My 16 rides hard in chop. Which years of 25s ride better?

[seattlewriterguy]

We've had our 16' C-Dory for years and want to move up to an overnight cruiser C-Dory. But I've heard the earlier hulls for the larger boats were also fairly flat and had trouble with chop and whitecaps as well. Did the hull go more v-shaped at any year on the larger boats? Thanks. Geoff.

[hardee]

Geoff, Well, that all depends. None of the C-Dory line has a deep Vee hull shape, so, the pounding you get is dependent on the waves, size shape, closeness (period) and importantly, your choice of angle and speed. Your 16 weighs about 1/6th of what a 25 will weigh, so size does make a difference. Your 16 is near 10 shorter than a 25, so it will ride the crest and trough of shorter period waves (like a cork), where the bigger, heavier 25 will go through some of that chop with less affect on the contents of the 25. If you want a less bumpy ride, you will need to slow down, changing the bump and slam to hobby horse ride, and the 25 will hobby horse less than the 16 in the same size waves.

In my 22, I ran side by side with a 25, about 10 miles, coming down Knight Inlet one day. We were, and stayed right side by side for the full duration, going into a 4-5 foot head sea with about a 12 knot headwind and 30% whitecaps. It was a constant wind and sea, so it kept us busy, steering and throttle. Our speed over ground was about 6-7 knots, but water speed was more like an average of 4 or 5 knots. That allowed forward progress, and running with the tide, gave us the extra mph, but it also allowed that progress without slamming. Their boat out weighed mine by maybe 3000 pounds, but they were not comfortable with a higher speed, and I was pretty maxed out for the situation. We maintained for about an hour and a half until we could get off into a side channel and take a break.

So, yes, big waves are doable with the C-Dory. I believe they were running a single Honda, I have twin Yami 40's. Could do it in a Boston Whaler or brand X, with a pair of 150 or 200, Yes, but not for the same price. And it still would not be a perfectly flat, smooth ride.

Harvey
SleepyC

[ssobol]

The other advantage of a 22 or 25 is that when things get out of hand you can find a nice cove or other quiet place and have a decent sized nice cozy dry place to wait it out. Maybe make some food, take a nap.

[westward]

If you love and are set on a C-dory, the 25 or Tomcat ( or 27/29) will be best in chop. But you should face the fact that Every type of boat has relative strengths and weaknesses. One well known characteristic of the C-dory line Overall is poor performance in chop. They pound in chop, period. Plenty of other benefits however, and you can always choose to slow down.

[seattlewriterguy]

Nice to hear from C-Dory owners of larger models regarding handling characteristics in choppy conditions. As far as a weekend getaway trailerable boat, C-Dory is still our favorite option. White caps and short period waves will be a problem for almost any trailerable that has overnighting capabilities. Not sure that the trailerable Ranger Tugs handle any better. Plus, we have a C-Dory loyalty since we used to design their brochures, ads and web site years ago. Thanks for the input. Will explore whether a 22 or 25 is the best fit for us as a couple.

[hardee]