Nomad returns to Com-Pac

[hoddinr]

I took Nomad to Jerry at Com-Pac this morning for some upgrades and fixes.
Having the leaking ports attended to, the centerboard pennant checked, a rudder lifting rod installed, some cracked gel-coat repaired, the towing eye tightened, and a boom gooseneck bolt replaced.

While I was there I asked him about sailing with the boom above the hinge.  He said it didn't matter and won't hurt the boat or rig, but if you feel more comfortable just keep it below the hinge when sailing in high winds.  He said a lot of people mistakenly use the "long Pin" while sailing to keep the boom up higher and this is not what it's for. 

Enjoyed talking with Jerry and Rich and hope to get Nomad back before Nov 7th when we sail at Lake Tarpon. 

Business is brisk at Com-Pac - 6 new boats ordered this week!  Glad I got her in before they start building them!


Ron

[Tom L.]

Good to hear that about the hinge vs boom height. I sail almost all the time with the boom above the hinge so I can have more clearance in the cockpit. I always leave the pin in and the boom above the pin when the sail is furled as it makes it much easier to move around the cockpit and into the cabin. I have the midship traveler and I pull the booms off to one side when anchored or docked again to make it easier to get in and out of the cabin.

However when it gets to reefing time I think i will error on the safe side and let the main boom come at or below the hinge.

I have the four to one tackle for sheeting. After this weekend I am more seriously considering the Garhauer 6:1 purchase. It was a handfull.

Tom L.

[Catawampus]

Ron,
Thanks for the boom above the hinge while sailing info!
Very good to know that Gerry says it isn't a problem.

[Tom Ray]

I took Nomad to Jerry at Com-Pac this morning for some upgrades and fixes.
Having the leaking ports attended to, the centerboard pennant checked, a rudder lifting rod installed, some cracked gel-coat repaired, the towing eye tightened, and a boom gooseneck bolt replaced.

While I was there I asked him about sailing with the boom above the hinge.  He said it didn't matter and won't hurt the boat or rig, but if you feel more comfortable just keep it below the hinge when sailing in high winds.  He said a lot of people mistakenly use the "long Pin" while sailing to keep the boom up higher and this is not what it's for. 

Enjoyed talking with Jerry and Rich and hope to get Nomad back before Nov 7th when we sail at Lake Tarpon. 

Business is brisk at Com-Pac - 6 new boats ordered this week!  Glad I got her in before they start building them!


Ron

If you know it's "wrong" and do it anyway, is that still a mistaken use of the long pin?

[hoddinr]

I guess it depends on how you look at it, Tom.

[Tom Ray]

After much discussion of the long pin here and elsewhere, I finally called Gerry Hutchins one day to ask him to explain it. I figured I should have the official factory viewpoint since I was working at the dealership at the time. But I still used it to pin the boom pretty much all the time.

I liked having the boom up off the companionway, liked having an easier time raising the sail without having to get it through the hinge zone, liked being able to drop the sail without dropping it on my Bimini, and just generally didn't care enough about sail shape to want to use my downhaul.

Yes, I even raced in the Sun Cat Nationals with the long pin in place. I figured not caring about sail shape too much was in the spirit of Sun Cat Class racing.

[Bilge Rat]

So the orignally-intended purpose of the long pin is to keep everything Pinned below the hinge when lowering the mast???

[Craig]

Correct! Components can be damaged if not below hinge when lowering the mast.

[capt_nemo]

"If you know it's "wrong" and do it anyway, is that still a mistaken use of the long pin?"

YES, and it's a Mortal not Venial Sin!

So what did Gerry tell you Tom? Don't keep us in suspense.

capt_nemo

[Tom Ray]

Craig is right. It's to keep the gaff boom gooseneck fitting below the hinge.

That fitting is stronger than the mast extrusion. If you fold your mast with the fitting in the hinge, the slot in the mast will open up.

This does solve the problem of how to get a sail on and off the boat without disassembly of the mast hinge. Slugs come right out the opened slot!

Unfortunately, they also come out when you don't want them to.

[DanM]

Just curious- what did they do about the leaking portholes? Replace the gasket?

[hoddinr]

I don't know yet. (about the leaking ports).

I'll find out when I get the boat back in a week or so.

Ron

[Craig]

Had a port leak in the HC. Factory fixed it under warranty by replacing the port after dealer fixes failed. The cure depends on leak source. In my case the leak was due to a bedding problem for the port not a leak in the inner gasket. Removing the outer trim ring usually results in its destruction when removing and re-bedding the port so completely replacing the port is probably the safest way to go. The good news is the Suncat has half the chances for a port leak as the Horizon.

[hoddinr]

Picked up Nomad from Com-Pac this morning.  Everything was done, and the prices were quite reasonable!

Com-Pac, and Gerry in particular, took great care of me.  The interior is DRY (fixed leaking ports), the bimini how has a track so it can lie flat, the centerboard pennant has been checked and replaced, the tow eye had been reinstalled, broken Gel-Coat has been fixed in the cockpit, and a Rudder Rod for raising and lowering has been installed!  I'm so excited that they treated me so well and that the work was done perfectly!  Even some of the workmen came out to check out the boat and help me hook up before I left.  They said it's one of the best looking 2007 models they'd ever seen. Thanks to Dennis for taking care of her for so long (stored inside a boat barn).

To fix the leaking ports Gerry said that they removed the chrome trim rings and caulked it.  That's it.  It rained all day yesterday, and when I checked the interior it was dry as a bone.

The Rudder Rod was only $125 (for the part).  I think I saw that someone on the forum paid $175.  They did have to drill another pivot hole and reinstall the rudder blade, but that probably didn't cost $50.  Maybe the price went down.

Picked up a Com-Pac Yachts had while I was there.  Now I feel like a part of the family!

By the way, Gerry went down to the opening of the MacKay Creek Boat House at Heritage Village on Saturday for the ribbon cutting.  The original wooden SunCat is in the boat house.  Gerry showed me some of the original plans for the boat with Clark Mill's name of them.  Even the tables of offsets are stored at Com-Pac Yachts.

Ron

[capt_nemo]

Glad you had a pleasant experience getting your concerns addressed.

The Factory's reputation for satisfying customers is widespread.

capt_nemo