New main sail, new to me boat, luff too long?

[NateD]

I bought a 1991 Com-Pac 16 this winter which was missing the sails. I ordered new sails for a Com-Pac 16/2 from Peak Sails this winter, and finally got around to bending them on this weekend. The roller furling genoa fit just fine, but I hoisted the mainsail as high as it would go, but the luff was so long, it reached full hoist before even getting the luff to full tension. The boom is sitting as low as it can (sitting in the cockpit, it doesn't come close to clearing my head). I was upset and figured the sail maker messed up, but after pulling the sail down and measuring, the luff was 191-192" (16') just shy of what the luff should be. I did have a shackle tied to the main halyard with a bowline, as small as I could make it. I might be able to get another inch or two of hoist by removing the shackle, but that would hardly be enough to just get a little tension on the luff, much less raise the boom up enough to clear my head.

Anyone have any suggestions? How high is your boom?

[carry-on]

The tag on my main says the luff is 15.25 feet(183 inches).

[jb]

National Sail recently gave me a quote on a new sail for my 96 which stated " luff 15.25' ".

When fully hoisted there is not enough clearance  for my head ( 6' tall).

good luck,

j

[NateD]

Maybe the luff is too long then. I looked at it more closely last night and I think I could cut away part of the bolt rope near the headboard, which would get an extra 1/2" of hoist. But even if I modify the bolt rope and remove the shackle, It would only get me another 2.5" or so of hoist. Does anyone know of a published luff length that I could use as a source to argue that the sail maker messed up?

[atrometer]

I am 6'.  There is no such thing as "standing headroom" on a CP16.  "Sitting headroom" only!  Some spec sheets show 16.25' which is incorrect, it is 15.25 (on mine and most others).

[Craig]

Go straight to Compac! A quick call will get you the accurate info. The sail will have to be recut. Don't mess with it!

[NateD]

Go straight to Compac! A quick call will get you the accurate info. The sail will have to be recut. Don't mess with it!

Yeah, I emailed them this morning (to get it in writing so I can forward it on to the sail maker). I'll let everyone know how the sail maker handles it. Worst comes to worst I'll be sailing with 1 reef in the sail all the time....

[carry-on]

National sails uses 15.25 ft. for the luff. This works, but if I were reordering, would use 15 ft to get some clearance over the Bimini and allow for stretch and ability to tension the luff in higher winds.

The dimension given on this site by Hutchins is P= 15.45 ft. for the CP16/2 and newer. I think that is too long.
You might run a tape up the mast using the halyard and see what dimension you get.   

[NateD]

Yeah, Gerry sent me a PDF with the sail plan for the 16's and it is showing 15.45. I'm planning to add a bimini, so I think I'm going to shoot for 15.

[Lafayette Bruce]

Let me know how things go with Chris Stevens at Peak Sails.  I purchased a jib for a Capri 14 at the luff was about 20" too long and he is claiming it is my fault and has been seemingly avoiding my attempts to talk with him about it on the phone.
Lafayette Bruce