# Com-PAC 19 for summer cruiser puget sound



## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

I saw a really nice one for sale for my spring and summer of cruising puget sound. It's small, but I'm pretty good at small. 

I could always go with something like a Catalina 25-27 like I had planned, this one is just do nice.

I have no interest I. Trailering not does it come with a trailer. Are they hardy? Good quality? Or just too small. I do have to fit provisions, but not weeks worth. I have a road bike an I have clothes. The normal cruising tools and such. That's about it. I'll do a lot of gunk holing


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## SHNOOL (Jun 7, 2007)

The compac 19 is a terrific trailerable. It's tough, and stable, and very seaworthy for it's size. Short trips of 1 or 2 overnighters are probably fine. Getting pinned in a blow, maybe not so much. A Cork is 100% buoyant, but you wouldn't want to bob on it in a 3-5 foot seas. But for a gunk-holer the C19 is a great choice.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

It is hard to carry a road bike inside a Catalina 25 without it getting in the way. Where are you going to carry one on a 19' boat? A folding bike is a different story.

Gunk holing in Puget Sound is going to be a lot more fun if you can go for more than a couple of nights.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

I'm going to go for more than a few nights. I thought the boat was too small.


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## sailortrash (Sep 1, 2012)

I absolutely loved mine. Great boat wonderful under sail. easy to trailer. Great for camping style overnighters. Have fun enjoy i really wish i still had mine.


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## jasenj1 (Feb 2, 2013)

Here's a site by a guy who went through the selection process and ended up with a Com-Pac 19. Worth a read.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

northoceanbeach: I think you can go for more than a few nights in it. I've camped for a week out of a kayak where I also had to carry all of my water, and any 19' sailboat has more room than my 18' kayak (with 20" beam). 

I just doubt that you could do so and find room below to store a full sized road bike and an inflatable dinghy (which is also very helpful for cruising Puget Sound).


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

Ok I guess in having trouble deciding on a boat. 

I've spent a couple weeks in puget kayak camping that wa fun but I want to stay longer and sail this time. It's hard to decide on a boat. There's not that many under $5000 listed right now. There's a couple US 25. An oday 27 they keep hanging the price of and a couple of questionable $2000 boats. 

I'm thinking that now is the time to get in there an get a good deal and stays board for a month or two getting the hang of it in a marina and then take off web it's a little out of winter. 

The com PAC is the nicest one I've seen(except for a beautiful sannjuan 24 that was sold when I called). I wasn't thinking anything that small but it looks great so I thought I'd put it into consideration. I wish I had more choices. I'd really like a nice cal 25 but there aren't any of those. 

The summer I went up ti kayak was in June an by that time all the cheap boats had been picked clean so I've got to get something soonish. A least within the next month. Any ways to find one raises craigslist? 

I'm looking for in order of importance:

Sound hull
Good standing rigging
Recent haul out 
Good motor
Good running rigging
Nice interior
Accessories(because if it's bare, those accessories will cost you more than the boat)

The ones with nice interior IMO are usually worse sailors because thy have a nice interior because they've been used as a liveaboard an not as a sailboat. If I see. "needs a new bottom because I've used it as a liveaboard for years". I immediately click away. 

As for size. I can do small. But I need a boat tht can handle a little rough wether should spring drag on too long. Or I need a boat that, not cross oceans, but should I decide to go up Into Canada it can do that. 

I know I'm asking a lot for little money but I know if I look hard and be patient I'll ind the right one. Like that beautiful San Juan. Oh! It was listed since January but when uncalled a deal was underway. It was nice. I'm jot there yet, almost but not yet, but if I was I would have snatched it right up. Maybe there will be another. I've heard they are common up there. There just aren't a lot of options on craigslisy now. 

I suppose another benefit of a com PAC would be that if I leave in fall ad can't sell I can trailer it home an kit have to sell cheap. 
Thoughts?


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

A friend just sold his Catalina 22 and that would have been a possible candidate. He took it up to the San Juans for two weeks last summer (I was there at the same time) and found it small, but do-able. It was a fin keel model which opens up the interior a bit. He sold it for $3500 with a nearly new motor, sails, and recent bottom painting.

Figure out a good craigslist search. For some reason many people don't ever use the word sail or sailboat when putting their ad together. When I was shopping my search was something like "sail* | genoa | spinnaker | sloop | jib".

This Catalina 25 looks like a pretty good deal based on the ad:
25' Catalina Sailboat - Tall Rig

I'm not a huge fan of the swing keel, but the tall rig is nice here in the summer when the winds are light. The Catalina 25 that I had was a tall rig, fin keel, and it was a nice small cruiser. There is a good amount of interior storage due to the double sized quarterberth.

Otherwise CL looks a little dry at the moment (you already mentioned the large numbers of US25's). I will say that last spring it seemed like there were good options up until May.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

I saw that Catalina listed. I guess boats are going quick up there now. I wouldn't have thought there would be many buyers yet. May I ask if e got the full $3500?


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

I really love the C-19 and have been tempted to buy one for the lake near my house. It takes a lot of sober discipline not to go there and own two boats. Must resist.........

If you enjoy kayak camping, then by comparison, sleeping aboard the C-19 would be highly desirable. Although, the sky is the limit, when it comes to just how comfortable you want and can afford to be. Here are some things to think about:

Head: porta potty, MSD with holding tank or none?
Fresh Water: Live off bottled like backpacking, onboard tankage, sink, shower?
Power: Do you need/want lights, radios, etc?
Motor: Stictly sail or have alternative? Inboard or outboard?

Your sailing requirements are a bit conflicted. If you want to gunkhole around fairly tame coastal shallows, the C-19 is a great choice. If you want to cruise up the coast, not so much, but it can be done in the right conditions.

As you are likely already learning, there will be trade-offs.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

Yes, I think he got his full asking price. I'm not surprised, the price was a little more then the average Catalina 22 but the maintenance and equipment were up to date instead of having the boat neglected for 5-10 years. So his boat sold quickly while this one has been sitting on CL for about a year:
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/boa/3589389849.html .
I sold my Catalina 25 for a higher than average price (but less than I had invested) for the same reason.

Winter is a great sailing season here, the wind speeds tend to be higher and more consistent. I've seen well priced boats in good condition sell quickly at any time of year. The slowest is probably in the late fall.

Are you really in Honolulu? I don't think I'd recommend buying boats in this price range remotely, you really do need to see them in person to check condition.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

I'll be there in a couple of days.


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## deltaten (Oct 10, 2012)

A cursory glance at comparative asking prices; the Com-Pac is more bang for yer buck, in my estimation. Those of the relative;y same years... mid to late 80's seem to be of the same avg prices.
While not strictly apples-to-apples, there's still a lot going for the smaller Com-Pac, IMHO. IIRC, there *might* have been a few C-P 21's built, but time and memory don;t serve so well anymore. None listed at Sail Boat Data as of now.

All depends on what ya want for looks, space and handling??

Best,
Paul


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## deltaten (Oct 10, 2012)

Went to Sail Texas and found several C-P "Eclipse" 21 footers... so there's some to see. Guess I'm not so senile


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## jrd22 (Nov 14, 2000)

Going small is one thing in good weather. I'm guessing 19' feels considerably smaller after a week of rain? 
Check Craigslist for Bellingham and also Skagit (covers San Juans). Usually some local boats, reasonable prices and they are close to where you want to cruise.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

Yes at first I thought boats in Bellingham would be more expensive since they are closer to the San Juan's but ten I realized that most boat shoppers are not from out of state like me and probably want a boat close to home. And home for the majority of puget sound is sea tac. Ill do more checking in the surrounding areas. Thanks.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

It's easy enough to move boats from Bellingham down to Seattle that I think most buyers are looking in both locations (and many of the boats listed up north are cross listed to Seattle). I bought my Pearson in Bellingham.


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

Northoceanbeach... I was planning on towing my sailboat a 1982 US-25 already in the Everett marina to Georgia. but the trailer for the boat is going to take over a month to build and cost more than what I paid for the boat... so I am planning to sell her... if you'd like pictures of the exterior and interior of the boat, outboard, etc. I would be happy to send you photos over PM... I just can't justify the cost of gas and new trailer, etc. to bring her down... it is a beautiful and roomy boat. 

I will be needing to sell her before the end of March or sooner.

Nick


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