new member 04 eclipse

[blue duck]

After looking for some time ...like almost a year I bought a CP eclipse had been on the fence as geographically being in ca. any com pacs are rare. The 23 was my first choice I would have had to upgrade my truck to tow it so I went with the more :tower friendly" 19 footer. Any tips on rigging or stepping the mast and set up would be appreciated..... your input could be helpful because so far Its just involved alot of driving and dealing with red tape thru DMV ....I'd rather be sailing than waiting in line thax in advance BD

[Eagleye]

BD,

Welcome to the forum and congrats on become an owner of your Eclipse!

2 years ago I was in the same boat (no pun intended).  My first suggestion is to move over to the Eclipse section of the forum and, as I did, read everything you can find.  There is a ton of info in that section with photos and I believe, some links to videos on rigging the Eclipse. After 2 years we have got the rigging/stepping/launching process down to less then 45 min.   


I would really enjoy spending a day with you and helping with your Eclipse but I am in upstate New York.  Glenn is in CA so he may be able to help also.  I would suggest check out the posts and photos in the Eclipse section and go over all your rigging to see how it compares.  Come back with some specific questions one step at a time and I'm sure one of us will be able to help you out.  There are a lot of really friendly and informed folks here that are chomping at the bowsprit to help each other out.

And don't let Bob23 scare you with his initiation fee scam.  It is usually only half price from what he asks but I think that new Eclipse owners are exempt this week.

Fair Winds,

Allen

[kahpho]

Welcome Mr. Duck. You may be a rare duck by being a Comp ac sailor on the west coast but not alone. There are a few of us around. I think most western states have at least a couple of us.

The Eclipse are nice looking boats and the recent pictures posted here have only strengthened my opinion. Maybe if I water my Legacy it will grow up and be an Eclipse! Ah well, never mind. I think you'll like yours and hope you will have some adventures to tell us about. What part of California do you sail? It's a pretty big state.

Mel

[brackish]

Welcome Blue Duck!

I agree with what Allen said.  Before I bought my 23 I went to the very beginning of the 23 section and read every thread, then did it again after I bought it.  The info was very valuable although some of the old pics referenced had disappeared.  

Also keep in mind that Hutchins is not like some other boat builders.  You can email them with questions and they will respond promptly and with knowledgeable suggestions.  I recently emailed about a problem I've been having for some time with my rudder and got a simple fix back the next day.

With regard to Bob23's extortion, oh I mean initiation fee it is unfortunate that you are on the west coast.  He usually let's folks work it off by waxing his boat or doing a bottom job.  However, with you being so far away, you will probably just have to pay it.  I would suggest you have an equivalent dollar amount of Styrofoam shipping peanuts delivered to his house and put in his boat.

[Bob23]

Blue Duck:
   Pay no attention to those references to my alleged extortionary practices. Here's the truth: Member ship here is exclusive and the pre registration fee is indeed $5000.00 payable to either me or toward my West Marine bill. But wait: Allen is right: This week is free for new Eclipse owners so you are off the hook! As far as the styrofoam peanuts are concerned, I have plenty so send 'em to Brackish.
   The 23's and Eclipse's are two different animals but both wonderful boats. Hey, they're Compacs so what's to complain about? I was aboard Allen's Eclpise briefly this summer and I really like the boat. I have a 1985 23 which I love but wouldn't want to trailer and launch her every time I wanted to sail.
   Again, welcome. I hope you have a sense of humor...if not, you'll pick one up hanging around here!
Bob23

[blue duck]

ya know theres a compromise to anyone boat  in CP line up< the legacy is a fine boat and I was eyeing one up north about 6mo. ago ....but mama bear wanted something bigger  and the videos I;ve seen on the legacy show its a fast little boat!!! and being lighter in weight is always and advantage towing. Since I have your attention what would you guys recommend  should I:m thinking of hauling it up North SF alameda bay area leaving it rigged up on the trailer for a quick launch and having access to a great sailing area!!! ....Or option #2 keep it local and haul to different lakes ...problem there is most aren;t good sailing lakes anyway. I think a guy could make a killing selling com pacs out here on the west coast but the problem is getting them out here!!!.......I mean the choices out here are Macgregors , catalinas and hunters most being water ballast.....any opinions on that???....anyway I;m itching 2 get this boat in the water but it;d sure be great to have someone help w/ the rigging...thanks BD

[blue duck]

Glenn R U here in calif.?......what part???

[skip1930]

Com-Pac Eclipse SL factory brochure;

I took my brochure and used it for the front and back cover of a ship's notebook for my C-P 19.
Everything bought, modified, added or subtracted for this particular boat is contained within.

Enjoy. skip.

If small print is too small to read, hold down the ctrl key and tap, tap, tap the + key to enlarge. Hold and tap - key to shrink back down.
No extra charge of bathing beauty on ship's transom.  

[curtisv]

y...anyway I;m itching 2 get this boat in the water but it;d sure be great to have someone help w/ the rigging...thanks BD

You are looking for someone to physically help you raise the mast and all that.  Right?  Or show you how to rig her since she's new to you?

The Eclipse mast isn't all that heavy.  I use a 4:1 tackle on my CP23 and that mast goes up quite easily with two people.

Most of us, not being anywhere nearby can't help, except to provide encouragement and advice.  If you are looking for advice specific to rigging the Eclipse, it might be best to ask under "Model Specific Forums > Eclipse".

[Its not hard.  Did that help?   Probably not.]

Curtis

[Eagleye]

BD,
I see that some of the really good videos of the Eclipse setup have been lost in cyber space.  I will attempt to snap a series of pics tomorrow when I launch and get them posted.  The Mastendr system works really great and makes it a breeze and safe to step the mast.  Just to pique your interest here is a pic of the Madame ready to step the mast.  I'll get some more up this weekend (if I'm not sailing the whole time.  Fall is coming and we are grasping at every day we can get)






As far as leaving the Eclipse on the trailer or in the water, that will be a personal choice.  There are advantages and trade offs on both sides.   Suzie and I can rig and launch in less than 45 minutes (without interruptions) and by myself is still under an hour. The reverse is about the same.   Renting a slip costs a LOT and you still need 20 to 30 minutes to carry your gear to the docks, stow it on the boat, check the boat out and prepare a list of details also.  I'm sure mooring has a time consuming routine also.
I personally like the option of having the boat on the trailer right at home to do small repairs, mods or cleaning right next to my garage and do it during the week as not to cut into sailing time.  It is also fun to experience new sailing venues throughout the season.
The big trade off is that you have to trailer the boat each time to the sailing location.  Doing so makes it necessary to keep your trailer in perfect condition or you risk loosing maybe not just a day sailing but possibly your boat.  With the right precautions this is not a big problem and there is plenty of good info on this site about that. 

Take it slow, BD, and just get the mast up in the driveway and do a little yard sailing to get used to your Eclipse.  She is a fabulous boat and is very forgiving to beginners.  I know......

We all are curious about where you purchased your Eclipse and how you came to find her.  There are only about 70 of them made so I'm certain that they are rare on the west coast.   



Allen

Maybe we can get an Administrator to move this post over to the Eclipse section?

[Glenn Basore]

Welcome Blue Duck,

This is a bit late but none the less I will chim in here.

Looking forward to sailing with you soon , hopefully Monday weather permitting.

It's nice to have another Com Pac owner on the west cost but especially nice to have it be an Eclipse just over the hill from me.

Hopefully we will have many sails together.

Glenn

[Craig]

Welcome BD! Re trailing vs slip. We have done it both ways with several boats. If you can afford it, IMHO, a slip is better. We can be underway in Kailani in 10 minutes. We keep all essentials aboard or in the dock box so all we need to carry down the dock is fresh food/beverages(we keep an ample supply of beverages aboard anyway). What we have found is that you are more likely to sail more often if the boat is ready to go at all times. Besides that it is also fun to just hang out at the marina and mess with the boat or simply watch the world go by. We consider the slip our little slice of waterfront property. Staying on the boat overnight in the slip is also an option. Even with the slip it is no hassle to put the boat on the trailer if we want to sail in a different area or take the boat home to work on it. Having a slip is also a good way to meet other sailors and gather local knowledge including info on marine tradesmen should you need them. It is really nice to tie up and not have to face unrigging and trailing the boat after a long day on the water. Much prefer having an adult beverage in the cockpit! 

[EclipseGuy]

Hi Blu Duck,

I have owned several trailer sailor's so am familiar with various types of mast raising devices. When I purchased the Com-Pac Eclipse it did not come with anything to raise the mast.

I contacted Hutchins to ask about buying a mast raising kit so that I could easily raise the mast by myself. They were the greatest people to work with. I have had several interactions with them and they are very quick and very helpful. They suggested that they send me a custom gin pole that is of a 2 piece design so that it would be easy to store when not in use. I thought that was a great idea so I placed the order and they shipped me the gin pole.

The problem that I ran into was the fact that it was so easy to lift the mast up that I didn't need the gin pole or mast raising system. I received the gin pole but never used it once!

I am not a big guy, I am about 5'9" and 155 pounds, so it doesn't take a lot of brute force. Maybe being smaller helps here because I stand on the coach roof inside of the shroud triangle and lift. It is a good leverage point and I don't really have to bend over much to start lifting. It pops right up.

A lot of the time spent rigging the boat is spent rigging the mast raising system. Since I lift the mast by hand, I typically rig the Eclipse in about 20 minutes by myself.

When people ask to help I typically decline the offer because it takes longer for me to explain to them what to do than it takes for me to do it myself.

- John