Hello....New Com-Pac 16 Owner from Mentor,Ohio

[JJ]

Thought I would jump in and introduce myself since I have sailed around this website long enough.  I am Jim, aka JJ and live in Mentor, Ohio.  My wife and I are currently the proud owners of a 1977 Com-Pac 16 (Hull #335) which we purchased last August.  It was just by chance that we even purchased a Com-Pac sailboat.  After seeing a much neglected Com-Pac 16 boat for sale at a local estate sale and given a run around by the owner about the title, we walked away from the deal.  Not knowing much about sailboats, and even less about the Com-Pac's, I came across this WONDERFUL web site.  I really commend all of you for the numerous posts about this fine boat.  Upon spending many hours on this site, I decided that the Com-Pac 16 would make a great boat for both of us to learn to sail.  We looked at several other Com-Pac boats and finally purchased our boat from a nice man who sailed it on Lake Chautauqua in New York.  Upon registering the boat, we discovered that we were the fifth owners and that the second and third owners of this boat had lived right here Lake County, Ohio (the county we live in).  I knew right then that we had purchased the right boat and that it would be happy being back in the BUCKEYE STATE once again.

Anyways, I spent a very long month doing the needed maintenance/repairs on the boat/trailer.  I rubbed, buffed and polished the boat until I thought my hands and arms were going to fall off, removed blue anti-skid paint from the deck of the boat, re-caulked under the rub rails, painted the berths in the cabin, replaced the vent hatch, new sheet lines, refinished all the wood trim, and removed a damaged area of Marine-Tex on the keel replacing it with fiberglass and West System Epoxy.  I also up graded the Shoreline Trailer with all new electrical, galvanized hardware, bunk boards and replaced the keel rollers with a board.  It was a lot of work, but very satisfying!  Needless to say the boat/trailer is like brand new and ready to sail this summer.

It wasn't all work and no play.  We were able to enjoy this boat sailing on Lake Erie 5 or 6 times before we put the boat away for the winter.  We had a blast and thoroughly enjoyed our time on our new sailboat.

We are looking forward to a fun filled summer learning about the boat and the techniques  sailing on Lake Erie, Mosquito Reservoir (Warren, Ohio), and maybe near our daughter's house on Hoover Reservoir (Columbus, Ohio).

Thanks again to EVERYONE for the great information on this WEB SITE.

HAPPY SAILING!  ~ JIM~

P.S. This spring I would like to make a NACA 0012 foil rudder and a new tiller.  If anyone can provide me with a pattern and the proper length of the tiller it would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks!

[Bob23]

Hi Jim and welcome!
   Glad you're aboard and enjoying your 16. Search around the site under the 16, lounge and boat modification headings and you'll find alot of info on foiled rudders. I made one for my Compac 23 a few years ago and couldn't believe the improvement in tacking, pointing and just general handling. I do not have the 0012 template, only the 0014. I'm sure that someone else here will be responding to your request because many of us have made our own rudder blades with success.
   Someone recently made a tiller so you'll get some feedback on that also.
   Although I own a 1985 23, if I were to trade down, the 16 would be my first choice. I'm trying to rescue a badly neglected one near my home but the Admiral here is asking: "How many Compacs does one man need?" Just one more, honey, just one more!
Bob23  in NJ

[jthatcher]

Hi jj, and crew!   we are entering into our second year as owners of a compac..  we bought Adagio, a cp 23, last year at this time, and we sail it on Barnegat bay along with Bob..  i made a new tiller over the winter.   i ended up cutting some ash flooring that i had from another project into strips  that were 1/8 inch thick.   i used the old tiller as a pattern and formed the new tiller according to the pattern..   i am sure that it does not look exactly the same, but it sure looks fine to me!   there are some pics on our page.. and i will add some new ones next week.    after shaping the tiller i put a coat of epoxy on it and i am currently covering that with cetol..   Bob raised a valid question about the uv resistance of cetol, but i keep the tiller covered, so i am going to see how it fairs over the next couple of years..   

good luck as the spring sailing season rolls around..   seems to be upon us right now, but i think that we still have some chilly weather to contend with before May!  jt

[JJ]

Hi Bob and JT !  Thanks for your replies.  The tiller that was on the boat when I purchased it is a solid piece of ash that is straight and bulky.   It was made by the previous owner.  It is nothing more than a 2" X 4" piece of ash with the corners rounded.  It is hard to hold on to, heavy and awkward to use.  I would like to build a tiller like what was on the boat originally.   The tiller is currently stored in the boat under plastic or I would send a picture.  I would like to make a laminated tiller and need to know the correct length and a  pattern of the side profile in order to make a clamping mold like the one in this posting.   http://cpyoa.geekworkshosting.com/forum/index.php?topic=3210.0

Again, thanks in advance for any help you or anyone else may give me!

Bob you can NEVER have enough TOYS......especially if they are BOATS!  My wife questioned the same thing when I purchased the Com-Pac 16.  I was given a 1976 wooden Mirror Dingy two years ago that I spent several long months sanding and refinishing.  It was quite a project.  Someone once told me that 90% of boating was rubbing and buffing?  I believe that is true!  I loved the Mirror, but my old body kept me from moving around in that small 11 foot dingy.  The Com-Pac feels like a luxury yacht!  Ha!

JT I would also like to see any pictures of your tiller when you have time to post!   

I agree the weather here in NE Ohio this week has been a pleasant surprise............But I know that it is just a TEASER and we still have several months more before I can get my boat back out on the water.  JJ

[Salty19]

Hi JJ,

Allright, another Buckeye floating around here!  I sail at Hoover (with a slip) May-Oct.  You're welcome on Island Time anytime.  I'll have to warn you in advance about 3 foot-itus, it's a pretty serious illness.
And no she's not for sale

As for the rudder, here's the shape:



Print it out and enlarge it on a copier.  You want it about 1" wider then your stock rudder as you'll put a 1" leading edge on it.  Definitely do a search here at the site, there is a ton of info showing how to make one.
I think Capi here at the site is working on one now so maybe he already has the template he could send you?

As for the tiller, "proper length" is debatable when you are using the foiled rudder.  I think it is about 44" in length but don't quote me on that.  I highly encourage you to go shorter for several reason.  First with the foiled rudder the tiller is quite balanced, so not much pressure is needed to hold it so the longer lever of the tiller isn't needed to hold on to it.  Second when it's long it really gets in the way of you and crew.  However too short and you can't reach halyards with a foot on the tiller or sit way forward if desired without a tiller extension.  So my vote is to maybe make something shorter and super cheap, see how you like it and then base your opinion on that when making a new one.  Also you can get a good feel for tiller height as well.   For times when you need to run forward, just tie off the tiller if you can't reach it otherwise.

[JJ]

Hi Salty,

You are correct about the 3 foot-i-tus.  On our very first outing we sailed the boat on Sandusky Bay in Lake Eire.  While slowly moving across the bay,  my wife saw a much larger boat that was maybe 45 or 50 feet long.  Her comment was...."I really am enjoying our sail boat..... BUT...... when are we going to sell this boat and get a larger one!"  I couldn't believe she said that!  This was coming from a women that had lots of reservations about even getting onto a sailboat. I told her that the  larger boat may come latter but we first need to learn how to sail this boat!  It did made me feel really good knowing that she was  enjoying her first sailing experience! 

I would love to join you sometime on Island Time and will get in touch with you when the weather REALLY breaks in the spring.  Thanks for the offer!

Thanks also for the rudder foil pattern.  I  believe that I have looked at all the posts that pertain to the making of the foil shaped rudder.  I plan to make the leading edge out of hardwood  and the body of foam.  I then plan to fiberglass and epoxy the whole thing.  As far as the tiller length goes, I will follow your suggestion and make a new tiller after I finish the rudder modifications and test the new rudder.  Will keep you posted on the rudder progress.

[Cevin c Taylor]

Welcome!  I have an '83 CP16, and it sounds like I bought mine around the time you bought yours.  I've only sailed it half a dozen times or so.  I'm near Ann Arbor, Michigan.  I'd some day like to sail out to the Erie Islands off Sandusky, over your way.  Maybe out paths will cross at some point.

[Billy]

Bob,
as for buying another boat, I always say......

"A man needs a lot of boats in case his wife makes him sell a few."

Welcome aboard JJ!

Billy

[Bob23]

Great advice, Billy. I'd better get busy and buy a few more!
bob23

[JJ]

Wolverine,

Would love to sail out to the Erie Islands.  Any time you'd like to go let me know!  Every summer we go with the neighbors to Put-In-Bay for a day by the ferry!  It would be fun sailing to PIB or Kellys Island for the day.  I just need a little more experience before I sail from the protected waters of Sandusky Bay.  Keep in touch!  JJ

[JJ]

Billy and Bob

I agree about more is better!  One can never have enough boats!   Tell the Admiral that the 16 footer will keep you out of her hair while you are fixing it up and you can always trailer it to some exotic place your 23 footer won't go!  Maybe she will go for that! HA! GOOD LUCK! JJ

[Cevin c Taylor]

JJ - I definitely need more experience before venturing out into the Great Lakes.  I hope to maybe do it late in the summer.  We'll see.  It would be great to see some pics of the progress of the work on your boat.  I need some inspiration!

[Salty19]

Hmm....a Lake Erie Islands get together sounds pretty good. Haven't sailed Erie yet, but have been meaning to.  We do go to Put In Bay every summer..suffice to say we have a blast up there.

[JJ]

Hi Salty and Wolverine!

A Lake Erie get together would be fine with me.  I have only sailed my Com Pac on LE.  Once sailing around Sandusky Bay and then over to Johnson's Island and five or so times behind the breakwall in downtown Cleveland.  Each time I had the boat out the lake conditions were "ideal" with 7-10 mph winds and waves 2 feet or less.  I have been very cautious with the weather conditions on LE as they can change quickly.   But definitely I would like to do a Lake Erie get together later in the summer for whomever wants to come.

With the nice weather we have been having here in Northeast Ohio, I went to the marina yesterday and got my tiller/rudder out of the boat.   Following all the great info on this website, I cut and glued a piece of hickory for the leading edge and made a pattern of the NACA 0012 foil.  Hopefully, I will get some time today to glue on the foam and shape the leading edge.  Will keep you posted. ........Again Thanks to everyone who have added to the tons of information on building a foiled rudder!  JJ

[Cevin c Taylor]

I would love to do a trip out to say, Kelly's Island and camp in the campground there.  It would be great to do it as part of a group.  I know there are several people on this site in SE Michigan or Ohio.  Let's definitely try to give this a shot this summer.  I can make it to the Sandusky/Port Clinton area in about 2.5 hours.