I purchased a 1979 Compac 16 last spring. I have some hull, keel and wood rot questions I'd like some thoughts on, and can post pictures as well describing the areas. Not a well expereinced sailor, mainly self taught but am overall pretty capable on the water. Have overhauled numerous motor boats, but mainly experineced with aluminum hulls.
Anyone have some moderate to major Compac 16 experience? The boat was super affordable at $900 and the plan was just to leave it moored in the lake. It sat all last season on the water and sailed it numerous times. Just got back from a 3 night 3 day trip on the boat at Lake Charlevoix in northern Michigan and it has peaked my interest to put some effort into her.
A 3 day trip on a 16' boat. You're my kind of sailor. I've never owned a 16, but I have crawled around pad inside a few. I even sailed on one with the interior entirely gutted. If I was to refurbish one, I would carefully remove all the interior wood. Then I use them for templates for the replacements. If you decide to go that far, do not use treated plywood. Epoxy will not adhere properly to it. Invest in marine plywood. You can purchase expandable foam to fill the voids under the wood. Jerry Hutchins once told me the foam is not there for buoyancy, but for rigidity. It can be a daunting task. I did some interior modifications on my 19. Taking a sawzall to it was a little worrisome, but it worked out.
I appreciate the not using treated lumber tip. That's an obvious one a lot of people lean towards. I have some decent aluminum boat overhaul knowledge and have re-decked pontoons, and back three years ago pretty much bought two 18' Starcraft Super Sports, a 1982 and a 1979 and restored the 1979 from hull up, including rivet replacements, topside hull paint, flooring, seats, etc.. Also tore down the 1982 Mercruiser 2.5 and rebuilt it, putting that and the 82's sterndrive into the 1979. I'll post some pics of that process if interested! I have not performed much of any repairs or have worked with fiberglass but I understand the concept. I ended up pulling some pictures off my phone and downloaded them to my laptop of the Compac of some more serious inspecting of the project I am about to take on. I'll get them posted up here in a bit.
Some pics of the current state of the boat. I am a bit humored with my ignorance on all of these issues and then taking it on a big water adventure, only to bring it home and discover all of the reasons I maybe shouldn't of taken it on a trip like that! But I must say, she handled it like a champ and it's made me want to bring her back to full life.
(https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/media/img_4747-jpeg.125936/full?auto=webp&fit=bounds&format=pjgp&height=1920&optimize=high&width=1920)
(https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/media/img_4748-jpeg.125935/full?auto=webp&fit=bounds&format=pjgp&height=1920&optimize=high&width=1920)
(https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/media/img_4749-jpeg.125934/full?auto=webp&fit=bounds&format=pjgp&height=1920&optimize=high&width=1920)
(https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/media/img_4750-jpeg.125933/full?auto=webp&fit=bounds&format=pjgp&height=1920&optimize=high&width=1920)
(https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/media/img_4752-jpeg.125931/full?auto=webp&fit=bounds&format=pjgp&height=1920&optimize=high&width=1920)
(https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/media/img_4753-jpeg.125930/full?auto=webp&fit=bounds&format=pjgp&height=1920&optimize=high&width=1920)
(https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/media/img_4754-jpeg.125929/full?auto=webp&fit=bounds&format=pjgp&height=1920&optimize=high&width=1920)
(https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/media/img_4730-jpeg.125926/full?auto=webp&fit=bounds&format=pjgp&height=1920&optimize=high&width=1920)
(https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/media/img_4742-jpeg.125924/full?auto=webp&fit=bounds&format=pjgp&height=1920&optimize=high&width=1920)
(https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/media/img_4743-jpeg.125923/full?auto=webp&fit=bounds&format=pjgp&height=1920&optimize=high&width=1920)
I gotta say this is like posting pictures like back in 2005. Phew!
So I believe most of the water damage on the interior of the boat was due to water intrusion through the cabin hatch. It saddens me to think someone would do such a thing but over the course of 47 years of life, it's hard to say what the boats gone through.
There was a mixture of rain water and mouse urine (lovely smell btw) below the mast post bulkhead/storage area and at the back of the boat in the lazarette. I was able to remove all of the mixture and things have stayed dry since. From my undersatanding, there are no structural support stringers below the quarter berths. The two main bulkheads are the "H" shaped one beneath the cockpit floor, and the mast post bulkhead.
I have also noticed water leaking from the outer corner of the keel, exactly over the front trailer bunk. This is a slow drip and I'm not sure how much water can actually end up in this area because the boat has sat in the water moored all of last summer and most of this until recently wihtout any issues.
The mast post bulkhead is relatively solid at this point, based on my probing a bit ago. There is a small area that is a soft spot but overall the strutural integrity seems to be sound still.
So yes, I've owned the boat and have sailed it on my inland lake for a season and a half. It wasn't meant to be the next boat project (wife is already giving me the stinkeye) but after sailing the Compac for a three overnight and three day trip on some bigger waters, I have fell in love with the simplicity and user friendliness of the boat. I've previously owned a West Wight Potter 19' but the thing sailed like a battleship, the cabin despite being larger, was like moving around in a crawlspace below a house, and was just an overall pain to setup and takedown the rigging compared to the Compac.
I am not a fiberglass specialists, but I feel the boats hull and deck is overall in pretty good shape. I think it's worth the time, money, and energy to restore the boat and add it to my fleet.
Based on my findings and some thoughts I've already had on the subject, the list of to do's is as follows:
1. Either drill and drain then repair the keel but I like the idea of removing the keel ballast concrete, repairing the keel, then replacing the ballast concrete with new. - The keel crack looks to be perhaps a freeze/thaw incident and not impact related. From the pictures, it was potentially "repaired" before"
2. Remove all of the existing quarter berth pads and structure, along with the bulkhead beneath the cockpit, replace all with new marine grade
3. Sand the hull and topsides of the boat and repaint- anything but white.
4. Remove the flaking cabin paint along the ceiling and either panel or coat with something different.
5. Either re-enforce the mast post bulkhead or replace it all entirely.
So anyone who has deep dived into a Compac, for a competent handyman type like myself with no fiberglass skills, what advice may you have for me?
Find a different boat!?
Welcome aboard Swampbuckster. I the one who steered you here from the Michigan Sportsman Forum. Your project is like the one when I restored SV Ru-Ach C16.
Bunks replaced along with keel concrete. Added A CDI jib furller.Got rid of the bolt rope on the main and replaced with slugs. A well worth upgrade but pricey. Replaced all blocks and improved the purchase system for the main
The thumbnail pic was taken just previous to adding the CDI furller system.
Well I am off to a new project. A boat in much much better condition! I aquired a 1983 Compac 16 from a member here on this site, Fishties. The boat has zero damp cabin issues and was mostly barn kept over the years. The hull is spotless and outside of some cleaning buffing and waxing, the package was pretty much ready to sail! I spent most of yesterday and all day today swapping over the switch and fuse board, anchor light and cabin light from my '79 and wired everything up. I also swapped my tranducer,mount, and Lowrance chartplotter/dept finder. The package of parts and etc I aquired from Fishties goes on and on but for every item that the '83 didn't have, the '79 did. The '79 is quickly becoming a parts boat and not sure what the outcome of it will be. I may even go as far as removing two windows from the '79 and throwing one each between the existing two windows on the port and starboard sides! Will get around to posting some pictures soon.