Considering Com Pac 27 or 25

[sailors35]

I have been lurking here and absorbing much of the great info.  I live in SW Florida and would really like to see a 27 and 25 in person, so if there are any owners near me would really enjoy a looksee.  I have owned  3 sailboats a MacGregor 22, Caliber 28, and IP35 which I owned for 27 years.  Cruised FL, Bahamas, 2 voyages to Grenada.  Last 10 years kept boat in Eastern Caribbean then sold in Antigua.  Looking for a nice weekender or slightly longer for SW Florida and Keys.

Many thanks

[TopsailB]

I've looked at a Caliber 28 recently. Seemed to be well designed and a solid boat. Can you share your experience/opinion?

[Reighnman]

If you can't find a 25 in your area you can always look for a Watkins 25 as it's the same basic boat. I think the biggest limitations for the 25 is the small galley and size of tankage(head and fresh water). Adding more fresh water would be easy but the head holding tank is custom designed and occupies the entire front storage compartment under the port settee. The galley has a roll out butane stove for cooking. I unmounted it and either cook in the cockpit or on top of the counter. Coming from a IP35 you might feel it. That said, people cruise for months in the 23. Best of luck!

[AnchorJockey]

I have been an owner of a 1989 Compac 27 for 3 years now. She's my first sailboat (after 25 years bumming rides on friends boats?). CP27's are well appointed, fairly roomy and have lots of storage for the size. I'm 6'1" and I can stand up almost completely down below and the v berth is roomy.  2 on the boat is comfortable for overnight cruising, 3 is fine for day sailing, it gets crowded with 4. The only place I found it cramped is the cockpit. She sails like an 80's Mercedes 300 drives, solid and confident & looking good, but not sporty. The early models like mine had a 12hp Universal diesel that leaves a bit to be desired in power, later ones went to an 18hp Westerbeke that I hear is much more suited to the boat. Parts are easy to get from the manufacturer (Hutchins) or aftermarket. Lot's of friends and help to be found on this site, the Facebook Compac site or a call to Hutchins.  It's 27' but LOA is 30 counting the bowsprit and boatyards and contractors will charge you accordingly. I have no regrets about choosing her for my first boat.

[HJ51]

Where are you in SW Florida?

I have a CP 27 and I trailer it from Tennessee to different locations in Florida each winter.  It's always somewhere Southwest has a direct flight on the Gulf side which essentially means Tampa, Panama City or Pensacola.  There's a good chance it will be either Panama City or Pensacola this year so if you are in the vicinity and still interested I'll be hauling it down around Christmas time and you're welcome to come take a look and a sail.

[wes]

Interestingly, I have cruised my 27 extensively in the Carolinas and have never had a boatyard or marina charge me for anything other than 27 feet, except a few who charge a minimum 30' for transient slip rental regardless of length. Maybe I'm spoiled, or maybe Florida is just unfriendly!

Wes

[BobK]

My CP27 is in Fairhope AL on Mobile bay.  Come on down and take a sail.
BobK

[sailors35]

I've looked at a Caliber 28 recently. Seemed to be well designed and a solid boat. Can you share your experience/opinion?

Apologies for the delayed response. My Caliber 28 was purchased new in 1986.  Chose the model with head just to starboard as you come down the companionway, so no quarter berth but got 2 cockpit lockers and u-shaped galley to port and roomy v-berth.  Negative did not care for table in middle of cabin wished it was a fold down bulkhead mount.  pretty wide for a 28, 10'10" if memory serves.  Shallow draft and shallow bilge.  Rigged as usual except had a baby stay, not to be used for anything else and twin backstays.  Good anchor anchor platform with on deck anchor locker.  2 cylinder Yanmar just fine.  These boats are what I call stick built, no fabricated inner liners bulkheads securely tabbed in, so furniture etc, serves to strengthen hull. 

I would as in all boats check for blisters, rig etc.  I would certainly check the rudder and especially the so-called weed shoe which is a metal plate that extends from aft end of keel and attaches to bottom of rudder.  These boats were built in St. Pete by the McCreary brothers.  Michael the designer and George the production/sales guy and the go to person for all things Caliber.  These boats like many of this time were built when sailboat construction was going strong.  I believe Michael McCreary and Bob Johnson, of Island Packet, worked at Endeavor before they started their own companies, so in each line you see some ideas I feel were borrowed from one another.

All in all she was a fine boat, took us up and down Florida and the Keys.  Only reason for selling was we wanted to get a bigger boat for liveaboard and to cruise further afar.  Also, the McCrearys were class people to work with.  George could probably give you the history of every boat they built, but have no idea as to what he is doing now. Feel free to ask anything else.

Mike

[TopsailB]

Many thanks. I love my CP23 for day sailing and short trips, but I'm on the hunt for something a bit bigger. The caliber I'm looking at is in great shape at a great price. Your observations are helpful-

[TampaTom]

I've got a 25' I bought with my twin boys (27 years old) about a year ago.  It came up on Craigslist as a 27' for $5000.  I was the third to contact him ahead of scores of others.  I had no idea that is was actually a 25 and the title listed it at 28 (LOA).  It was on the hard in a yard in Tarpon Springs having blisters fixed and bottom painted.  The owner bought it as a trainer for his family as they planed to buy a larger boat and do some long term cruising.  He quickly found the next boat and was heading to California the next week.  So it had to get sold and out of the yard.  We took the plunge.  Not the way to buy, but overall, we got lucky.  The Westerbeke 12C was not running.  I was told it needed a starter.  We sailed it back to Old Tampa Bay in three voyages on weekends.  Soon realized it was a 25, not a 27.  Disappointing.  The engine looks ok and hour meter says 400, but determined it is seized. Disappointing.  Put a bracket and 9.9 outboard on it which works fine.  We have a free place to keep it about 1/2 mile from home (my house is on a canal but a low bridge prevents keeping it at home.)  We sail it on weekends but haven't found the time for much more.  A 27 would be nicer especially for the width.  The shallow draft has been convenient for where we sail and keep her.  If we had to pay for docking, we would probably get a trailer, pull her out and probably put her on the market.  Much easier to find trailer options for the 25'.  It is not as pretty as a 23 or a 27 but is a good compromise between the two (much more like a 27.) Other then the convenience of trailering, and cost, I would want a 27.

[CurtTampa]

My Compac 27 is in Apollo Beach Florida Tampa Bay - it will be on the market soon.

[John]

I have very nice CP 27 for sale in NC.