Design and Construction
Mills gave the boat a sweeping sheerline that runs aft from a short bowsprit, then rises just ahead of the transom-hung rudder. The boxy cabintrunk, fitted with round or oval bronze ports, flows naturally into the deck lines.
The hull is solid fiberglass. Longitudinal stringers encapsulate the bulkheads and stiffen the hull panels, while the balsa-cored deck is molded outside the builder’s shop. The finish below is above average for the class, with handmade plywood bulkheads faced in teak veneer, teak cabin-side paneling, and a teak-and-holly sole—a very nice touch on a small boat.
Both the Mk IV’s keel and rudder use a low-drag, high-lift NACA airfoil section. The shoal fin draws just 2 feet 3 inches, allowing the boat to cross shallows that deeper-draft cruisers must tack around.
Rig and Handling
The Com-Pac 23 carries a masthead sloop rig with a 30-foot mast engineered to be raised and lowered without a gin pole—a real advantage for a trailerable design. The standing rigging looks a little undersized for a rig of this height, though that’s the trade-off for easy mast stepping.
Under sail, the Com-Pac 23 is nimble but not close-winded. Wide sheeting angles and a touch of weather helm show up when beating, but she reaches beautifully. Owners report reaching her theoretical 6-knot hull speed fairly regularly on a reach. The hull tends to pitch in a chop, but it doesn’t pound, and the shallow forefoot and long keel give the boat tractable behavior in thin water.
Accommodations
With a beam of nearly eight feet, the cabin is genuinely spacious for a 23-footer. There’s only one step down into the saloon, though standing headroom is available only under the companionway.
The sleeping arrangements provide honest berths for four: a double V-berth forward and two straight settee quarter berths aft. A portable head stows in a compartment between the forward bunks.
The hide-away galley usually has a two-burner stovetop to port and a stainless-steel sink to starboard. A portable table mounts on the bulkhead. Two overhead hatches and six opening bronze ports ventilate the interior.
Cockpit and Deck Gear
The cockpit is the boat’s best design feature. It’s more than seven feet long, self-bailing, and fitted with a bridgedeck and two lockers. It’s also surprisingly comfortable for days on the hook.
Stainless-steel pulpits and stanchions are beefy by small-boat standards. Teak cabintop handrails and molded nonskid make the narrow side decks safe to work, while most boats have bronze cleats and small standard sheet winches. The transom typically carries both an outboard bracket and a swim ladder, which makes that area somewhat crowded.
Evolution and Variants
The original 1978 design led to the 23/2 in the mid-1980s. That version added the hide-away galley and a bowsprit that moved the sail plan’s center of effort forward to reduce weather helm. The 23/3 arrived in the early 1990s with tooling upgrades such as larger oval ports.
Later Mk IV changes included a small increase in ballast, an on-deck anchor locker, a PVC rubrail with a stainless-steel striker, a foil rudder blade, and an optional 9 hp Yanmar inboard. The rare 23 D carried a 10 hp, single-cylinder Yanmar diesel; only about 35 were built.
The vast majority of Com-Pac 23s left the factory with outboards. Most examples seen on the market have 8 hp units and a built-in locker for a six-gallon fuel tank.
The Verdict
The Com-Pac 23 Mk IV is a practical, traditional pocket cruiser that trades upwind precision for shoal-water freedom and a roomy, teak-trimmed cabin. She’s better suited to sailors who cruise between ramps and anchorages than to those racing around the buoys. Her easily stepped mast and shallow-draft hull make her an accessible coastal camp cruiser.
Pros
- Shoal 2-foot 3-inch keel with a NACA foil section opens up shallow creeks and makes launching easier
- Roomy, nearly eight-foot-wide cabin with four proper berths and a hide-away galley
- Mast steps without a gin pole
- Above-average teak-and-holly interior finish
- Long, self-bailing cockpit with a bridgedeck and beefy stanchions
Cons
- Not close-winded, with wide sheeting angles and weather helm when beating
- Standing rigging looks undersized for the 30-foot mast
- Standing headroom only beneath the companionway
- Transom is crowded by the outboard bracket and swim ladder
