Sun Cat...the perfect boat

[Sunapee Sailing]

Hi all,

Having just "discovered" the Sun Cat I feel that it is an excellent choice for me.  As I get older and life is settling down, I am ready to get back into sailing and would like a trailerable sailboat, easy to rig, classy looking and a small cabin for gunkholing.
My search lead me to ComPac. Wow.
I will be looking to buy a boat but the price needs to be under 10k. It will be a fun quest I am sure.

Also, this is a great forum!
Susan

[Bob23]

Hi Susan and welcome! You came to the right place. Although I own an older 23, I love the Suncats and toyed with trading my 23 for one a while back, but found no takers.  A short time ago, there was one posted here in the classified section for under 10k...not sure if it's still available. They are around but you may need to travel.
We look forward to hearing from you as you share in your adventures! Again, welcome!!
Bob23 and "Koinoina", a 1985 23/2 in the South of NJ!

[Sunapee Sailing]

Thanks for the welcome Bob23.
I am willing to travel for a boat. I work weekends and am off all week so I am not limited to New Hampshire and New England.
Plus road trips are fun.
Sailing trips even better.

[Tom L.]

Hi Susan, Keep looking the Sun Cat is the Perfect Boat for trailer sailing and single handling. I just sold mine about six months ago because I wanted a little more room but I stuck with the Cat Boat Design, a Menger 19, because it is so user friendly. With a hinged mast they are really good at the ramp. In and Out in minutes. The boat is also really easy to sail, just one line to deal with, the main sheet. Tacking to windward is effortless. My wife and I have been sailing together since the 60's and it was time to down size but we still like to do 2 or 3 day mini cruises. The Sun Cat is great for that. We trailed the boat all over central Florida from coast to coast and many of the Chain of Lakes.

Our only issue with the Sun Cat was room for two and no sitting head room in the cabin. Our new to us Menger 19 is very roomy by comparison. 8 foot long bunks with room to store gear at the end plus ample sitting headroom. This is the only reason I changed boats.

MY Sun Cat was so easy to launch. Com Pac makes a kit so that the mast has a permanent gin pole with block and tackle so the mast can be raised while standing in the cockpit. I had a four to one block and tackle left over from a previous boat and made my own, for trailer sailing it is the ultimate.

The boat is relatively light 1500 pounds so it can be trailed by smaller vehicles. Don't forget to add in the trailer and O.B. when figuring the tow weight. Usually about 500 to 800 pounds more.

Our group in Florida, WCTSS, has several Sun Cats. They are hard to find used. If you find one snatch it up because it will be gone in nothing flat. Your price point will limit you to older boats but if your willing to travel you should eventually find one.

Good Luck with your search

Tom L.

[Sunapee Sailing]

Tom L :
I am very excited about the mast system. It's going to be a game changer for me; who will be single handling most of the time.

I have 2 grandsons (8 and 3) who I would like to get interested in sailing (and not so much TV and video games). Grrr.

I am ok with an older boat. Anything to get started again.

Some of the modifications posted on this site are awesome.

[HeaveToo]

Welcome to the site. 

[Sunapee Sailing]

Thanks, HeaveToo
I'm very excited.

[jdklaser]

It is the perfect boat.  Found one here down in MA last spring and I am having so much fun just getting it ready to sail.  Sunapee is a great place to sail.  My daughter teaches up the road at KUA.  You picked a great boat. 

[rbh1515]

Welcome,
Have you done a search on the internet.  I looked and there is a 2006 Sun Cat for $7k in MD for sale that looks good:
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/pl_boat_detail.jsp?&units=Feet&id=2884008&lang=en&slim=broker&&hosturl=mathewsboats&&ywo=mathewsboats&
Rob

[BruceW]

Welcome, Susan,

I had a CP 19, then a Suncat; I sailed that all over the place, and there was just about no amount of time that wasn't enough to get a sail in. Very cool boat. Sold it when I wanted more room, but never found the right combination.

Now, I have a CP 23, which is good for sailing, and not good for quick in and out, hauling to other locales, etc. The Suncat was ideal for those things.

Recently, I went with a friend who has a Horizon Cat. Oh, yeah, that's a nice use of internal space and would also work well. Of course, it is even more spendy.

Regardless, I am sure you will enjoy the quality of the Com-pac. As for age, at least there aren't any Suncats older than 17 years, unles you find a Clark Mills one, which I know exist. The Com-pacs hold their value, though, so whatever you pay, you can probably get back out when the time comes; what is better than a free boat?

Enjoy your search and your fun times sailing!

[Sunapee Sailing]

RBH1515,
I'm one step ahead of you. I emailed about that boat yesterday. Waiting to hear back.
Thanks

[Potcake boy]

Susan,

The Suncat is hard to beat for it's purpose. My wife and I owned one for a while, and used it to go to places such as the Florida keys. We would launch and keep it at a marina (Bahia Honda is a good one) and use it to stay on at night and sail during he day. Having our vehicle there made for easy access to all the land side attractions in the keys. Nice combination.

I am really happy to hear your comment about teaching the grandsons, and this is a pretty good platform for them to learn the basics.

That one in Maryland looks nice, though it appears to be lacking cabin cushions. It may be a rehab boat, but if it's solid you can get cushions and other parts from Hutchins Co. (builder of Com-Pacs).

Wishing you many blissful days of sailing, what better thing can you do with your life.

[Sunapee Sailing]

Hi JDKLaser
I work in Lebanon and a bunch of my friends have connections to KUA. It's a great school.
I will head to the Keys eventually and thanks for the tip about Bahia Honda. Sounds perfect.

[Sunapee Sailing]

So, the salesman at Matthews Brothers in MD just got back to me. The 2002 SunCat for $7,000 sold last week.
My search continues.

[Tom L.]

Hi Susan, sorry you missed that deal. Sounded like a good one. If you ever find another in the Northeast at that kind of price you are going to half to pounce on the offer. They don't last long. I sold my Sun Cat in two weeks to the first person that called. I still get calls from the old listing even though it says it is sold. It was about the same as the one you were looking at in MD.

Tom L.