Com-Pac Sun Cat
This easy-to-sail catboat makes quick work of daysails, yet is spacious enough for a weekend coastal cruise.
By the time his 17-foot Com-Pac Sun Cat came along in 2000, Mills was already famous for designing the Optimist pram in 1947 and the 15-foot Windmill in 1953, the latter a one-design dinghy made for sailing with a crew of two.
Mills had received the commission to design a catboat from Com-Pac Yachts, a company founded in 1974 in Clearwater, Florida, by W.L. Hutchins, who was fond of saying, “I know people who get on a power yacht to go somewhere. But, when I get on my sailing yacht, I am there.”
The decision to once again tap Mills for his design skills came at a time when Hutchins was adding a line of catboats to its fleet. The company introduced the Picnic Cat and the Sun Cat while adding new technology such as the trademarked Mastendr Quick Rig Sailing System for raising and lowering the mast without having to remove the rigging.
According to Gerry Hutchins, who today runs the company with his brother, Richard, the Mastendr technology attracted customers interested in ease and convenience. The system allows the mast to be quickly lowered in preparation for trailering or, perhaps more importantly to coastal sailors, to fit under low bridges.
First impressions
At first glance, the Com-Pac Sun Cat seems like a little bit of everything. It’s clearly a catboat with main and gaff booms, a sassy elliptical cabin port window on each side, and a sweeping sheer with pronounced bow as though meant to take on the waves. The daysailer has a huge cockpit, while the version with a cuddy cabin has potential as an overnighter, and perhaps even a weekend coastal cruiser. The hull shape and construction appear robust, coupled with a hinged mast that takes the work out of unstepping and makes it easy to load the boat on a trailer.
Construction
The Sun Cat is constructed as an open boat with a cockpit roomy enough for six adults. It is, in that sense, a picnic boat. It is also available with a cabin, which makes it capable of providing shelter on overnight trips and more accommodating during a day sail should the weather turn foul. The hull and decks are hand-laid fiberglass. In more recent years, Com-Pac has designed and introduced a stainless steel centerboard and centerboard trunk. Hull No. 471 was completed this spring.
What to look for
Catboats must endure tremendous strain on the mast with its single sail. This can cause the boat to flex and result in cracks or crazing in the gel coat. The oldest Sun Cats have been around for 16 years, which means it could be time to inspect and, if necessary, replace the standing rigging. Deck delamination is always a possibility. Close attention should also be paid to the mast hinge.
The mast is fitted with a sturdy hinge that allows it to be quickly raised or lowered. The mast rests on a crutch aft of the tiller. To raise the sail, simultaneously raise the main halyard and the peak halyard, which lifts the gaff boom horizontally until the throat halyard reaches the block. Raise the peak halyard until the sail is up above the top of the mast. Both are led through Spinlock line clutches, and you can release them momentarily without dropping the sail.
The high cockpit coamings provide welcome back rests along the bench seats. The cockpit has a bridgedeck to keep water from entering the cabin should a wave wash over the boat. The traveler is mounted across the bridgedeck. The optional bimini is popular in warmer climates. Hutchins notes that the comfortable and spacious cockpit helps ensure that owners enjoy “hanging out” on their Sun Cats. The boat also features storage under the cockpit benches.
One version of the Com-Pac catboat has a cuddy cabin with two berths and space under the bridgedeck for a porta-potti. The Sun Cat at 17 feet is obviously a wide boat, with a 7-foot 3-inch beam. The cabin has an enclosed locker forward.
The Sun Cat requires an outboard engine for propulsion. The boat has an adjustable motor bracket on the transom. It typically handles a long-shaft outboard of approximately 5 horsepower.
The Sun Cat has no shortage of control lines and clutches that when used in tandem can finely tune the sails. The primary sail control is the peak halyard that controls angle of the gaff boom, and small adjustments make a big difference in sail shape and performance. The downhaul controls the tension along the luff, and there are two outhauls, one for each boom. The traveler is mounted across the bridgedeck.
According to Hutchins, the Sun Cat literally sold itself because it was trailerable, easy to rig, offered a shoal draft, had few moving parts and was nearly maintenance-free. The company even offered advice on how to sail this diminutive catboat, including how to veer off the wind for a more comfortable sail rather than attempt to pinch it.
The Com-Pac Sun Cat 17 is an affordable, safe and sturdy boat ideal for adventurous coastal sailing and overnight gunkholing or a rollicking afternoon sail to a favorite picnic spot.
SAILING 's Value Guide (5-star rating system)
PRICE: A used Com-Pac Yachts Sun Cat in good condition typically sells for between $6,000 and $12,000, while the market price for a new hull is just under $20,000 without a trailer. The trailer can add about $2,100. ★★★
DESIGN QUALITY: Clark Mills designed the gaff-rigged catboat as a comfortable family daysailer that could also be used as a weekender with a shoal draft that would allow gunkholing. The Sun Cat is one of three different deck styles available on the 17-foot hull. ★★★
CONSTRUCTION QUALITY: The fiberglass Sun Cat Daysailer is an open boat with cockpit roomy enough for six adults while the standard Sun Cat boasts a cuddy cabin with two berths and space under the bridge deck for a porta-potti. The centerboard is stainless steel with a fiberglass trunk. The standing rigging is heavy duty. ★★★
USER-FRIENDLINESS: The boat is outfitted with the patented Mastendr quick-rig sailing system. The main boom, gaff boom, sail and rigging all remain in place while the boat is being trailered, which cuts down on preparation time prior to launch. The mast is on a hinge that makes for easy raising and lowering. On board there are plenty of line clutches and trim adjustment controls. ★★★★
SAFETY: Lazy jack systems are available to help ensure the main sail gets doused efficiently and safely while also controlling the gaff boom. The keel is weighted for stability. ★★★
TYPICAL CONDITION: All of these boats are less than 20 years old and many are trailered for daysailing, which suggests the overall number of hours in the water is usually modest. ★★★
REFITTING: Finding parts for a Sun Cat is easy since the company is still in business and technological assistance is also at hand. ★★★★
SUPPORT: Com-Pac Yachts is part of the Hutchins Co., a family-owned-and-operated business founded in 1957 by W. L. Hutchins Sr. and is run by President Gerry Hutchins today. The company has been building boats in Clearwater, Florida, since 1974. The website is www.com-pacyachts.com and the company can be reached by phone at 727-443-4408. ★★★★
AVAILABILITY: Construction of the Sun Cat began in 2000. According to Gerry Hutchins, hull No. 471 was just completed. Used Sun Cats were for sale in fall 2016 in at least five states. ★★★
INVESTMENT AND RESALE: A new Sun Cat can fetch $20,000 and a decade later will be valued at slightly more than half that amount. The boats are popular with families and have remained in demand, creating a brisk aftermarket. ★★★
Overall 'SVG' Rating: ★★★
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- Sailboat Guide
2012 Com-Pac Sunday Cat
- Description
Seller's Description
THIS BOAT IS LOCATED IN BUFORD, LAKE LANIER GEORGIA!
2012 Com-Pac Sunday Cat with Trailer and Propulsion Electric Outboard and 5 HP Tohatsu 4 Stroke Original and RudderCraft High Performance Foiled Rudder Blades - Wavefront Tiller Clutch! Good Condition Inside and Out
Basic Boat Information: Make: Com-Pac Model: Sunday Cat Year: 2012 Condition: Used Category: Sail Builder: Com-Pac Yachts Designer: Clark Mills Construction: Fiberglass Boat Hull ID: ABV17397H112 Has Hull ID: Yes Keel Type: Centerboard Dimensions Length: 17’4 ft Length Overall: 17’4 ft Waterline Length: 15 ft Beam: 7’3 ft Max Draft: 4’6 ft Min Draft: 1’2 ft Dry Weight: 1,500 lb Engines / Speed Engines: 2 Engine #1 Specs: Make: Tohatsu Model: 5 Fuel: Other Engine Power: 5hp Type: Outboard Year: 2012 Engine Location: Port Engine #2 Specs: Make: EPropulsion Model: Spirit 1.0 EVO L Fuel: Electric Engine Power: 3hp Type: Outboard Year: 2021 Engine Location: Port Total Engine Power: 8hp Tanks Fuel Tanks: 1 Fuel Tank Capacity: 3 gal Other Heads Count: 1 Boat Class: Daysailers
Call Cell or Text: Ann Koch 770-540-9796 Rich Michel 404-642-3007 Marc Kenney 615-424-4451
Equipment: General Description: The concept of the Sunday Cat was to have a boat with the cockpit space of our current Sun Cat Daysailer but with the convenience of an enclosed porta potty area. It also provides shelter in the event of inclement weather. There is an abundance of storage space that is accessible through the seat locker hatches in the cockpit in addition to the little cabin. The cabin is not only large enough for the porta potty and gear but there is plenty of room for a cooler. The Sunday Cat is not a sleep aboard boat but is intended to be the ultimate daysailer that provides room for all of your gear and the ability for you to have extended day sails because of the available porta potty. The Sunday Cat boasts, as standard equipment, the newest version of our Mastendr Quick Rig Sailing System, the Mastendr Plus. The Mastendr Plus allows raising the mast from the cockpit. There is nothing to attach or prepare. Simply raise the leverage yoke, pull the slack out of the line, and raise the mast as if it were a sail. Sail cover and Bimini Two motors - 2012 5 HP Tohatsu 4 stroke and 2021 EPropulsion Spirit 1.0 EVO 3 HP Battery and navigation lights Well maintained trailer Standard rudder blade and Rudder Craft High Performance Foiled Rudder Blade Anchor and line Wavefront tiller clutch Swim ladder Porta Potti Cushions, dock lines and life jackets Misc. parts Disclaimer The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.
Rig and Sails
Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.
The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.
Classic hull speed formula:
Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL
Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL
Sail Area / Displacement Ratio
A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.
SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3
- SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
- D : Displacement in pounds.
Ballast / Displacement Ratio
A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.
Ballast / Displacement * 100
Displacement / Length Ratio
A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.
D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³
- D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
- LWL: Waterline length in feet
Comfort Ratio
This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.
Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )
- D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
- LOA: Length overall in feet
- Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet
Capsize Screening Formula
This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.
CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)
A daysailer model (without the cuddy/cabin) is also available.
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COMMENTS
Com-Pac Yachts / Hutchins Co., Inc. 1195 Kapp Dr., Clearwater, Florida 33765 USA. Call Us: 727-443-4408. E-mail Us: [email protected]. The concept of the Sunday Cat was to have a boat with the cockpit space of our current Sun Cat Daysailer but with the convenience of an enclosed porta potty area.
New Com-Pac Sunday cat 1 listing. Used Com-Pac Sunday cat 1 listing. Find Com-pac Sunday Cat boats for sale in your area & across the world on YachtWorld. Offering the best selection of com-pac boats to choose from.
Com-Pac Sunday Cat Com-Pac Sunday Cat boom gallows. The Sunday Cat is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass.It has a cat rig with a single gaff-rigged sail, a plumb stem, a nearly vertical transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a wooden tiller and a stub keel, with a retractable stainless steel 80 lb (36 kg) centerboard.It displaces 1,500 lb (680 kg) and carries 300 ...
A daysailer model, called the Sunday Cat (without the cuddy/cabin but larger cockpit and enclosed porta potty area) is also available. Sailboat Forum. View All Topics: ... A cat with a number 0.6 is likely to sail 6kts in 10kts wind, a cat with a number of 0.7 is likely to sail at 7kts in 10kts wind. KSP = (Lwl*SA÷D)^0.5*0.5.
Com-Pac Yachts / Hutchins Co., Inc. 1195 Kapp Dr., Clearwater, Florida 33765 USA. Call Us: 727-443-4408. E-mail Us: [email protected]. The Sun Cat is Com-Pac's new breed of cat boat: designed to rig quickly, sail easily, and offer accommodations for family and gear for overnights and gunk-holing.
Riverside, New Jersey. 2025. Request Price. 2025 Com-Pac Horizon Cat - Available to order! The Horizon Cat is a classic boat for the diehard traditional sailor — a real Cape Cod cat with a shallow fin keel for added stability and windward performance. A high-aspect kick-up rudder is incorporated for convenience and an extremely light helm.
2023 Com-Pac Sun Cat. US$36,100. US $319/mo. Snug Harbor Boats | Sugar Hill, Georgia. Request Info.
Sunday Cat ⁄ / United States; Sail Com-pac Sunday Cat boats for sale in United States. Save Search. Clear Filter Make / Model: Com-Pac - sunday-cat Country: United States Category: All Sail. Location. By Radius. By Country. country-all. All Countries. Country-US. United States. All. Todo 25 km 50 km 100 km 200 km 300 km 500 km 1000 km 2000 km ...
1195 Kapp Dr., Clearwater, Florida 33765 USA. Call Us: 727-443-4408. E-mail Us: [email protected]. The Com-Pac line of sailboats covers a wide range of sizes from a 14-foot day sailer to a 35-foot bluewater sailing cruiser. Each sailboat, regardless of size, is built with the same exacting attention to detail and that same commitment to value.
The boat is a derivative of the earlier, 1972, smaller and lighter Dilks Sun Cat Mills drew for Dilks & Company. [6] The Com-Pac Sun Cat design was developed into the Com-Pac Sunday Cat daysailer in 2008. The Sunday Cat trades a smaller cabin for a larger cockpit. [1] [4]
The Sunday Cat is not a sleep aboard boat but is intended to be the ultimate daysailer that provides room for all of your gear and the ability for you to have extended day sails because of the available porta potty. The Sunday Cat boasts, as standard equipment, the newest version of our Mastendr Quick Rig Sailing System, the Mastendr Plus. ...
The boat also features storage under the cockpit benches. Down below. One version of the Com-Pac catboat has a cuddy cabin with two berths and space under the bridgedeck for a porta-potti. The Sun Cat at 17 feet is obviously a wide boat, with a 7-foot 3-inch beam. The cabin has an enclosed locker forward.
The Sunday Cat is not a sleep aboard boat but is intended to be the ultimate daysailer that provides room for all of your gear and the ability for you to have extended day sails because of the available porta potty. The Sunday Cat boasts, as standard equipment, the newest version of our Mastendr Quick Rig Sailing System, the Mastendr Plus.
2025. Request Price. 2025 Com-Pac Sunday Cat - Available to order! The nearly 9' long cockpit has room for the whole family to stretch out and get comfortable. There are two cockpit seat lockers and a fuel tank storage locker. THE MASTENDR™ PLUS QUICK RIG SAILING SYSTEM - Raise and lower the mast and never leave the cockpit.
Com-Pac Picnic Cat This 14' daysailer is the answer to the trailer-sailor's lament: "I love sailing, but I hate setting up." Com-Pac Sun Cat A roomy 17' daysailer and overnighter offering convenient trailering and the Mastendr™ mast-raising system Com-Pac Sunday Cat The Sun Cat Daysailer with an enclosed porta potty area. Com-Pac Horizon Cat
Idaho. $30,000. Description: 9ft 3in. cockpit has room for whole family. Two cockpit seat lockers and fuel tank storage locker. THE MASTENDR PLUS QUICK RIG SAILING SYSTEM. Raise and lower mast and never leave cockpit. Boom sail and gaff stay on the boat at all times. Small cabin has loads of space for port-potty (included) and your gear.
The Sunday Cat is not a sleep aboard boat but is intended to be the ultimate daysailer that provides room for all of your gear and the ability for you to have extended day sails because of the available porta potty. 2014 Com-Pac Sunday Cat. $20,967 . St Petersburg, Florida. Year - ...
The Sunday Cat is not a sleep aboard the boat but is intended to be the ultimate daysailer that provides room for all of your gear and the ability for you to have extended day sails because of the available porta-potty. The Sunday Cat boasts, as standard equipment, the newest version of our Mastendr™ Quick Rig Sailing System, the Mastendr ...
2010 17' Com-pac Sunday Cat sailboat for sale in Cape Elizabeth Maine
The Com-Pac Sunday Cat - Gulf Island Sails, Punta Gorda : Gulf Island Sails 25096 Marion Ave. Punta Gorda, Florida 33950 Tel (941) 639-2320 Fax (941) 833-0098 ... The concept of the Sunday Cat was to have a boat with the cockpit space of our current Sun Cat Daysailer but with the convenience of an enclosed portapotty area and, if necessary, a ...
The Sunday Cat is not a sleep aboard boat but is intended to be the ultimate daysailer that provides room for all of your gear and the ability for you to have extended day sails because of the available porta potty. 2014 Com-Pac Sunday Cat. $20,967 . St Petersburg, Florida. Year - ...
2025 Beneteau First 18 SE. Request a Price. Stuart, FL 34997 | Nautical Ventures. Request Info. <. 1. >. Find 24 Com-Pac Sunday Cat boats for sale near you, including boat prices, photos, and more. Locate Com-Pac boat dealers and find your boat at Boat Trader!
1195 Kapp Dr., Clearwater, Florida 33765 USA. Call Us: 727-443-4408. E-mail Us: [email protected]. Photo Gallery of the Com-Pac Sun Cat from Com-Pac Yachts.