Possible Com-Pac 16 Rescue in Florida

[Bilgemaster]

As some of you may recall, my other sailboat, which I had gotten before my Com-Pac 16 "foundling", is one of those MacGregor 26X hybrid "power-sailers" with a biggish-for-sailboats 50 horsepower Honda outboard dangling off the stern.  It seems some of your snobbier mariners with "real" sailboats (like, say, a Com-Pac) often enjoy passing the time making fun of such MacGregor hybrids as "not real sailboats," presumably since they have nothing better to do whilst the pine tar dries on their salty bowlined pubes.

Well, here's a report of a MacGregor crew rescuing what they describe as "a sloop similar to a Com-Pac 16" on Monday.  Maybe it was a Com-Pac 16, or maybe just something similar.  Whatever the case, I guess the moral is: next time one gets a hankering to slag on any sort of sailboat--or even some "stinkpot" for that matter--just remember they may be the one coming to haul your hapless drippy ass out of the drink some day. 

[Duckie]

It seems to me that I have seen a video of a 26 in near gale force winds and minimum six foot seas sailing along completely under control, reefed down and hauling.  I have seen a 26 a couple times now and decided that if I were to spend a lot of time living on a trailer sailer, I would give them a real good look over.

Al

[captronr]

Our other current boat is a Mac 26X.  We bought a used Eclipse as a downsizing replacement.   Still trying to find a new owner for the Mac, but not worried..............

Sadly, only had the Eclipse out one time (groan). 

"Real" sailors trash the 26X.  I've only heard one or two owners EVER decide they didn't like them.  The rest of the owners (including us) really like the boat for what it does.

Yes, it doesn't sail well or speed well, but for a compromise boat, it does both to our satisfaction.   We've overnited on ours probably a month total over 5 years.  Towed it from KS to Lake Havasu, AZ twice for February sailing.   It sits low on the trailer and weighs less than 4500 pounds without water ballast, so it tows nicely..

My only complaint is it takes us an hour or more to rig/derig the boat, so local one day outting are pretty tough.   We keep ours in a slip, so it is easy:  Uncover the cockpit, fire up the 50HP, and head for the open lake.

We replaced the OEM sails and that improved our performance a lot.

The boss said we can't keep two, so the Mac has to go........... Anyone interested in the midwest, give me a holler.  Ours is one of the nicer ones I've seen.

Ron

[Bilgemaster]

Cute and just so "adorably salty" as the 16 may be, the Eclipse is a truly gorgeous boat.  She's also got enough elbow room in her cabin to afford a modicum of creature comforts for those spoiled by the roomy "Waterbago" expanses of the 26X interior.  Long before even acquiring my little Com-Pac 16 "foundling" project, or even knowing what she was apart from some pretty little boat being engulfed by weeds and creeping vines and grime, I had spotted a well-kept Eclipse in the boat storage yard they share as being by far the prettiest boat in the lot.  Lack of an enclosed head aside, a well set up Eclipse would be a fine and somewhat handier replacement for a 26X for a couple wanting to sail more than motor around and overnight on her now and then.  Being kept in a slip would make her ultra-convenient: just hop aboard and cast off, easily trailering her out now and then for trips to other sailing venues and occasional maintenance.

Fortunately, both my Com-Pac and MacGregor are in the same boat lot, where I can keep them "mast up" with no overhead obstructions between there and the launch ramps--Next best thing to having a slip.  Takes me about a half hour to get into the drink and be on my way.  Some practiced trailer-sailing folks can get a Mac's mast up and rigged in 15 minutes flat with time to spare for a smoke.  Those folks ain't me.