1976 Com-Pac 16 For Sale in Leonardtown, Maryland--Asking $2,500

[Bilgemaster]

Just a quick "heads up" that an ad for a nice enough looking little early model 16 and galvanized trailer with extension appeared today on our local Craigslist at https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/boa/d/sailboat-compac-16/6310105778.html asking $2,500.

She seems to be located in Leonardtown, Maryland, in Breton Bay along the eastern shore of the lower Potomac, maybe just 20 miles from the Big Ol' Beautiful Chesapeake Bay--prime "gunkholing" territory.

Here's the ad's text for posterity's sake:

"Hutchins Compac 16 fixed keel shallow draft sailboat. Perfect shallow water "pocket cruiser" for the Chesapeake and tributaries. This is a solid basic 1976 compac 16, with no built in berthing, completely open below deck so ready for you own customizing. Full set of sails and ready to sail. Comes with swim ladder and outboard mount. Last used three seasons ago and ready for new home. Trailer has extended tongue for easy launch. Clear Maryland title with boat but the trailer has no title just old Florida registration. These little cruisers are proven steady and safe due to 450 pound fixed keel and only draws 18 inches of water."

And here are the pix:











No pix of the cabin, though the ad describes it as completely gutted. Still, someone with even a little woodworking skill might bang together a nice enough little overnighter out of her. 

Speaking from loathsome personal experience, I'd point out the lack of a title for the trailer as a serious potential headache, but there you have it. 

Caveat emptor!

P.S. Rest assured I have no financial or other interest in this boat's sale.

[tmw]

Do you think the trailer extension goes back in?  It looks like it's permanently extended, making it one long trailer, unless I didn't follow the pictures.

[5monkeys]

That trailer looks 'uge. I love the idea of the extension, but would prefer retractable or telescoping. I saw that someone on here had done that modification recently and it was extremely cool.

There are pictures posted today that I didn't see yesterday, including one of the insides all stripped down.

I  may be off my rocker but is this boat a little bare bones for $2500.  I'm trying to get a good feel for how much I need to set aside to pick one up. I'm not afraid of some work, but the cash layout/work ratio has to be in line.

the lack of title on the trailer, could be a major hassle here in VA. If the intent is to travel the highways and bi-ways, I think DMV will want a clear transfer of ownership for registration.

[Bilgemaster]

That trailer looks 'uge. I love the idea of the extension, but would prefer retractable or telescoping. I saw that someone on here had done that modification recently and it was extremely cool.

There are pictures posted today that I didn't see yesterday, including one of the insides all stripped down.

I  may be off my rocker but is this boat a little bare bones for $2500.  I'm trying to get a good feel for how much I need to set aside to pick one up. I'm not afraid of some work, but the cash layout/work ratio has to be in line.

the lack of title on the trailer, could be a major hassle here in VA. If the intent is to travel the highways and bi-ways, I think DMV will want a clear transfer of ownership for registration.

First of all, as a fellow dweller of our grand Commonwealth of Virginia who's once had to go toe-to-toe with Schmendrick, our DMV's customer service death squid, on account of a lacking trailer title for another boat I own, I can confirm that it WILL be a huge and very possibly incurable headache. That's why I highlighted the issue in my initial posting.  As for the asking price, well, asking ain't getting.  As the snow drifts begin piling up and the glaciers move majestically down the avenues, I imagine a gutted sailboat will command quite a bit less than two and a half boat-bucks.  There's clearly some wiggle room here, and I expect it'll become more and more spacious and commodious as the months tick on.

[Bob23]

From the "what it's worth" department, I went through this ordeal in NJ and could prove that the trailer was registered  but it still took me 7, yeah count 'em 7 trips to the Division of Motor Vehicles to get my small boat trailer registered. At one point, the kind but slightly uninformed woman behind the counter looked perplexed regarding her question of the mileage. I said, with my usual reserved tone of sarcasm: "Ah, it's a t-r-a-I-l-e-r!". She was not at all impressed.

[JBC]

I'm sure everyone has at least one of these DMV stories. I bought a trailer once with a completely gutted 22' sailboat on it, just to get the trailer. Got rid of the boat (that's another story) and then was told at DMV I had to weigh the trailer as part of the registration process for unlicensed vehicles. Where? I asked. The clerk didn't know but suggested one of the truck scales set up on an interstate. Found one west of Denver and dutifully pulled onto the scale, between the semis in line. (Will never forget the grin on the face of the cigarette smoking semi driver behind me in the rear view mirror). An operator came running out to tell me I couldn't weigh my trailer there (but I noticed it did register 400 lbs), and told me I had to head back to Denver to a specific truck stop that had a scale.

Did that, for $20 bucks; yep 400 lbs. With paperwork done I headed back to DMV, only now to be told the highway patrol would have to inspect the trailer. So, off I go to a specific place in the Denver area to have that done. Another $20 bucks or so. Among the questions during the inspection: How much does the trailer weigh? 400 lbs. He didn't ask about any paperwork to prove it...and neither did the new clerk at the DMV the next day, when I returned to finish the registration process...

Jett

[Bilgemaster]

In all fairness, I was at the DMV so often trying to get my other boat's missing trailer title squared away that I probably deserved my own coffee mug there. In the end I ground off its original VIN, gave it a good fresh coat of paint, and registered it as a "Homebuilt".  Yup!  I made it out of Silly String in the back yard, officer!

While my hunch is that the current untitled trailer in question might be more readily titled than mine was (at least there seems to be some sort of former registration, according to the ad), if that "registration" document's in anyone but the seller's name, I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole until the seller squared it away him or herself. But that's just me--albeit from bitter personal experience.

Now, just as a tip o' the hat to actual usefulness for folks of good will who are either buying or selling a boat or "tow beast" vehicle, I have taken the liberty of lobbing a few easy-to-fill-out Bills of Sale as Word document templates that one can use for this very purpose into the folder http://www.bukmop.com/BillsOfSale/.  One's a rather "formal long style" Bill of Sale for a boat, motor and trailer, one a much shorter variation that'll still do the deed handily amongst gentlemen of good character, and one is for motor vehicles.  Go ahead and grab all three and save 'em for later, maybe. They won't take up much room on your drive.  I cannot promise their efficacy in lands with monarchs or other poobahs-for-life or what have you, but they'll serve you well here in the terrifying Land of the Plastic Spork.

Enjoy!

[Reighnman]

That's some solid upselling "with no built in berthing, completely open below deck so ready for you own customizing".

[Yamaha33410]

mines like that, gives you more head room and volume, couple extra inches actually makes a  lot of difference when youre already dealing with such a confined space.

I'll inflate a full size air mattress sideways inside and its like sleeping in a hammock, WAY better then being confined in the factory bunk space... Like so much so that it turns passing out on a piece of thin plywood out of the weather in a coffin to a preferred experience you will like better then your regular bed. A full size air mattress fits perfectly between the compression post and the rear supporting foam block under the cockpit

[bob lamb]

Interesting. Do you mean you took all the original flooring out?  Would you happen to have any pics of the modifications?

Thanks
Bob in Bama

[5monkeys]

Here's another positive spin for starting with this "open" design.  If and I'm not saying that's the case here, but IF one of these boats had water getting below and rotting/ruining things, the demolition/seek and find part of the job is done. Now it's just ready for the refit.

[Yamaha33410]

Oh man, believe me, cutting and grinding out all the old wood and fiberglass tape holding it to the hull is a CHORE on a 16 when its very tight and you cant move around...

My 23, you can sit almost anywhere in the hull and work normally, what a blessing that boat is for interior refits!

I'll take some pics soon, I was actually going to carpet the hull on the sides soon to jazz it up some as its going up for sale soon! Cost a little more then this boat here but its a good runner, with engine, all the titles, new lines, some new blocks, new paint

[m13]

I see my boat has prompted some discussion. I'll clarify some things. I don't think this boat ever had any interior woodwork. She was clean and empty when I bought her many years ago. I planned to build in some berths for camping but other projects got my time instead, so just a solid complete sailboat I've had out a few times here around St. Mary's County , Maryland. I haven't  put her in the water now for  2-3 seasons so she needs a good home. The extended tongue is bolted on. I got tired of getting my feet wet when retrieving her And the extra length hasn't been any problem. It can be removed pretty easily and the original tongue and coupling are intact. Here in Maryland it is pretty easy to get a trailer titles as a "homemade" when the title is not available otherwise. I did it for a classic wooden boat's trailer I sold last year. You take a few photos and fill out a form and pay a fee and the MVA issues a title and a VIN plate. I may have to do it for this one if a prospective buyer doesn't want to , as some of you have proposed, the price is an "asking" price and I can wiggle, depending on the circumstances. I have many nearby ramps I use and I've just been using the tag off my other trailer on those few times I have taken her out. She's a nice basic complete boat, ready to sail/ready to sell!

[m13]

UPDATE!....The trailer for this boat now has a clear Maryland title. Come and get her and enjoy!