Hello ya'll

[high tide is up]

Just wanted to say hello.  I'm the new owner of a 1980 Com Pac 16.  I live in the fabulous Florida Keys and look forward to many sailing adventures here!!!  I, like many new owners will have lots of questions so thank you in advance!!!!  High Five.....Dawn

[Bob23]

Hey there, Dawn:
  Welcome to the greatest site on earth! As a Jersey sailor, and it's 32 degrees here right now, I'm always a bit jealous of you Fla-di-da folks, especially the Key dwellers. Any photos of your boat? Name? It's always nice to have new members so consider this an official welcome!
  There is an army of 16 guys here so you'll get answers upon answers. And an occasional opinion or two.
Bob23 in Ocean County, NJ
Here's a picture of my 23, the bigger sister to the 16:

We look forward to your future posts! Quick question: Do you really say "Ya'all"? My daugher moved to Punta Gorda about 2 years ago and hasn't yet mixed her Jersey accent with the famous Ya'll!

[high tide is up]

Hi Bob....yeah we really say ya'll here and the word "fixin" is new to my vocabulary too ha ha ha ......Yes I will post pics as soon as I get familar with this site.  Right now I'm just "driveway sailing" till I figure all this out....The boat is so awesome though.  It's been totaly refurbished complete with a 5hp Merc, new sails, lines everything!!! I compare this adventure to learning to ride a horse some 30 years ago...everything has a name and "tack" isn't the same "tack" as in the horse world  ....I've already checked out a lot of cool ideas on here including mast crutches etc.  This adventure is going to be FUN!!! Awesome boat too Bob!!!

[ahmch]

Hello

I too have a "new 16". It is not refurbished however.  I am getting her in shape though.  It is nice to just see her in the drive.
Please take the following with a grain of salt.....  I have taught many people to sail out there. Mostly young ones.  I have found that the women are better students.  They want ot understand the principles involved, the young guys just want to sail and some end up "driving The boat."  so here goes some advice(this is where the salt comes in)

Get familiar with the terms Tacking, Coming about, and Gybing.  Understand them.  Know your points of sail.
When you are on the water, feel the wind and know always where it is coming from.
Apply your new vocabulary to where the wind is. You are now sailing the boat, not just driving it.

Feel how the boat reacts on the different points of sail.

Master coming about before you attempt gybing.  Gybing is a necessary skill, but can be dangerous (a conk on the head) if you do it by accident.

Good luck on the water!!