16’ C-Dory handling

[donhynes]

I’ve had my 16’ C-Dory for six years and live in the San Juans where the winds are frequently 10kts or more with a strong tidal current where I live on President’s Channel. The wind conditions often produce a 2-3’ short chop wave set. I love my boat but it is a bear to handle in those conditions as the boat is so light and rolls quite a bit. I thought I’d just post this query on the message board and see if anyone had any suggestions about handling this small boat in the short chop San Juan conditions.

[16Pounder]

I boated and fished the San Juans in my 16' Angler for 12 years before I moved to Ohio. The wind chop can be nasty. I had a heavy deep cycle battery in the front cuddy along with a bunch of other stuff which helped keep the bow down. I also kept the motor trimmed down when it got choppy which helped keep the bow down as well. Ultimately, I just had to be patient and go slower. Your cruiser has a larger pilot house than my angler which would raise the center of gravity and could make for more rolling. I think some owners have put trim tabs on the cruiser model to help balance the boat and keep the bow down when needed.

[donhynes]

Thanks for the reply. Much appreciated.

[Foggy]

It's been said,