Installing Lifelines on a 1981 Compac 16

[Jason]

Hi Everyone,

I received a question on how I installed my lifelines, and decided to post my answer here so that the whole group and future searchers would find it.

I have found the lifelines to be very useful from a safety perspective and the stanchions and stern pulpit make useful attachment points for rod holders, whisker poles, bungees, hanging laundry, and so on.

My boat is a 1981 Compac 16 so it has the stock bow-pulpit already; I ordered a set of stanchions, stern pulpits, and lifelines from Hutchins.  Attachment hardware and the stainless steel strap attachment points for the bow pulpit were bought at the local marine store.

1.  Bow pulpit attachment points. I through bolted stainless steel strap/eyes (not sure correct term for these little guys) to each side of the bow pulpit as shown below:


2.  Mid-ships stanchions, Bedded with 3M 5200, through bolted with washers/locknuts below.  1 mid-ships stanchion on the port side, 1 on the starboard side.  Mounting location of the port mid-ships stanchion is shown below, measured forward from the forward face of the raised gunwale/cockpit coaming.



3. Stern rails.  There are 2 separate pieces that make up the stern pulpit/rails, one bolted to the stern port side, and one to the stern starboard side.  They have attachment points welded on where you will attach the lifeline.  Bedded with 3M 5200, through bolted.  The photo below shows the mounting location of the forward foot of the port side stern rail assembly.


Mounting location of forward foot of port side sternrail, measured forward from the end of the raised gunwale/cockpit cowling


4. Lifelines; The lifelines from Hutchins came with one end swaged on and loose hardware provided for the other end.  There are two separate lines, one for the port side, one for the starboard side.  I measured the length needed for between attachment points, marked the desired length with permanent marker on the lifelines, and sent the lines and the loose hardware to a marine service shop to be hydraulically swaged on.  The fitting that needs to be swaged on was a threaded steel fitting.  The terminal shackle fits over this threaded fitting and the length of the lifeline is adjustable with a nut that threads onto the fitting and which adjusts the position of the shackle.  This allows you to apply a reasonable amount of tension/slack to the lifelines when they are installed.  Attach one end of the lifeline, then before attaching the shackle to the other end, run the lifeline through the hole in the top of the mid-ships stanchions, then attach the other end of the lifeline to the 2nd attachment point and tension accordingly.  Mine are not loose or tight they are adjusted to the length between the attachment points, but I do not have the lifelines in tension applied by the adjustment nuts.

Lifelines on a 1981 Compac 16, their use as a good towel/shirt dryer can be seen in the photo below from an overnight trip last summer:

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Jason Talbot
Sussex, WI

[kickingbug1]

   that bugger look super!

[skip1930]

A little hint:

Starting at the pelican hook on the stern pulpit, move forward to the next stanchions.
On the aft side of those stanchions slip a collar over the safety wire and butt that up to the post.
Pull the slack out of the wire and crank down on the set screw in the collar. [Ace Hardware]
That way when you unclip the pelican hook, only that portion of the safety wire goes slack.

skip. Go Florida Gator's

[Vipersdad]

A little hint:

Starting at the pelican hook on the stern pulpit, move forward to the next stanchions.
On the aft side of those stanchions slip a collar over the safety wire and butt that up to the post.
Pull the slack out of the wire and crank down on the set screw in the collar. [Ace Hardware]
That way when you unclip the pelican hook, only that portion of the safety wire goes slack.

skip. Go Florida Gator's

Good advice.

V.

[Bob23]

Great job, Jason. I also see you have an auxiliary for the auxiliary- oars! I also like the lines led aft. The boat looks very well outfitted.
Bob23

[dontpanic]

Great looking job! I have one question. I installed a swiveling main sheet cam cleat. It was a bear to install the fasteners since there is so little room inside the stern to access the bolts.  How did you install the stern stanchion bolts?

Thanks

[skip1930]

" How did you install the stern stanchion bolts? "

On my CP-19, I had to skinny my big butt back there on my back with the 4 mm aluminum backing plates, washers, nuts, and some Hobby Lobby super glue, alligator vice grip and box/open wrench. Since this was all done by feel, no need for a flash light or drop light.

The wife was outside the hull with her prefitted 1/4" thick UHMW pads, washers and 1/4-20 ss bolts with a ratchet, socket, and extension, and box/open wrench.

The glue was just to hold the nut to my outstretched finger at the end of my fully extended arm to get the nut started on the bolt.

skip.

[Jason]

Hi,   Two man job to though bolt the stanchions and pulpits, one person outside one person inside.    Very cramped and contorted getting a wrench on nuts in the interior of the stern.  Glad they are done, now I just check em once a season to make sure everything is tight and looking a-ok.

Jason

[kahpho]

Nice write up and pictures. I always seem to understand better when there's pictures and captions. Thanks Jason.

mel

[skip1930]

"Don't squeeze the water out of the nuts and bolts" or over time the Gel coat will stress and crack.
Just snug 'em up.
I made that mistake and now I see some stress cracks.
So I filled em in over the course of a summer with some kind of crack filler that wicks into them. That almost works.

In order to get my back-up plates, washers and nuts started for the stanchions I needed to wedge the bottom of the XL flange way out of the way.
Even then it was a job. Took all day!

skip.

[Floyd]

Excellent! Thanks for the info and for the pics!

I would like to know more about the oars that you installed.

Where is the best placement for oars? I have seen other CP-16's with oar locks installed more towards midship.

Any and all info and pics about the oars and installation would be appreciated.

Floyd in Tampa Bay

PS - Wow - that is a huge ship over your shoulder!

[Jason]

Hi!

I will post separately on my oar lock installation......and I expect some debate around my methods, which are a compromise.  The location for the oarlocks I picked has worked out great,  and it is a very rowable boat; the challenge is to achieve a stout connection of the oar lock, given the deck construction of the 16.   I finally achieved a strong attachment of the oar locks but arguably sacrificed some cockpit comfort.  I use the oars often....prefer them over the motor. 

The ship in the photo is a bulk material barge/ship being pushed by a tug between rock island and st Martin island in northern Lake Michigan / Green Bay.

Jason

[Pacman]

Jason,

I would like to know more about your oar lock installation because I am considering changing my set up.

My oar locks are mounted on the gunwales and that is a good strong set up but it is preventing me from installing full length jib sheet tracks on the gunwales.

Now I am debating whether to keep my oar locks on the gunwales or move them outboard. 

I hate to change them because it was a real effort to install them and they work great but I am looking for alternatives that would let me use the new Ronstan series 19 tracks and jib sheet cars that I bought a while back.

If I don't find an alternative soon, I'll probably sell the new jib sheet tracks, hardware, and jib sheet cars and just be happy managing my sails without the adjustability that the tracks would provide.

Oars are a great way to move my C16 when the wind dies so I am definitely keeping the oars.

[Floyd]

Ok, after my last post I searched this site (oars , sculling) and I found that there is quite a bit of info here on rowing Com-pacs.

But there is not much info or photos of installations. So any and all photos or installation instruction would be greatly appreciated.

Floyd in Tampa Bay

[kickingbug1]

jason, where did you get the stern rails?