22' Cruiser Restoration

[Cview]

I purchased a used 1990 C-Dory 22' Cruiser in August, 2008. The boat was in usable condition, but needed some work to bring it up to my standards. I'm writing this article as, perhaps, it will give guidance to others who might be contemplating a similar project. I'm recently retired so I've had the time to devote to this interesting and rewarding project. The information on the C-Brats site has been an invaluable assistance in the project. I've freely borrowed ideas from others. Here is a partial list of subprojects:

1. Remove, clean and re-install both fuel tanks. I was surprised at the amount of filth under the tanks. I don't think the tanks are original. They are the approx. 20 gallon translucent tanks shaped to fit the location. The hose fittings were 5/16", but some of the old hoses were 3/8". I installed all new hoses, new fuel switch, and cleaned up the fuel filter base and installed a new filter cartridge. As suggested on the C-Brats site, I drilled larger holes for the tank hold-down screws, undercut with a Dremel tool, filled the holes with epoxy and then drilled pilot holes for the screws.
2. I built a swim platform with teak and parts from West Marine. See the photos in C-View's album. Woodworking is one of my hobbies. I couldn't resist building this even though it is a bit of an extravagance.
3. I installed hold-down battery trays for both batteries which are in the starboard lazarette. The battery switch was wired to select which battery was being used for starting and charging when the engine was running, but the loads were connected directly to the batteries. The previous owner suggested keeping the switch in the 'Both' position. I changed the wiring so that one battery is being used for starting, loads and charging and the other is spare. I need to have the discipline of switching between batteries periodically. I know that there are more sophisticated arrangements using automatic charging relays, but I wanted to keep it simple at this point.
4. I added a 110 volt input receptacle, GFCI unit with circuit breaker and a dual battery charger. I borrowed this idea from a C-Brats article. It is installed under the stove on the cabin bulkhead.
5. I replaced the fixed center window with an opening one. See my 'Window Adventures' article in 'General Technical Discussions'.
6. The 'L' brackets holding the interior together were rusted and some of them were broken. I fastened the panels to the floor by running a fillet of mixed epoxy, installed strips of fiberglass and coated with epoxy resin. I cleaned up and painted the brackets that were above floor level. I painted the cabin and cockpit floors with West Marine Polyurethane Topside paint.
7. The boat had a functional Wallas stove that was added by a previous owner. The exhaust was through the bulkhead and into the cockpit whereas I believe the standard installation is through the starboard side of the hull. 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' said that there was no way she was going to tolerate a smelly container of diesel fuel in her galley. I installed a two burner Origo alcohol stove. We have one in our sailboat. The Origo units are extemely simple and safe. In our climate (Arizona) we seldom need cabin heat and, if so, I have a portable heater. Anyone want to buy a used 1997 Wallas stove?
8. Removed and refinished all the teak handrails.
9. Made wood pads to dress up the steps on the side of the cockpit. See the photo in the C-View album. I used purpleheart wood which ages to look like teak if left unfinished. It was $8 per board foot versus $40 per board foot for teak. I put a drain hole in the bottom of the step and was surprised to find out that one of the steps contained water.
10. The trailer was a project in itself. The galvanized, EZ Loader roller single axle trailer had some corrosion. I used a pneumatic needle scaler tool to remove the scale and painted some areas with anti-rust enamel. I was pleased to find that the drum brakes and bearings were is good shape. I planned to replace the brakes with disk units as I've done on my sailboat trailer, but I can postpone that for a while. I installed all new rollers on the front set. I installed a roller so the bow rises to meet the bow chock when I've backed the trailer in what is probably too far. I put side rails on the trailer. I had to extend the supports on the standard unit that I got from West Marine so the rail was high enough. I installed new LED taillights.
11. I serviced the engines (2001 Honda 75hp and 2006 Honda 9.9hp) by changing the oil, oil filter and gearcase lube

Those are the major items. We've taken the boat out to the local lake twice. Once it was so windy and rough we could only cruise at displacement speeds. It sure was nice to have a comfortable cabin with inside steering. We learned something new both times we've been out. I'm pleased with the fuel economy.

Here are some questions:

1. Based on what I've read, I expected to find anti-siphon valves on the fuel tanks. As I understand it, anti-siphon valves are similar to check valves, but designed to require a specific minimum amount of 'suction' to withdraw fuel such that if a hose falls down below the fuel level, a siphon will not form and fill the bilge with fuel. I siphoned the fuel out of the tanks and it doesn't appear that anti-siphon valves are installed. Perhaps this is not necessary as the 22' boats have the fuel lines installed above the tanks whereas a 25' boat has the tanks in the bilge and lower fuel lines?

2. Inside each fuel tank I found an extra plastic fuel pickup hose and screen. These were just lying in the bottom of the tanks. I surmise that the plastic hose fell off the outlet fitting and rather than empying the tanks to fish it out, a previous owner just installed new ones. Has this been a problem with the 22' boats?

Tony

[lloyds]

Your boat, and projects, look great. Must feel very satisfying.

[Tad and Toby Jackson]

Tony,

Great job on the restoration. I too removed the tanks and hoses on the 1995 Comfy Dory. Very dirty under the tanks also. The reason that I did the project was because of losing use of the port tank on a trip we took last May. When we came home, I pulled the tanks and when I pulled the fuel pick up tubes, I found that the port tube had broken off and was laying in several pieces on the bottom of the tank. Because of the problems with Ethanol fuel, I was intending to clean the inside of the tanks out anyway, so I made a wire device and was able to pick up the pieces of tube. The tube was very brittle and the intact tube in the starboard tank also broke while removing it. Must be a problem with all the older tanks. I was able to get new pick up tubes from Todd Industries, the manufacturer. They were very helpful. You can see pictures of the project in our album.

Tad

[Cview]

Tad,

Thanks for the info on your fuel tank problems. I believe my tanks are a newer model than yours. They are translucent and thus a fuel guage is not required. When I refilled the tanks I put marks at 5 gallon intervals.

The puzzling thing is that I couldn't see anything wrong with the fuel pickup tubes that were lying in the bottom of the tanks. They were just disconnected from the fitting at the top of the tank. There is no clamp, just a barbed hose fitting.

Tony