Changing Boats?

[aquaman]

I've had my Capri for 6 seasons and it's been great! Now we just had a newbie come in to our marina and he's got the boat that I've always been quite fond of. A Compaq 16. Now I was seriously thinking about trading up for a larger boat, so I did a checklist of the pro's and cons.........
Pros: **Very seaworthy, capable of Lake Michigan conditions. Swing keel Capri is dicey in rough conditions, fixed keel version does much better.
**Large cockpit can easily handle 3 people. Enclosed storage in cuddy cabin.
**18" draft!
Cons:**Much larger and heavier, difficult to manhandle the trailer. Harder to launch, needs a long tounge trailer to be sure boat's deep enough to float.
**Trailer is harder to manuever with the longer tounge.
**Won't be able to store boat in my garage, and our association does not allow boats, RV's, etc. to be left in the driveway over night. This would be a game changer because I like to work on the boat at home, and also need to store it there on weekends for logistical reasons.
**Solo stepping the mast looks quite difficult compared to Capri, which is easy piezy!. I just turned 70 and hope to sail for years to come, certainly I won't be getting any stronger!
**I checked the Compaq site and it was agreed this boat does not point well and there's a lot of sideslip. Also has poor light air performance. Capri will point almost a 45d to wind with proper helmsmanship and does well in light air. And Capri is exhilirating to sail, it's like comparing a Mack truck to a Ferrari!

So after all's said and done I'll be glad to keep Capri for years to come. I bought her cheap as a beat up orphan, put a lot of $$ and effort to custom improve her in every way. I know every nuance of the boat and can push her to the limit under sporty conditions. Looking forward to a great season!
Cheers!

 

[Kerrcat14.2K]

I think we would be on the same "page". I have posted before about sailing a Tanzer 16 (center board) Tanzer 22 and then a Cape Dory Typhoon (keel boats) which I restored. Now after eight or so years of sailing a 14.2K and hitting 77 years, I really appreciate the simplicity and performance of the 14.2 while having all of the features/rigging of larger boats. The keel is a boon for me and great since I only launch and retrieve once a year, keeping the boat at my dock during the sailing season. Last fall I watched a Compac Legacy being rigged and admired it's lines etc. The new rigging system has greatly simplified raising the mast and it's shallow draft keel with center board should increase stability and help the pointing ability. But, I suspect it will still feel sluggish compared to the 14.2 and it's price is way out of my range anymore. When I first relocated to this lake home my neighbor was keeping a Compac 16 at his dock and it did not have the sailing characteristics of anything which I have owned, sluggish and poor pointing ability; great stable family day sailer but definitely not what I would be looking for.
So, we are in agreement about sticking with a boat which meets most of our criteria.

 

[aquaman]

Yep and the one thing I forgot to mention about the con's of my swing keel Capri is that there is a possibility of a knockdown if you're not on your game when sailing in sporty conditions. When "social sailing"(non-sailor passengers aboard) I'll under canvas, don't need to focus intently on the forces of nature. My greatest pure pleasure and bonding with the boat takes place when I'm sailing alone, pushing her to the limit!
Now your fixed keel model is a totally different creature, much better manners than mine. But since I do a lot of trailering and need to store her in my garage on the weekends the swing keel is the best setup for me.
Cheers!

 

[Dale Tanski]

Longer trailer tongue = the easier to back up. Longer distance from the ball to the axle is better.
Heavier the boat = the more comfortable the ride, more stable.
Tongue hinge - install a trailer tongue hinge and it will probably be shorter than the Capri.
The P dimension on the Compact 16 is actually shorter than the Capri 14, thus the sluggish light air performance perhaps. I suspect if you measure the overall mast length you will find the Compact shorter if not very similar. Mast raising is all about technique. Add a lifting rig to the trailer if that makes it easier. One can single hand a mast on a 20 plus footer with the correct setup.
You may believe that your Capri can point at a 45 degree angle and indeed it can, but what is the VMG and DMG? Excessive pointing does not mean an efficient heading in many cases. A good helmsmen should be able to point head to wind but what does that get you? The exposed area of the Capri centerboard is probably less than the shoal draft keel of the Compact. Deeper helps, but it is the exposed area.
Lastly... you are 70! What are you waiting for? My guess is after a few sails you will be asking your self why you didn't go bigger sooner. Go big or go home. The Compact 16 is a great boat but the 18 is even better and with that one you could indeed weekend on it. Life is short. Sail....
Dale

 

[aquaman]

Longer tongue easier to back up but impossible to swing into my driveway and tougher to manuever in congested areas. My current trailer doesn't need a longer tongue (since the boat floats off quicker) and still backs up nicely. Super easy launch and retreive.
Agreed about the heavier boat but remember that with that comfort and stability comes a loss in performance. As a serious solo sailor I enjoy pushing my Capri to the limit with balance, speed, and agility. Some days I feel like I just worked out at the gym! She'll actually plane with a strong following wind!
I'll sail like this for as long as my body allows,........
Tongue hinge is logical but how would it get installed on a standard trailer without a bunch of weld/fab work?. And even so the Compaq still is way too large to put in my garage, which is a must.
Agreed mast raising is all about technique. Capri pops right up and it's an easy step onto the deck to hook up the forestay. I'll pull up a youtube and see how a solo mast raising is done on the Compaq. Seems like a long step up from cockpit to the deck to complete the mission, during that time seems like the mast would be flopping around laterally, not good.
Maybe it's a tradeoff between better pointing with more sideslip on mine, I don't know. I would think the shoal keel would sideslip a lot, I'm going to do some research on that subject.
I should mention that I've been sailing for over 40 years. Lotsa week long trips with my Catalina 22 on Lake Michigan, also many seasons on my buddy's Cape Dory 30 on the big lake. After marrying a non-sailor I needed to adjust my game plan so I went back to the smaller Capri. Getting something larger would not work with my situation, and the Capri and the medium sized lakes I trailer her to fit my needs very well. I can sail all day and still be home for a late dinner! If I want the big boat experiance I have an open invitation on the Cape Dory...........
Adios!