What would you do differently??

[Salty19]

Often we modify out boats.  Changes, maintenance, tweaks, etc are commonly performed.   Sometimes we have a great idea only to find later, it wasn't such a hot idea afterall.

Once in a while we do something we shoudn't have, and we can all learn from each others mistakes.

With that said, if I had to do it all over again, one thing I would not have done on the CP19 is to install a cheek block on the mast, for the purpose of a single line, dual grommet jiffy reefing system.  Too hard to make it work with the friction of two reefing grommets--much harder than the single line to reef the tack and the hook method.    Thankfully this is not a big deal, it will leave 4 small screw holes in the mast I can cover up with a sticker of some sort.

On our old CP16, if I could do it over again, I would not have bed the tabernacle in 3M 5200.  If demasted, this part will pull out of the deck and bring the deck along with it.  Should have use bedding compound, butyl tape or a flexible non-adhesive sealer.

What is your "should have done differently story"?

[kickingbug1]

    i didnt use the 3m 5200 but i bet the silicone i did use would have the same results. i better not be dismasted or ill be one unhappy guy (nobody wants to see that trust me). other than that i should have made my first jib furler out of aluminum. it would have saved some time plus the simple one i ended up with has never failed even in high wind. how can you go wrong with a com-pac

[capras801]

I know this is a little off topic but would kickingbug reply to as if and where he may have posted info to make a jib furler?

[Bob23]

   I had to think about this one a while. First, I don't have many things I'd do differently. Most of my list would be things I never got around to doing because I'm the king of procrastination. But lets see....what would I do differently?
   I wouldn't have installed my GPS antenna where I did. You can see it in the lower part of this shot:

   When tacking, the jib sheet tends to get tangled sometimes...not a big deal.
I'd probably build my rudder a bit shorter than the original. It would have been easy to zip 6 inches off the length of the aluminum blade but, duh, it never occurred to me! I'd also make the blade narrower. It just came out too wide.
   What else: Well, I'd sail more but I think we all can say that.
Mike: I'm just in the beginning phases of making a simple pad from Azek to mount on the deck and the mast step would be screwed through that. I'm gonna use 4200 to seal it down and 4200 between the step and the pad. I  never liked the metal to fiberglass connection although mine never has leaked. I'll shoot some photos.
bob23

[Shawn]

When I pulled some of my teak of to refinish it I used 3M to bed it back down. Really wish I knew about butyl tape at that point as I would have use that instead. All the later bedding projects have used butyl.

Shawn

[skip1930]

Not a good idea. No hold. Harkin Jam Cleats on sloped pedestal, facing back wards. Bad idea from Yahoo Com Pac Site.
Through bolted with aluminium backing under the cockpit combing. Good idea. Rub strips for head sheet line/winch. Keeps line from sawing into fiberglass. Teak stand off ring for compass so as not to invade cabin interior.



Red lamps are cool. Cabin lamps either red or white. All bulbs 'cept compass and St-40/Chart plotter units are L.E.D. Includes running lamps and mast head & steaming.


All 'feet' to deck couplings have UHMW cushions.


Snow blower sheer bolt to hold rudder down. Kicks up in the weeds without bolt. Powder coated with hammer tone grey over alum. pre-treatment.


Hanging and pining the anchor on the bow roller.


OK lay out of compass, away from wiring, chart plotter, speed/depth/distance/water temp/avg~max~speed/seasonal and total NM covered. The 12 volt power socket...not a good idea. Plan to remove and fill the hole. Don't like the line tenders,, Took them off. Coiled line always in the way.


Off set the mast for winter storage. Makes it easy to go below. Mast and rigging taped on with quality PVC tape and a few lines.


Mast head set-up, the Shakspher antenna with adapter down below deck is also a am/fm/as well as VHF. Anchor LED lamp w/ eye and on-off power switch at panel. Wind thingy on teak mounting. All mountings are tec-self tapping screws.


Trailer mod to get away from the daulphin stay.


1/2 inch bronze Oil light shoulder bushings back to back, top and bottom.

[brackish]

I installed a Ritchie Explorer dash mount V-57.2 compass which lasted about six months,  Replaced it under warranty and bought the parts to convert it to a V-537 bulkhead mount.  The replacement lasted three months.  Got another one under the warranty, but not going to install it, going with a Plastimo, hopefully it will be more durable.

I bought a Yeti Sherpa 50 ice chest (big bucks!) because it was the largest five day cooler that had a height that would allow it to fit under the companionway step.  Turns out it is so heavy that I can hardly lift it full and it is difficult to get in and out of the place it goes.  In addition, it does not give five days of retention, but I've found that I have never done any cruise where I couldn't get ice at least every other day.  I recently bought a igloo marine 36 and installed a drain  in it and am making a cutting board for the top, total cost of about $30 and it is light and easy to move and will retain for two days.  I also bought a Polar Bear 24 soft (great product!) for going up to get the ice and supplies to replenish the hard cooler.  I use the Yeti for other things, but wish I hadn't spent the bucks on it.

So far, all of my other modifications have worked out very well.         

[wes]

Brack - you will like that Plastimo compass. I installed the Contest 101 on my 19, after discussing with Hutchins (it's the product they recommend). Got mine from Defender for $205. I think the size is ideal for the 19, it's been very reliable (I have been using it for a year so far) and it even comes in colors. I went with black body, red card. My only gripe is the lousy design of the snap-on rain cover, which after a few uses got loose and now tends to fall off when I trailer the boat. A minor complaint.

Wes

[Shawn]

The Plastimo's are nice compasses. I had a Contest 101 Tactical on my Flying Scot.

Shawn

[Salty19]

OK, I have to believe there are more stories of mods that you would do differently. 

Please share them to avoid others from making the same mistake.

Skip, love the red cabin light!

[Mark F.]

First, I used galvanized cable when I installed backrests for my Com-Pac 16 cockpit that look much like short lifelines.  They work great, are quite solid, and extremely comfortable.  I did the job while I lived in NC on a freshwater lake and that's why I went the cheaper route with galvanized cable.  I moved to FL six months later and now wish I had used stainless cable.  The brackish water of the St. Johns River is rusting the galvanized cable quickly.  I'll be re-stringing the entire project with stainless cable soon. At least all of the poles and backing plates are installed and I know the proper lengths of the cable.  It won't take too long to rework.

Second, I docked my boat for several months on a freshwater lake in NC.  I was led to believe that the maroon color bottom of my hull was a bottom paint.  I found out the hard way that it was a limited edition gel coat that contrasted nicely with the green gel coat on the upper hull.  The gel coat blistered below the water line.  It did not have any kind of barrier coat.  The blisters are small and I don't plan to do anything about them anytime soon.  They don't seem to be slowing me done much as I saw 6 mph today!

[kickingbug1]

mark, would like to see some pictures of those cp16 backrests you made. that is on my project list for this year.

[newt]

Nice photo essay Skip!

[Mark F.]

I never took project pictures, but here are two photos that have the backrests in them.

The first photo shows one of the stern brackets.  These aren't actual life lines, so I used rail stainless brackets, stainless tubing, stainless eye straps, and cable with standard swages.



The second photo shows both back rests.  I think I used 3/16" galvanized cable (should have used stainless.)  I used standard cable swages to save money and keep things simple.  The swaging tool was about $30 at Lowe's.  The swages that might contact your back are tucked under the lifeline pad.  All swages are filed smooth and wrapped with electrical tape.  The brackets and eye straps have aluminum backing plates.  Note that the bracing wires are mounted inboard as far as possible to resist the forces your back exerts against the tubing and brackets.  This is extremely important since the backrest will flex too much without this inboard brace angle.  Each of the six wires is swaged directly to the attachment point at one end.  The other end terminates in an aluminum/stainless turnbuckle (from Lowe's) and then a stainless caribiner. This allowed me to tighten each brace cable and the backrest cable individually to attain the correct tension for comfort.  I will also use wire cable thimbles to avoid pinching the wire when I re-string these backrests.  Hope this helps.

[Greene]

Let's see....

First and foremost would be to start sailing much earlier in life.  I waited until I was nearly 50 years old (that was 5 years ago which makes me exactly 37) wasting so many wonderful years of sailing.

Second, I would not have spent $159 on that Nicro vent.  Yes we really needed a vent on the 19, but what a POS.   Overpriced piece of plastic that doesn't move enough air to vent a mouse fart out of the cabin if it runs all day.  Oops, guess I ranted there a bit.

Finally, I didn't spend enough time removing the shadows left from the old registration numbers.  That is one of the things that always draws my eyes on other people's boats and yet I was just as guilty.

Not too many regrets - just lots of great memories in the bank and many more to come.

Mike