Ahoy, another newbie Com-pac owner and sailor.

[NCboater]

Hi, I don't have the gift of prose that Bilgemaster possesses but I wanted to to introduce myself after lurking the last couple of days.  I just bought a Com-pac 16, 1983 from a fellow in Wilmington, NC today.  I am not a sailor (yet) but my father had a Catalina 25 for many years.  I and my family (4 children) went sailing with my dad a number of times.  We have a place at Ocean Isle Beach in NC with a deep water dock and direct access to the ICW.  The Kids are Teens to Twenties and we have had a Jetski to tool around in for a few years but I've wanted a "real boat" for a while now.  We came down to the beach house for Easter and I decided to check Craig's list for used boats, thinking a skiff or speedboat but ran across the ad for the Com-Pac which had been posted only the night before.  I had no intention of buying a boat.

On a lark, I answered the ad and arranged to see it the next day.  Spent the evening watching basketball and researching the boat.  Came across this forum and was intrigued, as I had never heard of Com-pac before.  Started to consider the possibility of buying a sailboat.  Went to see the boat yesterday and it was beautiful.  He was the 3rd owner and had only bought it 6 months before from someone in Hilton Head, SC.  He had made some good improvements and just finished bottom coating it, but it was apparent that it had been meticulously maintained throughout its lifetime.  He had a Tohatsu 3.5 HP motor that only has one hour on it and a lot of the original documents and all of the paraphenalia.  I got the sense he didn't really want to sell it but they had another, larger, motor boat, just got a slip for it, had a small daysailor as well, and had only put the com-pac in the water once. 

When I broached the possibility of actually buying the boat, my wife was surprisingly supportive.  She grew up in a motorboating family but had gone sailing a couple of times.  She is reading the owner's manual as I'm typing (...must encourage and nurture this behavior).  He was asking too much at $5,200 and I paid too much at $4,900 but I'm strangely at peace with the transaction, despite taking pride in being a tough negotiator usually. 

Another thread in this forum asks where the young people are in sailing.  My youngest son (17 years old) has said "sailboat" whenever the family talked about getting a boat.  I think the trips with his grandfather made an impression.  My 2nd oldest son (26) is bummed that he is working next weekend and can't come down for the inaugural voyage, but I expect he will be sailing whenever possible.  My father (83) is going to help us get up to speed on sailing.

Sorry for being so long winded.  Looking forward to many years of sailing with our Com-pac and am going to be leaning heavily on y'all for advice and support.

Thanks,
NCboater

[Craig Weis]

How are the sails? And does she have a furler?
A CP-16 is a fine boat. Me Luv's that sheer line bow to stern.

skip.

[Bob23]

NC:
  You have an interesting writing style and welcome aboard!!! Longwinded? You'll fit in just fine around here! I'm convinced that we don't find our Compac...they find us!!! It seems you have much family fun times ahead and it's nice to see you're kids and wife interested also.
   Looking forward to hearing about the inaugural voyage!
Welcome!
Bob23

[Bilgemaster]

Welcome Aboard!  And thanks for your very kind words about my prose, though I expect my Admiral would prefer I spent that time doing something a little more constructive and practical, like putting up that damned towel rack, which I've been meaning to get to since like the Bush Administration. 

My favorite old high school Biology teacher's down there by you in Southport, and we're tentatively planning to swing down there next year with one of the sailboats, either trailered or down the ICW, once I've learned to sail either.  Like you. I come from the "Dark Side" of motorboating, or something like it, so you're pretty lucky to have the old man to show you the ropes.

[NCboater]

Thanks for the welcome! Leaving the beach this AM to go back to work (live about 3 hrs inland).   Skip, the sails are in very good shape but no furler.  Bilge, let me know when you come down and we can get together.  My Dad was a biology professor at a small college and I was a biology major in college, so I'd like to meet your friend in Southport as well.  Bob, looking forward to long winded conversations.  As soon as I figure out how to post pictures, will do so.  Looking forward to next weekend.

[HeaveToo]

Welcome aboard.  This is a great place to find good information on your boat.

[Saluki86]

Welcome to the family.  Post pics of your new boat when you can.

[jthatcher]

great introduction!   looking forward to reading more about your adventures this season.  currently, my 23 is sitting in my yard where it will probably stay the next year or so..  so you can imagine that I am enjoying reading about other sailor's experiences for the time being     best of luck..  jt

[NCboater]

Can't believe I didn't take pictures before I put it in the garage, although it was raining cats and dogs at the time.  I'll post better pictures this weekend when we put it in the water (splash?).













Youngest son in the first picture, his older brother went to Emory.

[PalmettoSailor]

NC Boater, she is beautiful, indeed. Welcome. This is a forum that will answer or point you in the right direction for answers to all your sailing questions. I have found it invaluable. I live in the Myrtle Beach area, but keep my boat at a friend's house in Oak Island, NC. Would enjoy a rendezvous in the ICW when you are in town. I have a 16II that I bought two years ago, give or take.
The ICW is fun, but big boats need to be paid attention to. Many won't slow down and their wake is treacherous.
Best wishes for safe sailing and loads of fun.
Marc

[Mas]

Hey NC, we also had no intention of buying our first boat a CP16. Had been visiting relatives in Florida, had talked about sailing but only talked, then before we left there she was, sitting on her trailer next to a home and looking at us saying wanna go for a ride sailor! Kept looking in the rearview mirror all the way back to Virginia and wondering what we had just done. What a great decision, great boat, you'll enjoy her. Welcome aboard. 

[NCboater]

Here are some new pics from today's launch.  Will step the mast and rig it tomorrow.  It handled better than I thought it would with just the outboard.




My son learning the ropes from his grandfather at the boat ramp.






And at her new home...