Keith Scott's comments on the Com-Pac 23

[Potcake boy]

Brackish,

I'm in the same boat (point in my life wise), and have found the 23 Pilothouse very accommodating to my current needs. My choice was predicated in part by the size restriction in our marina - 26 X 8.5. My wife and I go cruising here in S.W. Florida sometimes for a couple of weeks. The pilothouse makes this a whole other boat. Standing room with great visibility and shelter from the weather, and the sun. With cockpit covered by the bimini it becomes a really nice lounging area whether under sail or at anchor. I always sail the boat from the inside steering station because of the superior visibility. There is just nothing to complain about this boat. As with all Com Pacs it does very well the duty it was designed for. This is a cruising boat for us, as I have moved on from racing trimarans, so I didn't acquire it for performance. Yes, she's a reacher and not a pointer as most Com Pacs, but is still fun to sail, and quite comfortable at anchor.

The Pilothouse isn't a low cost boat, but neither is the Dana which was a consideration. The Com Pac won out because I don't like the cave cabin of smaller sailboats. The Dana is a great boat for long distance cruising, but too much exterior teak for my likes. My pilot house has no teak on the exterior and I am very happy for that. All said, it's a great little pocket cruiser that offers much comfort and accommodation with minimal maintenance. One caveat however is that for more than day sailing it is best suited to people of smaller stature. My wife and I are not large people and are OK but forget the Pullman style bunk conversion of the table, this boat is not big enough to cruise with three adults - kids maybe.

If you find yourself in S.W. Florida, I would be happy to introduce you to GladRags.

[brackish]

Thanks Ron, if I get down there I'll take you up on that offer.  Haven't been down for a while, used to meet a friend who lived in Boca Raton and last time a group of us rented a place on Captiva and spent a week.  My friend moved to Ocean Springs, MS so haven't made that trip for a while.  I do like what I have seen of the CP23PH.

Ironically, that struggle to find the right boat for the time is rearing its ugly head again.  If I continue to live where I am it might push me to power.  Bay Springs Lake is stunningly beautiful but it is not really a sailors lake.  Because of the lake orientation the fact that it is a dammed section of the TennTom with fairly high banks, I get two prevailing winds.  80% of the time it is a run leaving my slip which I usually sail up lake wing and wing or if not to lazy, put up the asymmetrical.  Coming back it is a beat, not the 23's best point of sail and since I am often sailing single handed I get tired of that fairly quickly. The other 20% it is the reverse.  There are no comfortable beam reach destinations.  Many times there is not enough wind to sail at all.  Most of the time my wife and I end up motoring out to a cove for our overnight cruises.

Thinking about something like a Ranger Tug 25SC.  Slow and comfortable.  Or something else in that class of small trawler/tug.  Something still transportable but having the features of standing headroom and separate head. 

I can always bareboat charter to get my sailing fix.  Done that in the Bahamas and the Virgin Islands, want to do Croatia and Maine before I get too old to do it.