Hi folks,
As winter sets in I thought those yearning for a reminder of summertime sailing pleasures might be interested in looking at some of the short videos I posted featuring a few outings in "Restless". Neither great production values nor feats of derring-do, just peaceful sailing perspectives from the helm (if the link below doesn't work just type "Compac 19 jackrabbit" in the Youtube search engine).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvsxDPJcGWI
Cheers, and a Merry Christmas to all!
Jackrabbit (aka Burton)
Nice video. And your bright work is truly outstanding. Please let us know what you use and do to get such great results. Can't wait to get out on the water come spring.
Thanks. For the tiller and drop board I use Epifanes varnish, and Cetol Marine Light for everything else (i.e., anything affixed to the boat, especially teak, whicg does not hold varnish very well). Ah, Summer. Sigh...
I am acquiring a CP19 and found your info on the bright work finishes very helpful. Did you take your bright work off before refinishing, or keep it on the boat? Thanks!
My brightwork was in pretty good condition when I got the boat, so I just wiped it down with paint thinner and then sanded with 220 grit before applying 2 coats. In general, unless the old varnish is scaling or lifting, I don't bother taking it down to the wood. That said, on some of my other boats I have had to do so and find that a heat gun with a sharp scraper (keep a flat file at hand and tune up the edge frequently as you go along) is very fast, and therapeutic. Plus I do love the sweet smell of scraping old varnish.
Thanks Captain! In the vid, are you sailing on Lac Deschênes in the Ottawa/Aylmer Canada area? If so, where did you launch from?
I keep "Restless" (the Compac 19) in a slip at Nepean sailing Club, on the Lac Deschenes portion of the Ottawa River. A great place to sail a small boat like the Compac 19 as its a fairly open body of water where you can have nice, long tacks, and the SW wind is usually quite reliable from noon til well after suppertime, which makes for a great after work sail most weekdays if I can get away early enough. Sometimes I haul out and bring her to the Thousand Islands in the St. Lawrence river or Prince Edward County in Eastern Lake Ontario. Several of the vids were taken on Lac Deschenes, and a couple on Lake Ontario. Next Summer we're hoping to go cruising in the North Channel of Georgian Bay. That's the great thing about these boats: they're so easy to haul around to different venues, and they'll carry you in fair comfort once you're there.
Thanks for sharing the video during this cold and snowy time. I'm doing my research and trying to decide between the cp16 or cp19. Are you sailing solo? Do you set up, step the mast, etc by yourself & how much time does that take? I live in a coastal area with many bays and inlets. I like the 19, but am concerned about the weight, draft and time to set up. I think the cabin on the 16 might be a bit tight for my wife and I. Were both thin, but I'm 6'4" & she's 5'8". I'd like to do weekend & week long voyages. What do you think?
MGS,
Have you considered the Eclipse? I looked at a number of CP19's before deciding to spend the extra $ on the Eclipse. The cabin is very comparable in size to the 19 but has a bit more sitting room and a sink. With the aft V-birth cushions able to cover the galley it would be very comfortable overnight for a couple and two small kids. The quarter births fit my 6'1 body with room to spare.
Reason for going with the Eclipse over the 19 was setup time, and ability to step mast single handed. I've only stepped the mast and rigged it twice in my driveway but I foresee being ready to launch in no longer than 20 minutes from getting to the ramp. The open transom was also a plus, as well as the 6" shallower draft (with board up) than the 19.
Only drawback I saw was price. But for $ per hour on the water I figured I'd be well ahead within a couple years.
Glad you enjoyed the vids, MGS. I am 6'3" and a bit heavyset, and find the quarter berths in the CP19 quite adequate for a good night's rest. The cabin, while cramped, is surprisingly big for such a small boat - definitely more spacious and useable for overnighting than other boats of comparable size, such as the O'Day mariner (which I also own). I do a lot of week-ending and have even spent a whole week aboard with my wife, and was quite comfortable. She has an excellent cockpit for lounging about, cooking, etc. (I wouldn't cook in the cabin of such a small boat as it would be very cramped and the inside would get smelly very fast - I have a self-contained galley box which I heft onto a cockpit seat for this purpose).
While I am not familiar with the CP16, having never seen one up close (CPs are rare birds in the part of Canada where I live), I believe there is a huge size difference between the two boats. I once had the CP19 and the O'Day Mariner side-by-side in my driveway, and was amazed at how much bigger the former is in every respect but length. A completely different boat! The CP19 has an amazingly "big boat" feel, with the stability and comfort of a larger keelboat (and I've owned a few over the years), whereas the O'Day feels and handles more like a big dinghy (which I grant has its own virtues, depending on your mood). The CP19 is a bit of a bear to launch and haul out, because of the weight and the keel, but with a decent ramp I manage alright by myself. I find trailer guide posts are a big help to center the boat during haulout in windy conditions. No trailer extension required. I trail her behind a six cylinder F150 with no problem at all. My boat spends most of her life in a slip, so I don't do much hauling unless I want to cruise in more distant waters. And that is the biggest advantage of this type of boat: you can explore a lot more cruising grounds in relative comfort than with a large cruiser, which would be costly and difficult to haul or require a huge amount of time to reach under her own power - a definite "plus" if you are still working and have limited vacation time.
I regularly sail her solo, and in fact, would say that with her terrific stability and a very handy roller furling genoa, she is an ideal single hander. I usually raise the mast with my wife (she is a small woman, and mainly handles the halyard from the box of the pickup truck to help raise the mast). The mast is fairly short and weighs little, so it should be relatively easy to raise solo if you rig a gin pole to help it up. It's easier to raise than the O'Day Mariner's!
She is an excellent sailer on all points - not the fastest boat - but pretty good in a decent breeze. Mind, mine is a rare model fitted with a centerboard, and that helps her a lot going to windward. Her main vice is that she pounds a lot in a chop because of her flat bottom (though this is one of the features that makes her so spacious and stable). She can get overpowered in winds greater than 20 knots with full sails up, and I have been surprised more than once in gusty conditions, almost getting knocked down. However, with the main reefed she does just fine. Sometimes you get fooled by her initial stability and neglect to take in a reef when you should. She reefs easily and heaves to fine. She's also rather slow in light airs, but then again, she is heavy displacement boat and should not be expected to perform like a dinghy.
She's a proper little ship, and a very pretty boat, too....
Thank you both for responding. I have not considered the Legacy due to price. It is a fine boat with many of the features I am looking at, just a little more than I want to spend.
Thank you Jackrabbit for for the additional information. I'm leaning towards the 19 rather than the 16 due to space issues. Plus I know my wife will appreciate it's flat stable sailing characteristic. I'm surprised your six cylinder F-150 pulls it. I have a 4.0 Jeep that I thought could do it, but it's only rated for 2000 lbs. She is a pretty boat.
The F150 is rated for 5000 LBS.
Wow! I might need a new tow vehicle. How much time does it take to rig the 19 if I were to trailer sail? I have so many options/ramps where I live. I'd like to be able to sail different areas.
BTW, I was reading about the CP19CB and found that only 4 were made, 2 of which are in Europe. You really have something rare.
Yes, when I was looking on the net for a CP19 to buy I noticed in the Broker's photos a wee little pennant coming out of the bridge deck. I emailed the broker to ask if that might be a cb pennant, and the deal was clinched when he replied in the affirmative! (I would still have bought one without a CB, but might have waffled longer).
My F150 is a 2013 cub cab model - its great on gas and was quite a find. In 2015 I had been looking for a one-year old model (without Ecoboost, which I am very wary of in terms of long term reliability) to serve as a tow vehicle, when I came across this truck at a Ford dealership. It only had 5000 km (3000 miles) on the odometer. I couldn't believe it! Someone had bought her new from the dealer and decided they didn't need a truck after all. She's a bare-bones basic - manual windows and no power locks. I'm probably the last guy on earth to be driving around in such a vehicle. The upside is less expensive stuff to break. She does have a/c and cruise control, which is all you really need. Four-wheel drive is a real confidence booster when hauling out on a steep ramp (its also a hoot for driving in the messy snow we get up here in Winter). I got it for about $28 K (CDN), minus trade-in on my 2013 Escape - you guys in the States would be able to get them cheaper than that. I don't recommend the newer model Escapes, as they only have 3000 LBS towing capacity, and I had nothing but problems with the Ecoboost and the tranny blew at under 100 000 KM (just before he powertrain warranty expired!). Shades of the old Ford Taurus.
When it comes to towing remember that the rated capacity includes weight of trailer, all the onboard gear and the stuff in your vehicle, plus passengers. So, even though the CP19 weighs 2000 LB, I factor in an extra 800-1000 LBS for the trailer, 300 LBS of onboard gear, and a couple hundred pounds for stuff in the truck, plus at lest two adults. So for a long haul, 3000 LBS capacity is very risky, and I think you need reserve capacity if you want to be kind on the frame, tranny and engine. I know guys who cut it very close, or even go over capacity, but I would worry about longevity if you hope to keep a trouble-free vehicle for a while. Its nice to have peace of mind when you're off on a far-faring adventure. The last thing you need is to have trouble with your tow vehicle far from home.
I can fully rig the mast on the trailer in less than 30 min provided I was careful to coil the shrouds & stays neatly and not make a mess of the halyards at the last takedown. When I first got the boat everything seemed a tangled mess and it took me considerably longer to figure out what goes where (i.e., which side of the mast/spreaders) before raising.
MGS--
I feel like I've talked you out of the 19 based on the setup time discussion in the other thread which is certainly not the intent. I think with a good "system", practice . ginpole, etc you definitely could trailer it.
The Eclipse or even a Suncat however would be MUCH easier to setup. I've seen both an Eclipse and several Suncats close up and they are really nice boats--very easy to setup and launch! The Eclipse would be a little larger than a 19 inside (wider, longer and more headroom) and offer a very short rigging time.
As for trailering though---a 2,000 limit will not cut it with a CP19. The boat itself weighs as least that much---more when you add any options, motor, etc. Then the trailer too...my stock performance trailer was 660lbs---it's now a lot heavier with extension, beefier axle, brakes and larger wheels. You'll want something with a 3,500lb limit at minimum, IMO.
But no need for a big truck either unless you will be regularly towing longer distances. I just sold a 2012 Mazda CX-9 that towed it fine around town and even the 400 mile trip one way to CLR. As luck would have it, each time I trailered was pretty much the hottest day of the year, which is murder on longevity. The transmission wasn't horribly pleased about that as it showed some signs of damage (sometimes it would shift hard from park or reverse into drive--aside from that performed well-not enough to alert the next buyer/dealer). However if I just did shorter local trips and didn't pull it 2,400 miles in 100* weather, I'm sure it would be fine.
Most of the larger crossovers are either 3,500 or 5,000lbs. My 4.0L V6 4x4 Tacoma hauls about 6,800lbs if memory serves. It pulls the CP19 easily and is a great little truck. I also found a used 2 year old model with 5,000 miles on it. The Tacomas hold their resale value really well which hurts now but will help down the road.
The Suncat and Eclipse areo a lot lighter since there is much less ballast (1400 lbs, I thought?). Maybe you wouldn't need a new truck with one of these? Is it a Wrangler? Those are not good tow vehicles as the wheelbase is too short, but slower speeds around town outta work OK.
For me if I had to trailer it each time and wanted a 19-20' foot boat, the Eclipse would be in the garage for sure. You can probably find one for 10-12K that might need some work...maybe $15K for a better example. Factoring in loss of selling your car, buying a new one, and a CP19 (about 4-6K depending on condition--newer XL's or examples in very nice shape can run more than 10K), the Eclipse may not be any more $$$.
I guess I over-estimated the weight of the trailer, but, yep, the total weight with all the other "stuff" still warrants a minimum of 5000 LBS towing capacity for the long haul.
Also, the process of rigging a CP 19 is certainly not a trivial matter - fundamentally no different than any other marconi-rigged boat - and getting her properly set on the trailer during haulout can be a bit of work, so I definitely would not want to do this operation on a frequent basis. Sounds like the Suncat is easier in this respect, and would have other good attributes as well (though I have no personal experience with that model).
On the other hand, if you want a boat that sails like a witch, is stable, has a huge cockpit and is easy-peasy to launch and haul out, you would be hard pressed to find a better boat than the O'Day Mariner. They can literally be launched on a beach. And they can be had for a song! But you would have to put up with a very small cabin which, while useable, is not very comfortable for extended cruising. There's always a price to pay...
But, oh, the CP19 is just such a pretty boat in the eye of this beholder...
Ok, now you got me thinking. The Eclipse is out due to weight (2200 lbs). The Suncat (1500 lbs) however seems a good fit for me as I like the room. Down side is the price and it's a cat rig, which I've never sailed. I also like the enclosed transom of the Suncat as opposed to the Eclipse. How seaworthy is the Suncat vs CP19? I intend to use the boat for coastal bay and blue water (Atlantic) sailing. The shallow draft of only 14" of the Suncat is appealing too.
Back to the original topic, here is a link to a video from the previous owner sailing on Buzzards Bay in Southeastern Massachusetts in 15-20 mph winds - quite impressive. He's got a few other vids on his channel too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCYiS21d44U
Mine is currently on a trailer in my driveway where I can visit her daily which helps get through our long cold winters (although Jackrabbit's winters are longer and colder no contest!).
Nice video. Moving right along under reefed main. Good example of fun but no drama 19 sailing. Hang in there you'll be sailing soon. Great sailing grounds. I've spent some time in Falmouth but never sailed there.
I see that you will be on Narraganset bay, not Buzzards. That must be the heart of N.E.sailing country. I really don't know the area well but I did cut and take tons of rebar and other steel out huge concrete government building being knocked down on Goat Island in Newport. That made way for the big hotel complex there now. Also, as a youngster I drank a bit of Narraganset beer. Their GIQs, "giant imperial quarts" competed with Carling Black Label's 40s. The Do they still brew Narraganset? Maybe we can convert Bob23.
in regards to the tow vehicle, consider two things axle ratio and wheelbase. i have a stock Silverado with just the 200 hp v6 but it has a 3.73 positrack rearend. no speed demon but a very capable tow vehicle. having towed with short wheelbase vehicles longer is better by far.
I am at a point in my life where I want sailing to be as simple as possible, so I will keep the boat on a private mooring (as I have done with my previous sailboats). After a brief row of the dinghy, it only takes about 5 minutes to remove the mainsail cover, raise the mainsail and get underway, and 7-10 minutes to tuck everything away when I return (depending on whether it is dark or windy). When the occasional allure of another venue beckons, I rely on my cartop-mounted kayak to explore the area, or sail with someone else. So excluding the trip home which was accomplished towing the boat/motor/trailer with a 10-foot UHaul box truck (barely knew it was behind me except when I looked), the 10-minute drive to the state boat ramp twice a year will be done with a UHaul pickup so I don't burn the tranny out of my 4-cylinder sedan. I've always been a "budget boater" and am looking forward to my minimalist approach to exploring the Narragansett Bay in RI by minicruiser this summer.
That's the good life right there. With a great little cruiser like a Compac and a good sea kayak, you can go anywhere, any time, and in just about any weather. For me, getting the vibe of the coast is always the more interesting aspect of cruising, hence, the virtue of a small boat. I used to do long-ish passages out of sight of land on my previous larger keel boats, and found it a tad boring (that is, when it wasn't terrifying!).
I just don't understand the hesitance, nor the supposed difficulty in stepping the mast in a 19. Virtually the same as an Eclipse, but with a back stay. I can arrive at a launch site and in less than 20 minutes have my 19 rigged and ready to launch. Most Eclipse owners cannot eclipse that mark. I have installed a quick release lever on the back stay,(much like on the fore stay of the Legacy and the Eclipse) and have a Maritime College's Marine Engineer trained eye for preparation of the stays, furler and the associated snag points to assist me.
However, the side stay geometry of the Eclipse prevents a full wing and wing deployment of the main. Not so on the 19.
TG
Re: mast stepping. That has been my experience as well. It is really quite a small mast as far as marconi rigs go - much shorter than the O'Day Mariner's - and I have raised it by myself, though prefer to have my wife stand in the box of the pick up truck to hold onto the main halyard (which is made fast to a cleat on the mast) for extra security. She's a small lady and does not need to exert much force. Would be very easy to rig a simple gin pole (could even use the boom for this purpose) if desired, though not necessary. Its really not a big deal (mind, it helps being tall when walking the mast up from the cockpit stepping onto the cabin top - about the only time being tall is useful on a small boat!). The only problem is if the backstay snags on something, but then, its easy enough to lower the mast and clear the snag. Worst thing you can do is to psyche yourself out before the job.
"I just don't understand the hesitance, nor the supposed difficulty in stepping the mast in a 19." To each their own, but I simply don't want to do a complete setup every time I go sailing. It isn't necessary where I'm located, as I have a large bay to explore, and where I can always drop the hook or pick up a rental mooring while circumnavigating the Bay, then go into town for dinner or to explore. Again, my mission profile is to go from Friday through Monday possibly longer if the weather is nice.
although i think trailer sailing a cp 19 should to not be a problem, i hereby challenge tim to drag his 19 to Illinois in june so i can time him rigging his boat. 20minutes after he exits his truck his boat hits the water. that i have to see.
Every time I want to see a different horizon I just hitch up my little crab skiff and take her to whatever venue I please - she literally can be set up in two minutes (just pick up the ultralight spruce mast - made from a very dry tree trunk - drop it in the partners and she's ready to go). It takes me longer to wiggle waggle my way backing down the ramp!
But it sure is nice to have a ship rigged and ready at the marina two blocks from the house, so all you have to do when you get home from work is unlock the companionway, throw your apple and cell phone in the cabin, take off the sail cover and fire up the old Merc. Oh, yes, and neatly coil the mooring lines.
Kick, Kick, KICK, Kick, Kick,
you know as well as I do, that an 1100 mile trip requires far different means of stowage than a 20 mile one. Hell, it took me 4 hours just to stand up straight the last time Vicki and I joined your little party.
But you can ask Citroën Dave, he was there when I rigged my 19II for a 50 mile Race Around the Lake, how long it took to get the mast stepped, outboard on and into the water from the trailer.
Wish we could join you in June, but all 5 of our grandkids are going to be here then.
Maybe next year.
TG
yeah i know its a hell of a long trip. one i wouldn't do. Ill tell you what. i wouldn't want to call anyone a liar but it takes me at best about 35 minutes to get my catalina in water without assistance and i think I'm pretty quick. so I'm thinking that you could make a" rigging and launching your 19" video. I'm sure 19 owners and perspective owners would find it valuable.