Does anyone have any experience of what a compass 28/29's are like as deep sea cruisers and how they make as liveaboards? Their price is very attractive.
Cheers, Joel
Sister had a 29, with a bowsprit and cutter rig, Malua Bay. There is a Compass club, look them up as they should provide good advice.
Slow but a good sea boat. The long keel makes them track well but limits their manoeuvrability and pointing. Not too good around the cans.
The 28 sails better but the 29 has more room and is much more comfortable for spending time on, but it would be tight to live on.
Very solidly made hull and deck. Relatively cheap to do rigging etc. They have completed some significant cruises.
Get one with at least a 15hp diesel as they need some power to make way against current or wind. We had a 10hp and were stopped against 15-20kts on the nose coming up to the Spit Bridge.
I like them, particularly as a 1st boat, and think they would be good buys at the moment.
Have no experience with the compass except for trying to back one into a berth once in a big wind and it was hopeless, however have a friend that had a Compass and it was very forgiving in a big sea and surfed down waves very well without broaching.
One of my neighbours sailed his around the world in the 70/80s. He regrets ever selling her.
She then went on to be another neighbour's liveaboard for many years...likewise I don't think John is as happy with what he bought to replace the Compass.
Recently hired a Compass 29 for a week around hawkesbury. Made us decide to buy a boat.
Have a look at a Northshore 27, good to sail, just as cheap and looks better 
G'day Trace. If I am the John you reyfer to I only have experience of my sisters Compass 29. While the Compass are good small yachts, I reckon my S&S34 is one of the very best mono sea boats ever launched and a quantum step above nearly anything else.
They are a good well built yacht but I wouldn't rate a Northshore 27 as a true ocean going boat. When it blows really hard with a contrary current you want to be able to heave to, go below with a bucket, and be confident the boat will still be there when you go back up. A Northshore 27 isn't in that category.
Nicholson 32 is, Duncanson 29/34/35 is, Swanson 32 is, Compass 29/30 is, as are many others but the little Compass is probably the cheapest to buy and refit and easiest to sell.
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A colleague of Ramona and I in our Navy days bought a Swanson 32 about 10 years ago. He paid about $50k in 2003 $.
I sailed with him from Pittwater to Sydney.
It was a great sail, not much different in balance to my S&S34, just lighter in weight and more motion. A Swanson 32 was on my list when I bought my yacht.
He did tell me that they have a common problem in that the deck suffers from water in the timber sandwich. They have, as do many yachts, a glass ply sandwich deck but he told me the Swanson didn't use a good ply.
The moral is, check the deck for a spongy feeling before you buy. Expensive to fix and I believe it is structural.
Ramona, cabin 36 creates at least some headroom forward
/cabin is extended, passed mast and accommodate front hatch/.
Swanson32 with cabin 36 and deck already laminated, would ideal boat.
Check osmosis and don't hesitate. Sorry to say but not many exist like that.
Spongy deck, wouldn't touch the boat, mine deck was solid as a rock
but leaking all over. Cure, remove the slates, repair, fiberglass on top.
When I checked this yacht the deck was fine. It was unusual in that it was obviously an upmarket Swanson 32, fitted out to a better standard than they usually are. Some ones pride and joy at the time. The twin spreader rig was fairly unusual in a Swanson. The only fault I found was a crack in one of the lower spreaders visible from the deck.
The new motor makes it a particularly good buy.
Soft ply under the beech would be a problem but not the end of the world. I would have no hesitation in laying epoxy and cloth over the deck.
Thanks for the info guys. Sorry I didn't reply sooner, but I was reading the posts as they came through.
I have been looking at a couple clansman's for sale as cisco recommended.
From my research you are not allowed to live aboard at any of the marinas in port phillip, is this true? May affect my later decisions.
