If our beloved Com-Pacs were never made, what boat do you think you would be sailing?
I'll go first.
For me living in eastern North Carolina, I have access to a wide variety of water conditions along with beautiful sunsets, miles of white sand, and the sounds of waves rolling down the beach. There is plenty of opportunities to explore the barrier islands that are separated from the mainland by calm creeks and shallow bays, it is a rich transition zone where the land ends and the Atlantic Ocean begins, this is a place where fish breed and shore birds fly an anglers paradise and a challenge for sailors to navigate.
I think an O'day mariner would be my boat of choice, swing keel for the skinny water and the ability to beach her. Drop the board down when your skirting the coast on the outside, for some ocean sailing. There is a small cabin that provides shelter from the elements, or lodging for an over night trip, The boat is small enough to load up on the trailer and hit the highway in the search of new adventures in distant lands.
But like I stated before it's a hypothetical question...I have owned 3 Com-Pac's and have enjoyed them all.
I like the Precision 21, basic same design as the Com Pac 19 but a faster boat I believe.
Glenn B.
Hypothetical...just for fun...OK :)
A Hinckley SW 42
(http://i1007.photobucket.com/albums/af200/brackish_photos/Hinckley-SW42.jpg)
I feel ashamed even reading this more or less commenting on this. But I say it's toss up b/w a Precision 21 and a Catilina Capri 21 instead of my 19. While they have the deeper draft (I think they both come w/ a swing keel) they are both much faster, but not nearly as pretty!
But since we're talking "hypothetical" I lile Brackish's responce and I'd go with a BRAND new Beneteau 1st 50'!
http://www.beneteau.com/en/sailboats/produit.aspx?GAM_CODE=6&PRO_CODE=25
I'd go along with Brack on this one with one minor exception: Hinckley Bermuda 40. Or the Maltese Falcon with paid female bikini-clad crew. Or maybe a Corsair Tri-maran. Actually, I can't imagine life without Compac. Not that I'm addicted or anything.
Bob23
Easy question only because I "settled" for an '83 Starwind 19 when I couldn't find a Compac 19 in my area.
The Starwinds were designed by Jim Taylor of Precision fame. They were built by Welcraft and as I found out, quite well.
The deck and cabin has a foam core that doesn't absorb water and the trunk keel houses a 37lb. centerboard. With the board up they can float in as little as 18" of water and I've sailed in as little as 24". They're fast, fun, and easy to trailer. With some practice they can be readied for sailing in about 30 minutes. They have more room inside and the cockpit is about the same. The mast is a bit longer and much more heavier constructed. I sailed ours for 30 days around the Keys in some pretty bad weather and I'd still have her today if I had anchored out instead of tying her to a dock that fateful night last February. It was the insurance $ that allowed me to search and find the Compac we now have. As of yet, we haven't been able to sail her, but I'm hoping to splash her this fall.
The Compac 19 was my first choice because of it's style, solid glass construction and legendary quality. However, if this one didn't come along at the right moment, I'd be back in a Starwind.
(http://home.comcast.net/~vic-sitter/pwpimages/resized.JPG)
If, as I did for my SunCat, I had decided to buy a new 2010, I would most likely had ordered a Montgomery 17.
J.
I've liked just about every boat I've owned - including (and especially) a Catalina 400 which I had for 12 years. The boat and I sailed about 31,000 miles, much of it single-handed and offshore and in some pretty rough conditions. Didn't want to sell it either, but shallow water on the SW Coast of Florida would have caused me many problems. My shoal draft version was about 6 feet down and 61 feet up.
It's replacement was a Telstar 28 trimaran and I've really gotten to like it. Totally different boat, but I'm having loads of fun on it. What can you say about doing nearly 17 knots in just over 20 knots of wind, and being able to beach it tied to a palm tree? First time I did that I nearly forgot about the big Catalina. And it has an amazing amount of room for a 28 foot trimaran. Over 6 feet standing head room !! The Horizon will turn out to be another favorite. Due to medical problems I've only taken it out 4 times since I bought it in March, but it sails very well for a 20 foot cat boat. And there is absolutely nothing made on this planet in this size range which can be launched and rigged faster. It will stay in NJ this winter, and maybe forever.
For those who've never seen a Telstar (we were doing about 5 knots in 6 knots of wind) -
(http://i436.photobucket.com/albums/qq88/CaptRon400/February2008017.jpg)
And the Catalina 400 -
(http://i436.photobucket.com/albums/qq88/CaptRon400/GoodVib-med.jpg)
Ron, Where are you in SW Florida? I'm in Tampa Bay (Palm Harbor). DO you still have the Telstar? Let me know if you ever come back down this way and need a deck hand. That boat looks FAST!
We should be back in Punta Gorda by the end of October, but I may not be able to get the boat into the water for a few weeks. It depends on how fast the shoulder heals. You'd be welcome to come along for a ride anytime after that. It's fun going 10 knots in about 10 knots of wind. I'd love to get a ride on the America's Cup trimaran one day - that was doing 35 knots propped up on one ama in less than 10 knots of wind. Unbelievable.
What is really amazing is how easy it gets going. No weatherhelm at all, almost no heel - it just accelerates. You can control the tiller with 2 fingers in 20+ knots of wind. A monohull would be much more work just fighting the weather. I can nearly doze off in 20 knots. Nothing to do.
WOW sounds awesome! Yea a lot of the "sailing pureist" hate teh americas cup tri. I think it is amazing. why not do what it takes to sail as fast as possible! but lets not forget the thread......I love COM-PACS!!!
For me I find something special in all sailing vessels, and I am a Com-Pac owner by choice. "We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.
Thanks for playing along guys. Here is a short summary.......
Glenn kept it real with his faster Percision 21.
Brackish will be having fun on a Hinckley 42.
Billy was torn between the faster Percision 21 or a Catilina 21 but has decided to upgrade to a Beneteau 1st 50..(29 foot ites)
Bob23 seems like he will be happy with any boat as long as there is a bikini-clad crew.
Crazycarl knows precisely that a Starwind 19 is the boat for him
Joseph likes a Montgomery 17 the 2010 model
CaptRon is the one who makes me envious .... Not so much for the boats you sail but just having the ability, skill and time to sail 31.000 miles on one boat is astounding. He certainly will never have any problems finding crew after this post. Sign me up to crew on your Telstar she truly sounds incredible
I think Captain Jack Sparrow captures my feelings precisely with this line about his ship the Black Pearl .
"Wherever we want to go, we'll go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails; that's what a ship needs...but what a ship is...what the Black Pearl really is...is freedom."
Someday I'd either love to find one of these or have one built. It's called a YM 3-Tonner.
http://www.eventides.org.uk/3tonpic.htm
scroll for pics
Probably a Seaward Fox or 22. If I had more cash, an Island Packet.
I was looking at a Precision 18 when we bought our Sun Cat. Used to own a Corsair F-27. How many answers am I allowed? ;)
Correction to Lostsailor's post:
No, not any boat and the more I think about it, you can keep the bikini clad crew. In looking over the responses, I'd have to agree that CaptRon''s Telestar seems to be a great choice. But I will stand by my choice of a Hinckley Bermuda 40, called by one reviewer as quite possibly the most beautiful sailboat ever made. I think that was a quote from a recent Good Old Boat review.
I really do love my Compac 23! I can find no fault in her even though I know she has some hidden ones. If she and I were to part company, I don't know what my next choice would be...honestly!
Bob23
Bob23, I hope you know that I was only kidding with the comments in my summary, I certainly do not want to offend anyone. I agree with you that the Hinckley Bermuda 40 is a beautiful boat, and CaptRon's Telestar has captured my imagination, with thoughts of performance, the ability to beach her, and all the deck space she seems like an incredible vessel. Everyone please remember that this thread is a hypothetical question just for fun. One thing is for certain we all love our Com-Pac's, or we wouldn't be here posting on this great website.
Lost:
No offense taken...if you want to offend me you'll have to do much better than that! I just wanted to set the record straight that I'm not some bikini-clad female crazed nutcase. Just a plain old regular nutcase, maybe. Not that there is anything wrong with bikini clad females IF they are the right shape to wear a bikini. You know what I mean- sometimes on the beach you'll see someone wearing a bikini and you just have to say: "There should be a law against that!".
The more I thought about it, that was a hard question to answer, even being hypothetical. Before my CP23, I had a Seapearl 21 which was a great boat, just not a high wind boat. But I sailed that thing down creeks in the saltmarshes here in the Barnegat Bay that only kayaks would go.
Can I choose a boat that hasn't been invented yet? I'll call her the Convertible 40. On the road she's 16 feet in length with a beam of 7 feet and displaces about 1000 pounds. She carries a simple sloop rig with a small jib and is capable of about 5 1/2 knots.
Once she hits the water, things change. She's 40 feet on deck, draws only 2 feet, with a beam of still only 8 feet and is capable of 30 knots under sail! She displaces 30,000 pounds but has positve floatation. She'l sleep 20, has A/C, sub-zero fridge, and 6 burner Viking range. She has no engine because the wind is always perfect. She has a self-waxing hull and below the waterline, she's self-bottom painted. With only 2 foot draft, you'll never run aground but if you do, she carried a special Inspector Gadget-like device that will lift the boat off the bottom and place her in deeper water- automatically!
On second thought, forget it..I'll stick to my CP23.
Bob23 out!
I think the Telstar turned out to be a great choice for me. I've just about given up on long distance cruising, mainly for 2 reasons - it's hard to find crew and you wind up motoring half of the time. I got tired of doing the above first, so the smaller cabin and storage areas (as compared to a 40+ foot monohull) fit my new life style. This would not work out as well for a 2+ week trip to anywhere. I test sailed a few other trmarans first, and wound up giving away a knot or two of boat speed for a much more stable and comfortable platform. It's a fast cruising trimaran with many of the others being far more racer oriented. This includes 6 feet of headroom, a real galley and head, refrigeration, ama's that can be walked on, etc.
A friend shot this video earlier this year -
http://www.youtube.com/v/O59pEVs1068?fs=1&hl=en_US (http://www.youtube.com/v/O59pEVs1068?fs=1&hl=en_US)
The boat in that video is AWESOME!!!! and the Telestar seems pretty cool too! haha
Wow. What a nice video. Made me want to be their. I enjoyed the Marshal Cat Boat and the 'back water's heading out into the Gulf'. So who did the music? Was it Ottmar Liebert? I have his Nouveau Flamenco CD. Thanks for the up load. I'll be on a 38 foot Nordic Tug today for a memorial at sea.
skip.
Sadly, I must sell my 23/3. Not because I'm giving up saiiling, but because I now need to sail on a level platform. I plan to replace her with a 30' catamaran designed by a friend of mine many years ago. I now weear braces on both legs, and tromping around on a tilty deck is no longer feasible. However, i dearly love my boat, and couldn't have had a better one. She is my third boat, bought not only for her beauty, but for her stability and ease of singlehanding. I'm still trying to find one of the three catamarans built to my friend's design by the brothers Hutchins!
Thanks to all that have posted...
Quote from: romei on August 25, 2010, 02:29:23 PM
Someday I'd either love to find one of these or have one built. It's called a YM 3-Tonner.
http://www.eventides.org.uk/3tonpic.htm
scroll for pics
Good choice, got to love those british boats
Was looking for the right SeaWard 25 when Pearl appeared and I fell head over heals.
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y257/twinswin/goodolpearl.jpg)
Pearl is almost a spittin' image of my 198 23/2 "Koinonia". Except for the netting and bimini.
Bob23
Capt'n Ron's video was great. It took me a minute (ok, so I am a bit slow) to realize I see that boat quite frequently when I go our. It was fun to see Charlotte Harbor. As for my next boat; I have lusted after a Pacific Seacraft 25. I will be a little while till I get one, but that is the boat that floats my boat.
Wiggs
Wiggs -
Should be back in FL late October and I hope to get the trimaran back in the water before the end of the year (when my shoulder recovers from recent rotator cuff surgery). You (and any CP other owner in the Charlotte Harbor) would be welcome to come along for a sail. With full recovery set at about 8 months, I'd probably need some help anyway.
Ron:
I know a bit about rotator cuff surgery...had 'em both done between 2006 and 2008. 6 months out of work for the left and 5 months for the right. Not much fun especially in the beginning. But if you have a great surgeon (I did) and you follow through on the PT ( I kinda did) you'll be back in business. Right now I can row my Alden Ocean Shell for as long as I want with no pain. I plan on a 9 nm row this month.
Bob23
Bob -
It's too early to tell, but I'm hoping to be back on the water in about 4 months. Probably won't be able to raise the mast (1 time job) or sails by myself for maybe another month or two. Cuff was torn apart on 3 sides. The surgeon was very good, so are the PT people.
Well Lostsailor - it was sailing down to the Outerbanks that originally inspired me to consider a trimaran, because of the characteristics of the area that you mentioned. A trimaran is also an especially good design for here in SW Florida, and is why my 19 is for sale. I think we are blessed to have so many designs to choose from, as each geographic area and sailing style demands a particular set of compromises for the best fit. If I were cruising the seven seas I'd be doing it in a big monohull, but here in Florida cruising for a week or two, or blasting over to the Bahamas the trimaran is an excellent choice. Up North it's nice to have a cozy cabin for wet/cold days, but here in the sub tropics a lot of outdoor space is desirable.
Hoping to be in a Corsair 24 in the near future - I keep getting tempted by the bigger 27 or 28, but keep coming back to the simplicity and ease of the 24. I had a Dragonfly 25 for many years and it was everything I needed including a couple of trips to the Outerbanks from Maryland.
The nice thing about the traditional ComPacs is that they are true to purpose, and not a muddled design to display well at a boat show. If you understand the design philosophy of the ComPacs, you'll be more than happy with their performance. I think most would agree that performance is better served as a product of handling as opposed to straight line speed. Although most see trimarans as speed machines, there are many other aspects of their handling that make them enjoyable to sail, and to spend time on.
So that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
Nice sailing topic Lostsailor.
Ron
If I didn't have my cp 16, I think my second choice would be a Seaward Fox sloop. I first discovered them this season when one took up residence in the slip directly opposite mine. What a great looking vessel. Very seaworthy appearance, with a "big boat" look to it. I love the lines of my CP 16, (traditional "boaty" lines), but I also like the traditional "shipy" lines of the Fox. The extra beam would be nice too, since my "beam" has expanded a bit, and a little more stability would be great. (Sitting on the lee side with a bit of wind is dicey in my boat.)
I know lots of people dream about BIG boats, living aboard, etc.; and I do too, but I've grown to really appreciate the charms of a small boat. Living aboard or extensive cruising isn't feasible for me, (have to work, etc.), so being able to keep my boat close, hop aboard for a few hours whenever the mood strikes, is great. Not to mention the fact that I can buy equipment, cordage, new sails, whatever, for not much more than pocket change. A couple of blocks or shackles for a big boat cost as much as what I spent on my new suit of sails this season.
Quote from: Potcake boy on September 08, 2010, 12:36:01 AM
Hoping to be in a Corsair 24 in the near future - I keep getting tempted by the bigger 27 or 28, but keep coming back to the simplicity and ease of the 24.
Ron
Ron, I owned an F-27 and have sailed a 24. If I go back to a Corsair, it will be one of the little ones. Or maybe a 36 if things go really well. ;)
Ron -
Join the Charlotte Harbor Multihull Association (CHMA). It's a Yahoo group as well. We meet on the 1st monday of the month at Panda Inn at about 6 pm. Next meeting will probably be in October. It's free too - no dues. There must be a dozen Corsairs in the club.
Tom - we met on several occasions at the Com Pac dealer in Punta Gorda, and even discussed your 27 at the time. Obviously I eventually acquired a 19 instead of a Sun Cat, although I am intensely fond of the cat boat for it's trailability. I had a Picnic Cat for a while, and hold it to be the best all around family day sailor ever designed, and have sailed a Sun Cat on a short cruise in the Keys. I can envision a long and storied future for these boats.
Ron - How is your Horizon Cat coming along. Is it here or in N.J.? Hopefully this winter we may have an opportunity for a raft up. Thank you for the suggestion to join the CHMA, I believe I shall pursue that promptly.
Since I am addressing you two in particular, I have a question about a common trait we seem to share. Wrong guess, it's not the first name, and 2 out of 3 doesn't count. Actually it's something that I mused about my own tastes and you two seem to share the same twist. We three seem to be excited by the extremes of sailboat design - the traditional tried and proved not fast but get there in style to the extreme performance edge in production boats. I would love to have another Picnic Cat to keep in the garage for day sails on the Peace River to augment the Corsair's sailing scope. Is it simply a deep appreciation of the wonder of wind power in all forms, are these boats like friends of different personalities that we enjoy?
Apologies to the hard core Com Pac fans for the frequent references to trimarans here but maybe some day Hutchins will apply their boat building skills to tomorrows technology. I'll go for a Sun Tri myself.
May your crew be downwind on long passages
Ron
Ron -
The Horizon Cat will live in NJ for many years probably, the Testar will have the same fate in Punta Gorda. I physically won't be able to sail either one for at least 4 more months. Is this what they call hell (having 2 boats that I love and not being able to use either)? To tell you the truth, I like most sailboats. I've sailed many from small dinghies up to 75 foot catamarans and 100+ foot monohulls. Very few that I didn't like. The 2 sailboats I have now are absolutely perfect for where they are and how they are used. I don't think either is an "extreme". I'll save that for a ride on BOR90. Gotta make fiends with Ellison before he throws it away.
Pretty sure that we met last year when I drove over to look at your 19. Note that there's usually a multihull for sale from one of the CHMA members. There's probably around 100 of us in the club, sizes range from small tri's up to 60 foot catamarans. Quite a few Corsairs - including a few Sprint 750's that dominate anything in light air.
Quote from: Potcake boy on September 09, 2010, 10:44:24 AM
Apologies to the hard core Com Pac fans for the frequent references to trimarans here but maybe some day Hutchins will apply their boat building skills to tomorrows technology. I'll go for a Sun Tri myself.
Ron
Funny you should say that. Butch was talking about putting a Horizon Cat rig on his Crab Claw Cat, and just last night I was daydreaming about something similar to an old Hobie cat, but with a Sun Cat rig set forward. Love my foldy mast!
Knowing Bob23 as we do, here in the back bays of Barnegat, a "9NM row" probably realistically refers to a nine nautical meter row!! In truth, though, I believe he did recover fully, as he is able to readily hoist multiple brews with either arm!!! We are all expecting a full report from B23 on the Annapolis Sailboat Show this weekend.
Well...we see there is room here for at least on comedian. Yes, a 9 nautical meter row would be tough...I don't know what a nautical meter is! I will post a report on my success or failure in this endeavor.
But Peter: The Annapolis show ain't till October so you will not see a report this weekend...unless I make something up which some here have alluded to that I am quite capable of.
It is true that my surgeon and physical therapist cautioned me about over-exercising just my recovering shoulder. I therefore switch arms regularly while drinking beer. Don't want to be lop-sided, you know!
Bob23
Sorry Bob- senior moment on the Annapolis Boat Show reference. What I meant to say was "We all expect a report on your visit to the Atlantic City In Water Power Boat Extravaganza", which, indeed, is this weekend!! See you on the Bay tomorrow!
I hope to sail tomorrow but it looks like I'm gonna help my mom move. Maybe after. Was out today after work for a few hours and had a wonderful sail. Everytime I sail my 23, I'm reminded what a perfect boat she really is. I can zip out for an hours sail after work, go for weekends, if the situation should arise, she could take me on extended cruises. All this and if I get whallopped witha 40 knot gust, after taking a bow, she'll come up for an encore.
All this in a wonderful looking boat that's built to last. Honestly, is there another boat for me? I think not.
Bob23
(Ain't going to no powerboat show in A/C. Not now, not never! Not no-how!)
Funny you should say that. Butch was talking about putting a Horizon Cat rig on his Crab Claw Cat, and just last night I was daydreaming about something similar to an old Hobie cat, but with a Sun Cat rig set forward. Love my foldy mast!
So you are an associate of Butch - I've spoken with him on the phone about his boat. I was enquiring on behalf of a friend. Looks like a pretty neat boat - it could use a bit more S/A or maybe two 9.9s to cruise the harbor.
Quote from: Potcake boy on September 10, 2010, 09:09:55 PM
Funny you should say that. Butch was talking about putting a Horizon Cat rig on his Crab Claw Cat, and just last night I was daydreaming about something similar to an old Hobie cat, but with a Sun Cat rig set forward. Love my foldy mast!
So you are an associate of Butch - I've spoken with him on the phone about his boat. I was enquiring on behalf of a friend. Looks like a pretty neat boat - it could use a bit more S/A or maybe two 9.9s to cruise the harbor.
After seeing the review for the Pacific Seacraft Dana 24 on Latitudes and Attitudes website, I have dreamed about finding $50K laying around the house for a good used one. (So far I've only found 38 cents in the couch cushions.) What a great small blue-water capable sailboat!
Mike
Mike:
There is a Flicka in a nearby marina that just sits there, year after year neglected. Breaks my heart but I hope I never see it for sale.
I guess the Dana is the big sister to the Flicka, eh? I'll check out the L & A site. The thing that prevents me from pursuing a Flicka is money, deep draft (at least for the waters around here), I'd have to keep her at a marina and you all know how cheap I am, and Koinona would be insanely jealous. The last thing one wants is a jealous sailboat. "heck has no fury like a woman scorned".
Bob23
Just to clarify, I'm not typing "heck". I don't believe in watering down quotes.
Bob23,
Go to latsandatts.com and click on Free Videos/TV, then Boat Reviews. The Flicka would be a nice small craft to go onto big water, but the Dana 24 is a go anywhere and do everything design.
Mike
I went there right after I read your post on the Dana. Did you see the Compac 35 review? Very sweet. But Bob's voice is starting to sound like a used car salesmen! Sorry, Bob...just my opinion.
Bob23
(ps: Mike: I looked under my sofa...didn't even find the 38 cents that you found. No change at all, let alone the $50K.)
Let me know if you find that loose change in your cushions. We'll pool together and bid on the beautiful 1990 Dana 24 for sale on eBay right now. Lots of nice pics to drool over.
If I couldn't have my Compac 16 I would hold out for a Montgomery 17. Since I am new at this and won't be able to sail my 16 until spring I can only go by what I've read and see. The lines of the M17 are similar to the C16 in my eye, and the lapstrake hull reminds me of some of the old wood boats mored at the end of our road on Long Beach Island NJ back in the 60's some of which I was lucky enough to sail on but have long forgot any make and models... by what I've read the M17 has a similar weight / ballast ratio and while a few hundred pounds heavier than a C16 the M17 has slightly larger sail area which I would expect to help. Again just a newbie's opinion but the eye likes what the eye likes...
Before I bought my CP23 I saw a nice new Cabo Rico 47 for sale for $750,000. That was very late 1990s. A number of years later I joked that I should have bought it because it would have held its value better than the high tech stocks that I would have sold to buy it.
Then again, it didn't come with a trailer so who would want that.
Curtis
ps - this thread keeps coming back. some threads never die.
I hated giving up my 16, but I love having my family with me on my little sailing jaunts, so I had to move up and I sure love the catalina in terms of space. Still trying to get used to all the things that it takes to sail a bigger boat.
Bob D
We have one steadfast rule on HideAway. Before we decide to sell her we have to sail her. If we still feel like selling when we return to the dock then we will sell her. Not that we haven t been tempted - HideAway sat in a 30 foot slip for years as we looked for a bigger boat - It s just that everytime we sail we realize how perfect HideAway is for how we like to sail and where we like to go. We ve had her for 14 years now and I really don t think we could stand to be without her in our lives. Matt
That's exactly how I feel about my 23, Matt. Every once and a while, I'm tempted to upsize or downsize but then I go for a sail and again remember how perfect "Koinonia" really is. It's small enough for me cast off her lines for a sunset sail after work or to cruise for days at a time (something I have yet to do). I convinced with a few modifications and the right weather, she'd make a good coastal cruiser.
I just wish I was 4 feet tall so I could have standing headroom!
Bob23
Matt, Bob, I can relate. I tend to get attached to my boats and have trouble selling them. I had my last boat for 16 years and would probably still have it but my partner wanted to move on and I was not in a position to buy him out at the time.
The 23 has grown on me quickly. I like to sail it, I like to look at it, and it has become a reading lounge, a calming refuge, when sailing is not possible.
It has also motivated me to stay in good shape, very limber, so that I can live without standing headroom. :)
For a whole bag of reasons, at this stage of my life it is the right boat for me.
If I could choose any boat it would be a custom design by Bob Perry.
Realisticly maybe the Nordic 40.
More realisticly an IP35 to keep the wife happy.
Absolute realism, keep sailing Pooka.
Hey Bob23--
Remember there is only about 3 feet of the cabin where you can't stand up :) Matt
Standing headroom is nice. Some of the older small cruisers like the Bristol 24 had standing headroom and impressive comfort ratios and capsize ratios for such a small boat.
In the compac line the CP27 is the more the coastal cruising model than the CP23. I've been tempted to go look for one and upsize. The CP27 doesn't have the capsize screening ratio of some other boats, an important consideration the more you go offshore, but its real tough to find a boat that could be cruised with the shoal draft that the CP27 has and still sails quite well, including to windward.
I may not upgrade until I retire (or retire again, long story). I'm not sure when I'll retire (not anytime soon) but if my health holds up, I am definitely going to look for an offshore capable boat and do some cruising. For now I'm having trouble finding the time to do proper maintenance and get out sailing so no trading up in the near future.
Whatever I end up with at retirement time I'd like it to be able to handle just about any condition and be small enough to single hand. Even though I expect to have The Admiral aboard most of the time I want to have a boat that one person can handle. I may do what a friend had done on his Krogen 38. After his wife got sea sick in rough weather crossing the Gulf Stream and was reluctant to do it again, he did the passage across the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas "with the guys" and picked up the wives at the airport at Nassua. I may need to be accommodating in the same way.
Curtis
Hmmm, is this a chance to post a pic of my first cruiser? Been retired a while Curtis, and this is us in the late 90's in Foxy's wooden boat regatta near the end of a 20+ month cruise in the Islands. Wonderful boat, but too much draft and size for the Hudson river. Wasn't fast and didn't point high, but as you can see she could handle 30 knots of breeze with just a little of the rail wet. This pic was taken by a pro covering the regatta and we found it by accident years after it was taken. But if my mate didn't get seasick every time we did a transit I might still be out there someplace. Now ya got me dreaming....
(http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j429/ralphsbucket/sailing%20stuff/unclehusted.jpg)
Isn't this whole "hypothetical question" thread a bit about dreaming out loud?
Curtis
OK, now that the air is clear, being the oldie that I am I would like an Atkins little bear. Perfect for puttering around the bayous and back waterways of the low country plus some of the waterways of the great circle route.
Now I feel much better
Good and fair winds to all
mrb
MRB, the boat pictured 2 posts above yours is a 35' Atkins. It was kind of a one of though so didn't get a class name. Mahogany on oak built in Ct in the 60's.
Quote from: mrb on November 08, 2010, 10:20:38 PM
OK, now that the air is clear, being the oldie that I am I would like an Atkins little bear. Perfect for puttering around the bayous and back waterways of the low country plus some of the waterways of the great circle route.
Now I feel much better
Good and fair winds to all
mrb
OK since I didn't know what such a thing was I googled and found http://www.boat-links.com/Atkinco/Sail/LittleBear.html (http://www.boat-links.com/Atkinco/Sail/LittleBear.html).
I have to agree that for gunkholing that is a very fine craft.
Rip, What was or is her name, might be able to find pictures of her on site Curtis listed.
Curtis, Did you check out some of his other designs. The Atkins designed boats for one of the sailing motor boating magazine back when the industry was concerned about boats for the every day man along with the wealthy.
mrb, When we bought her she was Storm. But for a few reasons, not the least of which was tempting fate, we documented her(him?) as Uncle Husted After my wife's bachelor 99 year old uncle who never got far from Peekskill NY. We thought we'd take him for a little adventure. We were headed for Ireland, but off the coast of NJ we realized that wasn't going to happen. Sold her in 1999 or 2000, and last I heard she was up for sale again and a fellow in eastern Long Island was considering her. rip