C-Dory 16 Cruiser first trip - IMPRESSED

[Dtmann]

Took my new-to-me 16 Cruiser out for my first trip and I am very impressed. I saw lots of forum posts about these boats saying they are only 2 person boats and they dont handle rough water well. But I had two adults and two teenagers in it and we all had a great time. The little 40hp was pushing us along in the low 20s. But I was mostly impressed with how well it did in the rough water crossing the inlet into Pensacola Bay. I dropped the speed back to 14-16 and it just cut through the waves. I also realized I need to add cup holders and a place to sit my phone.

[img]http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?set_albumName=Wanderlust&id=16_4_001&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php[/img]

[ChrisMcBride]

Sounds like a great first trip out! C-Dory's are great boats and I'm always impressed at their capabilities.

[gulfcoast john]

Congrats on your cool ride! Ideal for around here. We putter over to that Ft McCree cove (or to the Big Lagoon side of Johnson Beach) for our six mile beach walk at least twice a week (burning 0.4g of gas round trip from Sherman Cove marina).

If you’re new to the area, be aware that both are part of Gulf Islands National Seashore and pets are prohibited (even on leash) on both the bay and beach sides, with a $80 fine PER DOG if the heat catches you. We’re dog lovers too, but we hate to see visitors get those tickets when there is no sign or warning of any kind (the last couple had three tiny Yorkies that could have been eaten by your typical Blue Heron, not to mention the local Bald Eagles on base). The sand mountain charted as “Robertson Island” is Pensacola Land Cut spoil and not part of GINS, but no with no Gulf Beach access. Tent camping on the beach in the upcoming shoulder season can be magical (your tent must be ¼ mile past the park road end turnaround, though).

https://www.nps.gov/guis/index.htm

The LONG SLOW MIN WAKE zone from Big Lagoon State park to two miles past the Perdido Key bridge is AGGRESSIVELY patrolled, even in off season, and NO WAKE under the bridge.

The wreck 2 miles south of the pass is marked by only a single WR ATON. It’s actually a huge destroyer sunk on the Caucasus shoal. It has eaten untold numbers of outboard lower units, but none have sank in the last week or so except a 50 foot vessel with nine on board who ran over it (all safe). I hope Flo will cover that 50 foot boat loss, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

I’m not trying to sound like the curmudgeon that I am, just hoping to help a newcomer avoid some known local hazards. I have the same warnings on the AGLCA Looper site.

Welcome aboard! If there is anything Eileen and I can do to ease your transition or if you just want to chat PM me.

To post a picture from your Album into a post, you have to first bring it to full size before right clicking on ‘Copy Image Address’ before the [img].....[/img] posting step.



To avoid the 30 min max posting window, I suggest writing your post in Google Docs (as I did here), then Cntr-C to copy and Cntr-V to post in the C-Brats site.

Hope this is helpful.

John

[CC Rider]

Here is the pic from the OP...

[Dtmann]

Thanks for adding the picture!

John thanks for the advice! We actually met when you let me on your boat while it was in the NAS storage lot. Ive used my jet ski in the waters around here but this is my first boat so any advice is extremely helpful.

[thataway]

Congratulations on getting the boat here! There are other areas beside the Ft. McCrae area and Gulf National Sea Shores.

We live on upper Perdido Bay, and always welcome C Dories at our dock. There is a very good launch ramp just South of the Hwy 98 Bridge on the Alabama side. There are great bayous and areas to explore off Perdido Bay. Soldier's Creek is a good sized bayou--with some nice scenery. Then there is "Pirate's Cove" (the real Cheese Burger in Paradise near where Jimmy Buffet grew up, and Robertson Bayou behind it.

The Wharf is always a fun place to visit--and at times some great music in the stadium-=free to boats gathering off the ICW. Also Ignram's Bayou.

Turning North under the Hwy 98 bridge is upper Perdido Bay and the Perdido River System. (Probably better navigation by Google Earth than charts. But interesting river boating.

On the other side of Pensacola, near Milton and Bagdad are the rivers and some other great back area cruising.

[dotnmarty]

[quote="Dtmann"]Took my new-to-me 16 Cruiser out for my first trip and I am very impressed. I saw lots of forum posts about these boats saying they are only 2 person boats and they dont handle rough water well. But I had two adults and two teenagers in it and we all had a great time. The little 40hp was pushing us along in the low 20s. But I was mostly impressed with how well it did in the rough water crossing the inlet into Pensacola Bay. I dropped the speed back to 14-16 and it just cut through the waves. I also realized I need to add cup holders and a place to sit my phone.

[I'm so happy to see this post .As I have always said, the 16 is a formidable vessel in it's own right. It's not an entry level toy until one can save up to get a "real boat". The 16 is to boating what Altuve is to baseball, a genuine player. There, I said it.

[NORO LIM]

[dotnmarty]

I would recommend getting an electric wiper for the helm side windshield.. Otherwise, on the cruiser, you will be jumping up every time you have to use the manual wiper.