CP-16 Sail size question

[Thad]

I was given a 1978 16' in good condition so the price was right!  I think the original mast, boom sails etc were replaced with ones modified from a Hobie.  I am trying to find out the size and configuration of the original equipment as the boom seems to be low.  Did the '78 have spreaders?  how far above the cabin deck should the boom be? did this year model have a backstay?  I have the owner's handbook for a 16/3 which covers '84 on.  Can you help me with my old girl? Thad

Are there no owners...past or present...who have any info about the oldies?

[alexkniffin]

Hi,
  I have a 16 as well, but a few years newer.  I believe both your boat and mine are 16s, not the 16 II or III (I suppose you could call them 16 I if you like).  I assume that there were not any major modifications from one year of the 16 to another, so I will try to help. 
  I am not sure what a spreader is, so there you go (Lazy Jacks?).
  The boom tends to sit about 4-6 inches above my head (I am 5'9").  I have noticed better sailing performance when I rake the mast (Tilt it forward, you do this by loosening the side stays and tightening the fore stay)... the extra added benefit of raking the mast is more head room in the cockpit!
  Mine does not have a backstay, and I have never seen a photo of a 16 that did.

[mgoller]

Hi Thad,
Your boat isn't old, its a 'goodie'.  You're both right.  The shrouds are swept back to carry lateral loads and forward loads.  I've seen them called both spreaders and shrouds.  On the original 16 the rig is a 3/4 which means the jib head attachment runs only 3/4 of the way up the mast.  Later on the 16 II the rig was changed to a 7/8ths rig to increase the jib to balance the boat and give it better sail area.  You can get this with a Genoa and lessens heeling a bit.  Also, I think people were complaining more about weather helm or the tendency for the boat to head upwind.  The 7/8ths rig helped with that.  I think weather helm is a good thing.  You can lessen this tendency on yours by easing out the main a bit til it almost luffs and keep it flatter by tightening the outhaul and down haul.  I have heard the forward rake helps balance the boat but I couldn't really tell on mine.
The difference between the 16 and other com-pacs is on the 16 you don't have the second set running to the top of the mast off spreaders which are the spars mounted on the mast 3/4 the way up  to carry the load at the mast top.  The forestay carries the aft forces that come from a close reach and the weight of the mast.
The mast height is 21'feet above waterline, (I don't have the measurement from waterline to top of the cabin).  The boom length is 8'
There is no backstay on the 16 because the shrouds carry that load.  There should be a line from the mast head to the boom end.  This is a light 1/4" line called the 'Topping Lift'.  It is used to keep the boom from falling when the mainsail is dropped.
A 'downhaul' is a line that runs up with the jib head and can be used to drop the jib by pulling.  You just need a little 1/4" line that runs back to the cockpit off a little block mounted down at the tack.
You may not have Hobie rig and sails.  Do the sails have a Johnson emblem?  If so they are probably original.
The shrouds and the forestay are SS cable 1 X 19 rigging with swaged ends.
The boom attaches with a goose neck fitting that slides into the mast slot.
If all this looks familiar you may have the right rig.

[multimedia_smith]

The line that is used to take the jib down is called a "downhaul"... here's a pic

http://www.com-pacowners.com/4images/details.php?image_id=323


a lazy jack keeps the sail gathered when it is flaked... here's a pic

http://www.com-pacowners.com/4images/details.php?image_id=321

Instead of using a topping lift, I like the boomkicker to provide upward force on the boom.  When I am motoring back to the slip... if I have folks on board and it is rough... the boomkicker can bounce a bit... so I detatch the main halyard from the head of the sail and reattach it to the aft end of the boom.  That holds really solidly.

Here's a pic of the boomkicker... it works best in light air to keep a twist in the main and prevent the weight of the boom from flattening the sail.

http://www.com-pacowners.com/4images/details.php?image_id=302

I don't think the current gallery software allows access to the "owners pages" but this link will get you there... really interesting viewing.

http://www.com-pacowners.com/4images/categories.php?cat_id=18&sessionid=4da3d1f140a379599a85154dc6c37219

hopefully, they will get the new interface to work with this section.

One of the nice things about the 16 is the fact that it doesn't have a back stay or the extra set of side stays... That's why we can be in the water 20minutes after arriving at the ramp.

Happy sailing!

Dale

[hobnob]

I too have a '78 16 and the mast and boom (and apparently all related hardware) are made by Dwyer (www.dwyermast.com).  My boom is the DM275 and the mast is the DM284.

This is a pretty old thread but since I just came across it I thought I'd add my 2¢.

[timkil]

For what it's worth, my 1977 model 16 has no spreaders. The shrouds run straight down from the mast to the chainplates just aft of the mast step. I'm not sure what year Compac started using spreaders on the shrouds, but I believe it was later than 1978. Contact Compac for an owners manual.Hope this helps...Tim