Hello and a question

[Seeker]

Hi - We really appreciate this site and all the friendly and informative posts. The C-Dory 22 Cruiser seems to be the ideal boat for our needs, and now we need some questions answered about actual ownership issues.

Our boat will be trailered except for weekend launches, and vacations.

1. Living in a Southern climate ( New Orleans area) we are wondering how to keep the interior fresh smelling. Most boats we have seen (no matter how clean they are kept) develop a musty smell. We definitely do not want this on our boat. Any advice from Southern boat owners?

2. How much time should we expect to spend for maintenance after hauling her out of the water? We will be in at least 2 of these types of water on any given day; salt, brackish, and fresh water.

3. I know this is a very general question, but we are looking for a general answer, how much should we plan on spending for general maintenance on the boat and trailer in a year?

4. How much effort and time is involved in launching and recovering the boat after a day or weekend cruise?

We are planning to buy a previously owned boat and trailer, to get our feet wet, so to speak.

We'll be exploring swamps, lakeshore beaches, barrier islands, small rivers, and bayous.

Thanks,

Law

[Alyssa Jean]

I launch at a ramp, with no dock into salt water. Back the trailer in (roller trailer) Start the engines and warm them up, disconnect the bow from the winch and back the boat off the trailer. Beach it and move and park the trailer. Jump back on the boat and I'm on my way. Probably 10 minutes. Hauling out just the reverse with out the time for warm up.

I doubt that I spend more than an hour all totaled in hauling out, (then three blocks to home) then flush both engines, and wash the boat and put in the garage.

Can't help you with the musty smell problem. I keep a heat source in the boat on the lowest setting.

[Casey]

Law,

I'll leave others to comment on other issues, but I do have some experience with "musty."

While living on St. Simons Island (Georgia) we had boats and RV's with enclosed areas. The best thing I found was to put a small dehumidifier in the sink of the galley/RV and plug it in. In this cabin should be completely closed. Reducing the interior humidity really helps keep things fresh inside. If your storage area doesn't have electricity, one of the solar powered vents would help to keep air moving. (In that case you want to leave a small opening as far as possible from the vent, so you created a draft.)

Another item is to permit towels, upholstery, miscellaneous "stuff" to completely air-dry after a boat outing. The drier it is - the less nasty it will become. An occasional wipe-down with a dilute clorox solution will also help mildew from getting started.

Casey
C-Dory Naknek

[TyBoo]

Hello, Law. Welcome to the Pub.

I am betting you find that the mildew and associated musty odor is less of a problem than you envision. The inside of the C-Dory cabin is pretty spartan, with no upholstery, carpeting or insulation to absorb and hold moisture. All the cushions, with the exception of the helm seat, are loose and can be easily removed or flipped to keep them fresh and dry. The plywood used for the interior cabinetry is marine grade with a plastic laminate overlay on both sides. The only part of the wood that can readily absorb moisture would be the exposed edges, and that just doesn't seem to be a problem at all.

The maintenance costs, after a few musts, are up to you. The oil and filter needs refreshing at regular intervals. I like 50 hours, but 100 hours for the oil and 200 for the filter are Honda manual reccomendations. You will also want a remote Racor style fuel filter that will need replacing (I do mine yearly). Using a remote filter with a water trap will make the small undercowl fuel filter go for a full season. I don't kow how long the spark plugs last on the modern 4-strokes, but it's a long time. So, you can get by for less than a hundred bucks a year for outboard maintenance if you want. Maybe every two or three years, replace the water pump impeller. Or, you can give yourself peace of mind and stretch out the life of your motors by doing a lot of preventive maintenance/part replacement at shorter intervals. It's the same story as maintaining your car (a few folks will jump on that one!). The one big thing to keep in mind, though, is that on a boat it is usually a whole bunch farther to the curb than it is on the highway.

For the type of exploring you want to do, the choice of a C-Dory 22 Cruiser is perfect. Shallow draft and very manueverable for the swamps and small rivers, and easy to safely beach. Launch and retrieval is a snap with the CD 22, whether your trailer has bunks or rollers. I did mine single handed all the time, and do the same with our CD 25.

Now all you need to do is get out there and find your boat, give it a name that will work for a photo album title, and show us the pictures!

[Levity]

Welcome Law,
My 22 foot cruiser lives on a trailer parked beside my garage most of the time, is easy to trailer and launches quickly with minimum effort. Maintainance is light and self maintainance is possible with a little knowledge and the desire to do the work. A quick hose-off following a trip in the salty stuff takes but a few minutes and the use of muffs to rinse the engine is not complicated. Most maintainance can be done by the owner which increases confidence and saves cash better spent on good C-Dory times. The boat is versitile for the diverse conditions you describe and the shallow draft makes it possible to explore those thinly watered places that deeper draft boats cannot reach. A push pole will turn your sea going vessel into a puddle skimmer.
Mike 'Levity'

[JamesTXSD]

Another newbie here. I don't have a C-Dory yet, but we've had plenty of RVs and sailboats. When unoccupied, we spread around a few dryer sheets (like Bounce). These keep things fresh smelling and keep critters away as well. Also, a package of Damprid works well. With our small boat (still has a cabin) that lives by the garage, even if we aren't going to use it during the week, I'll open the cabin and let some air flow. Plus, it gives me a chance to "mess about" with the boat.

Best wishes,
James

[Seeker]

Thanks to all for the good information. A guy can learn a lot in a short time around here

We are now looking in earnest for THE boat.

Any coments or opinions on the following topics would be very helpful:

1. Where is the best place to look for financing?

2. Where is the best for insurance?

Idealy we are looking for a previously owned boat, because we feel other owners have made decisions on the kind and type of equipment needed to enjoy the boat better than we could. No matter how much diligent research we do on gear, we don't realy have any experience to back up our buying decisions.

3. If any of you guys/gals have a "must have" list of items that we should know about, please let us know.

Thanks for being here,

Law

[TyBoo]

[Otter-BelleHavenMarina]

Hi Law,

Must haves: boat, engine, gas, minimum coast guard-required safety equipment (life jackets, flares, compass, fire extinguisher, vhf radio). Oh yeah- and a cooler :-) Everything else is a nice-to-have, but not required for the kind of exploration and fun you plan.

Launching and retrieving: Measure the time it takes you the first time, then divide that by 3 or 4 and you will have an idea of how long it will take you from the 10th time on. One of the great things about keeping a boat on a trailer (I do too) is that pretty quickly become one of those people that you admire at the ramp who seem to launch and retrieve effortlessly. Those who only launch and retrieve a couple times a year are naturally more tentative.

Maintenance: do it yourselfers will have lower expenses, but I would say a couple hundred bucks per year for the engine maintenance, a couple hundred every couple years for the trailer, and a hundred bucks or so per year in various cleaning supplies, additives, additional lines (ropes), fenders, etc.

Other costs besides insurance: towing insurance (if you want that comfort), gadgets like chartplotters, kayaks or dinghies, tow toys, etc. Don't be surprised if you find yourself spending (or at least wanting to spend) a thousand bucks or more in the first couple years to get the boat fitted out just the way you want it. But again: many of us have come to believe we can't live without some of this stuff, but its not true: You can have a great time on your boat with just the basics.

Regards,

[Pat Anderson]

I would say "a thousand or more" right out of the chute is a pretty accurate assessment - in fact, it is time to introduce Law to the the concept of the BOAT unit! Law - here she goes:

Bring
On
Another
Thousand

Some say "Break Out Another Thousand" and I think they are fairly interchangeable.

Some things we have spent BOAT units (or fractional or multiple parts thereof) on after the initial purchase:

Garmin 188C chartplotter and transducer (1.2 BOAT units)
Windlass (1 BOAT unit)
Trim tabs (don't recall, but less than a whole BOAT unit)
Camperback (again don't recall exactly but north of a BOAT unit)
Custom fitted Sunbrella cover (just south of a BOAT unit)
Dinghy and 2 hp motor (we got a good deal, 1 BOAT unit for both)

The list can of course go on and on - radar, arch, remote spotlight, Magma BBQ, CD changers, DVD players, etc., and especially if you are a fisherman, rocket launchers, downriggers, washdown systems, and so forth. If you crab or shrimp, add in your davit/pot puller.

Built-ins / customizations, wire baskets under the galley, a Barber chair, a chartrack, kitchen utensil holders, paper towel holder, and more that I probably can't remember.

And then there are the portable items - charts, cruising guides, binoculars, a backup handheld GPS, a portable VHF, folding deck chairs, folding table, and if you overnight, your cooler, silverware, dishes, storage containers for food and other stuff.

Hence the saying "A boat is a hole in the water into which you pour money." But overall the C-Dory is miles ahead of the other boats you will see out there in terms of economy and suitability to do a lot of it yourself, especially if you have the resources of a certain mill and the skill of a certain millwright (eh, Mike?)

Welcome to our world!

[starcrafttom]

Question 4 is an interesting one. launching is the one area of boating that can set the mood for the whole trip but there are no books on it, no guides, and no classes. so heres some pointers for the new trailer boat owner.

1. load the boat at home. i mean if its going on the trip have it in the boat at home. if you are picking up a buddy load his gear before yu ge to the ramp. nothing will get you shoot at faster then backing down the ramp and then loading the boat ( and yes i know of one time in sac that a guy got shoot at for this).

2. pratice backing the trailer at safeway or walmart. if your wife is going to back you in get some cones at wallmart (there in the bike section) and pratice,teach anywhere but at the ramp on opening day of salmon season.

3. make sure everyone knows the drill before you gett there.

The drill as follows. arrive at ramp and get in line. unhook the back tie down straps. put in plug. get lines ready. now back in while others( kid wife buddy) hold ropes. back in boat until 3/4 in water now unhook front tie down strap or winch cable. back boat in until it floats of trailer. have rope holder pull boat away from trailer AND ALL THE WAY TO FAR END OF DOCK UNTIL HE OR SHE IS IN DANGER OF FALLING OF DOCK. pull tow rig out of water and park . do not hit other trailers. if yu do leave a note. now go boating.

[Seeker]

Many heartfelt thanks to you guys for breaking trail for us, during this first time boat buying experience.

In the particularly lucid moments before becoming fully awake this morning, I thought to my self " are you really going to drop 45 big ones on something you know so precious little about?"

To add to this anxious questioning of my responsible adult/head of the family judgement, my wife tells me to take a 10 hour drive, each way, to go look at the nearest CD 22's, and buy one if I like it.

Sooo, I'll be hitting the road to go boat shopping in the morning.

Thanks, and wish me luck,

Law

[Valkyrie]

Law:

You're doing the right thing and won't be sorry! Have fun and look forward to meeting some great people who will do everything they can to help.

Marcia and I are waiting for our "boat to come in" in May.

Nick
"Valkyrie"

[Sneaks]

Law, you may want to take the bride with you. Mine fell in love at first sight and twisted MY arm severely because I too get grumpy looking at over $40k. The C-22 has a certain charm about it, which any owner can attest to.

Stopping for fuel or at a rest stop means socializing with admirers. Freeway driving means a car (or sometimes even a big 18 wheeler) will suddenly run right up beside you and slowly give the boat a once over.

Same thing on the water, so make sure you have all the Coast Guard stuff because outside of the Northwest, even the Hooligan Navy succumbs to it's charm and will use any excuse to board you. Ostensibly to check your equipment but my last experience was more of a Q&A session with some curious kids. They were very taken with the Wallas, btw.

[El and Bill]

Law --
It is a bit of a distance, but there will be a Gathering of C-Dorys in the Nashville area in early April -- not the Events section of this site. If you and your wife can make it up there, you will have the treat of a good ol' southern bbq dinner out, a night at the Opry, and best of all, an opportunity to crawl all over C-Dorys and talk to their owners. Betcha you could even get a ride and take the helm to see how it feels to you.
Several of the boats coming are used for long-distance cruising and it might be interesting to look over their gear and ask questions -- over a congenial sundowner, I'm sure.
If you have time (and inclination), should be a great springtime weekend.