C Dory questions from a beginner

[sccachris]

Hello, I have been looking for a small 20-22 foot boat for my family and me to enjoy. I live a few miles from Dana Point Harbor in southern California. I wanted a boat for fishing and family outings. So far I have not found anything that thrills me. I might have an oppportunity to purchase a 1987 22' C Dory Angler in excellent condition. It has a 1995 90 HP Johnson with low hours(200-300). The boat is equipped with radar, fish finder, and VHF radio, and has a galvanized trailer. Prior to looking at this boat I had never really seen a C Dory up close before. I really liked what I saw but have a few questions for anyone that can help me:

1. Approximately what is the value of a boat like this?
2. I am considering mooring it in the harbor so that I can use it more often. aside of bottom paint and bottom cleaning are there any other real downsides to this?
3. How would this boat work out for local coastal fishing?
4. Is this something that I could safely travel 26 miles out to Catalina Island with my family?

I have read through many of your posting and have been caught up in your enthusiasum! I have also visisted the dory sites I could find to read articles etc. regarding the economy and apparent sea-worthiness.

This will be my first boat so I would really like to make a smart purchase. Again, my desire is to keep it in the water, use it to fish the coast and local island (26 miles off shore), take my son and his friends to their favorite surf spots and drop them in the water, and just putt around the harbor and coast with my wife and daughter.

I look forward to any advice you can give me. I really enjoy this site, seems like you guys are having a lot of fun with your dory's, I'm jealous.

Thanks.

Chris

[Larry H]

Chris,

Welcome to the C-Brats.

We have owned our 22 cruiser since 1991 and have made many trips to Catalina. The 22 angler will do the things you mentioned, but the 22 cruiser has a larger cabin and a smaller cockpit than the angler.

I have never kept my boat on a mooring so I can't comment on that, but it would make maintainance more difficult. These boats are easy to launch and recover, even for one person, so trailering is the usual way to go.

[Chuck S]

This boat can easily traverse 26 miles of open ocean without difficulty.

A '95 2-stroke salt water engine may not be in good condition despite only 30 hours a year for 10 years (and maybe looking great) and is the weak point in this purchase to me. The engine really needs to have professional evaluation before purchase.

Mooring is a PITA in fresh water and the amount of bottom growth you'll get in the ocean will amaze you. I know nothing of marinas in your locale, but here we can rack store and the boat will be waiting on our arrival. We just trailer and slip in at the public docks, but we have room to store the boat at home between excursions.

Hull blistering and delamination is common in moored fiberglas boats. I've not seen any mention of that problem here, but don't recall any boats left in the water all year. The dreaded polyestermite may end up in your boat despite bottom paint (over a barrier coat).

-- Chuck

[Sneaks]

[DaveS]

Hi Chris and Welcome to the Site!
While viewing your "profile", I saw that you are a firefighter......now one of many on this site. There are now guite a few of us on the site.......LOOK OUT TEACHERS/PROFESSORS we'll soon out-number you!

At any rate Chris, you don't mention how many in your "family"....but most with families seem to prefer the cruiser instead of the angler model. Provides a bit more "family room", but still adequate room in the cockpit for fishing. As previously mentioned there are 22's advertised for sale on the owners' sites and lately more used ones seem to become available when people go to the C-Brat Convention at the factory and end up "upsizing to the 25' C-Dory).

I'd suggest you look around and spend a bit more time reading and asking questions on this site before "jumping" on a vessel too soon, so you are certain to purchase what you really want.

[C-Hawk]

Chris-
Welcome to the site.
As noted above, we have a week long trip over to Two Harbors every August. In addition to Catalina, we go out to the Channel Islands several times a year for cruising and fishing. We have even been out to Santa Barbara Island.----- So to answer your question----YES, the CD22 can handle the trip out to the islands. I guaranty that the boat can handle rougher water than you can.

You might also want to check out the other owners site, who knows, you may be able to ride in a cruiser model.

[Phantom]

Chris,

I have not had a C-Dory out to the islands yet, but I have been out there on other boats. I lived in Socal most of the last 15 years.

In general the CD should handle any normal weather in that area. Just pay attention to the weather reports and the surfing predictions.

If the surfers get excited about big waves coming, that's an indication that it could get rough. Pay even more attention to weather reports predicting Santa Anas.

Santa Anas(strong offshore flow coming off the deserts) are very sneaky. Near the coast the sea may be like a mill pond, but farther out it can get pretty hairy.

During a Santa Ana, the normally protected harbors like Avalon are no place to be.

Not that you won't survive it, but it will be no fun.

Don

[sccachris]

Thanks for the feedback!