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Sailing Events Page, 18 March 2010
The new boom gallows (Sun Cat) works well on the 16. The mast can be carried in two different ways. The picture below shows the mast in the carry position that's similar to the rig on the Legacy. The foot of the mast can also be moved back to the tabernacle and carried in a position like most of the 16s in North Carolina. The boom isn't on the mast in this picture, but it will be installed under the mast with its mainsail inside a sailcover. This boat will have a storage cover that will cover the cockpit and cabin with the mast in either position. Good looking boat.
The first Camper Model 16 Trawler is looking good. We decided the hull is going to be forest green and the deck and top will be a light cream color. We did a test on the colors and they look good to my eye. Blue and green appear to be the best looking hull colors for our super Awl-craft paint. We may paint one red every now and then. The price of a finished Trawler with a new motor and trailer should be around $18K.
We think everyone evolves in sailing. They start with a small sailboat and then they may go to a larger boat and keep that boat or another boat until its time to go back to a smaller boat. I see that with the Com-Pac 16. With the trawlers, we think everyone will have one more option after the 16. Just about everyone that currently owns a trawler (all brands) was a rag sailor at one time. We all like a steady boat and we can enjoy our time on the water more by going slow.
This is the 4th of March and the weather has improved in North Carolina. The sun feels good and maybe it will stop raining soon. We have had too much rain and too much cold in North Carolina this year. We kept our crew working inside on small boats during the cold months. We did what they do in Canada. Pack the barn and keep the heat going. I have several dings on my head from running into non-moveable objects, mostly boats. The largest boat that can go inside is a 23 and the largest boat that we can pick-up inside is an Eclipse. The inside crane is a very useful tool.
We have added War Stories and Sea Stories to this Web site. Click the names on the lower left. War Stories tell about aircraft maintenance before, during and after the Vietnam War. It may be good reading during the cold months. We will change the squadrons and the stories from time to time. The stories are all about aircraft maintenance and the men that do that type of work. Our Sea Stories are stories about two long voyages made by Com-Pac Yacht owners. I will remember my part of Richard's voyage forever. Down the Delaware River starting at the C&D Canal and ending at Cape May in one day. We were really fast. The ocean looked really big from our vantagepoint at the mouth of the Delaware Bay. We looked hard, but we couldn't see England. Richard did other journeys to Texas and the Keys in his Com-Pac Yachts. He was a metallurgist and worked on the Manhattan Project during WWII and he had some great stories.
Our local Coast Guard Compliance Officer did a complementary inspection of our new Coastal Packet 20 last week. The Coast Guard is tasked with monitoring new boat construction for safety reasons. He recommended that I insure that the boat's length is a little longer than 20 feet to fit into the 20 feet or greater power boat category. I think we are going to add an additional 12 inches to the bow for an anchor roller. It has to be glassed in place and not bolted on. This additional length is needed to prevent measurement problems when the Coast Guard certifies the boat. He also said that my navigation lights would have to be marked as being Coast Guard Approved. Because the boat has lights, we will also have to create and install a certification label. Our hull identification number was accurate and passed his inspection. This prototype boat will become the first Coastal Packet 20 in June.
The word on the waterfront is that Hatteras Yachts of New Bern, NC is in the restoration business. They have the facilities and the work force to do big boat restoration and make it work. Com-Pac has talked about doing restoration work in the past and maybe a family member has started a business restoring Com-Pac Yachts. They have been looking for old 16s in Florida. The economics of new boat versus restoration is getting closer. I wonder if the Hatteras jobs are considered GREEN jobs?
Com-Pac has also started doing more custom work than they did in the past. Talk to Richard if you need some custom work done. I wonder if the house for the new Pilot House 23 can be added to older 23s. I'm sure The Sailboat Company could do a splice job. Standing headroom and a mast tender system on a boat that can go down the road should be about as good as it gets. One old man can raise the mast (mast tender gaff rig) on the 23 that we are currently building. I have done it many times.
The Sun Cat boom gallows installed on a customer's CP-16 looks real good. We use the boom gallows as a mast gallows for Com-Pac's Boom Tender System. I think it's going to replace our old stainless steel mast gallows.
We have a JavaScript performance link embedded in our Helmsmanship (The Terrain:)page on the left. It has been improved with a new graphic and more user controls. You can highlight the speed and course information in our new speed and course log and copy the data to the Window's clipboard with a ctrl-c keystroke. The data can be imported to other programs like Excel for further analysis. We hope to use our new Sun Cat template for the other Com-Pac boats soon.
A good tack is a course change while maintaining boat speed. Our software is designed to identify a change in direction of 45 degrees or more. Most tacks will be 45 degrees or a little more during and a little after the tack. The course should get better as speed increases after the tack. Click the Faster and Slower buttons only once for the best view. One click of Faster makes the display very fast and one click of Slower makes the display very slow. 2 clicks of Slower will stop the display. We have more computer work to do.
Most boats built during the 80s will need a new hull or deck finish soon. Paints made today are a much better finish than yesterdays gel-coats. Our current practice is to repair gel-coat with gel-coat and refinish hulls and decks with paint. The brand of paint that we use is super hard, easy to repair and keeps a shine much longer than gel-coat. Painting a small quality boat will raise it resale value and make maintenance easy. A colored hull with black bottom paint and a doe-skin boot tape is really pretty.
We just finished painting a 1989 Com-Pac 16 hull with Awlgrip paint. The blue color has a little bit of gray in the color mix and looks pretty good. The paint is so good that the paint that ended up on the concrete floor will be there for a long time. We still have some red paint on the floor that's several years old. This boat will also have a Sun Cat boom gallows installed. The boom gallows will be used as a mast stand for a boom tender system. We should have the bottom done and the gallows installed by early next year.
A Com-Pac 23 with a mast on the deck over the inside companionway is not new. A mast tender system on a 23 in the same position is. A mast tender system requires support under the deck for the raising and lowering process to work. We pull and push the mast stub when we raise and lower the mast. That was a problem with the 23 because we needed a clear companionway below the mast for movement between cabins. Our new mast socket is expoxied to the existing support bridge between the compression bulkheads and leaves the companionway clear. It is protected from compression loads with a stainless steel plate under the socket. We hope to be sailing soon.
Dave Nick has built a pretty Trawler on a Com-Pac 23 hull. He used hull number 22 to make this good looking boat. Our club site has addtional pictures.
We didn't have a pretty girl in a swimsuit for the picture, so we made do with the old man. The rumble seat is the best seat in the house and I like it. The cushion works well, but we didn't install the backrest on the pulpit rail. Not too smart on our part. We had the cushion, but we couldn't find it in the boat. I don't think the seat is going to work that well if your racing because your legs will get tangled in the mainsheet. Moving the mainsheet to the bridge deck would solve that problem. The seat does provide excellent visibility on long tacks and when you are motoring. I like being behind the boat and watching the sails work from that position.
Com-Pac doesn't make a mast tender for the Com-Pac 23 because the space below the mast is a companionway between the forward and aft cabins. A mast tender system uses a mast stub that goes from the hinge on the mast to the deck and then to the keel or to a structure below the deck. We plan on making a carbon fiber socket that will eliminate the need for a mast extension below the deck. It's looking pretty good in the early stages and we should have a test version in a few weeks.
We just did our first Com-Pac 19 rumble seat and it's looking good. This boat has an outboard motor and the rumble seat will work without interference.
We had a good day and a good engine test. We installed a new 11hp Vetus engine in a Com-Pac 23 sailboat that had an outboard motor as original equipment. The installation went well and the boat didn't have any leaks when launched. The engine started on the first try and really sounded good. The Vetus engine has a break in period of 50 hours. That's a long time. The builder recommends no more than two thirds throttle during the break in period. Our rpm limit during break in was going to be 2250 rpm. The little boat had a smooth cruise speed of 5 knots at 1700 rpm and came close to 6 knots at 2000 rpm. We didn't have to worry about exceeding our break in rpm limit. The boat didn't have a nose up attitude at speed. We added throttle and the nose stayed down. You can see the boat speeds and the sea trials on our VETUS ENGINE LINK. We ran the engine between 1500 and 1988 rpm during the sea trials. Idle speed is 700 rpm or dead slow for docking.
Someone may steal your outboard motor if they have a chance. The thieves like late model Honda motors. Some owners are replacing their stolen motors with old and ugly motors that are not that popular with the thieves. Several motors have been stolen from the storage yards at Jordan Lake and others have disappeared from boats at the beach. With the NC State unemployment rate at over 10%, you need to keep an eye on your motor. You don't have to worry if it's old and ugly.
It works and I like it. We plan on increasing the Starboard seat material thickness from the current 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch. We can also enlarge the seat by adding 1 inch to the forward edge and 2 more inches to each side. If you are building a rumble seat and have an outboard, I think I would skip the extra material on the sides. The original frame dimensions are good as designed. The mainsheet is going to work without any problems. You don't need a larger rudder lock-down handle with the rumble seat. The seat makes getting to the handle better than before.
The diesel installation design worked well. The entrance steps and frame for the steps can be removed with 2 screws. The engine is sitting in an almost level position with 360 degrees of access. I have always liked the CP-27 where engine access is excellent.
The Sun Cat rudder lifting device worked well. We still need to test the device in big winds and high speeds. The Com-Pac design is very flexible and it works well from the rumble seat. We plan on making a soft seat and backrest for the rumble seat soon. We will do some pictures when it's finished.
I'm happy with the little diesel. It started the first time on our yard and keeping on running. Not bad for a first try. We launched our 23 with the diesel and it floated. No leaks. The idle speed was a little high and it has been adjusted to 750 rpm. The engine was installed in an almost flat position fore and aft. It may have a 7-degree down angle and that's going to be good. It's a little forward under the entrance steps for good access. Remove the steps and you can get to all the important parts and pieces. The transom is sitting high without an outboard motor hanging off the rear. I plan on taking pictures when I can. The first 23 had a keel full of ballast. The boat was too low in the stern and the second boat had a ballast dam installed like the boats are built today. The extra space behind the ballast became a bilge. The Mark II added a bowsprit that moved the sail plan forward and keeps the same ballast and bilge design. All of these changes were designed to balance the boat. The little Vetus diesel is going to do the same thing with sailing balance.
The only problem with the diesel is the alarm buzzer. Old men need a loud noise if the alarm system is going to work. I think I have a solution for the problem and it's not a hearing aid.
Every O'Day 17 and most other daysailors should buy a mast hinge from Com-Pac to make the job of raising their mast easy. The mast is moved forward for travel and it can also be used in that position as a hardback for a canvas cover. It's a good installation.
Our new Vetus Motor (11 hp) installed in a used Com-Pac 23 ran on our yard yesterday. It started and ran on the first crank. It sounded good and was very smooth.
We are installing a Com-Pac Mast Tender Hinge on an O'Day 17 Daysailor. A big benefit will be that the mast will not move side to side when raising. Of course another benefit will be that you will be raising less mast and that will make getting the mast up easier. Almost all small boats use masts from Dwyer Mast and that makes this conversion possible.
You can always tell when our business is slow. We build new boats or create new items for our inventory when boat sales are slow. We call it working on Plan "B". We do all kinds of projects during the wintertime and during the super hot summer months. The Sailboat Company has really had a big spring with lots of boat sales and more than our normal amount of maintenance on customer boats. We have had to slow down on our trawler and sailboat projects because our sales have been that good. We think our spring business should slow down in June.
The next project boat that's going to be finished is the diesel 23 with the rumble seat. I plan on sailing this boat for awhile and checking out the seat (sleeping). I should have a report and pictures by June. We should be back at work on the 16 trawler soon. The 16 is ready for it prime coat of paint. The 20 trawler should be on the water this summer.
The Sailboat Company has a daughter and a son-inlaw in the FL Keys. They are moored in Marathon, FL and they are having a wonderful time. The mooring field is just over a $100 per month and they think it's a big bargain. Their really like their Nature's Head and they plan on buying a cheeseburger in paradise at Jimmy Buffett's place in Key West. If you go to Key West, everyone needs to buy a Cheeseburger in Paradise.
Com-Pac has modified their Sun Cat Daysailor with a small cuddy cabin. It will have room for a toilet and provide the privacy needed for its use. Pictures will be on the Web soon.
If your Bimini is going to be useful, it needs to be stored in a convenient location. Leaning it up against the mast gallows on a 16, 19 or 23 makes it available when needed and out of the way when it's not.
Our Rumble Seat (stern pulpit seat) is going to work on OUTBOARDS and diesels and it is going to fit all Com-Pac Mark II 23s, 19s and newer boats. The rumble seat modification is inexpensive and fast to do if you do it yourself. The old pulpit doesn't have to be removed. You cut the stainless in place and install the new parts and it only takes about 2 hours. We still have to install the flat seat part that covers the horizontal tubes on our boat in the picture. We think controlling the outboard motor and rudder will be easy with the new seat installed.
The seat has several benefits. In my opinion, the best benefit is being able to see sail shape from a position behind the boat. Steering with your foot on the tiller and sleeping in place are other nice features. We plan on installing a cushioned backrest before the boat gets wet.
The boat in the picture is also getting a new Vetus diesel motor. Both the rumble seat and the engine installation will be featured on our DIY link soon.
We are currently installing a diesel motor in a restored Com-Pac 23. Without the outboard hanging on the transom, we can build a stern pulpit seat on this boat. The mockup is looking good and we will have pictures soon. The seat is going to be larger than the Factory's cat-bird seats and it will be more comfortable. Sitting behind the boat and watching it sail by itself has always been a wonderful experience on boats with cat-bird seats. The good news is that most owners will be able to make their own seat from our pictures. The seat should be finished and picture ready in March.
Click the Marine Corps Label Pin image on our Home Page for some aviation history (your mouse has to be a little high and to the right on the image). Airplanes, helicopters and sailboats are similar machines. They use a differential in air pressure to make them fly. If you can sail a sailboat, you should be able to fly an aircraft. It's all about balance.
We have cut the deck and installed the house on our current Com-Pac 16 Trawler. This boat will be similar to our first trawler 16, but it will have some additional features like bunks and a head. We also hope to reduce the cost of construction and make a better boat with better materials. The boat on the trailer will still go through a 7-foot garage door and will have the good looks of the original boat. We think this boat is going to have a blue hull with a cream colored top. With a new trailer and controls, it should sell for about $12K
We put her in the water and she looks good. I'm pleased with the hull extension and the house. The little boat will have sleeping accommodations for 2, a head and 2 sets of controls. The tiller in the cockpit with engine controls will be the solution to single handed docking. I like to look good when I dock a boat. The tiller will act as a vertical flagstaff when not being used for steering. The primary set of controls featuring a wood spoke wheel will be inside the house. The engine installation is almost complete and we should be doing sea trials soon. Some of the furniture in the cabin needs to be installed to balance the boat. We are currently a little bow up. The battery will be installed in the bow.
Two exceptional long distance sailors have their stories listed on the left. The stories are Herb Lincoln's Log-Book and Richard Summers Cruise of the Harriet II. Both sailors used Com-Pac Yachts and Yanmar diesels to cover lots of miles. I sailed with Richard from Annapolis, MD to Cape May, NJ and loved every minute. It was exciting going down the Delaware Bay with the current and wind at our back. We were really fast and sailed most of the way. I have one picture that Herb made as he sailed by the Statue of Liberty. It shows the people waiting in line to go up the Statue and they were all looking at Herb. They are two sailors that had great adventures.
Com-Pac has made a big improvement in their Web site. The Web site now shows videos of the Com-Pac boats sailing on your computer screen. In most cases, the boats are rigged, launched and sailed in the videos. Technology sure is wonderful. Click on the bottom link on the left to see the Com-Pacs in action.
We have purchased our first diesel engine from Vetus Marine. We plan on installing diesel engines on small sailboats that currently have outboard motors. We will do the design work and installation on our yard in Richlands. Some small sailboats can't be repowered, but most of them can be converted. A diesel sailboat puts the ballast where it belongs and the new engines are smooth and make very little noise. You can talk in the cockpit and forget about all those outboard problems. You may be able to get by with 3 gallons of diesel fuel for a whole year of use. You may have a problem with fuel because you don't use enough fuel and the fuel may get old in the tank. That's a good problem to have with the current price of fuel. The 11-hp Vetus engine will work on most sailboats up to 23 feet. We hope to do an installation on most small sailboats for about $8,000.
Sergeant Major (Retired) John Holmes is on his way to Parris Island, SC from his home base of Jacksonville, NC. His mode of transportation is a Com-Pac Legacy. John is a teacher in the Jacksonville area and this is vacation time for him. He should have a good story to tell when he gets home.