I thought that it would be a good idea for us to have a post with the upgrades that we have done to our boats. That way there are good resources here that are easily found in case you are going to do an upgrade and want some advice. There is a ton of information on this site but having active members that you can directly message for tips or help may be very useful.
So what upgrades have you done to your Compac 23?
Saga
1989 Compac 23/3
Upgrades:
New ground tackle (22lb Lewmar Claw with 30' 1/4" chain)
New deck pipe (great suggestion to an oval pipe from other members on the board).
New Running Rigging (Cajun lines)
New Chart Plotting GPS
Rewired entire boat (Bus bars, marine grade wire, marine grade connectors, etc to comply with ABYC standards)
Added second fuse panel
Upgraded house battery bank to 2 GC2 batteries
Moved battery selector switch
Added multiple 12V outlets
New AM/FM CD/ Aux stereo with speakers in cabin
New water tank
New water hose
Pre-wired for the upgrade for pressurized water system (coming this Spring).
Windex on top of mast
Asymmetrical Spinnaker
Tack line run down Stanchions
Spinnaker Halyard
Spinnaker blocks
100 watt flexible solar panel
Genasun charge controller
Upgrades coming this year:
VHF with DSC and AIS
Masthead VHF antenna
VHF wired into GPS Chartplotter to display AIS and help with DSC
Pressurized water
New galley faucet
Cockpit shower (cold only)
Rewire mast
Touch up exterior wood
Possibly start on interior wood
Creating a piece of canvas to stop drips from bimini/dodger connector
Existing Upgrades:
Bimini
Dodger
Connector
Autohelm
LED anchor light
Solar panel
Boarding ladder
Next: re-locate the motor mount back to original height. The PO had lowered it due to having a little motor, and now it's difficult to tilt my Sailpro
Something to push down and hold the idasailor rudder. I have to lean over, and then put in a plastic plug right now. It's just an annoyance.
Deck pipe; I have it, just need to mount it
Some electrical so I can have one or more additional 12-volt recepticals
Cushions.
No Mas here:
many upgrades as this boat was cruised extensively on Superior, Alaska, Sea of Cortez and the Gulf.
Underside of sliding hatch is done in white oak tongue and groove planking which adds a surprising amount of insulation. Starboard quarter-berth has an instrument panel cabinet on the companion-way bulkhead to enclose the back-side of cockpit instruments and provide extra storage. Small brass panel at top of cabinet controls the anchor light and depth sounder. White engine hour meter is in the lower right corner.
Head compartment is lined with white poly-panel. Head pumps through three-way valve to deck, holding tank or sea-outlet (note routing handle under chainlocker at head of V-berth). Fold down teak door conceals head when berth cushion is in place. To the starboard side of the head is the Whale gusher pump panel - plumbed to facilitate holding tank evacuation or can be switched to use as inside bilge pump in an emergency. All interior cushions have been recovered - one inch of high density foam was added to each cushion to make for a little more comfort. V-berth, salon, and cockpit cushions are divided for easy access to lockers.
Below is the slide out chart table on the port side, just aft the galley, takes up only 2 1/2 inches of vertical space at the top of the quarter-berth. Table has built in instrument case at the rear and locks in five positions. Behind the table is the Nav. center with built-in VHF, and GPS (which is wired into ships power yet can be used as a portable unit) . On the companion-way bulkhead is the remote control unit for the propane system, including solenoid shut-off, alarm.
Galley
Custom Galley unit replaced slide-out originals. Features Princess Propane stove with brass sea-rail, . Horizontal aluminum tank installed in sealed, former aft fuel locker, controlled by a Xintex Detector unit with auto shut off solenoid. Stainless sink drains to above-waterline thru-hull behind galley unit and new 28 gal Vetus flex. fresh water tank in aft port settee locker feeds the Finspray brass pump. Small teak drawers were added to the left of the unit along with a shore power 110 outlet.
Sail Information
Mainsail with sail cover
Furling 135% Genoa
Removable Cutter Sail
Cruising Spinnaker
Whisker Pole
Electronics
Autohelm tiller controller Autopilot
VHF radio
Depth Sounder
Propane monitor/sniffer with automatic shutoff
Portable GPS
Additional Information
Bowsprit with Bruce Anchor with chain and rode
Bimini Top
Swim Ladder on stern
Dual axle trailer with surge brakes and extendable tongue
30 amp shore power with charger and new agm batteries
BottomSider cockpit cushions
Portable Cockpit Dining table
Marine head with holding tank
Separate propane line for portable aft mounted propane cooker
Full canvas boat cover for the vessel for storage
Separate fresh water cockpit shower with 12 volt pump and separate water bladder
Hey Heave To, lets figure a chance to meet since we are Bay kinda folks! The Chesapeake that is! Is there another one?
Hey BruceW, saw that you have a solar panel. I just started a thread about installing one on our boat. would love to connect with you about that. Maybe reply to my thread.
No Mas
OBTW, the upgrades to No Mas were compliments of a previous owner. Very thoughtful changes. Wish i could claim credit but.....!
Beagle 3 1990 Compac 23
Upgrading is one of my favorite activities- getting the boat to work the way I want is high on my list of sailing priorities!
The Beagle was purchased from the original owner, but had no trailer, so it was treated to a tandem axle 6000 lb. capacity aluminum trailer with jack-screws and pads, allowing the boat to be raised for under-keel cleaning and painting. A new oval deck pipe was installed to allow some decent sized chain to enter and exit, along with an 18 lb CQR. New instrumentation included a Raymarine Speed/Depth unit, chartplotter with backup depth, and Nexus wireless windspeed/direction system. Shore power was added with several outlets and a smart battery charger. In addition, a 40 watt solar panel was mounted on the sliding hatch, with a charge controller below. Upgraded lighting fixtures and 12V outlets were added, and a light added in the area behind the steps. An Autohelm 2000 was installed, as were lazy jacks and a drop bag for the mainsail. The end boom sheeting was changed to mid-boom, so I don't have to get tangled in the mainsheet when using the motor (not to mention better sail shape). The flimsy stainless tabernacle was replaced with a very heavy duty mast base hinge from Ballenger Spars and a gin pole was fabricated for more convenient raising/lowering of the mast. An electric bilge pump was installed, exiting from a bronze thru-hull high on the stern. The sink now drains out of a valved bronze thru-hull on the starboard side, rather than into the bilge area. Stainless solar vent on the foredeck keeps the interior fresh. Current ongoing projects include fabrication of a stainless rudder raising/lowering system, as well as a removeable assembly to give me more depth on my outboard. The 6HP Tohatsu Sailpro is fine in calm conditions, but might benefit from additional depth in rougher conditions. Also, when going forward to anchor, the stern raises enough to almost get the prop out of the water (and no, Bob23, I did not gain that much weight!!). The intermediate setting on the motor mount will place the prop at the factory level, and the last increment will get it 4" lower. The furling jib is new with a full length sock, and this year might see a new mainsail.
Okay, there has been quite a few modifications to Prudence over the years (some by me and some by her previous owner) but I'll only list a few of them for now.
* C-Head composting toilet added where porta-potty was located
* sink moved to port side of v-berth with cabinet
* graywater tank added under port side v-berth, PVC construction
* Whale pump added in anchor chain locker to pump out graywater tank, plumbed out above waterline near bow
* second additional location for single-burner alcohol stove storage under port side settee (keeps stove low if needing to cook under rough conditions)
* settee cushions reupholstered (3" thick)
* bulwarks added
* anchor light (Davis LED) and vhf antenna added to top of mast
* AIS vhf radio and chartplotter (in progress)
* shore power with charger (in progress)
* RudderCraft Unifoil Kickup Rudder (full assembly - best investment so far)
* downhaul added for foresail
That covers most of the modifications up to this point, but as we all know, "Life's best lived when there is a project to complete," so there will be more to come :-)
Coming off a three year refit(the boat project kept getting put on the back burner)here is a list of upgrades since it was last in the water.
-removed all hardware and fasteners.Filled all holes except for the chain plate holes.
-Repaired all cracks,gouges and rotted core(under bow cleat).
-New paint lettering and stripes.
-Added bowsprit,new attachment 32" out from original.
-Replaced 7/8" aluminum rails and stanchions with 1"ss.Bow rail now comes farther back to where the forward stanchion was(similar to the cpph).Added helmsman seats to aft rails.All rails are now 24" high with double dynema life lines.
-New genoa cars and track.New track is 6' long.I had to roll them to follow the deck line.
-Detachable inner forstay with running backstays.
-Mast...LED anchor and masthead lights with new wiring.New antenna also with new wire.Replaced 16ga mast step with a 12ga one and added a plate beneath with holes for the halyard blocks.Replaced sheaves.Lazy jacks were also added.
-Replaced original lightweight chain plates with 1/4" stock and added plates for running backstays.
-Deck organizer and rope clutches.Now all lines lead to the cockpit.
-Foiled rudder with ss rod hold down.
-New ladder,tri-fold with 6 rungs.
-New rub rail.
-Hatches...Replaced original fiberglass companionway with one of mahogany and maple.Changed forward hatch to a
mahogany opening skylight,looks similar to butterfly hatch with the safety bars.Now I can stand up(I'm only 5'-5").
-Replaced motor mount with one rated up to 20hp(I have a 9.9 mariner-heavy)and added a high thrust prop.
-Added mahogany tops to the coaming.
-Mahogany drop boards,three piece.Easier to store and in a chop the lower one keeps the water out and I can step over it to get in and out of the cabin.
Next
-depth-finder,old one died
-replace and relocate fuse panel
-auto-pilot
-cabin is a disaster,I need storage.
Doug
"The flimsy stainless tabernacle was replaced with a very heavy duty mast base hinge from Ballenger Spars and a gin pole was fabricated for more convenient raising/lowering of the mast."
Hey Peterg, do you have any picture of the new tabernacle? It is one area of the rigging that seems a little less beefy than i expected.
No Mas
Hey NoMas- I did not take any pictures of the mast base, but you can google Ballenger spars and scroll around their site to find it. I got the really heavy one with the organizer plate on the bottom- one of the best improvements I did on the boat! The Beagle is on her trailer at my house, so if you are in the area and want to see it real-time, just let me know. The one I installed is the HMB130- you can find a picture on their site if you poke around enough.
Thanx Peter, I checked them out. Cant wait to see Beagle 3 as your upgrades sound nice! Maybe a trip to Merrior next time I get down there.
So assume there was a Beagle 1 and 2?
OK, starting with sails:
RF 135 with foam luff and UV panel (boat came to me with a CDI FF2)
Asymmetrical Spinnaker with chute scoop deploy/dousing sock and all the hardware.
changed the furling lead blocks that ran inside to outside stanchion mounted fairleads, much better, no tripping on the furler drum line.
Other stuff:
installed a solar powered vent on the foredeck
Ditched the porta potty in favor of a WagBag head
Installed gear nets in the forward compartment.
Cut a egg crate foam pad and made a custom fitted sheet for the V-berth
Added a tray and strap for 2.5 gallon drinking water container with spigot
Pressure water (cold only) with sink tap and cockpit washdown/shower. With input filter, accumulator, and all new hoses for supply and drain and a drain valve.
True table that can be mounted both in the cabin and in the cockpit, with storage rack above the stove. Table capacity for four folks.
Raymarine tiller pilot tied into the GPS.
New tiller made from laminated ash and walnut with Sunbrella cover
Forespar tiller extension/hiking stick.
Cooler drawer that holds a YETI Sherpa 50 under the companionway steps.
12V bilge pump, direct wired with a auto level switch.
Night vision friendly courtesy lights for the cabin sole and cockpit lockers.
Standard Horizon GPS/chartplotter on a RAM mount.
VHS radio with mast mounted antenna and antenna mounted Windex
Stereo with speakers
Breeze buster wind scoop.
Adjustable topping lift led to the cockpit rope clutch
Overhauled the rudder lift system to eliminate the nuisance kickups (eliminated the most irritating operating issue with the boat)
Ritchie Compass
got rid of the ever subject to loss sail stops and installed a push pin type sail stop that can't be dropped.
Single handed mast raising system that allows both on water and on trailer lowering and raising with components small enough to stay on the boat.
cockpit lifeline cushions.
Changed motors, took off a Suzuki 9.9 HP electric start four stroke with 20" shaft; put on a Nissan 6HP four stroke SailPro with 25" shaft.
added a second anchor, chain and rode, a Guardian to supplement the CQR plow that came with the boat.
Sporta-Seat type folding seats
screen companionway dropboard
boarding ladder treads, first went with sunbrella covered foam, then replaced with hard treads.
Magma rail mounted charcoal grill (left over from a previous boat)
Brinkman 3 point stance catalytic heater
Added by the previous owners:
Bimini
Guest 5/5 onboard automatic battery charger.
AC GFIC 115V duplex outlet (they had two installed, I removed one of them to make room for a stereo speaker. Two duplex outlets on a 23 ft sailboat???)
12V socket
Raymarine depth/speed log with appropriate transducer and speed wheel.
Magma rail mounted propane grill
Nice List Brackish.
I forgot to add:
Installed new bobstay (solid one on the newer Compacs)
New trailer brakes
New trailer bearings
Flag Halyard
re-finished cockpit grate
Propane Grill (thanks to P.O.)
Seat Cushion.
All new running rigging, including running rigging for Asymmetrical Spinnaker
Spinnaker halyard
Larger hause pipe for the anchor
22lb Lewmar claw with 30' 1/4" chain
larger 6 gallon fuel tank
Still missing a few things. Still have a few things to add to customize it more :)
HeaveToo, I am tired just looking at your two lists and thinking about the time involved! Saga sure has an attentive owner. Cant wait to see her when we hook up.
I still have a long ways to go.
I would love to see Brackish's boat. All of the pictures of his are beautiful!
Mine is an older boat. Eventually I need to do some cosmetic cabin work and varnish the wood and clean up a few other areas to make her Bristol condition.
Ok, No Mas has entered the 21rst century and is now getting an early Christmas present, a GPS chart plotter. She is so proud.:) Gunna brine it home though so something is under the tree this year! Can't wait to compare the chart plotter and paper chart views.
Learning from others here as well about some new ground tackle for her before we get into the water in April. Right now her ground tackle is a set of wheel chocks!
You will love the Chart Plotting GPS. That was the first upgrade that I made to Saga.
I also added a stereo and speakers. The stereo has a place to plug in the iPhone and it recognizes the iPhone.
I have two chart plotters, 1 as back-up. It is a handheld that came with the boat. My cell phone also has Navtronics software that makes it a chart plotter.
Ditto on the back-up as we will be loading iNav on our phones as well. Was going to just use that for a while but the screen is really hard to see in bright sun, especially with my polarized glasses. Also have had hard rain actually change my screen with it in a waterproof case! Go figure. No Mas came with a marine stereo that allows connectivity as well. Two speakers in the cabin and two in the cockpit.
You have to have some music when you are out sailing. A soundtrack per say.
What is your soundtrack?
"Mine is an older boat. Eventually I need to do some cosmetic cabin work and varnish the wood and clean up a few other areas to make her Bristol condition."
No Mas is one year newer and also needs some TLC to bring her back to Bristol. So much easier to keep them that way than trying to bring them into shape. Long list, short time before April arrives! They started blowing snow up at our mountain getaway, so it's going to be hard to pull from that to get much work done. May have to be an early spring cleaning, wax and varnish. It'll survive until then. Been concentrating on equipment and some issues found in the survey that needed attention before appearance, but no lady wants to look like Cinderella before the ball!
Looking forward to meeting you and Saga! Got the mid-winter Chesapeake Bay hook up on the calendar.