The Com-Pac 23 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Clark Mills as a pocket cruiser and first built in 1978. The boat has undergone design changes over time resulting in a series of improved models.Henkel, Steve: ''The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats'', page 225.

International Marine S&P Global Inc. (prior to April 2016 McGraw Hill Financial, Inc., and prior to 2013 The McGraw–Hill Companies, Inc.) is an American publicly traded corporation headquartered in Manhattan, New York City. Its primary areas of business are financ ...

/ McGraw-Hill, 2010.

Production

The design has been built by

Com-Pac Yachts Com-Pac Yachts is an American brand of sailboats, made by the Hutchins Co., Inc., a boat builder based in Clearwater, Florida. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of fiberglass sailboats. Over time the brand and the company h ...

in the United States since 1978 and remains in production as the Mark IV and Pilothouse models.

Design

The Com-Pac 23 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig, a spooned plumb stem, a plumb

transom Transom may refer to: * Transom (architecture), a bar of wood or stone across the top of a door or window, or the window above such a bar * Transom (nautical), that part of the stern of a vessel where the two sides of its hull meet * Operation Tran ...

, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed fin, shoal draft keel. The boat has a draft of with the standard shoal draft keel. The boat is normally fitted with a small outboard motor for docking and maneuvering. The design has sleeping accommodation for four people, with a double

"V"-berth A berth is a bed or sleeping accommodation on vehicles. Space accommodations have contributed to certain common design elements of berths. Beds in boats or ships While beds on large ships are little different from those on shore, the lack ...

in the bow cabin and two straight settee

quarter berth A berth is a bed or sleeping accommodation on vehicles. Space accommodations have contributed to certain common design elements of berths. Beds in boats or ships While beds on large ships are little different from those on shore, the lack ...

s in the main cabin. The

galley A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be used ...

is located aft of the

companionway In the architecture of a ship, a companion or companionway is a raised and windowed hatchway in the ship's deck, with a ladder leading below and the hooded entrance-hatch to the main cabins. A companionway may be secured by doors or, commonly in ...

ladder and is equipped with a two-burner stove and a sink. The

head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...

is a portable type and is located in the bow cabin between the bunks. Cabin headroom is . The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 260 and a hull speed of .

Variants

;Com-Pac 23 :This model was introduced in 1978. It has a length overall of , a waterline length of , displaces and carries of ballast. The fresh water tank has a capacity of . ;Com-Pac 23 Mk 2 :This model was introduced in 1979. It has a length overall of , a waterline length of , displaces and carries of ballast. The fresh water tank has a capacity of . ;Com-Pac 23 Mk 3 :This model introduced in 1984 and carries a bowsprit. It has a length overall of , a waterline length of , displaces and carries of ballast. A Japanese Yanmar diesel engine of was a factory option. ;Com-Pac 23 Mk 4 or 23/IV :This current productionmodel has a length overall of , a beam of and displaces . The keel and rudder both use a NACA airfoil low drag-high lift design. ;Com-Pac 23 Pilothouse :This model was introduced in 2011 and features a pilothouse from which the boat can be steered by a

wheel A wheel is a circular component that is intended to rotate on an axle Bearing (mechanical), bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the Simple machine, six simple machines. Wheels, in conjunction wi ...

in inclement weather. It has a length overall of , a waterline length of , displaces and carries of ballast.

Operational history

In a 2008 review in ''Sailing Magazine'', John Kretschmer wrote, "although the Com-Pac 23 is a very practical boat, its wide appeal comes from its traditional appearance. The sheerline sweeps aft from the short bowsprit before bending up again just before the transom-hung rudder. The box cabintrunk, with round or oval bronze ports, flows naturally into the deck lines. From a distance the boat looks bigger than 23 feet. There is a shallow forefoot and a long, shoal keel with a draft of just 2 feet, 3 inches. Any more draft would make it difficult to launch on many ramps." In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote, "the Com-Pac 23 ... is now in its fourth iteration (called Mk IV). Along the way various changes have included a bowsprit which moved the sail area center of effort forward, reducing weather helm), a small increase in ballast weight, an on-deck anchor locker, improvements in hardware including a switch from round ports to rectangular ones, a PVC rubrail with stainless steel striker plate, a foil rudder blade in place of one made of flat plate, an optional 9 hp Yanmar inboard diesel engine, and others. (The company included the new bowsprit in the boat’s length, changing it from 22' 9" to 23' 11"; we use LOD, not LOA, as a measure of length, so we exclude the bowsprit.) Best features: The finish is above average, with lots of teak below and a teak-and-holly sole, Worst features: The draft of the Com-Pac 23 at only 2' 3", with no centerboard, limits the boat's ability to sail close to the wind." In a 2012 boats.com review of the Pilothouse model, Zuzana Prochazka wrote, "'cute as a button' is one way to describe Com-Pac Yachts’ 23-foot pilothouse sloop, but the emphasis on the diminutive is misleading because the CP 23 PH is much more than just loveable and small. It’s actually an innovative and serious trailerable cruiser, enhancing Com-Pac’s reputation for building tough boats with well-thought-out details."

References

External links