Com-Pac 23 Pocket Cruiser Guide, From Mark I to 23/IV

A compact sailboat with a real keel and a ramp-friendly draft

The Com-Pac 23 answers a question many small-boat sailors ask: can a compact sailboat that tows behind an ordinary vehicle still feel like a proper little yacht? Clark Mills, the Florida designer behind the Optimist dinghy and the earlier Com-Pac 16, drew it for Les Hutchins's company in 1978. Instead of a swing keel or centerboard, it has a long, shallow fixed keel drawing just 2 ft 3 in. That makes it launchable from many public ramps while leaving the cabin free of a centerboard trunk.

Com-Pac Yachts, the boatbuilding arm of the Hutchins Co. in Clearwater, Florida, built the 23 in four marks and later added a Pilothouse version. In 2008 John Kretschmer, writing in Sailing magazine, put its appeal down to looks as much as practicality: a sweeping sheer, a short bowsprit, a box cabin trunk with bronze ports, and a profile that looks bigger than 23 feet from a distance. That traditional look is still why people search for a compac 23 sailboat today.

Mark I, II, III, IV and the Pilothouse: telling them apart

The hull stayed the same throughout, but the boat evolved. Sailboatdata and Steve Henkel's 2010 review let you date most boats by their details:

• Mark I (from 1978): about 22 ft 9 in long, 2,900 lb displacement, no bowsprit, round ports, a 5 gallon water tank.
• Mark II (sailboatdata dates it to 1984): a bowsprit added for more sail area and to move the center of effort forward, cutting weather helm, a hideaway galley, 3,000 lb displacement and a 14 gallon water tank. Length with the sprit became 23 ft 11 in.
• Mark III (from about 1991): tooling upgrades including oval rather than round ports. Com-Pac began offering an optional 9 hp Yanmar inboard diesel around this time, fitted to about 35 boats.
• 23/IV (sailboatdata dates it to 1997): all stainless hardware and ports, a rigid PVC rubrail with a stainless striker, a foil rudder in place of the old flat plate, a NACA-section keel, and interior changes that make wiring instruments, radios and shore power easier.
• CP 23 Pilothouse (from 2011): same hull with an enclosed steering station and wheel, 3,500 lb displacement, a dinette that converts to a double, enclosed head and shower, and a diesel engine. SAIL gave it a 2012 Best Boats award for accommodations.

What the numbers say about how it sails

On a 20 ft 2 in waterline the 23 carries 1,340 pounds of ballast in a 3,000 pound boat, a ballast ratio around 45 percent. Reported sail area for the bowsprit boats is 250 square feet, a sail area to displacement ratio near 19, so the boat is not slow in light air for its type. Hull speed is about 6 knots and its PHRF average is around 260.

The masthead rig is unusually robust for a trailer sailer. Com-Pac called the 23/IV and Pilothouse full masthead, eight-stay rigs, and the company pointed to owners' Gulf of Mexico crossings and long Bahamas cruises. That is a builder's claim, but the stout rig and fixed ballast do make the 23 more forgiving in a short chop than many water-ballast pocket cruisers.

The trade-off is pointing. Henkel singled out the 2 ft 3 in draft with no centerboard as the boat's main weakness, because it limits how close to the wind it can sail. Expect to tack through wider angles than a fin-keel 23 footer and to give up some ground on a beat. The bowsprit on the Mark II and later helps balance, so earlier boats tend to carry more weather helm.

Trailering, launching and the realities of 3,000 pounds

Com-Pac sold the 23/IV and Pilothouse with an optional custom trailer and stressed that both could go over the road for vacations or winter storage. With the boat around 3,000 pounds before gear, plus the trailer, outboard, water and stores, you need a tow vehicle with a generous margin over the combined weight and good trailer brakes. A shallow, gently sloped ramp makes launching easy because the keel is so shallow, but the boat is not designed to float off a short trailer at a steep ramp the way a swing-keel boat can.

Mast stepping is a manual job on the 23, unlike the company's later cat boats with the Mastendr folding system. Owners who trailer often add a gin pole or a tabernacle-style hinge and leave the shrouds attached. The mast stands roughly 30 feet above the waterline, so check bridge clearances on inland cruising routes.

Inside: sitting headroom, teak and a hideaway galley

Do not expect standing headroom. Cabin headroom is about 52 inches, so the 23 is a sit-down boat. Within that, the layout is well used. A V-berth in the bow cabin sleeps two, with a portable head between the bunks. Two straight settees in the main cabin double as berths, giving four in all. From the Mark II onward the galley is a hideaway unit near the companionway with a two-burner stove and a sink.

Henkel rated the finish above average for the class, with a lot of teak below and a teak and holly sole. Ventilation and light depend on the port style and hatch, and many owners add a solar vent and LED lighting. With a 14 gallon water tank and a cooler, a couple can comfortably spend a long weekend aboard, and committed owners have done much longer cruises.

Outboard bracket or the rare inboard Yanmar

Most Com-Pac 23s use a small outboard of roughly 3 to 9 hp on a transom bracket. That keeps the bilge free, and a modern four-stroke or electric outboard is an easy upgrade. The weaknesses are typical of outboard-powered keelboats: the prop can cavitate in a short chop and the motor sits awkwardly far aft for maintenance.

The optional 9 hp Yanmar inboard diesel, introduced around the Mark III era, makes the boat feel more like a small yacht under power, but only about 35 inboard boats were built. Because they are rare, they command a premium. Inspect the engine bed, shaft log and cooling system carefully, as the installation is tight in a hull this size.

Buying after Com-Pac Yachts closed

In 2025 the company posted a notice that Hutchins Co. and Com-Pac Yachts would cease operations effective May 1, 2025, following the death of Gerry Hutchins and the retirement of Richard Hutchins, after 51 years in business. The notice listed dealers who could still help with service. Com-Pac had its hulls and spars built by subcontractors and had kept the 23/IV and CP 23 Pilothouse in its range of 12 models into the 2020s.

For buyers, that means every compac boat for sale is now used, and factory parts such as rudders, bowsprits and Com-Pac trailers come only from dealer stock, other owners or fabrication. Owner forums and the shared hardware with other Com-Pac models help, but budget for custom work if a bowsprit, rudder or keel casting is damaged. Prioritize complete boats with trailers, original manuals and good sails.

Com-Pac 23 or a bigger Com-Pac

Buyers who search for a com-pac 33 or other larger Com-Pac usually end up looking at the Com-Pac 27 series (the 27/3 was the only bigger sloop left in the 2021 range) or the Charley Morgan designed Com-Pac 35 of 1990, both boats you moor rather than tow. The 23 remains the sweet spot of the line: big enough for a weekend for two, small enough to tow and launch, and simple enough to maintain on a tight budget. Annual costs of $2,000 to $6,000 cover trailer storage or a mooring, insurance, bottom paint, outboard service and small parts.