New to CPYOA - CP19/II or III - Ready to Purchase - Need Advice

[seanreeves1776]

Hello CPYOA Members,
My name is Sean Reeves and I've recently moved from Chicago, IL, back to Indianapolis, IN.  I'm 45-yrs old, married, with a soon-to-be 9-yr old daughter.  I got bitten by the sailing bug, as many young men do, while earning Small Boat Sailing Merit badge.  I bought my first sailboat before I bought my first car, a 1968 Snipe.  She [Snipe] was ugly, leaking like a sieve, the sails were completely baggy, and I loved every minute with her on the water.  When living in Chicago, I regularly crewed on keel boats, mostly on Tartan 10s and typically as the mainsheet trimmer. 

I'm looking for a shoal draft boat, that will mostly see action on my local inland lake but is still tough enough to handle Lake Michigan for summer multi-week sailing adventures, a boat that I can single-hand, but also serve as a solid/stable platform for teaching my daughter to sail a keelboat in addition to her sailing in Opti Prams with the junior racing group. 

The Compac 19 seems like the best of all worlds.  Nearly beach'able at <2' draft but with a long ballasted keel for excellent tracking and decent upwind performance made better with a 130-150 genoa, built very strong for her size, roomy for her size, great reports from nearly everyone on her performance particularly when tuned correctly with racing (performance cruising) sails.  Enough room to be somewhat comfortable for people who like tent camping already.  Light enough to trailer behind a V6 auto or smallish SUV.  The list goes on and on...but I know I'm preaching to the choir with this crowd.

I'd welcome any advice from this group, particularly in the CP19 subgroup. 

There are only a handful of used 19s on the market today.  I'm headed up to Michigan to take a look at two hulls as soon as possible.  Does anyone on the forum know of any 19s that will be coming on the market at the end of this sailing season?

Who does everyone like as a sail loft for 19 sails?  With a used boat, I will likely need new sails or additional sails immediately or fairly soon.

As for sails, what do the cruisers in the group recommend as a full suit of sails for cruising with the 19?  Inshore, harbor hopping, gunkholing on the Great Lakes will be my cruising venue.

Standing rigging.  Any recommended mods or upgrades for safely or performance that are commonly recommended by the group?

Upgrade the stock rudder?  I see in 19 adverts for boats for sale, many of the boats have upgraded to a composite, foiled, kick-up rudder from Rudder Craft.  Any thoughts?

If I need to get a trailer for the 19, is there a preference of the group on who makes a solid trailer for a good price?  It would be convenient to get a trailer from a mfg that has made trailers for 19s before.

Any hardware upgrade or modifications recommendations?  Winches, blocks, traveler system, vang, cunningham, outhaul, downhaul, backstay, etc.?  I'm completely open to any ideas you have to share.

Has anyone worked with a yard (or Hutchins) to retrofit a swing centerboard in the keel for better upwind performance?  I think I recall reading that Hutchins built a few boats that included an enclosed swing centerboard into the ballasted keel but that it wasn't common practice.  This is the only performance comment I've seen regularly about the CP19 is the diminished ability to work to windward because there isn't much below to carve into the water and the boat tends to crab when closed hauled.

Like I said, I'm brand new to the group and brand new to the Compac 19 so I have a ton to learn.  Thank you in advance for your time and thoughtful feedback.

Fair Winds,

Sean Reeves 

[crazycarl]

Welcome Sean!

Reading your post tells me you're an experienced sailor that knows what he is looking for.  Myself? I sail to relax and explore.  I'm definitely no racer.  I can say I've had our 19 out in some nasty weather and rough salt a couple times and didn't feel threatened or we were in any danger.  She's a stable craft that will bring you home.  I'm currently refitting the interior for longer voyages. She will do well for teaching your daughter.

Also, I'm about 60 miles southwest of Chi-town and there are a couple Compac-O-Nauts planning on crossing lake Michigan if you're so inclined to join in.

Sorry I can't help with any of your questions, but there are many in this forum who will give their honest opinions.

C.C.

[Finbar Beagle]

Hey Sean, welcome aboard.

I have a 19Mk2 without centerboard.  To be honest, I have learned to live with a bit a crabbiness, but  leaving out the wife, windward performance of the boat is not that bad.  My first season, and now into the second, is trying to learn from the previous owner, and to learn the boat first.

Women marry thinking they can change us, we marry hoping they do not change.

Only immediate addition for me was a tiller clutch, and it was well worth it.

I am also trying my best not to make any new holes, if possible. So my modifications are very slow, because I do not want to go in wrong direction. This winter will be roller furling jib, and hayalards led to cockpit.  Next year will be foil rudder.

Sail first, and you decide.  She is not a performance racer, but also has never let me down.

[Mike]

Hi Sean,
I have owned a lido, Dart 16, Shellback Dingy (I built), Cal 20, Drascombe Lugger and a CP 19.  The 19 is good boat to single hand with roller furling and a tiller clutch.  One does not need to shift when coming about and the boat performs well when reefed.  My experience with the boat has been lake sailing but would be very confident in the San Juans and Gulf Islands...having rented boats there for many years. 

While a bit of a chore, it can be stepped and launched alone with a mast raising system but much easier time wise with a partner.  Good choice given your experience.

[Damsel19]

We have had our 19 (type 1) for about 15 years.
Sail her flatish about 12 degrees. Center board good if you find one if getting to weather is a priority. Other wise the simplicity of no board is great. We sail shoal waters in Florida and don't miss the board. The newer versions are better balanced with the bow sprit. But its not a hard retrofit.
We do well with a working jib about 95 % and most days with the stock genoa at about 135.
Reefed main works well.
Tiller clutch
Halyards in cockpit
A jumper strut and halyard. I crank the mast up single handed in a few minutes.
Magic tilt was factory trailer

[Jackrabbit]

Hi Sean,

Did you ever find a boat?

I believe my 2002 Compac 19 is one of the last hulls to be built to this design, and she has a centreboard.  A nice stainless steel board set in a stainless insert or case let into the keel.  Not very big, though, and I'm guessing it adds about two feet of draught fully deployed.    Definitely improves windward performance, though she does well enough with the board up. 

Up here in the Ottawa area (Canada) Compac 19s are rare birds, and she attracts a lot of very positive comments from everyone who walks by her slip.  Every week I find one or two business cards or notes on the boat from someone offering to buy her.  Wouldn't part with her for the world, at least not yet.  Be hard pressed to find a boat half as pretty with her capabilities as an all round sailer and easily trailerable pocket cruiser.

I have another comparable boat, which I keep at the cottage, a venerable late sixties vintage O'Day Mariner.  The latter is a faster boat, and being lighter as well as flat-bottomed is easier to launch and haul out, but not as pretty by long mile, nor as spacious for sleeping aboard. 

I lavish a lot of love and attention on the Compac, whereas the O'Day is just an old beater that I can happily neglect, doing only the bare minimum to keep her going.  I guess that says something about the Compac...

Best,

Burton

S/V "Restless"

[kickingbug1]

 think about coming to the CLR in june at Carlyle lake in Illinois. I make the run to indy pretty often to see my kid. its an easy drive