PROUD NEW CP 16 OWNER

[SAILING RULES]

HEY SAILORS....THIS IS MY THIRD SAILBOAT AND JUST CANT WAIT TO TAKE HER OUT.1987 CP 16.#2393.....IVE ENJOYED THE POSTS HERE IMMENSELY AND HAVE LEARNED A LOT EVEN IN ACOUPLE OF DAYS..... A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS IF YOU DONT MIND..WHAT IS THE SMALLEST TRUCK I CAN TOW THIS BOAT WITH (<<<COMPLETELY NEW TO TRAILERABLE SAILBOATS).....THE MAST FITTINGS FOR THE SPREADERS SEEM SOMEWHAT LOOSE......IS THIS NORMAL?   I NOTICED THE CHAINPLATES ARE AFT OF THE MAST....DOES THIS PRECLUDE THE NEED FOR A BACKSTAY? THE TRAILER I HAVE DOES NOT HAVE ROLLERS..IS THIS A PROBLEM..........I WONT PUSH MY LUCK SO I'LL END THE QUESTIONS THERE.......btw MY FIRST BOAT WAS AN ERICSON 27 (lived aboard on the hook for 6 yrs) and second boat is a 37 Island Trader Ketch( lived aboard 2 yrs in a marina.....yuk).....Had to move inland Fl and  wanna go lake sailing.........any input would be greatly appreciated.......Thaks Much and Fair Winds....Capt Tom

[dgholmes]

Hey Tom,
You made a wise choice in the CP16.  I pull mine with an S-10 Blazer.  Considering how easy it pulls, I believe you could pull it with an even smaller vehicle.  Total weight is going to be about 1500 lbs, so any vehicle that is rated for pulling more than this should be okay.

I do not have spreaders on my CP16, but I have had spreaders on a few other boats I have owned.  The spreader bars themselves are usually a bit loose, but stiffen up when you get tension on the side stays.  The bracket attached to the mast should not be loose, only the spreader bars.

You are correct about the chainplates.  No Backstay!  Isnt it wonderful?  Simplicity at its finest.

Rollers.  Actually, this should not be a problem, but if you want, you could always add them.  I personally am not a fan of the rollers.  I believe each roller is supporting too much weight.  I base this on the fact that all of my roller shafts are bent.  Where the keel narrows, the force on the roller could be as much as 250 lbs/square inch.  

I would just see how it works before you start modifying things.  The boat should float off of the trailer anyway.  The same for bring the boat in.  Float the boat just above the trailer, connect the winch and then when you pull out, the boat should come to rest on you board or whatever is in place of rollers.

Just my 2 cents.

[SAILING RULES]

Thanks for the input Darrell.......as regards the spreader fittings on the mast there is indeed some play in them...how I do not know as they seem to be riveted to the mast and thusly should be sitting tight and flush...Well thanks again for your help!   Happy Sailing