compac sixteen and will it make it easy for a handy cap person to raise.

I have had two sixteens and the only problem with keeping them on the trailer is putting the boom and sail on each time also what is the cost thanks

Answer: I think we have a new system that will be less expensive than the Mast Tender system. The new system is the Boom Tender system that's standard equipment on the new Legacy. I haven't modified an older 16 yet, but I plan on doing so soon. North Carolina sailors developed a mast and boom stand about 25 years ago. The mast base stays in the tabernacle and the top of mast lays in the mast stand at the stern of the boat. The mast sticks out about 4 feet beyond a raised rudder blade. The angle ost prevents any contact wagth a following automobile on the road and you can hang a red flag on the mast if desired. I think this angle between the tabernacle and the stand will provide the room necessary to fold the boom on the mast with the sail inside a sailcover and still connected to the mast and the boom. An older Mark I Com-Pac 16 with a boltrope main wouldn't work, but the newer boats with slugs should work well. I will document the Boom Tender modification on the Web when we do our first boat. Details for making a NC mast stand for older 16 will be published in our DIY section at the same time. Installing the Boom Tender modification will be easy and can be owner installed.

Message: Ok, I'm convinced. She is the one. Could you quote a price F.O.B your facility? what would be earliest delivery date?. What would be a shipping cost to Virginia? and lastly, I'm curious to know if a jib roller furler could be installed.

By the way, your website is awsom!

Answer: Thanks for the nice comments.

A new Lagacy cost $12,365.50 at our location in North Carolina. The current build time is about 4 weeks with your choice of boot stripe and canvas colors. The price above includes a sailcover and a trailer. A ladder cost $166.50 and the cockpit padded backrest lines cost an additional $327.60. We like those options for the Legacy. The boat including all the options has a 10% discount off the retail price. The transportation from Florida to Nor Carolina is $400 and that's also included the price above.

As a Dealer preparation function, we varnish the tiller and inspect the boat and trailer before customer pickup. We also provide a short course on basic trailer and mast raising techniques at pickup time.

We have a new boat in stock with the options listed above. We can offer free transportation to Virginia on that boat. The canvas and boot stripe are dark blue. An additional transportation cost from North Carolina to Virginia would be around $200 on a boat ordered from the factory.

We don't recommend jib furling on the Legacy if the boat is going to be launched from a trailer on a routine basis. If the boat is going to be in the water at a slip, jib furling is recommended and can be installed by us. Thanks.

Message: Not a question, but a few thoughts. I recently worked the Com-Pac display at the Grand Rapids, Michigan show and got my first look at the Legacy. She's pretty (which really doesn't need to be said about CP's), but no one has sailed her yet (water gets very hard around here in Feb), so everything is just speculation so far. It appears to me that the Sun Cat may be the more efficient weekender for two people. She appears better laid out, but time will tell. However, my reason for writing is that it seems the small sailboat folks are overlooking the CP23, at least as far as new one's go. Used boats are still demanding a respectable price, and just try finding a used diesel. I know for a new one she's a bit pricey, and add the diesel you're looking at around 44K, but after two years of ownership, I think I can now voice my opinion on the boat. Simply put, I am one proud & happy camper... er, sailor (although, we do spend most weekends aboard). She's simple to sail, even single handed, and as I reach my mid-fifties, ease of process becomes more of an issue. She'll stand up to blow like you wouldn't believe. I've sailed her fully canvased (150% genoa)in 25 knots steady, and she behaved quite nicely. I won't say she wasn't flying too much cloth, but my son was handling the jib sheet, so it wasn't like I was the one getting beat up! We held a steady 5.7 knots, and that will get your attention in a 23 foot boat. We were on a small lake that connects to Lake Michigan, so wave height wasn't much of a problem; we simply blasted right through them. And NO, you do not want to be on a Great Lake in 25 knots steady if there's any fetch at all. I think you could do it, and I'm almost sure you'd be safe, but face it, at 3,200 pounds the 5 and 6 foot saw-tooth waves that form on the Lakes are going to Scare you plenty. So, I guess I do have a question afterall, when it starts blowing on the Big Blue, and the waves get up to 20 feet, how does the CP23 perform? We sometimes get 15 footers on the Great Lakes, with the occasional 20-25 footer, but that kind of weather sinks 1,000 foot freighters (rolls 'em, breaks 'em in half, or drives the bow under). Us kids on the Lakes just can't imagine sailing on big rollers like you folks on the Ocean enjoy. Fair winds.

Answer: Well said. I agree with your observations.

No one sails a 23 foot boat in 20 foot seas and lives. My son sailed a 23 foot Hunter from the Bahamas to the mainland last year in 12 foot seas. He really didn't sail his boat in those seas because he wasn't in control of his vessel. He washed up on the beach 70 miles north of his intended destination and had the wind and the Gulf Stream been moving in a different direction, he could have ended up in Europe or dead. Com-Pac Yachts are great coastal sailboats, but they are not designed or built as ocean going vessels. We have sailed a 23 foot Com-Pac in 50 knots of wind with 2 foot seas on a coastal river. The 23 likes the wind. You need a big boat for big seas.