First Sail today, first tow too!

[Nate]

Well it is confirmed.  My car can tow it.  Tow it fine in fact.  The only part the car seemed to struggle at all was pulling the boat back out of the water, but she did it.  Now the sail itself was a little tense.  I was afraid I had rigged something wrong, but I didnt, and just broad reached back and forth until I became cold and turned on the motor and came in.  I think it would have been much easier (and safer?) with a friend, but the conditions were finally right so I went.  It took me a while to rig up, but I think once I get a method down it'll get fast!  I do love that solid feel everyone talks about!  Lots of people stopped to watch or wave.  I think seeing a boat in the harbor is a novelty for this year.  
    Well I can say what the car is now:  a 2002 Honda civic SI 5 speed.  Funny looking little hatch back but I'm pretty proud.  Now I know this isnt what the car was made for and I dont plan on towing it all over kindom come, but it is so nice to know I can do it if I cant wait for someone with something tougher.  The ramp was very steep too, and I didnt even have to extend the trailer to launch it.   I wish I had some pictures to show, but I will get some out.  I just wanted to pass on that now if anyone asks, you can tell them that someone towed launched, and extracted a 16 with one of those cars.  (It's not your ordinary civic gas sipping honda though)  It's the one with the acura integra motor in it, and it's got a lot more tourque than a regular civic engine, so I guess that makes a little bit of difference.  I know my car only gets 25-28MPG in the city, while a regular same year civic (EX) will get a lot higher.  Just passin on the info!
Nate

[Craig Weis]

Nate, I'm not surprised that a Civic will pull a Com-Pac 16, trailer and all.

My Dad sold his 27 foot Star boat with cast iron bulb keel on a four wheel steerable truck frame trailer back in about 1963 to a kid living in Chicago who towed it away with a Nash [Rambler] Metropolitan, a 4 cylinder flat head, three on the tree two door little black and pink 'girly' car.

It is not the pull...heck one could pull it with a 8 hp lawn tractor and if traction was not a problem may be able to drag the son-of-a-gun out of the water and up the ramp. But don't try to stop the boat when the star and trailer rig weigh more than the tow car. Nothing is going to happen too fast.

Anyway I'm pleased that the Honda can pull the Com-Pac 16. Car weighs more than the boat and trailer, so you should be OK. Be sure to double check all the fasteners and all the 'tin' around the fasteners to make sure that you don't rip the trailer hitch out of the bottom of the car.

You know steal... 10,000 lbs x the thickness in inches of the steel, divided by four equals about the moment of stress/bend/torque that can be applied to the application.:roll:

I'd be more concerned about hypothermia as I wrote about on March 20, 2005 under the "GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS, LINKS NEEDED". A link to Small Craft Advisor magazine is shown, and at that site's "general message" center one will find a posted story from skip about DEATH! That was my friend who died while sailing solo last fall in Minnesota.

BTW 'son', Our country has spent too much $ training you for you to go off and 'Off' yourself in a sailing accident. Why it is even too cold for those guys on those big'O 1000 footers, like the Mesbi Miner. [skip worked on this boat for a winter in Sturgeon Bay].  :lol: .

[Nate]

Oh I know bout the cold.  The big side of the lake is much colder than the harbor side, however I am very aware of what the cold can do there, too.  My mother made me take a little "wet suit" she uses when she kayaks in the harbor, and I guess that would help a little bit.  We had a kayaker die of exposure last year too, when he couldnt get back in his boat in waves that were too much to handle.  Does anyone ever have a little line leading back into the water to grab onto as a last chance or is that a stupid question.  Something with a monkey fist on it or something?  Will the boat tend to head up and then stop?
 In the summer, the harbor gets downright pleasant, as I've roll of death'd little sailboats (lasers and sunfishies) a dozen or so times in gusts and then had to swim for it to flip it back up before it crashed into something.  The Duluth community sailing associations take on it was "Just go out there and try to keep upright."  I flipped and flipped and flipped in strong winds until they would drive along side and shout directions at me.  That was my very first solo experience.  I think they kind of just got a kick out of the struggles.  I've got to get a little harness ASAP for soloing, and I dont know if you've got one to suggest for me?
    The car...I just wanted to see if it could.  The car will always be used as a last resort, and then prob. not even then.  You can tell that the car is a lot slower to stop as I tested it on the famous Duluth hills before I went for the launch.  I know plenty of people with trucks, hell, you can even rent a 2WD for 20 bucks a day I think.
    Yes, the military always has that attitude, in fact, there are a great many things that they won't pay for if you die/seriously injured doing stuff.  Sailing not being one of them, but lets say:  Driving for more than 8 hours, motorcycleing without a safteycourse, etc etc, even sunburns!  I'm sure you've heard that one before!? However that could be a myth.
Good day!
Nate

[bro t]

Hi Nate, I had a great experience staying warm with a body glove on, I wrote about it in the forum on "compac 16 maiden voyage today", I think if you look for it dated about March 20?  I won't go near really cold water again without having the wetsuit along, just in case!

[bro t]

Also, I can't imagine what it would take to get thrown overboard from my cp16... and unless you autohelm somehow, or the sails are perfectly balanced, your boat will likely start behaving somewhat inebriated, the natural result of undisciplined liberty.  A line is a good idea, but I am reminded of the story of two brothers from NY (LI?) who frequently swam with 150' of line off the boat for "safety".  They were last known to be enroute to Bermuda, the boat was found deserted, offshore of LI, trailing the line in the water.  Probably a fresh wind just caught that big boat (it was something like 35' or more), and drifted her away.

[Craig Weis]

All accidents are unplanned...till they happen. Ooops!
I have been known to toss-a-line over the stern. A floating yellow, ski line with a few knots and a wood handle. I just figure I'm a 'gonner' if I go over and still miss the line. That is why I have 'D' rings on my PFD and a Teather.

[multimedia_smith]

I have two of my old Diving weight belts with the weights removed and some heavy duty carabiners attached to ropes... the other end of the rope runs under the center of the horn cleats that are through bolted to the cabin roof on either side of the companionway.   If I'm single handing I wear the belt if I go forward or if my daughter goes forward with a friend.. they each have one on.
Sometimes I wear it if I have a bunch of kids on board... the thought being that if they fall over... I can go back and pick them up...  If I go over, I don't think they would be able to come about and get ME! :roll: