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#51
Sailing your CP - Tips and Tricks / Re: Bigger head sail question....
Last post by Urban Hermit - March 23, 2025, 07:41:06 PMIs there much functional difference between a drifter and an oversized genoa? Now I'm wondering if the genoa with the 10' foot could be functional on my 16 after all -- in very light air.
#52
Com-Pac Sailors Lounge / Re: GRRR
Last post by Urban Hermit - March 23, 2025, 07:27:17 PMTrial 3 was successful. Thinking I didn't bring the jib I raised the genny, then saw the jib in the Enclave's floorboards when I broke down (unstepped?). How pretty! A couple broad diagonal bands of a nice yellow. Pity, with a 10- foot foot, it will be useable only in the lightest of air.
All I need now is $150-worth of safety equipment and stickers.
All I need now is $150-worth of safety equipment and stickers.
#53
Com-Pac Sailors Lounge / Re: Launch Sites
Last post by Urban Hermit - March 23, 2025, 07:22:53 PMI hear from an RV source that RV campgrounds in the Keys are booked solid years in advance. Nothing said about where you could leave a trailer or find dock space, but be sure you have a place to land or tie up before you head for them.
#54
Com-Pac Sailors Lounge / Re: Foil rudder construction: ...
Last post by Urban Hermit - March 23, 2025, 07:19:35 PMThankee, Sir. I think you describe what I had in mind, in more detail than I described it. And thank you for the comments about the foam. Yes, Great Stuff does absorb water -- I hadn't thought of that.
#55
Com-Pac Sailors Lounge / Spring!
Last post by crazycarl - March 23, 2025, 04:47:50 PMAlong the shore the orange colored water indicates pine pollen season is here. Mullets are jumping, and crabs crawl about the rocky shoreline. The seagrass is turning green again and the neighbor's daffodils, tulips, and fruit trees are in bloom. Two forest turtles make their way across the yard while squirrels dig for the pecans they buried last fall.
Although we can sail here year round, spring is always a special time in a boating community. Friends and neighbors are out cleaning up their boats and discussing what is on their bucket list voyages for this years sailing season. The Wednesday evening "races" began last week, and I'm receiving emails about upcoming club cruises. Today I had it mind to go for a sail immediately after church, however our priest was a 1/2 hour late, and Joanie wanted to stick around to talk as it was her 1st day out of the house since her surgery 4 weeks ago. At church I ask a friend if he's going out this afternoon. "No, I'm a fair weather sailor and spring winds are too fickle and violent". Another man agrees. After a quick stop at the market we returned home and I strolled down to the dock. The Compac was moving forward and back at the dock as if to say "let's go"! According to the towns wind gauge and the windy app, the winds are a pleasant 8 mph. Looking out at the protected creek, rolling whitecaps tell me otherwise. Looking up, the tall pines are swaying in long arc and I hear the chairs at the fire pit blow over as the wind howls through the yard. The gentleman across the cove waves and shouts something, but it's lost to the wind. Still, I contemplate taking her out, until I remember removing the reefing lines to replace them with new ones. Looking out at the water I tell myself, "10 years ago you wouldn't hesitate". So, I think, am I hesitating because I'm wiser, or because I'm getting old...er?
Although we can sail here year round, spring is always a special time in a boating community. Friends and neighbors are out cleaning up their boats and discussing what is on their bucket list voyages for this years sailing season. The Wednesday evening "races" began last week, and I'm receiving emails about upcoming club cruises. Today I had it mind to go for a sail immediately after church, however our priest was a 1/2 hour late, and Joanie wanted to stick around to talk as it was her 1st day out of the house since her surgery 4 weeks ago. At church I ask a friend if he's going out this afternoon. "No, I'm a fair weather sailor and spring winds are too fickle and violent". Another man agrees. After a quick stop at the market we returned home and I strolled down to the dock. The Compac was moving forward and back at the dock as if to say "let's go"! According to the towns wind gauge and the windy app, the winds are a pleasant 8 mph. Looking out at the protected creek, rolling whitecaps tell me otherwise. Looking up, the tall pines are swaying in long arc and I hear the chairs at the fire pit blow over as the wind howls through the yard. The gentleman across the cove waves and shouts something, but it's lost to the wind. Still, I contemplate taking her out, until I remember removing the reefing lines to replace them with new ones. Looking out at the water I tell myself, "10 years ago you wouldn't hesitate". So, I think, am I hesitating because I'm wiser, or because I'm getting old...er?
#56
CP-19's / Re: Trailer design or re-desig...
Last post by MacGyver - March 22, 2025, 08:46:48 PMQuote from: crazycarl on March 06, 2025, 09:47:48 PMYour drop calculations are off. My axle is a 4" drop with 15" rims/tires. That keeps the trailer at its original height.
If you go with a 2.5" drop and 15" tire, that will raise the trailer 1.5".
A 4.5" drop with 13" tires will have you scraping pavement with every bump.
On a standard build axle I think your numbers are correct. The axle I am looking at is a Torflex by Dexter, No springs as the suspension is inside the axle tube, which would ride directly under the side frame rails of the current build of trailer. A arm extends backward and upward, and then the axle stub comes off that for the hub assembly. Pretty neat setup and I have seen this style around for a while on even really heavy duty trailers
Check out page 24/25 if in a PDF viewer, otherwise on the actual page numbers of the PDF pages, see page 23, 24.
The axle is a 10 / 10F, on the second page for this axle it shows the tire sizes and you can see the dimensions listed also. Let me know what you think.
https://www.dextergroup.com/user_area/content_media/raw/2020.05_LIT-122-00.pdf
If it doesnt link right, here is a copy and paste version
https://www.dextergroup.com/user_area/content_media/raw/2020.05_LIT-122-00.pdf
Mac
#57
Com-Pac Sailors Lounge / Re: Foil rudder construction: ...
Last post by MacGyver - March 22, 2025, 08:36:59 PMI made my own by making some wooden shaped foils and attached them to the rudder plate. Then I attached blue DOW sheet foam to the sides and used a sander to get it to match the foil shaped wood pieces.
Glued everything using West System, and made sure to use 40 grit on the aluminum to get a good enough bite. Aluminum can be tough to bond to, so after the foam was where I wanted it, I coated the whole thing with fiberglass and West System Epoxy, and at the top and bottom was some reinforcments of glass, with the top being a larger glue joint to the Aluminum to ensure it would last a long time and hold tight.
The blue foam is used in foundations, etc, may even be the pink kind too now, but mainly it is pretty well water proof. Great stuff is not, it actually holds water and acts like a sponge.
It was a cool project, I had videos of it, Ill have to see if I made a Youtube of that or not, maybe I can find the video and cut it up and post it otherwise.
Mac
Glued everything using West System, and made sure to use 40 grit on the aluminum to get a good enough bite. Aluminum can be tough to bond to, so after the foam was where I wanted it, I coated the whole thing with fiberglass and West System Epoxy, and at the top and bottom was some reinforcments of glass, with the top being a larger glue joint to the Aluminum to ensure it would last a long time and hold tight.
The blue foam is used in foundations, etc, may even be the pink kind too now, but mainly it is pretty well water proof. Great stuff is not, it actually holds water and acts like a sponge.
It was a cool project, I had videos of it, Ill have to see if I made a Youtube of that or not, maybe I can find the video and cut it up and post it otherwise.
Mac
#58
Boat and Hardware Modification / Re: Look What Arrived Today
Last post by Roland of Macatawa - March 21, 2025, 05:31:10 PMCarl,
I installed one of those on my SunDayCat two seasons ago.
Helpful at slow speeds or large angle of attack, such as around the dock.
Be cautious that the mounting hole is in the right location.
Mine was not pre-drilled, took some care to get it properly located.
The head perimeter was shaped differently than the Com-Pac rudder was.
Regards, Roland
I installed one of those on my SunDayCat two seasons ago.
Helpful at slow speeds or large angle of attack, such as around the dock.
Be cautious that the mounting hole is in the right location.
Mine was not pre-drilled, took some care to get it properly located.
The head perimeter was shaped differently than the Com-Pac rudder was.
Regards, Roland
#59
Boat and Hardware Modification / Look What Arrived Today
Last post by crazycarl - March 21, 2025, 03:36:17 PMBeen wanting a new rudder for years. Can't wait to try it. The boat is in the water and the trailer at the shop having new fenders installed, so unless I don the wetsuit and wade in, I'll have to wait.
#60
Horizon Cats and Horizon Day Cats / Question for you trailer saili...
Last post by alsantini - March 21, 2025, 09:52:34 AMYesterday I took two friends out for a sail on the Gulf of Mexico. We had a blast in 14 mph winds. Boat was fantastic and that is the highest wind to date. But, and here is the question, When I was un-stepping the mast, the front stay slipped out of the little slot in the J pole. Not a big deal since the front stay control line was wrapped around the winch and I was able to close the clutch, pull it back up, pin the mast, and start over again. Is this common or did I goof up placing the front stay in the little slot? BTW, it was pretty windy when I was packing the boat up. Any ideas appreciated. I am really impressed with the Horizon. It does everything I wanted it to do and does it perfectly. Sail On, Al