high winds on lake michigan

[Jason]

Wanted to take the 16 out in some higher winds and lake Michigan delivered the breeze today.  30kts is exciting in the 16. Was stable enough. Gusts had the rub rail in the water. The 3' swells were fun and the boat handled it well. Tried sailing with the jib alone, and with the main alone, and had trouble tacking with only one sail up. Handled much better with both sails up. I'll be adding a reef in the mainsail, wish I had that today.  Overall, I am very pleased with the handling and stability in 30kt conditions, wasn't relaxing but she handled it well.  I do think I need to install bushings to tighten up the rudder pin slop which was a pain on the high winds.  Any pointers on that....can I get some bushings from hardware store....or get them from hutchins?  Thanks

[deisher6]

Hello Jason:
I had a similar experience this Wednesday at Ft Peck Lake, northern MT.  I had previously tried sailing with jib alone, main alone, and reefed main alone, in heavy winds.  The reefed main alone was the best of the bunch but made very little progress windward that day.  Other days a reefed main with the jib were by far the best as you gathered.

Wednesday, the winds were building when I launched but were managable. I decided that if I needed to reef the main it was time to come in, mostly because the launching ramp was not protected and the wind was blowing directly into it, a singlehanded challenge.  For the second time while sailing on that lake, I grounded the boat in the lee of a butte with the engine engaged to give me enough slack to reef and then again to lower the sails.  I motored back to the ramp with all sails and boom stowed in the cuddy.   

The C16 was the only boat out.

I highly recommend at least one reef point on the main.  It will allow you to go out in more challenging winds.  As Skip recommends start out reefed.  It is easier to shake out a reef than to reef while underway.

Heavy winds are challenging and fun especially singlehanded.

regards charlie

[skip1930]

Sorry no bushing for the rudder from Com-Pac. Maybe they should offer a package deal...?

Go to Ace Hardware and pick up four oil-tight bronze shoulder bushings that are a 1/2 inch outside diameter x ? [inside; buy ss bolts that fit the inside dia.]. These bushings are 7/8 inch in length and will not go to the bottom of the bore in the aluminium rudder's casting bolted to the ship's transom. But who cares about that?

Nice thing about bushings is if they go oval with ware, these can be replaced with new bushings.

It is best to buy a 1/2 inch drill bit that has a TURNED DOWN SHANK so a 3/8 drill motor can be used to clean up the casting's bore. A 1/2 inch drill motor is just too fat to drill straight down into the casting while still hung on the transom. So use a 3/8 drill motor. This will drill out that plastic insert in the rudder casting as well, if it has not already been destroyed and fallen out.

So you'll need:
Four shoulder bushings.
Two ss bolts long enough for the assembly.
Eight cadmium plated or ss flat washers.
Two ny~lok nuts.
The 1/2 drill for a 3/8 drill motor.
A drill motor.
A little bit of lube.

With out the 1/2 drill or lube my total at Ace Hardware was about $14.00.

This assembly has served well for about 3 or 4 seasons. Shows no sign of ware. Tiller is tight.    

Sailing on Thursday evening after work in the CP-19 was perfect. Checked the Door County Cherryland Aeroport automated wether system it was -->19 knot winds, south southwest, with gusts of 29 knots.

skip.            

[Jason]

Thanks for the feedback!  I'll be doing the rudder pin bushings this wknd.

[buckaroo]

Skip:  is galvanic corrosion not a problem when you use a bronze bushing inside of the aluminum casting?

[Greene]

Have you guys tried out the roll reefing on your booms?  The sixteen handles winds pretty well, but having the ability to just roll the main down a bit could make it a little more relaxing.

Mike

[skip1930]

buckaroo asks; " is galvanic corrosion not a problem when you use a bronze bushing inside of the aluminum casting? "

Heck. I don't know. I'm in fresh water...but if an answer is what your searching for, I'd be checking the Noble Metal Scale to ascertain the numbers and placement of bronze and aluminium on that compatibility scale.

When my bronze goes oval with ware in about 100 years, I plan on pounding them out and drop in fresh ones into the aluminium receptacles.

skip.

[kickingbug1]

   sounds like this guy jason needs to come to the rendezvous next year and teach us how to sail.

[Jason]

I'm definitely not the one to teach anything.....I was white knuckles on the tiller the whole time and had a pretty scary jibe to avoid a breakwall at one point.  Wanted to try some higher winds, which I did, but I don't think I won any points for my seamanship....

[kickingbug1]

   still in all you are invited to next years clr

[skip1930]

Every boat ought to be sailed by the skipper to the limits, and upon returning safely to the dock, the experience shared.
That way I'll know what not to do. [ Snickering about that. ] A wetted skipper is not a man to be trifled with.

Thanks for sharing. skip.

[Salty19]

Have you guys tried out the roll reefing on your booms?  The sixteen handles winds pretty well, but having the ability to just roll the main down a bit could make it a little more relaxing.

Mike

+1.  Tighten outhaul, loosen halyard a few feet, then pull back on boom and rotate it to wrap the sail around it.  Then push boom forward, tighten halyard  and downhaul and keep sailing.

[bimmerhead]

What? Roll the boom? Did I miss something on my '16? As far I know, I don't have that feature on '77 CP-16..

[kickingbug1]

    you pull the boom astern and it rotates. kind of a bitch to do but a friend of mine is very good at it.

[bimmerhead]

Awesome!I had my boom off today adding a microblock outhaul. I just happened to think of this post and gave the gooseneck a pull and twist, it works! Can't wait to try it on the water!

Thanks guys!