Line for rigging boom

[guingue]

Hi , there, I'm new to the forum, graduated" from a sunfish  and own perhaps the only Compac 16 in the Caribbean Coast of Honduras. (Just bought one , got it shipped  here). Ive been doing a lot of preparation and so far before its maiden voyage  Ive been a "good backyard sailor" and think I have the rigging right. Can anyone tell me:
1)  how much line and line number  is recommended to rig the boom?rigged it allright but think I need a longer line. and
2)how far it is appropriate for the mainsail it to "open" should it open all the way out that it touches  the side stays?

Thanks for this great forum , its been VERY useful.!     

[skip1930]

The length of the sheet controlling the boom's swing on my CP-19 allows the whole boom to lay on the standing rigging, port side and starboard side, with enough line for me to still hang on to it with comfort. I changed the side by side gang block at the boom's end to an in line block. Both are a four purchase arrangement.
I forget the Sta-Set line size. What ever the factory legnth was, I added 10 more foot to the sheet length.

skip.

[mandolinut]

Here is a link with more info than you asked for. It indicates 35' for the mainsail sheet for a c-16. Good luck.
http://cpyoa.geekworkshosting.com/forum/index.php?action=printpage;topic=42.0

[Billy]

are you talking about the Main sheet or the topping lift?

I would think you would want a mian sheet long enough so the boom can reach the shrouds but in reality you never want the boom to touch the stays. It will scratch the boom and weaken the rigging.

As for the topping lift. You want it to have some slack in it when the main sail is raised and tight when you have the main sail down. Under sail the weight of the boom should be carried by the main sail.
If you have a bimini, you want the topping lift short enough to clear that.

As for the thickness? That depends on the size of the sheaves on the blocks. Does your old line pay out fairly smoothly? if so I would just measure that and keep it the same. A good rule of thumb is, the thicker the line the easier it is on the hands but harder to run through the blocks.

I may be wrong but I think that 3/8" would be good for a 16. I like the thicker line b/c it is easier on the hands. But it all depends on the size of the blocks.

[Salty19]

Welcome to the forum!

Good advice here.

Here's the link for rigging specs for all Compacs:   http://cpyoa.geekworkshosting.com/forum/index.php?topic=1093.0

Net:  35 feet of 1/4" (very close to 6mm) line.  You can use 5/16"  (very close to 8mm) for a little better grip on the line.  3/8" is too much in my opinion, the line may be not run through the pulleys as easily (Billy the blocks are small on a CP16).  I recommend New England Ropes "salsa" line as it's flexible and doesn't tangle easily, easy on the hands, runs through the blocks easily, strong and lasts a long time. I consider it medium stretch, but on the low stretch end of that spectrum. But by all means there are other types that are good.  Something like Bzzz line, Salsa braid, Sta-Set, and regatta would work well too.

Compared to your Sunfish you'll be in heaven on a CP16. Nice boat.

[guingue]

Thank you guys for all of the advice! its been incrediblyvery helpul . I envy all you guys in the states with clubs and CP owners around to help. I´m the only CP owner in miles and miles in the Central American coast!!

I ´ve taken mynew  CP16 out about 4 times , its open coast here in this part of the honduran caribbean. The CP was great and specially safe sailing and  and im in love with it!. Another couple of  question probably answerded before: I´m worried about the stress on my mast step.  1) How tight shoul the shrouds be ? Is there a "test" to have it just right?  b) Also  how tight should the nut in the mast step ?   Gracias !!

[Pacman]

Good advice in the posts above.

Regarding rig tension: There is no reason to have the shrouds so tight that they "twang" when picked like a guitar string. 

I run mine loose enough that, on a reach, the leward shroud has a very small amount of slack, like a catamaran rig. 

That way the shrouds can do their job of holding the mast upright but they do not place any downward stress on the mast step while the boat is at rest.

The bolt through the mast at the base is in double-shear so the nut has only one job: It is there to keep the bolt from falling out.

Guingue,  I am interested in hearing about sailing conditions in your waters.  Do you have strong coastal currents of large tides to deal with?  What is the shoreline like?  Are there interesting places to explore from your Com Pac?  Have you ever fished from your boat?  What are the prevailing wind conditions like? 

You might be our only member from Central America and we would like to hear about your sailing experiences there.

[guingue]

Thanks  Pac man for the advice  !

Yes Ive been so concentrated in  learning about the rig and the way the CP sails in these waters, maintenance of an outboard etc., that I still haven't started keeping a log with notes to share here.  I'm in the port of La Ceiba , Honduras I'm a local. I ventured into buying a used CP16 because we have a pretty good shipyard now were we can order parts , get expertise regarding the basics and once in a while  a sailboat  comes through with a friendly crew willing to give advice to a newby like me!  La Ceiba is located in an open coast , our "bay " is actually a lagoon that became a docking area and where we have our marina and ship yard. It has a good depth. The view of the mountains from the ocean is beautiful ( the "insert image" option here didnt work for some reason) . We have the highest mountains close to the coast I think  between from somewhere in the Carolina's to as south as  Santa Martha Colombia.

Wind conditions:  Off Shore wind begins to blow close to 2 am 4 -6 knots. Calms down between 8 and noon when the north east trade starts blowing.  Varying 16-21 knots depending on the time of the year i would say  until around 5 :30 Then it usually begins to die out as the night settles in. In the late afternoon  wind direction  begins to shift from north east to east before it dies out for the night until again about 2 am , having to do with the mountains being so close the the sea.

So it can get pretty rough sometimes. That is why safety was an issue and preferred it to speed when considering a small boat.

We live right in front of the Honduran  Bay Islands in the western Caribbean, a loved sailing destination. There are 3 larger islands and many minor ones. I live close to" Hog Keys" or Cayos Cochinos " in Spanish . If you google them , they are a little tropical island paradise  close to La Ceiba and will probably be my first "passage" and adventure!  As I learn to use this forum Ill learn how to post my notes ! Ill be more than happy to sail with any CP owner who comes through here for any reason.








       

[rwdsr]

My wife and I got down to Roatan last summer on a cruise for our 40th anniversary.  It is beautiful down there.  I got to do some snorkeling, and we went to a little resort on the other side of the island from where the ship docks, so we got to see more of the island than just the usual tourist spots.  We were fortunate to have a local fellow tell us some of the history of the island and the area.

BobD

[guingue]

Great Bob! , so you know the area! Looks like you explored the  beautiful north side of the island  ! In my first trip to Roatan I think Ill ferry the boat and trailer there. Roatan is great with a lot of beautiful places to explore.

If anyone in this forum heads this way Ill be happy to answer any  questions regarding , where to go , stay etc.,