Com-Pac Sun Cat 17-2 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Mills drew the Sun Cat as a wide, stable little cruiser whose sweeping sheer and pronounced bow read as purposeful rather than decorative. The hull and decks are hand-laid fiberglass, and the hull shape and construction appear robust. A weighted keel gives the boat its stability, while a stainless steel centerboard in a fiberglass trunk—introduced by Com-Pac in more recent years—provides lateral resistance and acts as a helm-balance trim control. The builder claimed the design had few moving parts and was nearly maintenance-free, and the 1,500-pound displacement with that 7-foot-3 beam and ballasted shoal keel keeps upwind heeling angles comfortably low.

Rig and Handling

The Sun Cat is a true catboat with main and gaff booms, fitted with Com-Pac's patented Mastendr quick-rig system: a lightweight mast on a stainless steel hinge a couple of feet above the deck, a Highfield lever on the forestay, and a safety pin to lock the hinge. Because the main boom, gaff boom, sail, and all running rigging stay in place while trailering, rigging time at the ramp is cut dramatically versus most trailerable sailboats, and the mast can even be lowered afloat to fix a halyard. Sail is raised by pulling the main (throat) halyard and peak halyard together, the latter on a 2:1 purchase, with both led through Spinlock line clutches that let you release tension momentarily without dropping the sail. The downhaul controls luff tension and the two outhauls—one per boom—manage fullness, while the traveler across the bridgedeck governs boom position. Upwind the boat wants a fairly tight setup aside from the mainsheet and a fully lowered board; it punishes pinching but rewards proper airflow with real power through tacks. On a reach, ease the peak an inch or two and lift the board slightly to kill weather helm; on a run, raise the board fully to cut drag and avoid excessive round-up in an accidental jibe.

Accommodations

Offered as a huge-cockpit Daysailer or a cuddy-cabin version, the Sun Cat seats six adults with room to spare in the open layout, with high coamings that double as backrests and curved aft corners that wrap the helmsman's shoulders. Storage lives under the cockpit benches and in an enclosed forward locker. The standard cabin model boasts two berths and space under the bridgedeck for a porta-potti, and its 7-foot-3 beam makes the cabin genuinely spacious for a 17-footer and well suited to overnights. A bridgedeck keeps cabin water out if a wave washes the cockpit, and sassy elliptical cabin ports light the interior.

Known Issues

A catboat's single sail loads the mast heavily, and that strain can flex the hull and show as gelcoat cracks or crazing. Older boats—the oldest were around 16 years by 2016—may need standing-rigging inspection or replacement, and deck delamination is always a possibility. The mast hinge itself deserves close attention given its central role in the rig.

Refits and Ownership

Finding parts is straightforward since the builder remained in business, with technical assistance available. The hinged mast and trailered-ready rig mean a used Sun Cat can be launched and recovered in minutes, and the simple gaff rig with lazy-jack options keeps sail handling manageable for short-handed crews.

The Verdict

The Sun Cat 17-2 is an affordable, safe, and sturdy pocket catboat that trades the complexity of a sloop for a gaff rig any family can manage, yet offers enough trim responsiveness to engage experienced sailors. Its beamy cabin and shoal draft make it a credible coastal weekender, while the Mastendr system removes most of the pain from trailering.

Pros