Any Eclipse owners that previously owned a 23

[Cpy23ecl]

Just wondered if anyone has gone from a compac 23 to an eclipse and if so how they like the eclipse?

Fred

[TedW]

Hi Fred, I own an Eclipse and am a previous owner of a 23. We loved the 23. It was a beautiful boat, bought it new in 03 and sold it a few years later for a bigger boat. Now back to trailering and the Eclipse seems to fit our needs. A big issue for us was the mast raising. Much easier with the Eclipse. I kind of handle things on deck while my wife uses the vang and jib halyard. Very easy. We?ve spent half a dozen nights at marinas and the v berth is very comfortable. We have a 3? cushion plus memory foam. There is no bulkhead so it actually seems larger and more open than the 23 plus it?s easier crawling in and out. So far we?ve sailed in some mild conditions along the west coast of Michigan and some large inland lakes. Sails very nice but haven?t been in any heavy wx.....just bought it in April. I would say the Com pac quality is as good as the 23. Constantly get compliments. One last thing, we really like the open stern.   Hope this helps.
Ted

[Cpy23ecl]

Thx Ted

I currently have a 23 but also found mast raising too much effort to do more than spring and fall so never trailer sailed to other locations other than my home port (also on the west coast of Mich).  Like you also found the v-berth difficult to get in and out of because of the bulkhead and the settees to narrow to be comfortable so hoping the eclipse will be an improvement.  Just ordered mine last week and in talking to compac they had just received 4 orders for eclipse before I ordered mine so I'm guessing it will be 3 months or more before I receive mine.

What engine are you using?  I plan on using the 6hp sailpro extra long shaft I have on my 23 and am wondering if it will be completely out of the water when tilted up.

Fred

Fred

[TedW]

Fred
Perfect engine. Mine is way out of the water when tilted. I have the 20 inch. It was more than I needed on Sutton?s Bay and Little Traverse.  We are in Tawas and are trailering to the Les Cheneaux Islands next week and North Channel when the border opens up. I couldn?t sail to all those places in two summers and it?s only late June. Can?t believe they are making 4 more, did you order through Great Lakes Sailboat co. in Lansing?If you would like to see our boat you are more than welcome. We do have one unusual option...the starboard fuel locker has been converted to a giant cooler including a drain. It holds 3 bags of ice and enough stuff for 2 or 3 days. My wife really likes it but the fuel tank sits on deck just in front of the motor.
Ted

[Cpy23ecl]

Good to know, thx.  Hopefully my 25 Sailpro will also be clear of the water when tilted.  Sounds like a great trip, always wanted to go to the North Channel but never had enough time in my bigger sailboats to go that far when I was still working.  Now I have the time but don't want the work of a bigger boat, so I'm hoping the eclipse will be ideal.

I did order through Great Lakes about a week ago and saw the 2019 Rob had back in March before the shutdowns started although it was still partially setup as it was for winter storage.  His boat also had the cooler option, but I think I'd rather have the fuel tank out of the way since most of my sailing is anticipated to be day sailing around my home port.

Did you get the bimini option and if so was it the one that attaches to the arch or the new style that Fastdoc just posted photos of?

Thx for the info.

Fred

[TedW]

No bimini yet. We have a boom tent that we use to get out of the sun when not sailing.

Ted

[Cpy23ecl]

Thx Ted.

I guess I'll find out about the bimini.  I ordered that option and found out a few days later they are now using the new style bimini.  Not too sure about it but we'll see.

Fred