# Compac 19 as a trailer sailor



## benajah (Mar 28, 2011)

I recently moved back to Charlotte NC after many years living on San Francisco Bay. Had larger boats with fixed keels.
Looking for a boat for Lake Norman, a pretty large lake close to here. Lots of options, Catalina 22s, Odays, West Wight Potters, etc, but I have to admit that non fixed keels intimidate me. I still can't figure out how the water is kept out, nor how to deal with doing repairs.
There are a couple of Compac 19s around, that have about 3.5 foot draft, that due to my local lakes steep launch ramps "might" not be a problem.

Looking for anyone who can either talk me out of my fear of swing keels on a Catalina 22 or the like, or give me real world experience launching a 3.5 foot draft boat off a ramp.

Thanks!


----------



## SHNOOL (Jun 7, 2007)

Lots of ways to launch a deeper draft. A shoal draft, or wing keel is easy compared to a find/deep arrangement.

No I wouldn't want to do it each time I was going to sail. But that has more to do with raising, rigging, bending on sails each time, than it does getting the boat into the water. Even my Capri 14.2 was too long a period to get launched each time, and it only would draw 6 inches of water (centerboard up). Nothing quite like a boat slip, walk down, cast off lines and motor away.

But a wing, or shoal keel is shallow enough for most lakes.. and I'm familiar with Lake Norman, the ramp we used was private though, at Lake Norman Sailing Club, but would be steep enough for either, with few problems (I imagine most other ramps there are similar).

I don't recall Lake Norman having terrible depths, the shallow areas were pretty well marked. Winds stunk most of summer, but Fall/Winter/Spring sailing was quite good.


----------



## gah964 (Apr 4, 2015)

just inspect the keel for cracks even iron swing keel will show cracks. I pounded out all the iron scale on mine and looks brand new.if the keel is fiberglass and has cracks just pass on the boat.


----------



## Barquito (Dec 5, 2007)

Regarding the complication of having a lifting keel or centerboard; I agree. That is one reason I went to a fixed keel after owning a Catalina 22. However, in reality it is just another maintenance item to watch. On the Catalina 22 there is a hose on the through hull that goes above the water line.


----------



## cb32863 (Oct 5, 2009)

Beneteau First 235 with the wing keel. You can ramp launch that quite easily. I use the crane at my club because, well I can. But we have another member that uses the ramp to launch it. Very easy. Lots of info out on the web in regards to getting the mast up too. When I picked my boat up in FL last winter, we put it on the trailer at the boat ramp as there was no crane. Worked very easily. There is more options out there than O'Day, Hunter, Compac, & Catalina. The 235 is an awesome pocket cruiser, sails very well and is very well laid out below. Solid fiberglass at all hull penetrations is a bonus (just smart actually). The wing keel version also drafts 2'-9". Give one of these serious consideration.


----------



## archimedes (May 14, 2014)

Com-Pac 19 only draws 2' not 3.5'


----------



## benajah (Mar 28, 2011)

I didn't realise it was quite that shallow a draft. My 19 foot motorboat drafts little more than that with the prop down


----------



## marcberoz (Aug 15, 2003)

I sail a Compac 19. I rig it once a season & then keep it on a mooring. I don't trust myself to raise the mast without using a gin pole. To get the gin pole set up, raise the mast, get the motor on the transom, adjust the stays & shrouds, and mess around with actually launching the boat takes me several hours. No doubt you can do it much faster but that's my pace. I know plenty of sailors don't make any adjustments to their stays & shrouds but I want to maximize performance so I tinker with them to get the tensions just so and make sure the mast is straight. If I was looking for fast in/fast out on a Compac, I'd go with a Suncat.
My 2¢.
Marc


----------



## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

If I was lake sailing, a Com-Pac 19 would be very high on my list. They make several models, with various tradeoffs between cockpit and cabin space. Love cat boats.


----------



## SHNOOL (Jun 7, 2007)

Oh if we are taking votes for models.. then my S2 7.9 (26 foot), or better an S2 6.9 (22 foot) are both infinitely easier to launch then the C19, or the First 235, they draw 18 inches or less of water board up (yep I can confirm that number)... 

Also they sail better than any of the above, and have more room. 

Again, I still wouldn't want to launch one EVERY time I wanted to go sailing. Options that make that better are boat slips (of course), or dry launch rig up. Rig launching, and boat ramp launching each time, will still be quite time consuming unless you pick a cat boat (which are sweet boats, but not what I'd call great sailing boats). Cat boats are superior for quick rigging, easy reefing, and tons of cockpit space, and easy tacking... 

So I suppose you have to prioritize how you wanna use your boat.


----------



## Duckpondpotter16 (Jan 27, 2021)

benajah said:


> I recently moved back to Charlotte NC after many years living on San Francisco Bay. Had larger boats with fixed keels.
> Looking for a boat for Lake Norman, a pretty large lake close to here. Lots of options, Catalina 22s, Odays, West Wight Potters, etc, but I have to admit that non fixed keels intimidate me. I still can't figure out how the water is kept out, nor how to deal with doing repairs.
> There are a couple of Compac 19s around, that have about 3.5 foot draft, that due to my local lakes steep launch ramps "might" not be a problem.
> 
> ...


----------



## Duckpondpotter16 (Jan 27, 2021)

Just to clarify, the Compac 19 has only a 2.0’ draft, not 3.5’.


----------



## Windrunner (Mar 30, 2018)

Hey Benajh:
Here is a great ComPac blog site. https://cpyoa.com/forum/ They are great boats especially for trailer sailing.
regards charlie
s/v Windrunner PSC 34


----------

