Compac 16 Giveaway - Free

[romei]

I have too many boats.  I need to lighten my load.  I loved this boat, hell, I got married on it.  But the thing is, I have too many toys and I don't have time to enjoy them all anymore.  I am not rich but I live well within my means and I've gotten my money's worth out of this boat and she's still a great boat.  My wife prefers a pontoon boat.  And so, I am going to find her a new home.  (The boat, not my wife)

Some of you remember me because I'm the guy who made this CP-16 into a gaff rig boat.  I'm not giving away my gaff sail because I use it on another boat but I will give you the mast that I carved and a lower boom and a worthless canvas sail that you can use as a template if you want to make your own.  You'll have to craft your own upper boom of you choose to fly a gaff rig. 

Here's the deal.    I don't want this boat to go to someone who can afford to buy it and is just looking for something free or someone who is just going to leap on an opportunity to make some fast cash and sell it.  I'd like this boat to go to a sailor who is either down on his or her luck, or a young person who is just getting on in life and a nice sailboat just isn't in the cards yet.  You pay the transaction fees and take it home.  I humbly ask you to make a donation of your choice to either the wounded warriors project or any ASPCA charity that you see fit.  You don't need to tell me the amount.  All I want to know is that your heart is in the right place. 

Here's what you get:
A CP-16  (I think it's an '88 but I'll have to dig up the title to be sure)
The original mast and boom
Standing rigging is good
Running rigging will  need replaced
The original main sail
A Genoa (I do not have the original jib)
I'll try to find the tabernacle to mount the mast (I sailed it as a gaff rig so I didn't need that but I think I still have it)
The mast and pullys that I made to run the gaff rig
a boom for a gaff rig
a canvas gaff sail that is pretty mush worthless
and the trailer that it is sitting on.  I don't know if I have a title for the trailer.  I'll have to look.  The trailer is bigger than what the boat needs but when I bought the boat, it didn't come with a trailer.  This trailer is a dual axle and could easily handle a bigger boat.  As far as the road worthiness of the trailer, it's on you.  I was going to tow it to the Barnegat bash in 2016 but then didn't make it.  trailers are a personal risk.  People like me who grew up on a farm would tow anything.  Some people are more careful in what they tow.  I've towed this up and back to my campsite 50 miles each direction for many years.  Bring a spare, check the bearings.... it's on you. 

It's ugly as I type this but I'm going to wash it and clean it up a bit.  I'm in central PA.  If you're interested, you are more than welcome to come and look at it.  Here are the pictures from my wedding in 2012.  There are many pages of pictures. 
http://www.ronmeinsler.com/plain/minigal/index.php?dir=wedding/gallery&page=2

Bottom line, If I can find the tabernacle for the mast, you can buy some running rigging and sail it today.  If you want to fly a gaff rig like I did, you'll need a top boom and a gaff sail. 

[Dove16]

What an amazing and generous offer! Hope you are able to find someone who loves the boat as much as you have.

[Mlynch13]

Sir,

Message sent

[bob lamb]

You are a very generous man!  I am currently boatless in North Alabama near the Tennessee River.  I'm currently looking for a 16 and wonder if yours is still available?

Thanks
Bob

[Scott Abbott]

Romei...

I just PM'd you regarding this offer if you are still considering this unbelievable opportunity..making someone's dream a reality.   

Hope to talk soon.

Scott

[Bilgemaster]

That's an extremely kind offer. That little "Karma-bump" is the very least one could do.  Suffice it to say as the beneficiary of similar largesse with my own CP-16/III "Foundling" that if you and your gal are ever of a mind to come a bit south and maybe gunkhole down the Potomac and around the Chesapeake for a week or three, you're more than welcome to borrow the "Foundling". She may not be a fancily gaff-rigged gal like yours, but she's all dressed and raring to go.  I've little doubt you'll bring her back in just as good or perhaps even better shape as she was when she set off, the better for a good long shakedown cruise by one who clearly knows what he's doing.

I do hope your old gal finds her right new home.

[romei]

Thank you for the generous offer Bilgemaster.  While I doubt I'd ever take you up on it, you are the kind of person that I like to associate with in this life, and if I do ever find my way down to your area, I'll certainly look you up and have a cold beverage or two with you. 

[romei]

UPDATE:  It appears that I have found an enthusiastic sailor with a young family that will provide a good home for this boat.  Because of the time of year and the logistics of transportation, transfer of ownership will not take place for several months.  I have given my word on this deal and I am a man of my word, so this offer is now closed.  If something happens between now and spring where their situation changes or delivery is not possible, I'll update this thread at that time, but for now, she has a new home.   

[Gerry]

Sounds like a great match.  We all hope the new owner will be a member of the forum and keep us updated on the family's relationship with this boat.

[Scott Abbott]

Gerry and others following this posting,

I wanted to let you know I am the very blessed individual that will soon be the proud new owner of this Compac 16.  I am just simply still humbled at the entire situation as I have told the current owner probably too many times already.

I am a teacher (wife is as well) and we both teach about 60 miles west of Fort Worth, Texas in a very small school district. We have two kids an 11 year old girl and 8 year old boy. I cannot tell you how excited I am to have the opportunity to get them on the water again at an age where I know they will thrive learning all the lessons a small sailboat can teach.  Again...its still unbelievable to me and my entire family and we are beyond thankful. 

I want to give you all my word that I will keep the story of this boat alive on this forum and all her new adventures halfway across the country.  I just hope she likes the sunshine more than the snow and will be forgiving of an inexperienced sailor with big dreams of amazing adventures on the water and in the Texas wind. 

I look forward to being a part of this forum and the chance to learn from all the expertise that lies within the stories and posts from sailors with many more experiences than I have. 

Just proud to be here on this forum and thankful for individuals such as this owner who can turn a dream into a reality overnight.  I hope this serves as a forceful reminder to myself to forever pay it forward.  You never know how something that might be easy for you to do can impact the lives of others.

All the best...

Scott Abbott

[captronr]

Congrats to you Scott!

You are about the same age/with kids as when we started sailing, first a sunfish, then a 16 ft daysailor.

If I may, a couple of suggestions I wish I would have done, offered so that you might do better than I did:

Take a sailing class, and if possible, have someone go out on your boat before you take the family.

Rule 1:  No yelling unless the boat is sinking or on fire.  Even though our boat was 25+ years old, I didn't want dings in it, so when my daughter tried her first solo in a small cove, and failed to understand my 'clearly given instructions' (after I was forced to push the mast away from the wooden dock so she wouldn't rip her knuckles when the tiller hand scraped the dock) of 'go around and come into the dock facing the wind'.  She did a 270* turn and while under full sail slammed full speed into the dock.   After all my ranting, it left a small ding in the rub rail and a daughter that had lost all interest in sailing........  Being 20+ years smarter now, I wish I could redo that day......

Next summer, I'm hoping my 32 year old son goes out with me on a boat that costs 20 times that first boat.  Once I get it out of the slip, he's the skipper.  If he runs it full speed into a dock, I won't sweat the damage.

Now after my ramblings, I need to tell you that most years, a small group of sailors meet on the north side of Texoma in early summer.  Think the name of the place is Cedar Mills Marina.  Camping is only lodging.   Meet on a Fri - Sun.  Great people the couple times I've been.  Doubt there will be any Compacs, but a lot of experienced sailors.     Name of the event is BOOTS (something something something Texoma).  It is usually posted on the Trailer Sailor bulletin board.  Oh, it's very family friendly.

Have fun!
Ron

[deisher6]

Very good rule #1.  Our three daughters survived sailing as 2-8 year olds.  Now all in their 30's one still actively sails in crew, one doesn't like to sail but drives cutters, the third sails when she can.  Now the wife is another story..........  Follow that rule #1.  Boats can be repaired and replaced, sailing mates are rare.

Smooth Sailing.

regards charlie