Design and Construction
Both hull and deck are moulded in fibreglass, and the keel itself is lead — a material choice that, paired with the documented 48 percent ballast ratio, places the Compass 29 above 86 percent of comparable sailboat designs on that measure. That ballast ratio significantly above average is the structural keystone of the design: it confers a very high ability to resist heeling without recourse to exaggerated beam. Indeed the boat's length-to-beam ratio is 3.14 and she is slimmer than 58 percent of all similar designs, a section that trades outright volume for a hull that sits quietly under sail. At 274 on the displacement-length index she is categorized among heavy cruisers, with an immersion rate near 723 pounds per inch and a wetted-surface area of about 226 square feet — figures that reinforce the picture of a sturdily built, slowly loaded coastal and offshore hull rather than a featherweight racer.
Rig and Handling
The Compass 29 carries a masthead-sloop rig documented with specific sheet geometries: jib and genoa sheets of 8.8 metres at 10 mm diameter, a 22-metre mainsheet of the same diameter, and 19.3-metre spinnaker sheets. Those dimensions speak to a manually worked rig of period scale rather than oversized winch-driven loads. Under power she may be fitted with either an inboard Yanmar diesel of 15 hp or a Nanni diesel of 18 hp, each driving through a shaft transmission; calculated maximum speeds are about 5.1 and 5.6 knots respectively, while the theoretical hull speed of a displacement hull her length is 6.4 knots. The capsize screening value is recorded as 1.91, and her Motion Comfort Ratio of 23.2 is judged more comfortable than 54 percent of similar sailboats — a quantitative echo of the steadiness implied by the ballast and beam decisions.
Accommodations
Below, the Compass 29 is equipped with 4+2 berths, a galley and a toilet facility, and the headroom is described as above average for the class. The accommodation count and the reported headroom suggest a cabin planned for liveaboard use rather than weekend racing, consistent with the heavy-cruiser categorization drawn from the displacement data. No further interior subdivision is documented in the source material, but the berth and service configuration establishes her as a compact cruiser with standing headroom and the minimum self-contained amenities for extended coastal passage.
Known Issues
The supplied documentation records no structural defects, osmotic complaints, rigging failures, or systemic construction faults for the Compass 29. The only caveats embedded in the factual record are performance-related and inherent rather than defective: the calculated engine speeds fall short of theoretical hull speed, and the capsize screening formula's truncated conclusion indicates only that the value could, by that formula alone, be accepted to participate — with the remainder of the sentence cut from the source. Prospective owners should therefore read the documentation as a clean bill on documented faults, with no reported known issues to inspect beyond ordinary age-related wear.
Refits and Ownership
Ownership considerations are anchored by the builder's New Zealand base and the mid-seventies design date, with a few hundred boats built. The two documented engine options — Yanmar 15 hp and Nanni 18 hp, both shaft-driven — are the principal mechanical variables a buyer or owner will encounter, and either represents a period-appropriate inboard diesel rather than a later repower unknown to the record. The lead long keel and solid fibreglass hull are not described as carrying hidden maintenance vectors in the source, leaving refit scope to the usual periodic rig, seal, and machinery renewal rather than design-driven correction.
The Verdict
The Compass 29 is a thoughtfully proportioned small cruiser whose narrow, heavy hull and high ballast ratio deliver steadiness and heel resistance that the numbers substantiate against most peers. She is not a light-air flyer, but her documented comfort and capsize-screening values, combined with above-average headroom and self-contained accommodations, make her a credible compact cruiser of her era.
Pros
- Ballast ratio of 48 percent, higher than 86 percent of similar designs, conferring very high heel resistance
- Slimmer than 58 percent of comparable boats, with heavy-cruiser displacement for a steady ride
- Above-average headroom with 4+2 berths, galley, and toilet
- Solid fibreglass hull and deck with lead long keel
- Two documented shaft-drive diesel options (Yanmar 15 hp, Nanni 18 hp)
Cons
- Calculated engine speeds (5.1–5.6 knots) sit well below 6.4-knot theoretical hull speed
- No documented successor or later-generation improvements in the source record
- Capsize screening value conclusion truncated in source; full offshore qualification unstated
