Com-Pac Yachts Ceasing Operations

[TopsailB]

I stopped by The Sailboat Company yesterday and was told that they received a call this week from Rich Hutchins that Com-Pac is closing. The Facebook CP page has the same information. It is a sad week IMHO. The closing of any company that is 50+ years old is always sad-especially this one given their product and service over the years.

[bruce]

Thanks for posting this. Sad day indeed.

[Roland of Macatawa]

Yes, sad indeed.

[passagesfromtheheart]

I had a feeling this would come to pass. I'm absolutely heartbroken! :-(

[Urban Hermit]

Yes, very sad.  When I had my first 16 the boss (I'm sorry, I'm bad with names) himself answered the phone and treated my request for a replacement rudder blade as though I was asking about commissioning a custom 32. 

On a lesser note, where will we get OEM parts?

[TopsailB]

On a lesser note, where will we get OEM parts?

According to folks at The Sailboat Company, Hutchins will provide current dealers with info regarding suppliers of parts used to build Com-Pacs. That will help as long as dealers maintain the info. The problem will be specs, and the parts and pieces fabricated by Com-Pac.

[Cats Paw]

Sad to hear of the passing of Gerry.  He was very helpful back 10 years ago with a few questions I had when  restoring SV Ru-Ach C-16.  Will this Forum remain in service? It has always been a great resource.

[crazycarl]

With the success of the Compac line, I'm surprised they aren't selling the molds to another boat builder will could then rebrand them. That is what usually happens. Most boat companies are family owned and operated, so I don't see that as a deterrent.

[passagesfromtheheart]

crazycarl, I had hoped that this would be the case — in fact, not sure if this is correct, but I had heard the Island Packet (now owned by Hake/Seaward, I think?) folks actually made/fabricated the hulls for Com-Pac — again, not sure if this was true, but it got me wondering if Hake/Seaward would pick up the Com-Pac line. I guess not.

I'm so devastated, completely torn up, having lost Keith Scott of The Sailboat Company, Gerry, and now Com-Pac itself — all in less than one year — Keith passed on May 17th last year, if memory serves me.

If I had the money, I'd so offer to buy the Com-Pac business and keep it going. It seems like they've always held onto such a unique niche in the sailing world. I wonder why Gerry's son, Matt (in the Parts realm at Com-Pac), chose not to carry on. After 50+ years of this amazing family business, it breaks my heart to see their doors shuttered. I had always wanted to go there to see/tour the facility and meet Gerry in person. I should have made time to do that.

[passagesfromtheheart]

Btw, I, too, hope this forum continues to stay active/online. I treasure this place — and all of you who contribute to it!

[crazycarl]

No reason for the forum to cease, it's privately owned. There are plenty of forums online geared toward boats, cars, planes, etc that are no longer in
production.

[Mas]

I just got off of the phone talking with Matt, Gerry's son and here is what I now know. Both Rich and Gerry were getting older and wishing to retire but with Gerry's death the wind kinda got knocked out of their sails. I remember a conversation that I had with Gerry last fall commiserating about our advancing years, he was three years older than myself, and learned then about the challenges that Covid and all the ridiculous lockdowns, (that only flattened thousands of businesses nationwide, included ours) caused for them. Parts and supplies became impossible to get coupled with an increased demand for their product. The net result was the stress involved with trying to run a business being pulled apart by supply and demand. They had stopped going to the Annapolis boat show as Gerry said it made no sense to talk to folks interested in your product just to tell them it would take two or more years to get it to them. Matt indicated that they would love to have someone pick up the business and keep Compac alive but nothing has come to fruition thus the tough decision to simply close. Please send thoughts and prayers. I know we will NEVER sell our little 16 and still have fond memories of our first sailboat, a 16, in which we learned to trick the wind into moving our boat. I have never met anyone who owned a 16 who didn't learn to sail. Meanwhile let's keep this forum alive and well and hope someone will fill the space that the Hutchins family and the company Hutch' started 50 years ago is filled by a rebirth.

[brackish]

A sad day for sure, but a sign of the times. When Precision called it quits I wondered if Compac would keep going, they essentially had the same size range, although Compac had been much better with innovation and the cat boats. 

With regard to the molds, Compac wasn't doing any of the layup, that was done at the Island Packet facility down the road.  Hutchins was assembling the boats post layup.

The thing that we will all miss is being able to call the yard and get information about the parts we needed and having them shipped direct.  I took advantage of that a number of times.

[MichaelQuigley]

Oh, man... :-(