Threefootitis

[Pacman]

I might be getting a case of threefootitis.  I know that disease is highly contagious and it has been going around lately.

The timing could not be worse.  I have made all the improvements on my C-16 to make her sail well and now she qualifies for the Florida Antique Vessel Designation which exempts her from paying the annual vessel registration fee.

So, here is my question:

How does the C-19 compare to the C-16?

I don't care about transportation or mast raising.  I have good methods to make those non-issues.

What I want to know is:

Does the 19 sail as well as the 16:
on a reach?
downwind?
upwind?

Does the 19 tack as easily as the 16?

I usually sail singlehanded and I appreciate the way the 16 sails but I might like a bit more room for the times when I take guests on board.

What do you think?

Should I just wait until the feeling passes or should I start looking for a C-19?

[kickingbug1]

   i have a 16 and have sailed a 19. the 19 is a much bigger boat than the 3 feet denotes. with the flat bottom on the 19 heel is much less. for me rigging and launching have to be pretty easy hince for now im sticking with my 16. garage space for me was also a factor. someone here once said that if you only day sail and launch from the trailer-the 16 cant be beat. if you plan on keeping the boat in a slip and possibly sleeping aboard the 19 is the way to go. i personally like my boat to heel like the 16 but if i could afford it i would have an eclipse (not happening soon). the 19 feels heavier and it is at almost 1000lbs more and thus feels more secure. i read  a magazine article once about how to choose a boat. the author said choose a boat that fits your needs now not one that you want in the future. being a lazy kind of guy. the 16 is perfect for me. later on who knows i might feel that i need a 19 or if im really lucky an eclipse (damned those buggers are pretty)

[Billy]

I've owned both. And I think there is no comparison (sorry Clark Mills ). The 19 seems (to me) to point much higher. It was a deeper keel. Yes it does not heel the same, but most people (and you can fit a lot more on a 19) seem to feel more comfortable on a flatter point of sail. It is a faster boat too.

I only owned my 16 for about 6 months because I was so unhappy with it (no offense). I remember tacking and tacking and tacking and seeming like I was not making any headway. And could only get out of the harbor if the wind was right, or firing up the motor. Also seemed like the cabin was so small it could only be used for storage. I really don't know how some people do overnights in there. However, I did have the 19 1st so that would maybe explain my bias.

Now if you are happy with how your boat sails and only go day sailing......I would keep the 16. If you spend the night on the boat or like to entertain...then a 19 is the way to go. I think you will find that the 19 is a lot bigger than just 3 feet. More storage everywhere and much more initial stability. I remember climbing into my 16 thinking it was going to tip. The 19 doesn't budge.

However, even though you mention it not being an issue, stepping the mast is much much easier on the 16. The rigging doesn't really matter though, the back stay is not an issue.

Just my "three" cents

And maybe this will wet your appetite a bit more....

http://littlerock.craigslist.org/boa/3102393293.html

never seen ports like that though....

[MacGyver]

As a guy who never owned a sailboat before, I looked at the 16 on our property and attempted to get ahold of the owner.... no luck, so I kept looking for a 16.
ended up finding a 19, and jumped for it after a previous 16 owner told me how far he heeled the 16 over and how the 19 wont do that without great strain.
Made sense to me, being a new sailor, to go with the more stable of the 2, and now that I have it I am so happy I did.

We have stayed on it once, and love the space, and it really is a stable boat.

It will go into my garage, I have a 8 foot door though, and just have to take the mast completely off the boat. So this winters projects can be done in my garage, which is nice.

I have never been on a 16, but from looking at the one on the lot, and this one, I am glad I went the 19.

[Pacman]

Well, the pressure is on.  I know of a very nice C-19 and I am tempted. 

I plan to sail it with the owner some time soon to see how I like it and how it compares with my C-16. 

I know I would like the added room and I don't really mind trailering a larger boat (I have a full-size Ford Van) but I know it will not be anywhere as easy to trailer and set up as my C-16.

Also, I am just not sure if I want to invest that much ($5750) in another boat right now.

[doug]

I can't compare the 16 to  a 19, however I can compare a 16 with a 26 (10 ft ites). My seaward 26 likes to sail flat maybe 10 to 15 degrees, and like most compac sailors i routinely used to sail my 16 at 20-25 degrees which was great fun but slooooww. I found keeping the 16 at 10-15 degrees made the craft much faster, easier to tack and didn't require as much attention to the mail sheet. I sill get out in my compac sometimes, as its a great little craft-- its all about how you sail and what you want out of the boat (I'm extremely happy out on a sunfish in warm weather).

doug