Why did you choose your Com-Pac over all the other Com-Pac trailerables?

[esterhazyinoz]

Hi,
I am a newbie to this site who is undertaking some research on what my next boat will be.  I am very drawn to both the cats and the sloops in the trailerable range and, from I have seen so far, I'd be surprised if a Com-Pac is not my next boat.  I have about 20 years sailing experience, on and off. I used to race an Australian designed & manufactured daysailer (similar to a Hunter 212 in the USA).  Currently I have a new Hunter 15 for sailing on our lovely Swan River but want something more substantial and with a porta potty after I retire and move across the continent to Melbourne (sailing on Port Phillip Bay, where the weather can turn bad in a blink and the Gippsland Lakes).
So far all the Com-Pacs look great to me.  I am tending to favour the cats because I will usually be sailing either with non sailors or single handed.  I figure that having only one sail allows me to handle the boat in both those situations although I don't know the details of the sloop rig (are there winches or just blocks to trim the foresail?)
Although the Horizon Cat looks great I really don't want to have the size of car necessary to tow it so I am therefore looking at the 17-19 footers.
I would love to hear from Com-Pac owners about what drove their decision to buy what they did.
Cheers from Australia

[rsahlender]

Hello and welcome. I have never been to Australia but would love to visit your country some day.

I chose a CP16 for several reasons and just bought one a few weeks ago. Like you I have some on and off sailing experience over the years but have never owned a sailboat of my own. I am now in my 50's, my daughter is off in medical school, and I am working on my bucket list (and a vacation to the land down under is on the list...). My wife while willing to sail with me occasionaly is not nearly the fan of boating that I am so I expect to single hand quite often.

I guess I like the cat style well enough but the lines of a cruiser with a foresail just seem to appeal to me more. Mine is a 1988 16/3 so although there are no winches there is a jib track on each side of the cockpit that I expect to help with single handing at least until I can get a furling system. The season has closed at the lake here in Pennsylvania where I expect to keep it in season so I have not had a chance to test sail just yet. I think I am in for a long winter wait... I also like the ballast to weight ratio of the Compac's which seem to make for a more stable boat. I expect the shoal keel to be a help getting into and out of the small coves on the lake.

Anyway I just like the lines of the Compac cruisers. They all remind me of some of the boats I grew up around at the New Jersey shore in the 60's and 70's. Coupled with the ease of trailering I figured it good choice for my first until I am comfortable enough with everything to move up to something larger. There were a few reasonable deals on Beneteau's, Hunter's, MacGregor's, and O'Day's fairly close by in recent months but my eye just seems to prefer the lines of the Compac's more than the others.

Rich

[Bob23]

Hey, Aussie:
   Choosing a sailboat is a serious affair. When I was looking for a boat, my friend Bud would suggest this boat or that boat but each one just didn't do it for me. He got a little discouraged until I explained my reasoning: "Bud, it's just got to stir my soul". He understood.
   When I first set eyes on a Compac 23, it was love at first sight. But it was a few years before one came up for sale at a price I could afford. Without sailing it, starting the motor, seeing the bottom or raising the sails, I bought her and we've been in love ever since (5 years).
   I like the traditional lines, the spoon bow, the gently upward sweeping sheer forward and even more subtle sheer aft. The boat just looks right with cabin, foredeck and cockpit in proper proportions. She's no race boat and not all that great to windward, but when you are sailing in a 23, you feel that you're in a much larger boat.
   Being a New Jerseyan, I love the lines of a catboat. My home sailing area has a catboat heritage that goes back many decades. I think if I had my choice, I'd buy a Horizon Cat but then again, I don't trailer. My boat stays on a mooring.
   Best to you in your search...keep us posted and welcome to a wonderful collection of informative and sometimes zany characters here at the site!
Bob23

[esterhazyinoz]

Gentlemen,
There certainly is something about the Com-Pac's that 'stirs the soul'.  I guess that this is all about the sweet madness of the boat owner. Even though I now own a very simple boat (the Hunter 15), I have 'accessorised' it to reflect the inner workings of my soul. LOL.
Rich thanks for clarifying the foresail set up.  Sounds like it is the same as my old 21 footer (a sliding block on a jib track). Although my racing days are over I still enjoy the challenge of trying to get the most speed from the best sail trim.
Thanks for your input.

PS. If you ever do find yourself in Western Australia, contact me if you want a sail on the Swan.

[GlennB724]

When I bought my boat a few years back, I was not familiar with the Com-Pac line other than having heard the name and seen photos of the bigger models.  I liked the salty traditional lines.

When the time came to look for a replacement for my Hunter 25 that I used to have on the Chesapeake back when I lived in Philly, I was looking for a small daysailer for our local lake, with a big cockpit, a small cuddy cabin (mostly for storage), that would be easy to maintain, fit in my garage in the off season, and inexpensive.  Initially I was thinking of a cat boat.  A Google search quickly pointed me to the CP 16, and it was love at first sight.  The jaunty traditional lines of this little boat, the cabin, the big cockpit, along with the numerous reports of its legendary stability and quality of construction were exactly what I was looking for.

Ironically, she no longer fits in the garage for the winter, (too much other stuff); so I could have had an even more comfortable CP 19.  With my expanding size and shrinking agility as the years go on, I sometimes think of up-sizing.  The thing is though, I just like my boat too much, (and have invested too much time, money, and effort), to get rid of her --- and to the inevitable comments from the multi boat owners crowd, no... two boats is NOT an option.  LOL  Maybe I should just go on a diet.  ;-)

[Billy]

I did not choose my 19. She chose me.

While looking for a sailboat (I knew nothing about them) my 19 just kept comming up on craigslist, google, sailing texas and a few other websites. I went to look at a few other sailboats locally (even though she was only 45 minutes away but did not go see her) but none of them "stired my soul". I got distracted with work and life and two or three months went by. I went sailing with a friend and it motavated me to began looking again. Well......low and behold there she was. The Lady who was selling her decided she didn't want to sell her and took her off the internet, only to find out two months later she needed to sell her. Well I went to go she her, even though she was older than what I wanted (1983) she was in too good of shape and just looked timeless. Much like Bob, I did not sail her, did not start the engine, and only looked at the sails in their bags. I didn't even pull them out. Luckly for me she was on a trailer and I did get to see the bottom.  The boat looked like it had be neglected but not abused. I made an offer and drove her home that day.

4 years later the boat looks great and I couldn't be happier!!!!

I like the 19 (I'll admit I am biast) because it is not too small and not too big. I can raise the mast alone, trailer it easily, yet fit 5 adults for an all day sail. My wife, our 2 Dobermans, and myself can go out for a weekend and not feel too cramped.

About 9 months ago I bought a CP16 on a whim and while I thought the Clarke Mills design sailed a little bit better (heeled a little bit more) it was just too small. Great day sailer, too small for a over nighter. I have not been on a 23 but I feel that may be too big to trailer and I wouldn't even think of trying to raise the mast alone.

Being in FL and only 30 years old I don't think I would want a cat boat. They are cool but I like to tweak the sails. MORE IS MORE!!! Plus I just like the sloops!!!

[curtisv]

Hello and welcome to the site.

I'm another CP23 sailor.  Before that I sailed on a few other people's boats and took ASA sailing lessons but this was my first boat.  I bought her new since the 1990s were very good to me (had high tech stocks that did well).

Of all the things I like about the CP23, first and foremost she is a stable and seaworthy boat for her size, and second she has very shoal draft.  I've made some changes to improve her abilities in stronger air.  You can see that on my web page.  She's real easy to single hand.  Get a tiller tamer or the Cansail tiller lock (better).  There are sheet winches, but I find that in under 20 knots the winch handle is not needed, except if the Admiral is trimming.  In 25 knots I can get away without the winch handle but its more that just a hearty tug and I need to trim tight passing through a tack and sheet out after finishing the tack.

The compacs are known for having a much nicer interior and just the right amount of exterior teak to give them a classic look.  They are all good looking boats in addition to being capable.

If you have questions, just ask.  There are quite a few people on this list that are active and knowledgable.  Also feel free to poke around my web page though it is a bit old now and in need of update.

Curtis

[esterhazyinoz]

Curtis,
Don't tempt me with a beautiful boat such as yours!  You sure do sail in a great part of the universe. My sister has a house on the Vineyard so I have visited that area a number of times.
Thanks for the invite to your site.  A quick look just now tells me I am going to have fun exploring further.
Cheers,
Hollis
PS Remote Access eh?  Work in IT do you?