Com-Pac 23 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

Three distinct model variants circulate on the brokerage market, and knowing which you are looking at matters. The original 23 is the earliest iteration — spartan below by today's standards, with a simpler galley arrangement and smaller portlights. The 23/2, introduced in the mid-1980s, is the version most prospective buyers will encounter; it added the clever hide-away galley with its folding two-burner stovetop to port and sliding stainless sink to starboard, upgraded interior finishing, and a bowsprit that meaningfully increased sail area. The 23/3 brought mostly tooling refinements, most visibly swapping the small round bronze portlights for larger oval ones that improve cabin light and ventilation. All three share the same basic arrangement: two settee berths in the main cabin, two forward berths, and a dedicated storage compartment between the forward berths sized for a portable head. The teak-and-holly sole and teak-veneered bulkheads appear across the range and hold up well when the boat has been kept dry.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Used examples often carry a bimini — a practical addition given the long, comfortable cockpit that serves as the primary living space on any daysail or cruise. Chartplotters appear frequently as well, reflecting the kind of coastal and gunkholing use that defines how most owners sail these boats. Spinnakers show up occasionally as an owner upgrade, typically fitted by sailors looking to coax more speed from the boat on reaching and downwind legs where the 23 genuinely comes alive.

The outboard motor arrangement deserves particular attention. The vast majority of 23s came without an inboard, and an 8-horsepower outboard became the de facto standard across the fleet. Four-stroke outboards have become a common upgrade on boats that originally carried two-stroke engines, and a clean, recent four-stroke is a meaningful improvement in reliability, fuel economy, and environmental footprint. A small number of boats — only a small number were ever built — came from the factory with a 10-horsepower single-cylinder Yanmar diesel inboard, designated the 23 D. These are genuinely sought after and seldom appear on the market; if you find one, expect to pay accordingly and verify the engine's service history with extra care.

What to Inspect

The single most important inspection task on any used Com-Pac 23 is a thorough accounting of where water has been — and for how long. Trailerable boats are particularly susceptible to neglect while stored on their trailers, and a boat that sat sealed for years may look outwardly fine while harboring mold, soft plywood, or a rotted cabin sole. Open every locker, lift the sole panels, and probe the forward berth area carefully. The hide-away galley components are wood-based and will show damage if repeated condensation or drips were ignored.

The balsa-cored deck deserves attention. Tap the deck methodically, especially around fittings, stanchion bases, and the mast step area, listening for the dull thud of delamination or wet core. Water intrusion into a balsa core is a common consequence of fittings that were not properly bedded or were allowed to work loose over time. While the hull itself is solid fiberglass and generally durable, the deck is where most of the structural risk lives on these boats.

Rigging on the 23 was intentionally designed to be raised and lowered without a gin pole, which means the standing rigging is relatively light for the rig size. Inspect the shrouds, chainplates, and turnbuckles carefully; the chainplates are through-bolted and accessible from below, but check for any staining or moisture around the deck penetrations that would indicate slow weeping. The transom-hung aluminum rudder with its kick-up blade is worth checking for any cracks or corrosion at the pintles and gudgeons, as these take repeated abuse during launching and retrieval on ramps.

On boats that have been trailered extensively, inspect the hull-to-deck joint and the keel-to-hull joint. The long shoal keel is integral to the hull and not a bolt-on appendage, which is a structural advantage, but the joint area can collect stress from years of trailer loading if the trailer bunks were poorly positioned or if the boat was routinely launched across rough ramp conditions.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The Com-Pac 23 circulates most actively in the United States, where the fleet is concentrated along the Eastern Seaboard, the Gulf Coast, and the Great Lakes. Florida in particular has a dense population of these boats, reflecting Com-Pac's Clearwater, Florida base and the model's suitability for shallow-water coastal sailing. Occasional examples appear in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking markets, though the used supply there is thinner. With a substantial fleet built across a long production run, patient buyers are unlikely to struggle to find candidates.

Before making an offer, work through this checklist:

• Identify the model variant (23, 23/2, 23/3, or the rare diesel 23 D) and understand what equipment and features are standard for that variant
• Tap the entire deck surface for soft or delaminated core, paying close attention around fittings and stanchion bases
• Open every interior compartment and inspect for moisture damage, mold, soft plywood, and rot in the cabin sole
• Confirm the hide-away galley (23/2 and later) is intact, slides and folds properly, and shows no water damage at the hinges or tracks
• Check the outboard bracket, motor well, and fuel locker for condition; verify the outboard starts and runs reliably under load
• Inspect pintles, gudgeons, and the kick-up blade on the transom-hung rudder for corrosion or cracking
• Examine chainplate deck penetrations from below for any sign of water ingress or rust staining
• If purchasing with a trailer, verify bunk positioning and inspect the hull where it contacts the trailer for crazing or stress marks
• Look for evidence of an active owner community connection — boats maintained by engaged owners tend to be in meaningfully better condition than those stored and ignored