Hope I don't sink before I sail.

[Landlocked]

Ahoy Y'All. I'm new to the Compac 16' and haven't sailed in almost 35years when I lived on Mobile Bay. I found my 1975 oyster when a friend on Facebook asked if anyone wanted a free sailboat. If not, he was going to cut it up and throw it in the dumpster. Being the kind heart that I am, I pulled her out of the weeds and cleaned her up. The mast, boom, sails (I even got a genoa as a bonus in the sail gag), rudder, tiller, & hardware are in good shape. I have separated the deck from the hull and found some rot in the aft of the hull section. I have also found a couple of cracks in the keel that I can repair. Hopefully I can find the pearl within the shell. Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated. Hope to see you on the open waters.

[Bramble]

Landlocked,
I just bought a 1976 c-16.  On the maiden voyage I discovered that I had cracks in the keel & water coming in from there or the bow eye.  The bow eye I fixed.  I'm looking for someone to do some glass/epoxy work for me.  Apparently this is the vintage with wood coring that folks say to stay away from.  Good luck on getting her afloat.
mike

[mrtwiddlecups]

Oh wee dirty! I'm in NC too what waters are you planning on sailing?

[Bramble]

I'm in New Bern, so the neuse river & pamlico sound are primaries.  I also like putting in in beaufort & sailing to cape lookout.
mike

[Landlocked]

Mike, I ended up splitting the deck from the hull and found that the plywood structure was compromised more than I had thought. My plans are to remove all the plywood and replace with fiberboard. While I have all the structure out, I plan to remove the concrete from the keel and reinforce it the put new concrete back in. Hopefully it works out.
Mr twiddlecups, I plan to shake her down on some smaller lakes in the area. I would like to sail Lake Murry and Wateree in SC, then start making trips to the sounds out at the coast. I've got a lot of catching up to do. It's been a long time. What part of NC you in?

[Bramble]

Landlocked,
check with Keith Scott at The Sailboat Company 910-324-4005.  He knows everything there is to know about these boats & doesn't mind talking to DIY'ers. 
mike

[JTMeissner]

Landlocked, I've done the job you are embarking open, but I only took out part of the concrete, not all of it.  You can see some posts here of my process and decisions, and come up with better ideas for sure. 

-Justin

[Renae]

I plan to remove the concrete from the keel and reinforce it the put new concrete back in.

How do you plan on getting the concrete out?  It seems to me the chances of damaging the hull below/around it would make it really difficult.

Some day I may take on the job of cleaning out the concrete keel on my Suncat, but if I ever do, the replacement will not be more of the same.  I haven't done the math yet, but I figure about 350# of lead sitting way down at the bottom, set in some sort of non-expanding medium (suggestions?) would not only remove the risk of concrete expanding it's way through the hull, but take about 100# off the boat. 

[mrtwiddlecups]

Mike
I'm in Raleigh and take the family out to falls lake and wheeler a bunch. I've been up to Kerr lake recently too.

[Bramble]

I'm in New Bern & have downsized from a C-23, so I'm planning to do some lake sailing this summer.  On my previous C-16 (before the C-23) I sailed on Lake Gaston & Lake Jordan.
mike

[AirborneJarhead]

NC peeps! I'm in Charlotte and will sail Lake Norman the most. But we have plans for a few spots on the coast as well. Looks like we have enough CP folk for a Carolinas rally!

[Bramble]

I could go for a rally.  We had a state wide group once upon a time (we may still & I'm out of the loop) & the get togethers were quite fun.  More than once we took an armada to Ocracoke.
mike

[AirborneJarhead]

I would be so down with a trip to Ocracoke! Just spent a week there camping at the NPS campground. Met Mas from this forum there as well. When we were there, there was a Montgomery 15 tied up to the dock by the ferry dock. Ranger said the guy had sailed in, tied up and left!

[mrtwiddlecups]

My coworker must have been camping while you were! He snapped a photo of that 15 footer because he knows I want to sail my little boat there! I'll try to figure out how to get the photo posted later. On mobile right now...

[Bramble]

I have the feeling that we are about to get dangerous (in a good way).
mike