Com-Pac Yacht Owners Association

I've been toying with this new topic for some time, so here goes: I'll go first:
  I'd been keeping my eye out for a Compac 23 for a number of years. I don't remember when I first laid eyes on one, but it was love a first sight.  I knew that somehow, sometime I would own a Compac 23.
  I'd look at many that came up for sale but they were either beat up or too expensive. My parameters were simple: I wanted a well cared for 23 in good condition with a trailer that was reasonably priced. Was that too much to ask?
  One morning in the summer of 2005, I was sitting at the table looking at the paper drinking the first cup of coffee when a classified ad jumped out at me: 1985 Compac 23 for sale in good condition with trailer. Asking $X000.00.
  After I came to, I decided that it was not a good idea to bring this up with the admiral at this time. I already owned a SeaPearl 21, a recreational rowing boat I built from a kit, a few Sunfish, and an old 8' tender. Somehow she thinks I have too many boats so for me to entertain the idea of adding a 23 footer to the fleet, well, I didn't think this would go over well.
  I called the number and made an immediate appointment that afternoon to meet the owner, Mike W. at the Fair Haven Marina, on the Navesink River in Fair Haven, NJ. We exchanged cell numbers and car descriptions and I could hardly think of anything else all day.
  I arrived at the marina and, seeing Mike's car, walked over and introduced myself. The yacht was out on a mooring so we needed to wait for a launch out to the boat. Mike W. turned out to be a lawyer and I thought I saw a small red flag go up. I ignored it. When you are in love, logic often takes a back seat.
  We motored out and I stepped aboard a quite beautiful  1985 Compac 23/2 for the first time.. I looked below ( I'd never been below in a 23 before) and, being a woodworker, fell in love with all that wonderful teak and bronze. After sailing a SeaPearl, this interior looked cavernous and I was instantly hooked.
  I probably broke every rule in the book of sailboat buying. I didn't sail her, didn't even raise the sails, didn't hear the motor run, and , of course, didn't get a survey. I never even saw that bottom until after I'd bought her. And of course, I bought her from a lawyer. As aside here: I know of at least 1 honest attorney in NJ- Mr. Mike W.- thank you for telling me the truth!. Mikes story was all too familiar: He didn't get enough use out of the boat to warrant keeping her on a mooring which was not free. He knew he was selling her for way below what she was worth, but he needed her gone. There were other people coming to look at her that evening so, throwing caution to the wind, I handed Mike one thousand GW's as a deposit. I knew two things: first, she wouldn't last at this price. Second, she was made for me! I would decide when I got back home how to tell the admiral that I'd found another woman.
  As the ad said, this boat came with a trailer. It's a good thing I didn't really look at the trailer too well before I made the deal because it needed lots of work. No problemo, once I towed it home, I rebuilt it in the driveway and now she's fit to carry a beautiful yacht like "Koinonia". By the way, her name when I first got her was "September's Love". Yuk. That didn't last and she was rechristened with the appropriate rites and offerings.
  That's how we met, fell in love and continue to this day. She turns heads wherever she goes, overlooks my sometimes novice sailing techniques, and gets me home safely every time. In return, I keep her living in the manner to which she has become accustomed. She's a grand lady in the prime of her life and I'm blessed to be hers.
Bob23 and s/v "Koinonia"

 

The wife, Logan dog, and I decided to take the car ferry 'up Nort' to Washington Island fixed in the middle of the Bay of Green Bay to look at a tan colored Rhodes Mariner 19 keel that was on a trailer in a carport. The mast was on the ground. $1800 asking.

When wet she was docked on the Windward side of a nastylooking plank that had a spike sticking out and that spike punched a hole through the hull about mid ships. Fixable yes desirable no.

On the way home thinking I'll come back for it later, we drove by Yachtworks in Sister bay [my avatar picture to the left of every post] and there on trailers was a 19 and a 23 diesel. No way could I swing a 23 price. Both were fitted with furlers, the 19 was never in the water but was looking for it's second skipper. Lloyd had lost his wife and traded for a SunCat. The 23 was stinky with diesel fumes. Wrote a check and towed the 19 home a week later. As a kid I was the spinnaker man on a Rhodes 19 keel. Racing in Lake Michigan out of Belmont Harbor, Chicago.

skip.
(http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh299/1930fordroadster/n601726097_959087_8944.jpg)(http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh299/1930fordroadster/RhodesMariner.jpg)

I like the one on top better.
Those 'star' piers were a gas, never knew which way it was going to be pointing when you returned to port.

Hello All,
New here and ready to tell the story. I have always thought it would be nice to have a sailboat. Over the years I decided that a trailerable would suit me. I went to Strictly Sail Chicago several years ago and fell in love with the Com Pac line. Too bad the price was not in my budget. Wanting something other than a canoe I built a 12 foot skiff a couple of years ago and decided that the best way for me to get into a sailboat would be to make one. But home and work always seemed to get in the way.

Last June I was looking on Craig's List at boats for sale in Chicago and Rockford. (I live 40 miles west of Chicago in the outer suburbs and work 65 northwest of there in Rockford) There was an '88 Com Pac 16 listed about 25 miles west of Rockford for $700. Now I have to tell you, this excited me. I had never seen one in my area for less than $3000. But, there was no picture. My first thought was that the hull must be stoved in. But since I would be going within a couple of miles of where it sat the next day, I called the owner and set up a visit.

Next day I pulled up and there she sat in the owner's front yard. Man, she was beautiful. Sitting on her trailer fully rigged, the sun shining on her sails. I couldn't believe my eyes. Turns out that he was the second owner and she had been sitting under cover in his garage since 1994. He was moving out of state that weekend (this was Thursday) and needed her gone. Everything was original including the tires on the trailer. I saw I needed to do some work on the trailer to make it road ready so I offered him $600. He said OK.

The next day I had a trailer hitch put on my Town and Country van and pulled her home. I spent  the rest of the summer cleaning her up and getting ready to sail. Because of work I never got her wet last year. But she is ready to go. Spring, here we come.

Neal

My story is one of transitions in a dynamic environment over about a five year period:

The first transition was from the original plan to purchase a larger, in water sailboat.  I had been without for about five years, crewing occasionally for others and a charter or two.  With retirement pending, but not knowing the actual year that it would occur, I was planning for that deeper draft, in water boat.  But as it usually does, life happens while you're making your plans.  Retirement came earlier than I'd planned; a major hurricane (Katrina) altered my relocation plans and wiped out all the slips in my intended area; and the financial meltdown suggested a less aggressive expenditure on my boat might be appropriate  That with the realization I would be single handling a lot and a real desire to do loop cruises in areas where a shallow draft craft would be better suited to the task led me to make the decision to look for something transportable.

The second transition was to the ComPac.  I had been looking at many boats, decided I didn't want water ballast, nor CB without keel.  I initially passed on ComPac 23s because of the weight.  I had almost settled on a Precision 21 or 23, inquired about many, looked at several, made an offer on one that was rejected.  In truth, I still hadn't made up my mind.  One day, I emailed Tom Ray, of Gulf Island Sails to ask him about the pros and con's of a number of boats.  Some of you may know of Tom, he contributes regularly to several of the trailer sailor forums.  I had read a lot of his contributions and found that no matter his interest in selling a boat, he would answer honestly and from a wealth of experience, even if what he had to say might be a negative point about a line he represented.  Tom patiently offered advice about four boats that I was considering based on my plan to trailer to a point and do week long loop cruised.  But the last thing he said was most important.  Essentially he said that after all this left brain analysis, while important, you're going to see a boat that causes your head to turn and your right brain will make the final decision.  That happened with me and ComPac.  Across the entire line, I think that they are the most beautiful small production boats available, inside and out.

I looked seriously at a couple of 19's.  A week or so later a 2005 23/IV came on the market. It was only two hours from my home.  It was too new, too much money, blah, blah, blah, but I started conversing by email with the owner.   After a week or so of this I made an offer that was initially rejected, but after thought the owners, who had already bought another boat, weighed the financial risk of carrying the CP23 for a long period of time and my offer was accepted subject to almost immediate close.  I think both parties made the right decision, got what they wanted and needed. 

While not the original vision, I'm extraordinarily happy about how it came out.

I had just started sailing again after a 30 year hiatus after college.  I had picked up an old sunfish from a client that just wanted it gone from his basement & had been out on the lake at every moment I could.  But I wanted a bigger boat so I could share my refound passion for sailing with my wife, Vicki.  We talked about getting a larger craft, and agreed that if one found its way to us within our budget, we would take the plunge.

I first saw my 19 in front of the Catholic Church here at Smith Mountain Lake.  She had been donated by the heirs of her former owner to their annual joyous junk sale.  I drove past just as they were uncoupling the boat & trailer.  

Well, I stopped, turned around and went back to look the boat over. I was told she had been sitting neglected for ten years in the driveway of her former owner, due to his failing health. She was black with mildew/mold, her rigging was a tangled mess, but looked serviceable, and her salty lines had me enthralled.  I asked how much they were asking, and found out it was a silent bid auction for the boat, and I could be the first bidder if I wanted.

The minimum bid was $1200, so that's what I bid.  A day later, they had cleaned her up a bit so I stopped again & the bid was up to $4800.  She was still rough looking & I had no real idea of her worth, but for a 20 year old boat, needing new sails, running rigging and probably standing rigging, I just could not bring myself to outbid the $4800 price. I thought she was gone.

That's the number t'was on the bid sheet when bidding closed the next day.

Two days later I received a call from one of the Joyous Junk organizers asking me if I still had any interest in the sailboat.  It seems the winning bidder hadn't gotten permission from his admiral and she said he was NOT buying the boat.  Not only that, but the bid list had been discarded, and the only name anyone remembered on the bid list was mine.  I told him I had bid $1200, was very interested & could I pay with a check.  He said they would accept the $1200 for the sailboat, but they wanted $800 for the trailer.  I said, "Sold!"

I got her home, finished cleaning her up, found the sails to be in fair condition, and had her in the water 4 days after buying her.  So you see, we were meant for each other!


TG

Thanks to Bob23 for starting this enjoyable topic.

My wife (Brenda) and I both love water.  The sound of waves on a shore, early morning mist on a lake or the feeling of a boat bobbing at anchor all make our busy lives enjoyable.  I have harbored a desire to learn how to sail for quite a few years, but I never got around to learning.  A couple of years ago a friend (that I had told of my desire to learn) called and said he just bought a couple of cheap little plastic sailboats and I should come up and play.  I was instantly hooked.
 
I quickly purchased a 12' Lockley Seawitch (now called a Super Snark) and Brenda and I spent the summer learning and having fun.

I spent a ridiculous amount of time researching trailer-sailors and narrowed my list to 3 or 4 models.  I looked at a few that always seemed overpriced and under-maintained.  I read tons of posts on this site and became convinced that the CP-16 was everything I wanted.  Stable, likes to sail flat, no centerboard, well made and most importantly they are novice friendly.  The summer passed and I still hadn't found anything I wanted enough to spend the money.

Late that fall a posting came up on Craigslist for a Com-Pac 16 right here in Madison.  The 16 was in a University of WI parking lot and while I checked out the boat the owner was getting loudly chewed out by a university employee for having the boat parked there illegally.  Move it or we'll tow it out today! The owner said he couldn't park it at his apartment.

Negotiations went quickly from there and Puppy Luff came home.

Mike

I'd been into boating for a good while.  I did about 12 years of white water kayaking, then 5 years of motor boating and then in 2007 I got the sailing bug.  I bought a Snark Sunflower and taught myself to sail it after a lot of reading.  I had a blast in that little boat but it wasn't what I really wanted.  It was a great learner and I'm glad I went that route, but then it was time to buy something big enough to take my Dog and maybe a few friends along.  I started looking at different boats and really wanted a Guppy 13.  It's usually just me and the dog so I didn't need a lot of room, but I wanted stability and a cuddy.  Also, where I boat there are some low bridges so I need to stay short.  I found out that a Guppy 13 was going to be next to impossible to find in Pennsylvania so I started looking at the ComPac 16 and I bought one on Ebay.

My boat is hull number 1617 and was owned by the city government of Atlantic City, NJ.  They had an auction selling that boat and 4 nice row boats, and the guy that bought them was the only person to show up for the auction.  He bought the 4 hand made wooden row boats for $1 each and paid $10 for the Com-Pac 16.  He put it on Ebay and I bought it with everything but a trailer and standing rigging for $636. 

We had bought a small (14') sailboat, in which I learned to sail.  However, we wanted to sail to Canada, and take some other trips, and there was not room to sleep in the cockpit, so we bought a 19' boat and gave the other one to the kids.  After John died, I was looking around for something more stable for me to singlehand.  I saw a compac 16, and fell in love with her looks.  However, I wanted something larger.  I went across the Sandusky Bay to a marina where a CP 19 was advertised for sale.  She was lovely, bu had shipped some water and taken a knock-down recently.  So I looked at a 23/3 that was also there.  She was the one.  I took a test sail, and was sold.  I've had her ever since.  Now, however, we must part ways, because as I've gotten older, I've gotten more disabled, and also want a live aboard.   So I will pass her on to someone else to love, while I continue my search for a catamaran ~30' to live and sail aboard.  I know that her second owner will love her as much as I have, and enjoy her as much.  I also know she will take care of her new owner as she has cared for me. 

For me finding the compac was mostly an accident/coincidence.  Was looking for a small, trailerable sailboat that had enough cabin space for a few belongings and a porti-potty.  Was in way over my head trying to analyze the seemingly dozens of boat manufactures and styles available.   I knew I didn't want a centerboard or deep draft.  I knew I didn't want a racing design and really didn't care much about having the best performing boat out there.  And I knew I wanted something that was built with quality and not flimsy or prone to excess maintenance.  Basically I wanted a micro cruiser that was easy to deal with and take care of , safe, affordable and cheap.

Reviewed the boat ads on boattrader.com one night in 2006...looking not to buy right away but to get a sense for what is available at what cost.  And to get more ideas and info on brands/models. Saw an ad for a CP16 in my own zip code. Cute boat.  No glaring problems. Figured I would at least go look at it. So I scrambled that evening and did some research on CPs--obviously everyone is glowing over them and the 16 seemed to fit what I was looking for.   The boat was right, the price was right so after brief deliberation with the admiral,the next day the boat was ours.  After 3 years of sailing her, we got the 19.
And I suspect we'll have the 19 for many years to come.

I am staying with the compac line for awhile.  Tough, high quality boats with character and comfort at an affordable price are not qualities you find too often.   

     i think it was the spring of 77. my wife and i decided to go to the anual boat show in st louis. the show was pretty much what i expected about 90 percent power. over in the corner a sail caught my glance (damned near the only one in the place). we ambled over to discover a little com-pac 16 on a trailer. i think it had a show special price of $3000.00 or so. we looked her over (not knowing much about sail) and came away agreeing that it was maybe the perfect boat for us. the only problem---a small town cop and a teacher couldnt afford the price tag. as time went on we owned three sailboats. our first a little 14 oday centerboard boat--$6oo.00, a 16' chrysler pirateer cat $1200.oo and back to a monohull 15'chrysler mutineer. we read a lot of books and basically learned to sail by the seat of our pants, learning from each boat. then we left sail and turned to power (i got the fishing bug). 31  years pasted since we saw that little com-pac sitting alone in the corner and i was approaching retirement. over our 33 years of marriage we have shared much including many motorcycles both dirt and street, but mostly our love of the water. one night shift i was talking to one of my guys about sailing. he was a big fan of potters. somehow i decided to do some research and began to compare potters, montgomerys, precision, hunter and com-pac (i have always remembered that little 16 at the show). as is my habit i look through the classifieds when i read the paper, not just the boats but anything really that might be a bargin. well one night the words "com-pac" caught my eye. it was an add under recreational vehicles for sale. i read further and found that the party was selling a camping trailer. lawn tractor and an 81 compac 16. long story longer, i drove 50 miles to bumm-f--k egypt and found my sailboat tucked in a little garage covered in boxes and fishing rods. the owner was selling everything he had and moving north to chicago to be with his daughter and grandchildren. i did the usual inspection and told the guy i would sleep on it. two nights later i called him, and is my way i offered him $1400.00 rather than the 22 he was asking. i ended up splitting the difference and agreed on $1600.00. the next saturday i went to pick her up. before i left the owner asked if i was a fisherman. i told him i was. he said you might be interested in this then, leading me to the far corner of the garage. i thought he was going to give me some old rods but he pulled back a tarp and there stood a 10 horse mercury outboard (in perfect condition). he just said to take it along if i had a use for it. i think the boat, two 2.7 hp cruise and carry outboards (which both run) and that little mercury for $1600.00 was a pretty good deal. my only regret is that i didnt buy the little hobie trimiran he was also selling. of all the purchases i have made over the years (countless vehicles both two and four wheeled) the com-pac was by far the smartest one. i will sail it as long as i am healthy enough to raise the mast.

Ok, here goes - I've always been interested in sailing, I could picture myself on the deck of the sailing vessel with the wind in my hair (when I had it), and just going somewhere totally at the mercy of the winds.  Sailors have always carried the same sense of awe to me that Aircraft pilots do.  As with most of us, life got in the way and kids and a home and expenses yada, yada, yada, got in the way.  I finally retired from the Army and got more or less stationary and got a boat for fishing, got rid of that and downsixed to a little aqluminum fishing boat, and then started thinking about a small cabin boat that I could camp on and fish off of on the river.  About 3 years ago, I was browsing the web for cheap homebuilt cabin boats and happened across the Duckworks Magazine online and was hooked!  I read that every morning before I do anything else.  For the past two years, I've been reading the exploits of the Texas 200 and later on the OBX 120, and the Puddleduckers.  About this past spring I decided to build a PDR this winter and start sailing on Kentucky Lake.  Then as it sometimes does fate intervened.  One day in June, I was driving up SR 79 going to town, and saw a small sailer that looked like a sunfish sitting on a trailer beside the road.  I stopped and there wasn't a sign on it or anything so I left a note on the door saying I was interested.  Long story short, I ended up trading the guy out of it as he was going overseas and couldn't keep it.  It turned out to be a 16' MFG Sidewinder.  I took it out several times and taught myself how to sail it and then decided that I needed to take it out for an overnighter.  I put all my light backpack gear in waterproof bags and on a Friday off took off up the lake.   My destination was to sail from the SR 79 bridge in Paris Landing, TN to the SR 68 bridge up in KY, about 25 miles by water.  Well, I did and that was a real eyeopener, I was hooked!  The only thing I didn't like was - my butt was so sore from sitting on that open deck that I couldn't hardly sit.  That and having to unload and set up camp and then break down and load up again in the morning.  I decided that I wanted a boat that was a little easier on my back and butt, and that I could camp aboard.  So I started watching craigslist in all the states around here for just the right deal.  (I didn't really know what just the right deal was since I didn't have any money, but just knew that if it was supposed to happen, it would)  I looked at a couple of Sirens up in Ohio.  I loved the lines, but in each case the owner didn't want to deal.  Each time I ran across a boat that I hadn't heard of, I'd pull it up on Texas Sailing and see what it was.  I liked the lines of the Potters, but they were way beyond my means.  One night I got on Craigslist and started looking around Florida - and there in a small ad was listed a Compac 16 for the right price.  I hadn't heard of Compac's and pulled up pictures of them on the sailing texas site.  The PO when I contacted him said that the boat had sat in the water for 5 years and had gone through a hurricane and wasn't much to look at but was all there.  And ---- that he wanted it gone!  I called my brother in law in Knoxville and told him what I was looking at and asked him how much work it would take to bring it back.  My brother in law is an old sailor and boat repair man going way back, in fact he runs a business in Knoxville doing just that.  I had several discussions with him before that telling him I wanted a sailboat and sending him pics of my travels on the Sidewinder.  When i told him about the 16, he didn't hesitate, he told me to go get it and leave it with him.  I struck the deal with the PO without ever having seen the boat.  It didn't have a trailer, so I had to borrow a flat bed car hauler from a guy I work with to get it home.  My youngest brother also lives in the Knoxville area, so I called him and asked him if he wanted to make a weekend run with me to Knoxville.  Then I broke the news to the Admiral!  She thought I was crazy!  But this time, because of the determination in my voice I guess, she didn't raise to much fuss about it.  My brother agreed to go and about 0400 on the last Saturday on October, we pulled out of Knoxville, arriving on the beach in Florida about 1430 in the afternoon.   It took us about an hour to load up the boat on the trailer and we headed right back for Knoxville.  We finally stopped for the night just south of Chattanooga and finished up the run next morning.  3 weeks later, I went to Knoxville on the Friday after Thanksgiving and brought my little prize home.  Two weeks ago Saturday I got to put her on the lake for the first time.  She's everything I thought she would be, and we are going to have many adventures together.  It's been a heck uv a year.  I figure that it was supposed to happen - because it did.
   

How did your compac find you

Bob ? What a great subject to think about in the winter.  See all that snow has a good side after all!  Our story goes back decades to the late 60s when I found a Styrofoam boat in dad s garage we called Cat Scratch Fever ? after the cat that had left its marks stem to stern.  We sailed it on the interstate lakes as they were called back then.  When they built the interstate through Nebraska unintended lakes were created at many of the overpasses.  You had to sneak around to get to them but what fun we had. Now most of them are parks.

We bought a 12 foot Alcort Puffer from a power boat dealer in Norfolk Nebraska only because all five of us could sit in it.  I ll leave it to you to imagine the stories let s just say we had some interesting adventures with our blue submarine sailboat.  We sailed her near Yankton SD on a large lake formed by a dam on the Missouri River.   Big water, growing family, shrinking boat lead to a O Day Day Sailor II for a number of years until we found ourselves in FL with a Laser.  My boys had more fun throwing each other off of it than sailing I think.   A chance encounter with the ultimate beach cruiser, a Sea Pearl, enchanted us for three quarters of a decade until the kids grew up and moved away.

We tried several times to find a way for the two of us to comfortably spend a few days on the Sea Pearl but its just not possible for two regular sized adults to sleep on the ballast tanks of our Magic Pearl.  I had long admired the ODay 23, probably because there were so many of them in South Dakota. In the 70s we attended the Omaha Boat Sports and Travel show one wintery March and saw a Compac 16 on display and photos of the new 23.  I remember the salesman claiming you could not tip the Compacs over.  I passed them by at the time thinking the 16 was too small and the 23 too expensive.

Two decades later we found an O Day 23 at the Dunedin, FL city marina sandwiched inbetween two Compacs.   The sixteen was still too small for us but the 23 was love at second sight.  The Oday was much newer and better appointed than the bare boned hull #2 Compac, but the Compac was so much prettier.  I believe the photos we saw in Omaha all those years ago may have been of our boat.  She was owned by a single mom who looked a lot like Sherrie of Blond Ambition fame.   Her car had broken down and she needed a new car more than a boat.  She wouldn t sell me the new Yamaha motor or give up her light weight Fortress anchor. Both her and her young son had a hard time letting go.  Well that was 14 years ago and HideAway has become a family member with many cruises under her hull and so many good times they are uncountable.   As soon as this long cold winter passes a good cruise is in order.   Yeah I know here in west central FL it dosen t get nearly as cold as it does for most of you nevertheless when the air is in the 50 s and the water in the 60s with a wind in the teens it s cold no matter where you are.  Summer s a comin!

I stumbled across a web page with a 2006 Eclipse 21 picture that was for sale, that's all it took............I fell deeply in love with her lines and that east cost look.

I did something I had never done before, I told my wife I was buying the Eclipse, this was a big expense for us and to pay for it I sold my 1930 Ford Model "A" and my beloved little Hunter 170 day sailor to pay for the boat.

With money in hand I drove 550 miles to Tucson Arizona, paid for the boat and towed her 550 miles home the next morning.

She is resting comfortable on my drive way awaiting our next outing.

  Great to hear all the stories.   I can remember going to the boat show in St. Petersburg in the early 80's and seeing the Com-Pacs and fell in love with the looks. I worked for Gulfstar yachts at the time, spent alot of time on and around the water, we use to rent a cp-16 at a marina downtown, even though I had a plywood 16 sailboat at saltcreek marina. Having grown up in St.Pete, In 1989 when I moved to central Florida to get out of the rat race I never realised that with all the thousands of lakes there is almost no sailing. The norm is now bass, ski and pontoon boats.    Flash forward to 2005 and a trip to Miami to deliver a fiberglass swimming pool.  Being a Friday delivery my wife came with me and after dropping the pool off at it's new home we went to the Cherokee truck stop, dropped the trailer and headed for the keys for the weekend. On the way down I told my wife that i wanted to rent a small sailboat and do some sailing. The weather was horrible and we go to do NO sailing.  On the ride home I told my wife that I was going to buy me a sailboat so I could go sailing when I want to!(she laughs at me) Two weeks later I am at work reading the local paper an there is a ad for a Com-Pac 16  for a 1200$. I left work and  in no time I had visions of sailing in my head. I tried to get her down to 800 (the amount in my pocket) but she would not come below the 1000, this meant a phone call to the now admiral for 200$ more for a unseen by her project boat.  My 16 now has a good home and I can sail whenever I want.  Weather permitting......BILL

Glenn, What body style of "A" did you cruise around in?

"I sold my 1930 Ford Model "A" and my beloved little Hunter 170 day sailor to pay for the boat."
An Eclipse is a fine boat, you didn't say if it sailed yet with you at the tiller. What's your first impression?

I have a 1930 Standard Roadster 40-B, Lambard Blue/Straw wheels/off white top. Good sunny daily driver.
A couple of pictures of my roadster is in the 'test' area below.

skip.

Cap'ts:
  These are all great stories! I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed reading these- and with no political references! This is what we are all about. Let's keep 'em coming. I may email Gerry and Rich Hutchins and refer them to this thread. I think they would truly enjoy it...unless they are watching back there in the shadows!
Bob23..waiting for the blizzard!

Skip,

Ive seen your car a few times, very nice.

I do miss my Model A. but The Eclipse fills the void very nicely when I'm on board.

There is just something about being in open waters of the Pacific with my Eclipse, nothing else matters !

Great topic, good stories, some of you got pretty spectacular deals on your boats. My story:

I got into sailing later on in life, in my fourties. But my wife and I are making up for lost time with a vengence! We purchased our first boat from a very interesting fellow in the Albuquerque NM area. It was a 1986 Hunter 23, great starter boat. Easy to tow, rig, launch and sail. We kept the boat on Lake Dillon, about an hour from our home. We sailed it as much as possible that first couple years. Then we took the boat to a couple large lake in AZ and spent several days aboard. The next year we took the H23 to San Carlos Mexico and did some easy bay and coastal sailing. We stayed on the boat for a week or so. That trip convinced us we needed a larger trailerable boat.

So we went on the hunt, not with any particular boat in mind, just a general idea. We wanted something like a Catalina 27, Cal27 or similar. Really didn't know anything about ComPacs, yet. We missed a Catalina 27 by a few hours, had money in hand, lucky for us.

Then all of a sudden there she was. A random search of CL in the Denver area found her. The picture in the ad was not much but it got the wheels turning. So a day or so of on-line research and we had to go take a look. When we arrived to view the boat she was sitting fully rigged in the owners side yard. It looked massive, a little intimidating at first. We walked around the outside quite a bit first, then inside. As soon as we stepped inside my wife looked at me with a "This is it" look on her face. That look was very relieving as I was feeling the same thing at that moment. Best part was the owner was very proud of his boat, and it showed. He built a davit system that was designed to mount a solar panel. He built it with a certain panel in mind, which I bought and it fit perfectly. He replaced the Origo stove with a two burner LPG. The boat sat on a custom built triple axle trailer, that would prove to be the only flaw in the system.  We did not want to appear too eager so we thanked the owner and said we would think about it. That afternoon we called and offered 22K, their asking was 27K. They agreed without a counter, we dropped off a deposit and set up a day to pick her up. In the meantime I had an exhaust brake installed on my truck, this new boat is considerably heavier then the little H23.

Since then we have kept Pooka on Lake Dillon during the summers, trailered to Southern California, the Sea of Cortez and the PNW. She has always preformed and kept us safe. This is our fourth year with her, I can't think of another boat that could replace her. Although the trailer will be getting a complete refit with new axles before we venture out too far in the future.

That's it in a nutshell, there is lots more to it but that is better discussed in the cockpit with a cold beer in hand.

Bill

Great stories, everyone.  Interesting how a lot of us--myself included had somewhat impulsive purchases while considering the CP. Conversely, kicknbug knew what he wanted for 27 years!!

Interesting too how a lot of moved up quickly.  Going from a 14' racing design to a CP16 is a HUGE luxury!   Like a lot of other hobbies, one quickly learns what they DO NOT want but struggle to find exactly what we DO want.  In the sailing arena, the sheer amount of choices does make "newbie" sailboat shopping a challenge.  So we take leaps of faith.   I'm just glad I didn't buy a lemming Hunter or Catalina "because everyone else has one". 

Of the 147 slips in my marina, I'm the only com-pac.  Next year there will be two--my old 16 that is now my brothers and my 19.
Would be real surprised to see 3.

Skip,

It was a 1930 closed cab pick up.......95% restore to factory when I sold it.

Straw yellow over black fenders.

I had been looking for a smaller boat to trailer sail to different lakes. My Seaward 24 is in a slip 15 minutes from the house, but I do have some gypsy blood that longs to explore new water. I had seen a post on the trailer sailor forums about a1981com pac 16 on Rogers, AR. craigslist for $250. I got hold of the owner and he told me his father was the sailor but had to move from his cabin on Beaver lake to a care home and they were selling his 16 and a cape dory 25. I looked at the picture of the boat and trailer and called my sister that lives an hour north of there and convinced her and her husband to drive down and buy it. By the time they got there, some one had offered $275. I upped that to $300 and my sister paid the people and pulled it to her house. I went to their place the next weekend and pulled it home to begin a 5 month renovation of a badly neglected boat. It was full of oak leaves and pine needles. It had enough water setting in the cockpit due to plugged scuppers that there were blisters on the cockpit seats and the coamings. It had been changed to a hardware store cutter rig that all had to be removed and returned to the fractional rig. The original sails were with it and a bag full of various odd sized sails. The original sails were bedsheet soft but the  extra sails were crisp so I cut them both down to fit and used them all last summer. The whole boat was painted and new interior cushions and hardwood flooring was installed over the keel and on the shelf in front of the berths. It is a great boat to trailer sail as it sets up in 15-20 minutes, sails like a dream and is stable in most conditions. I have built a NACA 14 foam rudder over the original aluminum that really makes the boat point well and eliminated most of the weather helm. I still can't believe how well the boat turned out or how much I enjoy my traveling sailboat!!!!

(http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z119/dscobra/compac16list.jpg)


As it appeared in the craigs list ad

(http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z119/dscobra/readytogo.jpg)
ready to go

Wow, what a great transformation.   You said that you built a Naca-0014 foil using foam over your original rudder.  Any input from your experience building it would be greatly appreciated.  There are a couple in process right now and others are waiting to see how it works out.  There is a topic open on the subject right now.  Please add to it.

Mike

Thanks Mike, I will try to get the pictures of the rudder build over on the other post. I have been reading and really admire the the wood leading edge that I saw.

  Ok, guys. I'm trying to reviv this thread. I know there are more of you out there who have tales of how your Compac found you. I think that Gerry and Richard would enjoy reading this.
  A few notes on my hunt for the right boat. My friend Bud would call me periodically to turn me on to a number of boats for sale. I'd look at each one and turn it down for one reason or another. After this happend a number of times, Bud was bewildered as to why I was passing up on these good deals and some of them were, indeed, good deals. I was looking for the right boat and the best I could explain it was like this: "Bud, she just has to stir my soul." He understood.
  When I saw my 23 for the first time, she stirred my soul. I knew I'd found the right woman!   
Bob23

Thanks to you all for sharing your love stories. Sanura is my lucky 13th boat which has owned me during the past 45 years. I've always loved the salty look that Hutchins builds into its boats. When we decided to downsize from a Morgan 323 several years ago I bought an almost new SunCat Hull #55 to do some water camping here along the Gulf in SW FL. After a couple of years the size itch bit me and I moved on to a bigger motor sailor and then lost my mind (and wallet) completely and jumped to a power cabin cruiser.
But I could never get that SunCat out of my alleged mind and when ever I saw a boat under sail out in the Gulf, I thought again of Gatito (my first SunCat). Over the years I kept all my boating expenses on Quicken according to the individual craft. One day I created a spread sheet (how romantic) and obtained the monthly cost of each boat I owned since 1984. When it turned out the most economical boat I've owned also happened to be the one with the best memories, the decision was easy.
Last Spring I put an order in for a new SunCat and equipped it the way I wanted. She is now out in the garage. Hurricane preparation is hitting the down button on the electric door. To paraphrase Scarlet O'Hara: "I'll never be Compacless again."(http://picasaweb.google.com/jamato323/MyPictures#5441485538356872786)

With all the new names on this site it would be great if you would add your stories.  Keep filling this topic out - it is great reading and a nice way to get to know something about each sailor(s).

Mike and Brenda

Just got back into sailing after a long time. (See: No Mas has a new home)

We had started on a CP16 and loved the feel of her for her size. Many fond memories of being tucked up a creek and being rocked to sleep. We thought if we ever got back into it we would love a large, more live aboard capable boat, but everything told me to keep it small yet a proper little yacht. That led us right back to Compac, this time a 23.

Our home cruising ground is The Bay, Rappahanock, in particular. The memories of being able to tuck up almost anywhere and have lots of bottom for cruising was a big factor. The general quality and must admit, appearance of the Compacs fill out the reasons we believe we now have the perfect yacht for us now.

What are your reasons for your Compac, especially when there are many less expensive boats out there?

so...you guys aren't sure why you have a Compac? Let's hear why and what led you to these craft. It would be fun to see how many reasons are shared by many and some that may be as unique as the boats!

Here's a start from some folks that have been here a long time.

http://cpyoa.geekworkshosting.com/forum/index.php?topic=3119.0

After re-reading this thread , I'm bumping it and sticky-ing it.

TG

I specifically went on-line looking for a Com-pac because my grandkids didn't like the "tippy" sail boat I had at the time.  After a long search I was ready to drive 1400 miles to check out a boat in North Carolina, when ZAP!, one showed up on-line only 100 miles away.  Bought it on the spot.  I spent the winter reconditioning it and will enjoy it until I can no longer sail.  Perfect boat to handle and just right for day trips around Door County and the Green Bay.

Hello No Mas here. Glad to have my "Why a Compac?" thread bumped here and stickied. Along with the "How did your Compac find you" theme, would love to have folks add the "Why a Compac?" piece as well. Would love to hear both why your boat chose you and why you chose it.

The starter for my thread gave the reasons for why we chose No Mas, but we did have a Compac choose us! Must admit as we research and document the history of No Mas, (have now spoken with previous owners), wish i had kept up with our CP16 that we bought used in 1984. In that case she chose us as we knew nothing about Compacs. We had been visiting family in Florida and were getting ready to come back home to Virginia and there she was, sitting on her trailer, all rigged, whispering "hello sailor, wanna go for a ride?"  :)

It was the beginning of a love affair.

I have fond memories of spending my youth on a Sunfish and similar small sailboats, and enjoyed a two week summer ICW/southeast trip on a Morgan Out Island 41.  After getting property along the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay, my wife talked about how we need a sailboat.  The first stop was a Sunfish to teach the family how to sail.  The experience also taught me that our family would not like a tender boat.  I wanted a sailboat with a cuddy cabin, because the cabin makes it a "real" sailboat.

Considerations were obviously price range, a boat suitable for shallow bay water near the property, stability of a significant ballast (not a tender boat), while light enough to tow with our existing car (Ford Escape).  Trailer-ability alleviates fear of hidden long-term costs (slips, removal, storage, etc).  Hurricane prep: close the garage door.  Sailboatdata.com and Craigslist were invaluable.

After searching, the Montgomery 15 was another strong contender, but far less prevalent on the east coast, especially in my price range.  Craigslist set me in touch with someone who had a Compac 16 they no longer needed, and thus a great relationship was created.  The deposit on the boat forced me to install the hitch required to tow it home.

I was selling my Catalina 30.  The main reason was the expenses with that boat as the price for one sail on that boat you could buy a main, jib, and spinnaker for the Compac 23. 

I started with a list of must haves for a new boat.  I wanted one that I could put on a trailer to save costs.  I wanted a fixed keel because of the horror stories I have heard about centerboards and dagger boards.  I wanted a stiffer boat than a Catalina 22 and a Hunter 22/23.  The boat had to be able to do some longer cruises.

I searched the internet and found the Compac 23.  I joined this board to get information on them and ask questions.  That is when Norm found me and told me that he would be selling his Compac 23.  He actually held his boat for quite a while while I was selling the Catalina 30.  The day after the money cleared for the Catalina 30 I gave Norm the check and I was officially a Compac 23 owner.

i was looking to replace our storm damaged starwind 19.
i was familiar with compacs and decided i wouldn't settle for less.
i looked at several on the web and finally drove from northern illinois to cincinnati, ohio to check out a 19.
she had been sitting in storage for 2 years and needed some tlc. 
what sold me on this particular compac was the p.o. hadn't altered the boat.
the owner, a power boater, accepted our offer and we towed her home.

parked in the drive next to the damaged starwind 19, a starwind 22, a hullmaster 15, and an o'day widgeon, the neighbors were beginning to think i opened a marina!

C.C.

Hey Crazy Carl, I am a musician and my wife has been so gracious in her acceptance of our multiple instruments. I mean multiple! Got more than one boat too, but only one sailboat, No Mas. Did a bunch of whitewater paddling for a couple decades and have the residual stable of 6 kayaks and canoes. I don't see too many boats for you!

I wanted to buy a small sailboat and learn to sail in 2010 (it was my mid-life crisis thing). I initially was thinking about a Flying Scot or something similar, but then stumbled upon Keith Scott's Sailboat Company website. I read his Com-Pac 16 article (it's still there by the way) and decided that was the boat for me. I purchased a restored '83 CP16 from him shortly after. I have enjoyed sailing Seagull ever since. I toy with the idea of moving to a bigger boat, but only consider Com-Pac. Maybe a 23 is in my future...

I've been sailing since 1973. Have owned and sailed different boats through the years. From my first styrofoam hulled snark sunflower, I moved through a minifish, force 5, buccaneer 18, hobie 18, victoria 18, merit 25 and then a hunter 31. The hunter 31 was way too much worry, maintenance and expense. I started searching for a boat that two could weekend on comfortably, would be easily trailerable, require minimal maintenance, and able to be rigged, launched and sailed single handed. There was one best answer to my needs: a Sun Cat. Started my search in October 2011, and in March of 2012 I found her on Cape Cod. Been delighted ever since!

"Maybe a 23 is in my future.."

Hey MHardy, just got a 23, we learned to sail on a 16. Will let you know, but so far even sitting on her trailer till spring, we love the feel of her space! Same designer so similar feel.

No Mas

The 23 is a toy.  It is easy to sail and it is pretty forgiving.  Life is short, go for the 23!

Heck, eventually I will go back up to 30'+ when money, and my wife, allow.  The hard part is the wife part!  LOL

I have single handed all three of my last boats (Hunter 22, Catalina 30, and Compac 23).  It all was very easy with the help of the autopilot. 

I've had my 23 for 9 years. Or should I say, she's had me!  I find her fast enough, forgiving, a real looker and built tough. I always refer to the 23 as a small boat that thinks its big!!!  There's plenty of room down below and compared to the 16, it's cavernous down there. It has good side decks and plenty of room for improvements in the cabin. I've even toyed with a complete gut and a new interior layout, although the lazy part of me says "Just sail it the way it is". 
Bob23

We absolutely love the cozy, well laid out interior of these little boats. I also agree, they are proper little yachts and their tenure on the boating scene speaks to something that is going right! Lotta companies have come and gone, many models of boats have come and gone, but same company and same boat (albeit upgrades over the models) for pushing 40 years well it just feels right.

Hi chaps and chapesses
I thought It was about time I added our story for your delectation.
Having had and sailed quite a few trailer sailers over the past twenty years, including a couple of real nice ones we had migrated up the slippery slope of up-sizing to a Wharram Tiki 21 catamaran which was excellent to sail but very cruel on knees and lower backs once you get past the first flourish of youth. All seemed pretty good sailing wise except for the creeping cost of the annual mooring.

Life, as it is sometimes apt to do, decided to throw in a curved ball and the Admiral was diagnosed with the big 'C'. The operation and radiation treatment and subsequent recovery took about 18 months which rather messed up the sailing so we decided to go back to our sailing roots and find another trailer sailer. The biggest stipulation was that it had to fit through the garage door which is an 80" square.
After first trying to find another Shipmate Senior, a marque we had enjoyed several years previous it became apparent that time had not been too kind on the light mouldings and all the examples we looked at were, to be polite, rather "tired" shall we say....... back to the drawing board.
Then I fell over an ad for a ComPac 16, a rare boat in the UK, which had all the attributes we were hoping for except it had a shallow fin keel....hmmmm. Looked really pretty so thought we would take a peek. The Admiral was also a little quick to point out that the garage still contained the Tiki on its trailer and where was I proposing to put any new boat? Don't you just hate it when the obvious hiccup in your 'master plan' gets pointed out to you?
Luckily (for my 'master plan') she also had a good idea of suggesting that perhaps her daughter might just allow us to put any new boat in her garage until the Tiki was sold.
Following Saturday longish drive to go and look. Having spent lots of hours on this forum looking up possible issues (which were all there to some degree) she was pretty and ticked all bar one box (keel thing). A deal was struck and a deposit left. We returned the following weekend with an envelope of beer tokens and Applejack was ours. A small detour of about 400 miles to put Applejack in said daughters garage and we were home on Sunday evening feeling very pleased with ourselves.
The Tiki sold we moved Applejack home and we set to work. One of the big delights of downsizing is all the jobs take less time and money to complete!
The first sail was a real pleasure from which we believe we've chosen well. A point also noted by our knees and lower backs.
If you're still with me, images and more of Applejack at http://cpyoa.geekworkshosting.com/forum/index.php?topic=8427.0

I have grown up on the water on the Delmarva Peninsula, from fishing on a 50+ acre pond to spending weekends on the Choptank River.  I learned to sail on a plastic coated styro-foam Snark sailboat.  Fast forward to 1991 when I met my wife.  To make our relationship work, she advised that I had to do two things-learn to sail and play tennis. The sailing was easy, but I never really accomplished the tennis part.  After we got married, we both sailed on the Rehoboth Bay racing Sunfish sailboats.  But the "big" boats in the marina kept calling us.  The Catalina 22's, Catalina 25's, Tanzer 22's, etc.  In 1994 we bought our first "big" boat, a Tanzer 22 with a swing keel.  This was a great boat, fast, very seaworthy with a large cockpit.  But time went by, and the family grew-so in 1998 when the twins came, the Tanzer went.  We still had the Sunfish, but no longer raced.  Then in 2008 we had the opportunity to buy a Catalina 22 with a trailer.  That boat was alot of work to restore, and so was the trailer.  But we sailed it for several years, but ended up selling it for family reasons.  This past Summer, my wife came to me and let me know our name had come up again for a slip where we sail and that she really wanted to get another "big" boat.  But wisdom dictated what type of boat we wanted.  Shoal draft with no swing keel, trailerable so we could store it at home and work on it when time permitted, finally we didn't want a massive project boat.  We looked at several boats, to far gone, to much work, trailer in poor condition or too much money.  Then one morning I read a Craig's List ad, "1986 ComPac with trailer and motor-$2,000".  What size ComPac was it, what condition was it in?  I called, and after speaking to the the couple selling the boat, getting many more details we bought the boat, sight unseen (no pictures either).  A 1986 ComPac 23! Either we made a great purchase or committed a big mistake.  Since we could not pick the boat up for a full week, the anticipation was killing us.  When we finally went to pick the boat up in Annapolis, the boat was better than we expected. The interior was perfect and the boat was well equipped-it even came with dishes.  A Performance Trailer with new tires, roller-furling,  almost new 2 stroke Tohatsu 8 h.p. motor, bimini, depth finder, dock lines, fenders, ladder, and a gin-pole setup the owner had made. I had always loved the classic lines of a ComPac 23, but never considered I would ever own one.  Other than a few maintenance items the boat only needed a good cleaning.  Funny thing, the previous owner bought the boat in an estate sale in Lewes, Delaware and now the boat is back in Delaware after sailing on the Chesapeake since 2001. So how did our ComPac find us-being the first to call, taking a leap of faith and good karma.

Downsized from a Catalina 28.  We only daysail so I did need a bigger boat with a diesel...wanted to simplify.  I had been looking for a simple boat with a large cockpit.  I happened to discover the HDC which was a brand new model.  Had everything I wanted:  large cockpit, tiller steering, and mount for an outboard.  Loved that it was a cat boat.  Ordered it exactly how I wanted it and walked away with cash from the 28.
Rob

Quote from: Bullseye22 on November 16, 2015, 07:31:09 PM
I have grown up on the water on the Delmarva Peninsula, from fishing on a 50+ acre pond to spending weekends on the Choptank River.  I learned to sail on a plastic coated styro-foam Snark sailboat.  Fast forward to 1991 when I met my wife.  To make our relationship work, she advised that I had to do two things-learn to sail and play tennis. The sailing was easy, but I never really accomplished the tennis part.  After we got married, we both sailed on the Rehoboth Bay racing Sunfish sailboats.  But the "big" boats in the marina kept calling us.  The Catalina 22's, Catalina 25's, Tanzer 22's, etc.  In 1994 we bought our first "big" boat, a Tanzer 22 with a swing keel.  This was a great boat, fast, very seaworthy with a large cockpit.  But time went by, and the family grew-so in 1998 when the twins came, the Tanzer went.  We still had the Sunfish, but no longer raced.  Then in 2008 we had the opportunity to buy a Catalina 22 with a trailer.  That boat was alot of work to restore, and so was the trailer.  But we sailed it for several years, but ended up selling it for family reasons.  This past Summer, my wife came to me and let me know our name had come up again for a slip where we sail and that she really wanted to get another "big" boat.  But wisdom dictated what type of boat we wanted.  Shoal draft with no swing keel, trailerable so we could store it at home and work on it when time permitted, finally we didn't want a massive project boat.  We looked at several boats, to far gone, to much work, trailer in poor condition or too much money.  Then one morning I read a Craig's List ad, "1986 ComPac with trailer and motor-$2,000".  What size ComPac was it, what condition was it in?  I called, and after speaking to the the couple selling the boat, getting many more details we bought the boat, sight unseen (no pictures either).  A 1986 ComPac 23! Either we made a great purchase or committed a big mistake.  Since we could not pick the boat up for a full week, the anticipation was killing us.  When we finally went to pick the boat up in Annapolis, the boat was better than we expected. The interior was perfect and the boat was well equipped-it even came with dishes.  A Performance Trailer with new tires, roller-furling,  almost new 2 stroke Tohatsu 8 h.p. motor, bimini, depth finder, dock lines, fenders, ladder, and a gin-pole setup the owner had made. I had always loved the classic lines of a ComPac 23, but never considered I would ever own one.  Other than a few maintenance items the boat only needed a good cleaning.  Funny thing, the previous owner bought the boat in an estate sale in Lewes, Delaware and now the boat is back in Delaware after sailing on the Chesapeake since 2001. So how did our ComPac find us-being the first to call, taking a leap of faith and good karma.

Very neat story.....

Good for you!!!!!!!!

I grew up in Southern California and spend much of my youth on the beach, in the water and traveling up and down the coast.  I have always had a love for the water.  But for all of the time I spent near the ocean it was not until I moved to Oklahoma that I learned to sail.  My first sailboat was a 1972 Cal 27. I had her for almost ten years on various Oklahoma lakes.  During that time I also bought a Catalina 22 for racing.  I liked the size and handling of the little Catalina but still suffered from "2 foot-itus" when it came to sailboats.  Three years ago I sold my Cal 27 and purchased a 1978 Islander 28.  Great boat, inboard diesel, lots of sails, furler, etc..  But like all bigger boats the Islander has big boat expenses and projects.  I find that I spend more hours working and maintaining her than sailing her.  Sailing has always been a stress relief for me and as I have gotten older I really need the outlet more and more.  I also wanted a boat that I could take on summer trips and explore other lakes and even the Gulf.  So this past summer we started looking for another boat.

I had always admired Compacs.  I had read enough about them to know that they were well built, easy to sail, very forgiving and stable.  There was really no decision to be made when it came to what brand of boat to buy but only which size Compac.  After looking at several, reading lots of reviews and evaluating my needs we decided on a Compac 19.  Of course finding one anywhere near Oklahoma or Arkansas was a challenge.  I checked every Craigslist post, Internet site, and every other outlet for a suitable boat.  I eventually found two....one 900 miles away in Ohio and one 1400 miles away in North Carolina.  It looked like we were going on a road trip!  The boat in Ohio seemed to be the best option if it was all it appeared to be in photos and discussions I had with the owner.  She was a 1981 Compac 19 that had only had two owners.  She had been well maintained, upgraded when needed and sailed gently.  So off we went to Northeast Ohio.  She was all her owner had stated and even more.  A new furler, good sails, strong outboard, perfect hull and deck without any cracking and never having been painted.  The 34 year old gelcoat was near perfect.  It was an easy decision.  She was soon on her way home to NW Arkansas.

Though we have only had "Rita Marlene" for a few months we have really enjoyed her.  We took her on a ten day vacation to the Door County Pennisula in Wisconsin where we sailed on Green Bay.  As great as she looked on her trailer she was a classic beauty on the water.  We had lots of admiring looks and comments from other sailors on our trip.  We expect that this will be just the start of the adventures we have on our Compac 19.  She is now put away for the year and I am already looking forward to the Spring when we can be out on the water again.

Like most of you I have been sailing for a while - actually 44 years...  good God, I am getting old !!  Anyway, I sailed a couple of times a year until the '90's when I finally bought a new Zuma for the Lake that we owned property on (lake Summerset - Davis Illinois)  After 2 summers I was into the 2 foot larger will be great mindset.  I bought a used Catalina Capri 16, kept it for 2 summers and then bought a sweet Precision 18, 2 summers later a Precision 21 - and was happy for 13 years.  The P-21 did everything I wanted her to do except travel.  Stepping the beast of a mast, putting on the boom, sails, etc would take a couple of hours.   So 3 years ago I decided that I wanted a boat that would sail well, sleep reasonably, motor well and the biggy, travel well.  During the winter I sailed on a Com Pac SunCat and loved how easy it was to step the mast.  I was hooked and began looking into Com Pac.  After 6 months of thinking I settled in on the Eclipse and have not looked back.  In the water in 15-20 minutes, great sailing, stable, and a cabin to boot.  I found 2 Eclipses - one in Mich and the other in Kansas.  I put in an offer in on the Mich boat but lost it by 10 minutes - damn.  Talked to the Kansas owner and brought the future Off The Wind home in April of 2014.  Boat spends summers in Pistakee Lake in a marina and winters in Florida as a trailer sailor. I now have the best of both worlds and a boat that will be mine for years to come since it does everything I want/need in a boat.  I have hull number 49 and she is a 2007 Eclipse.  What a great boat - for me...  your mileage may vary...     Al

So...not only do we find Compacs and they find us, but they find each other! No Mas now knows she has a sibling about 3 miles way. Born same year, same birthing center. Aww...They are already hoping to have some play dates!.

Well it's time to find our first Compac, a 16. Got a thread going on the CP16 group and hot on the trail with an old, well really old, registration number.  She found us over 30 years ago and now its time to find her.