Handling a C-Dory in Rough Seas

[BobArrington]

We are about to take delivery of our new 22C in a few weeks and as I have shared our purchase with many boating friends I am regularly asked about the boat and when the description of the hull is discussed I am frequently asked how that flat bottom is going to handle the steep short chop of the back bays and sounds where we will be using her.

A little history: I live in Baltimore and do much of my boating in the Chesapeake Bay aboard our 44' motoryacht. Our 22C is going to be kept at a second home in North Carolina and will be used to explore the Pamlico Sound from its rivers out to the Outer Banks of NC. The Chesapeake Bay and Pamlico Sound are simular in that they are large shallow open bodies of water where waves stack up quickly.

All of my expierience on planning hull boats in our type of conditions (close steep seas) has steered me towards boats with a transom deadrise of at least 15 degrees to soften the entry. Boats I have run with a flat bottom pound hard in these conditions.

I raised this issue with the dealer (who also sells deep vee center consoles) when looking at the boat because he certainly knows our waters and he said he would rather be in a C-Dory in rough conditions then any other boat he sells. He said the key is understanding the hull, learning how to trim it and managing the speed.

As I have mentioned in previous postings it is largly your groups experience that confirmed our decision to purchase this boat, but my decision is nagged by the sideways looks I get when I discuss the design with fellow boaters that aren't familiar with the brand.

I would love the benefit of all of your experiences to answer these questions when I'm asked if I'm crazy for buying this kind of boat for these kinds of waters.

Thank you,

[bongo]

Your dealer is right Bob, the secret is speed and trim, even in the ones with more "V". But when it really gets rough, everybody has to slow down or take a beating. The advantage of the C-Dory is its ability plane at a slower speed.

The other plus is planning means fuel effciency and that is an important factor when you have to go a long way in rough water, particularly with a time limit.

These boats do "thump" more than others in chop, but you simply slow down. This lets you enjoy the trip and reduces noise which means fatigue.

Happy boating,

John

[thataway]

If you run the boat fast in heavy chop it will pound.. So will a 15 degree dead rise. To get away from pounding you either have to slow down, change angle of attack or increase deadrise to well over 20 degrees--like a Contender 23 with 24 degree deadrise. With a boat which has high deadrise, it has a higher planing speed. The C Dory, bow trimmed down will be semiplaning/ planing at 10 knots, and you can handle the chop.

[Almas Only]

Bob:

Listen to your dealer: he knows what he's talking about.

I've boated the waters you describe with our C-Dory 22 Cruiser for the last three years, including the Neuse river up to New Bern, the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds, side creeks, Oriental (got to love that ice cream and free dingy dock tieup), Morehead City, Beaufort, Ocracoke, Lookout Bight, and some offshore. Although the right center console will cut through some rough water that makes the C-Dory slow way down, the last boat I would have wanted for these experiences is a center console. When's the last time you saw someone cook and eat a meal, sleep overnight in all weather, and enjoy a rain storm on a center console?

You made the right decision. Relax, and enjoy it.

david

[TyBoo]

Way back when B~C was actually using his boat for fishing he was fond of pointing out how the Vee guys would pass him as he headed out toward the Columbia River bar but he would invariably pass the same ones when they were on the bar.

I have always maintained that a C-Dory will not pound unless you let it. Trim tabs, common sense loading and picking the right speed are the keys. Warm and dry makes the slower speed easy to take. When you get into conditions that make both hulls slow way down, the flat bottom is actually more stable and easier to control than the deep vee.

[Hunkydory]

[mikeporterinmd]

Long, powerful, deep-V boats can blow by you. But, eventually, ever deep V
will meet its match, and then it's no fun at all. Plus, you are burnings lots
of gas (mpg) at the slow speeds.

Mike

[Dora~Jean]

This is my 8th trailerable powerboat, all but this one and one other (Crestliner 19) were a deep-vee. I've been in fairly large seas (8-12ft) with my C-Dory and several of the others. I can say emphatically that this boat is hands down, beyond compare, the most stable and controllable in these conditions. If you try to stay just on that edge of planing in a deep-vee, say 14-16 knots to try and make time, you will likely fall into a wave occasionally that will whip the bow violently to the side as it digs into it slightly skewed -- especially in a following seas. This has launched numerous passengers across the cabin (the captain having the advantage of a steering wheel to hang onto!). Very dangerous situation, including possibly broaching the boat.

On the C-Dory's however, you can slow to 10 or so knots, maintain an easy plane (and if enough power available, not really have to touch the throttle much), get back safely and more alert (not fatigued). This boat is a keeper for me...!

[flagold]

[james]

Here in the Gulf of Mexico with any chop at all, it would be VERY uncomfortable to attempt to plane in a 22, full displacement speeds with the bow trimmed down as far as possible is the way to go.

5-7 kts unless you like having the crap beat at of you.

cannot speak for offshore, don't run there.

James

[Jeff Brigner]

There's many people more qualified than I to talk about the advantage and way to handle a flat bottom boat but, the one thing rarely discussed is how stable it is when stop on the water, enjoying the day in the cockpit moving about without the boat radically rolling with the weight shifting around.

[Dora~Jean]

A few years ago I made a list of all the Pro's and Con's of a dory bottom vs a deep-vee. It surprised me A LOT. Had this long list 10+ items regarding stability, handling, fatigue, weight, hp req'd, gas mileage, minimum planing speed, comfort at anchor, etc, etc, ...then 1 item on the Con side, if I remember correctly, you gotta slow down in heavy chop. That's it. Turns out that too is a plus due to less fatigue and just a more pleasant experience.

I say, why be in a hurry to get OFF the water?

[tpbrady]

Flagold,

I think you hit it on the fatigue issue. I've been out fishing for 8 hours on a 28 foot Jetcraft, and when we got to the beach you were tired. I've been out for 5 days on my 22 and the only thing I wanted to do when reaching the beach was take on gas, food, and water and go back out.

Tom

[flagold]

Yep, that was really driven home for me on the way back from Ft. Meyers. I crossed Tampa Bay in gathering winds, it was rolly-polly coming across and some of the deep v's were sledding past, occupants with gritted teeth, and in rain gear from all the spray (and it was turning cold (again -- Thank God for Global Warming -- we can't take much more freezing down here) and I was thinking how fortunate I was to be in a cabin, with a heater going, watching them take the beating of their lives, all while I'm catching up on the 6 pm news (on TV). Next day, the forcast was for seas to build by 2 pm to 5-7 and many might not think anything of this, but the flats we cross are an average 3 foot depth, and the danger here is the same as on Lake Okeechobee, getting scooped on top and being deposited on the bottom which of course, breaks your boat bottom out (or the next wave floods you). As noted above, there are periods between the waves on our flats, you just don't notice them because you get hit with a solid bam bam bam type situation. Anyway, I sheltered at a nice little harbor with a McDonalds and Publix grocery and took off in the morning. Once I passed Anclote Key, I was the only boat on the water (not a real good sign normally), but never felt in danger in any way. Just plodded 10 mph on up to the Hernando channel and the winds hit full force as I turned the corner. Couldn't compare any deep v's since they didn't go out that day . . .

[tom&shan]