Hutchins Co. / Com-Pac Yachts shutting down

[S Lively]

Hi all. Just wanted to alert everyone that Hutchins Co. / Com-Pac Yachts has changed their website to say that they have decided to shut down the company as of May 1st.

[bruce]

Thanks. The website has been shut down, nothing to see any more.

A short list of dealers is listed. The Gulf Island Sails domain is up for sale. Tom Ray used to work there, and they had some useful info not listed on the Com-Pac site. When I last talked with Eastern Yacht Sales in Hingham, Ma, they couldn't have cared less about Com-Pac boats.

[CaptC]

Saw a post stating that the molds for the Com-Pac boats had been sold but no information to who or to what company.  I'm not sure if this is correct as the boats were molded somewhere other than the Com-Pac yachts facility in Clearwater.  Not sure if Gerry and Rich actually owned the molds and leased them to the builder or if the molds were owned by someone else and gave Com-Pac yachts a special deal.  The boats were assembled in the Clearwater facility.   Hopefully there is an entrepreneur that will start a business similar to "Catalina Direct" and continue selling repair parts for the Com-Pac owners.

[crazycarl]

Ive read the hulls and decks were produced by Island Packet for Compac, and then assembled at the Compac facility.

[passagesfromtheheart]

Anyone hear any news, yet, on what has happened to the parts, molds? I have read, several places online, that parts were purchased by a 'mystery person' or organization.

Re: the Com-Pac website: Yes, I saw the dealers listed to direct future inquiries. I tried reaching out to The Sailboat Company, now being run by Keith's son, Donald, and I believe Keith's daughter, Kelly, but no one has responded/replied to me. Interestingly, I did see on Sailboatlistings dot com that Donald placed an ad selling a Com-Pac 16. I had read (again, somewhere online) that The Sailboat Company was still in business, but like I said, I didn't receive an inquiry to my questions regarding parts (Looking for new standing rigging for my Legacy and some other things).

Bruce, that is very sad to hear that Eastern Yacht Sales wasn't helpful re: the situation re: Com-Pac. I tried reaching out to Seacraft Yacht Sales in Seattle, too, but no dice there.

I feel a little abandoned here, but I understand the gravity of the situation, so I just remind myself to be patient. Not to mention, there are plenty of folks sailing on boats out there long out of production, so if they can manage it, I've got to keep the faith that I can as well.

[Bewildered]

Ironic that after searching for several months and making several attempts to purchase a Com-Pac, I finally succeeded soon after the manufacturer has gone kaput!  I am an optimist and as luck would have it I was able to find just what I wanted. Eclipse ABV180434606 was donated to the Vero Beach YSF Community Sailing Org by a local patron. Something guided me to turn into their driveway a couple of weeks ago where the boat resided, dirty and in need of considerable TLC resting forlornly on her trailer.  I made some inquiries and  offered to buy it before some of the excited members added it to their fleet.  Since they are in the midst of a big fundraising effort to build a new facility, my offer was accepted and I now have my little yacht! 
I am confident that with some effort I will be able to procure any parts that may be needed.  As someone stated above, and I paraphrase, "There are plenty of sailboats sailing the waters of the world made by companies that are long gone."  Or something like that.

[bruce]

Yeah, Keith was a legend. Not surprising that his company can't provide the same level of service, but they don't seem to be trying at all.

Com-Pac's dealership network has had several changes in recent years. There used to be a popular dealer on the coast north of Boston. I'd been to the Com-Pac booth at Annapolis in 2010, manned by their long-time Oxford, MD, dealer Tred Avon Yacht Sales, and wanted to follow up on a SC or PC. I didn't want to travel back to MD, and tried to find a dealer closer to us in RI. I was looking to buy a new boat after all, but no luck. We did go back to Tred Avon, and they were great, but they have since ceased being a dealer, for some years now.

Eastern Yacht Sales is based south of Boston on the coast, but had an office close to us in Portsmouth, RI. When we got our boat I approached the Portsmouth office and said the I had a PC and that I'd be willing to show it to prospective buyers, possibly give them a test sail. Eastern Yacht responded that they didn't know why anyone would want a catboat. Never mind, sorry I bothered.

On a more positive note, I know of two people who have bought a Com-Pac from a upstate NY dealer in the last couple of years, one new (a PC, delivered to NH) and one used (a SC, an estate sale). The dealer is the Sailboat Shop in Skaneateles, New York. Small dealer, but he did provide good service in the two cases I know of. He wintered in FL, and knew Gerry well, so may have some inside info on where things stand now regarding parts, etc.
https://www.thesailboatshop.com/

[Jon898]

Re: the Com-Pac website: Yes, I saw the dealers listed to direct future inquiries. I tried reaching out to The Sailboat Company, now being run by Keith's son, Donald, and I believe Keith's daughter, Kelly, but no one has responded/replied to me. Interestingly, I did see on Sailboatlistings dot com that Donald placed an ad selling a Com-Pac 16. I had read (again, somewhere online) that The Sailboat Company was still in business, but like I said, I didn't receive an inquiry to my questions regarding parts (Looking for new standing rigging for my Legacy and some other things).

Not sure where I heard/saw it, but the rumor was that they live on Facebook now.  I don't use Facebook, so no way to confirm or deny.  In any case, the website is no longer active for The Sailboat Company in Richlands, NC.

Jon

[crazycarl]

I tried many times over the past 6 years to contact them with limited response. The 1st time I tried Keith's wife answered the phone and very firmly stated she didn't want him working any longer. However, at the time he was still updating the site.

If they have moved to Facebook, I'm not interested in dealing with them.

[brackish]

Yes, they are on Facebook under the listing "The Sailboat Company"