We bought Remote Access, a 2001 Compac 23/3, from The Sailboat Shop in Glen Gardner, NJ. We're quite happy with our Compac and with the dealer. Some photos and further comments are in the Photo Gallery pages, under Initial Purchase, and Bringing her home.
What we were looking for was a small seaworthy cruiser with a shallow draft. The Compac traditional lines and generous use of teak (generous for a boat of this size) appealed to us. The 3000 pounds displacement and 1300 pounds of ballast made this the heaviest and most stable small cruiser still in production. The Flicka by Pacific Seacraft and the Alden Cape Dory would be similar in this respect with significantly greater displacement but with greater draft. Neither the Flicka or Cape Dory are currently in production and used boats in excellent condition are hard to come by.
The Compac 23/3 shoal keel drafts 27 inches. The shoal keel was appealing due to its lack of moving parts (as a centerboard would have) and no keel bolts to loosen (the keel ballast is glassed in). Anyone familiar with the depths in Pleasant Bay, the Chattam Break, and near Chattam and Monomoy will appreciate why we find a shallow draft appealing.
Construction of the Compac seems very solid. Practical Sailor's review pointed out that the bulkheads were tabbed in rather than the entire joint clothed and glassed together and that the chainplates and standing rigging might stand to be a bit heftier. We don't expect to be in weather heavy enough to overstress the bulkheads or stays and shrouds. We have however broken the plastic peices that hold the top of the bulkhead in place relative to the cabin top and replaced that with oak, finished with teak. If we do venture far out into the open ocean, and with that choice incur the risk of experiencing sustained winds above gail force, we'll have plenty to upgrade and we'll give these items any needed attention.
We currently have no plans for offshore passages of this nature. The farthest we have sailed is Block Island by way of Nantucket and Marthas Vineyard. That is 120 miles away by sail but with no leg of the journey longer than 60 miles. Our current sailing plans would never put us more than a day or two from safe refuge. Some passages which we might attempt in the near future include crossing Massachusetts Bay headed for Maine. Longer term we may head toward the Delaware entrance to the Chesapeaske. These trips are still coast cruising rather than offshore passage and will not take us more than a day or two from safe harbor at any given time.