Com-Pac Yacht Owners Association

Oddly enough, because we are getting a mostly a miss from this storm, I'll be working instead of tending lines to keep Epiphany safe this weekend. This means I probably won't get to see her, certainly not spend a night or two onboard. Both previous weekends I've spent at least 36 hours onboard. The thought that I won't be makes me a bit sad. :( I miss my boat!

I wish I had no bills, and could just take off and spend months or years cruising around. I *never* get tired of being onboard! That got me to wondering - is everyone like this? Would you spend ALL of your time onboard, if you could?

Vote in the poll (it's anonymous), or comment if you'd like. :)

Well, just thought a day off the boat every week or so would be about right.

We need to qualify if "on - board" includes working/puttering/fiddling time on board while not actually sailing.  If that was the case, I think the numbers would skyrocket. :lol:

Quote from: multimedia_smithWe need to qualify if "on - board" includes working/puttering/fiddling time on board while not actually sailing.

Dale -

It does for me! :)

Heck, I bet that for every hour we sail, there's *at least* 1 hour of onboard fiddlin'. :mrgreen:

I am retired and need good weather. I could sail 7 days a week if the weather is good.
Miata

Well since I'm still in the market for a CP, I'm thinking that I'd like to be out on her both days on the weekend. I know with my Carolina Skiff this past summer, it seemed to be every other weekend because of bad weather, and then just one day.  :(

I would like to win the lottery, chuck it all and spend the rest of my life small boat cruising.  Should that happen I may upgrade to a Horizon Cat, but I can't see me going any larger than that.  I would of course be spending a lot of night - not all but a lot - in some fancy hotels, or B&B's that would give me a view of my boat at the docks.  

Every one needs a dream and as I haven't won the lottery yet I must still swallow the anchor temporarily and go ashore to earn money.  

Tom G. (Seaweed) :wink:

Right now in the dead of winter, I'd love to be on the deck of my Com-Pac 19 XL for a little sailing time 8) . I miss my boat and this snowstrom is filling my driveway as I type.

I have a zillion piddly things to do from a drop of brown paint for a microscopic chip on my boot stripe that allows the white gelcoat to peek through to a better storage :idea:  idea astern.

But I have to get her out of the barn and that is not going to happen untill the snow melts away from the barn doors. That will be about 12-Apr-2005. A long ways away. :roll:

Well I gues I am spoiled because I work on other peoples boats every day.  But I like to spend any free time sailing or on a prodject.  DAMSEL is a stock 1982 so there are a few projects.

I really don't like sailing on the weekends much, too many stink boats out racing around the lakes.  I am fortunate to have lots of days off during the week and only every other weekend off, so sailing alone with nobody on the lakes except a few fishermen is a real possibility most of the time.    I'm comfortable with 2 days a week in the summer and 1 day a week spring and fall, maybe I would sail longer periods with a larger more comfortable boat, ie 23 ft, but I still like to trailer.  Doug,   CP-16,   Yet Un-named.

Alright - I've gotta say - I think I could spend the rest of my life on a boat.  I've been joking that "Perseverance" was "my retirement plan"
Imagine not having ANY time to sail...
Oh wait... I don't...

The only thing I don't like about sailing is the shore - so, given the right excuse, I'd "untie forever"

With that - my CP's for sale, and she's ready to go... Hey K3v1n, you interested?

alec, you've got a point.

out to sea, out to sea.

heard a story on npr this afternoon about a merchant sailor who was one of like thirty seven to pick up a copy of this guy's nineteen thirties album which contained a river traditional (guitar accompaniment) because it was as close to a sea shanty as he could find. pretty good for a sailor with no best buy to run into and put on some headphones to hear whats playin.

i guess.

i say, "

as long as the charter pays me

."

hey, hafta keep the boat up

the whole while

Waiting for it to cool off here, summer absolutely sucks in the New Orleans area.  Just when most of our Northern bretheren are hauling out for the winter... we finally can start enjoying sailing. 
Summer here:
hull hot enough to burn skin, wind either non-existent or howling thunder and lightning, we sail mostly at night...
October through May: occasionally cold, mostly nice, watch for fronts to move through and terriffic conditions that follow.
Oh yeah, watch out for hurricanes.
I have the luxury of making my own schedule, so I watch the weather and get out whenever I can. The idea of being restricted to weekends just affects whether or not I can take my daughter along (no school nights allowed).

   Well, since I enjoy working on  the 1985 23/2 "Unchained" almost as much as I do sailing her, I do spend quite a lot of time with her. To tinker with, improve and maintain such a fine yacht is a pleasure. Nothing worse than trying to improve something that shouldn't exist in the first place. Not so with my baby- she and I love the time we spend together whether it's tinkering under the winter cover in January or on a broad reach in Barnegat Bay in June.
   I guess the real trick is not so much quantity, but to make each moment quality. That being said, I must be honest and admit I covet more time on the water. This summer! As a wise friend said these profound words to me:
"If you don't take time off, no one will do it for you!"
   Something to ponder this cold, February night.
   Fair, warm breezes to all- Bob

I would love to be on Odina more often these days, but duty calls me at home. My First-Mate Peg and dear wife of almost 45 years is very ill will breast cancer and not expected to recover. Peg has been fighting this valiantly for 9 years and now is on Oxygen and morphine for some relief. Your prayers are very much appreciated. Maybe next year I can get to Comp-Con. Sounds like a great time. Good sailing to all, Steve

Steve:
   You certainly will have our prayers. God does hear and will give you the strength to get through albeit with some   
(much) pain. 
   You have our priorities correct. We love to sail but there are some much higher callings.
   Bob in "Koinonia" 

STEVE BROWN,
I really know what you are going through,  my wife had breast cancer last year and with surgery and chemo....she is a survivor....we sail once every weekend weather permitting here in Wisconsin.
God Bless the both of you.
doug142
cp16
#1994
Summer  Escape

Dear all, Thanks for your kind thoughts and prayers. My dear, sweet wife of 44 years passed into heaven yesterday, July 20, surronded by her loving family. My son Jim from Texas, who is here , may go out sailing with me on Sunday afternoon. He races on J's and South Coasts on Lake Travis and Stillhouse Reservoir. Steve

Steve so sorry to read of the passing of your wife.
I was with my mom when she passed of the same disease in Boca Rattan Florida. Dad and I did hospice for her till her passing. All are in a better place now.  skip [Craig]

Dear Steve:

You, Peg and Jim are in my thoughts and prayers.  I hope you and Jim had a wonderful sail today.  What a way to celebrate the life of your First Mate.  God bless.

idouglas

Steve:
   I'm sorry to hear of your wife's passing. My prayers will continue on behalf of you and your family. I'm sure you have almost 45 years of wonderful memories to fall back on although when we loose someone close, nothing really erases the pain. I'm not sure the pain is supposed to be erased. Almost 12 years ago I suddenly lost my dad and I miss him every day. I'd give everything (even my 23) to have one more day with him.
   Bob

i just retired but next spring i look to take her out at least three times a week maybe more

Once the sailing weather returns to the northeast I'd say, one day a week from April through October.  Then when retirement kicks in 2011 June a two or three times a week.  Com-Pac Picnic Cat on order expect delivery in the spring.

everyday

A couple of hours every two or three days, I had a boat in a slip and enjoyed driving to the lake after work and sailing in the evening until the breeze died or a thunderstorm looked like it was getting close. Changed boats and now have a 16 on a trailer. The lake has been very low this year was not able to launch.

  Only when I need to. Listen, guys- this may come as a shock, but there are some more important things in life than sailing. Not many, but there are some. As with anything that's fun, there is always the temptation to take it to extremes and disprioritize. That's never a good thing.
   Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to launch date! I'll row till then!
   bob23 at the oars in Barnegat Bay, NJ

  i am going to endeavor to be one of those rare souls who retires from a job and doesnt take another.so far that is the plan. the wife has but a year and a half to work to her retirement---which gives me what---a year and a half of complete freedom. this winter (it just snowed 8 inches) i have thought of sailing. suffice it to say that come spring my cp16 and i will see a lot of wind and water. being a 19th century man at heart, a cell phone will not be my companion.

Roland:
   Excellent! Enjoy your cellphone-less retirement. I usually bring mine out in case the VHF doesn't reach. We do have the option of not answering it, do we not?
   What did you do when you worked?
   Bob23 in NJ and still working!

Hello

I'm new to this site having just purchasd a 1981 com-pac 16.
I drove 500 miles for her after using this site for my reserch site.  Lots of good information.  Thanks for having it open for general public. 

On the question about how much time I would like to spend on board.  Why not full time, however I am the only one in my family that would do that I won't do that. In the past I would spend at least a week on board a few times a year then most weekends starting on Friday evening.

For me a destination really makes a special trip whether it's another harbor or just a nice anchorage to explore.

mrb

Nice to know that I'm not the only one that plans to spend her retirement on a boat.  I'm planning on a hop across the big pond and then explore the Mediterranean.  Will have to move up to a bigger boat by then....don't think I'm brave enough to take a 23 footer across the Atlantic.   7 years and counting down..
Sherie

   A trip across the Atlantic is one of my dreams, but I may have to settle for some coastal cruising in the 23. I don't want to become a slave to a bigger boat and these 23's have been sailed all over. Can one make it across? Sure. Can one sink in the bay? Absolutely.
   I've read many stories of crossings and circumnavigations in smaller boats than ours. If you get a chance, pick up "Lone Voyager" which is the story of Howard Blackburn, a Gloucester fisherman. The namesake of the Blackburn Challenge, a 20 mile open water (read: ocean) rowing race around Cape Ann, Mass.
   I loved it...but then I love to row!
Bob23, countin' down to Sat. launch!!!!!

   Well, one trip I'd like to take here in NJ is out Barnegat Inlet (one of the most dangerous in the country, I'm told) up to Manasquan inlet, down through the Point Pleasant canal into Bay Head and south into Barnegat Bay on down to Surf City, my home port. We'll see if it materializes.
   Having a 23 gives my the opportunity to explore, one of my insatiable desires. Had it since I was a kid and got into trouble following my dreams sometimes. Is there any better way to get into trouble?
   When I had my Seapearl, I really enjoyed exploring creeks and the like. You can take one of those boats almost anywhere except heavy air. I like the 1350 lbs of cocrete in my keel.
   Bob23, launched today, happy!

One day a week

"I'm planning on a hop across the big pond and then explore the Mediterranean.  don't think I'm brave enough to take a 23 footer across the Atlantic.  Sherie"

Well to some extent I believe it's not the size of the boat as much as the quality of the boat. No I don't think I'd brave a 23, but some loony sailed a 19 from Calf to Hawaii in about 33 [?] days...The boat came back on a freighter.
I think a 20 foot Dana would be nice, or a 22 foot I forget what they call it but it's a Dana but 2 foot longer.
Our USPS, District 10, Door County Squadron Port Captain Markus sailed his 36 foot Mariner Sanctity from Sweden to America.

Oh and remember. The bigger the boat the less you'll go sailing. skip.

Jerry Spiess sailed a 10' from Maine to ENgland and San Franscisco to Australia around 1979.

Heard him speak and it was marvelous... he has a book out now...

The boat has a deck as strong as a hull so "when" it rolled over, it self righted itself
and yes it did happen.

Going to England, he had no supporters so his equipment was minimal... Going to Australia,
he had lots of supporters which ALL wanted their gear on board. His tale that the navagation gear
crapped out in SF bay so it was big and bulky, so he pitched it overboard... it was only worth 10-20K...
and he navagated the boat with a map and looking at the underside of the clouds. He said that the air over
an island is warmed which makes a could OVER the island. He said you can look out, and you see the backside of the
map by looking at all the clouds... It is how the original inhabitants of the islands got around.

VERY VERY VERY interesting man.

At the same location (sponsored by my company ) was Jim Lovell from Apollo 13..

this was a reward conference for working hard and doing good work for the company so they gave
back to us by having speakers who did geat things in their life...

My dream since my early 30's is to cruise the ICW from at least Norfolk, VA to Miami, FL or a bit beyond. But life continues to get in the way of it. My first wife hated boats (all kinds) so that took care of things thru my early 40's. My wife now loves the boats we've had (first power and now sail), but now there's not enough time off to be able to do the trip. And she's behind me 100% if I can arrage things to make it happen. So I would like to spend 2-3 months doing the cruise then 2-3 weekends on it per month after that.

Great Question....Thanks for asking.

Well I love to fish just as much as I love to sail, throw in a couple more hobbies such as a day or two of diving, catching a wave when there is a swell moving through. I better not forget the long list of honey do's, and grass to cut.  I try to get out one or two evenings during the week and maybe one weekend a month, is usually what I can do. What I would like to do, get in as many days as possible, but there is more to life than just sailing. I try to enjoy each day I have on this earth, and take the as they come.

Whadayamean there's more to life than just sailing?
Bob23

It would be my desire to live aboard (larger boat than a CP23) and cruise extensively.  I would like to have a home base with a simple cabin/woodshop for "vacations" off the boat. 

Won't happen though, the Admiral is strictly a shore duty person, will go for short sails, even overnight occasionally, but she is not going to live aboard.