Need Advice on C-Dory Purchase

[cabochris]

I just had my 19' GlasPly rebuilt from ground up for fishing. Nice boat with 200 Yamaha, radar tower, electronics and all - Zoom, Zoom! This project took nearly 1 year. Perhaps I'm crazy, but I now discovered C-Dory and want one! I plan on selling the GlasPly and purchasing either a used or possibly new Angler 22'. I think I would prefer the extra fishing room over the Cruiser? Just yesterday I saw a 22' Cruiser and spoke with the owner. He liked the boat, but as a fisherman said the Angler would be better. His CD had 2 40 hp Hondas.

I've sold myself on the C-Dory but need some help. As primarily a fisherman, would getting an Angler over a Cruiser be a mistake? Would I later say, oh I should have gotten one over the other? Are twin Hondas the way to go, or a single larger motor with a kicker better? Or is that a toss-up? Will a 40 hp Honda troll? Which is better, a bunk or roller trailer? On the used market is any year hull OK? Or are newer hulls better because of any design changes? I have plenty of time to do some C-Dory research and would appreciate all advise on this salty boat. Thanks CC.

[thataway]

The 22 hull was changed in 1987, so there is a bit more "V" foreward and the boat tends to pound less. But there are advantages to the older boats with a flat bottom (some rocker). As far as quality the older boats seek to have faired very well. C Dories have held their value because of the quality build. Newer boats will have to establish their own track records.

We fish, but are not primary fishermen. If you are going to do a lot of overnighting, the cruiser has better accomidations. Both boats will do the job! We like a galley and dinette.

For the Sequim ramp, which is reasonabley steep, the bunk trailer gives very good support. I prefer a bunk trailer.

There are several C Dorie owners in Sequim, and I am sure they will hook up with you. We had our 22 up there for about a year 2 years ago.

A lot of people prefer the twins. one of the twins will work fine for fishing--but may be too "Fast" for some species --I personally prefer the single large with a kicker--but personal choice.

[flagold]

If you're an angler, go for the Angler as that's what it's made for. I've fished 5 off my cruiser, but it is very crowded (2 on the bow kid and dad, 3 in the rear, 2 kids and Dad).

Can't help you on engine models since mine is no longer made. Single vs twin really is personal preference. More gas mileage with the single, less maintenance costs with the single, but the twins get the wow factor.

Go with bunks - much easier.

[Dan McNally]

CC,
Yours is an interesting and personal choice. I have a 22' cruiser and asked all the same questions you have asked, if it is mostly a fishing boat my statement would be go with an angler. Check out the 1985 angler here on the web site, I saw it Saturday in Edmonds and it is a good looking boat for the price. Good luck and good hunting.
Dan.

[ptcris]

We just went through a very similar discussion as you seem to be going through and we settled on the 22' Angler. We will be using the boat primarily for fishing salmon, and the 6' open deck looks terrific to us. We even went a step further and selected the open back Angler (no bulkhead), as we want everyone on board (including the driver) to be closely connected to the fishing action happening at the back. We hope to stay on the boat overnight on occasion, but think we will be fine with the inconvenience of no dinette, no galley and no back door. We did order the boat with the canvas drop curtain, though!

We selected twin Honda 50s for the power, primarily for the redundancy factor. We plan to troll on a single motor when fishing. We also understand that the twin package is slightly lighter than a 90 hp plus trolling motor. Don't know if that's really true.

On the other hand, everyone who owns one seems to love their Cruiser, and I would expect the Cruiser to have a better resale value than the Angler!

Finally, as we haven't received our new boat yet, I can't tell you if the logic of our decisions will hold up under actual testing!

Good luck in your search,

Pat

[Sea Wolf]

[Sawdust]

For fishing it's the angler all the way. I have an older '89 and a new angler on order. My personal preference is a single with a kicker - and boy, there are lots of folks on here that like twins.
Sequim isn't too far from Port Angeles, so you should get in touch with Jon or Cynthia who fish out of P.A. with the angler.
(Should be in the phone book - Jon Bertrami). Or come on over to Oak Harbor and I'd be happy to show you the angler vs cruiser bit... I've had a total of 5 C Dories -- both configurations.

Dusty

[Doryman]

You can always join Thataway Bob or Anna Leigh David and have two C-Dories!

Warren

[Cutty Sark]

I mainly fish with my 22 cruiser, and do a little cruising, I went with the cruiser for the option of staying on it in more comfort. Take
Neah bay for instance, I trailer up and stay for a couple days sleeping on the boat and fishing. If you like to fish alot of people, the angler is probably the better choice, I personally do not like to fish more than three people for salmon if possible and four is the max I would have on board, most days it is just two people, so the cruiser is great for that. I think a cruiser is the easiest to resell since they are in high demand. As far as as twins or a main and kicker go, I think you will find most fisherman regardless of the boat they have, go with a single and a kicker in our state. I put a couple hundred of trolling hours on my kicker each year, and would rather burn out a $2000 dollar motor in a couple years when /if all those hours take a toll. Anyway you go you will have a great boat. Have fun, get out on the different models if possible, before deciding.

[iggy]

[cabochris]

For your help, thoughts and advice. I now know I must first know exactly what I want in a C-Dory. Only then will I be able to take action to buy on the used market. I have discovered that a used C-Dory can sell quick. Some in just hours of being listed! I made an offer to purchase a used one on this site, only to be told I was 4th in line! Just as well though, as this was an older boat and I have now decided on a newer hull, or perhaps one factory-fresh.

I am still leaning towards a 22 Angler, but have not ruled-out a Cruiser yet- because boat camping sounds like fun. But then, why not start with a bigger boat? And that would open up the market, such as a SeaSport, Osprey or Olympic. Which would get me away from what attracted me to C-Dory in the first place- efficiency, fishing room, enclosed bulkhead and seaworthiness. I need to let this stew a bit, but thinking Angler 22. I also feel twin Hondas are the way to go for me. I may want to go 20-30 miles out to sea and think/feel the dual engines to be more reliable. 2 batteries, props, alternators with power to return in fashion while running on one motor. But, if a 40 or 50hp Honda will not troll well, I would change my mind. I have also been told the new large E-tecs will troll, so am guessing a 40 Honda would.

Plus I am a safety nut. I would want radar, gps/chart plotter, vhf, cb, self-inflating raft, survival suit and Epirb... Then there is the fun stuff such as rocket launcher, sounder, downriggers, onboard ACR 110V ship to shore automatic battery charger and electric pot-puller!

From the photos here online, well equipped CDs make my heart skip a beat! Thanks again for all your help plus continued, Chris Valerio, Sequim, WA

[thataway]

It will probably be very unusual to find a C Dory with all of the gear you want on it. Consider also that any electronics more than 5 years old are dated in one way or another--they are still usable, but they have been superceeded. Basically, you can add what ever you want in the way of accessories to any boat--you can even "re do" the console if you wish.

There are lots of options. But you have to understand the C Dory type of boat--a boat which is extremely seaworthy, but not fast in the roughest of conditions--You have to go to a cat or an extreme deep V to head out in 4 footers at 30 knots. Modern outboards are very reliable. I have been going offshore in single outboards (with a kicker) for 50 years--and never really had a total failure. Some of the newest engines are giving 7000 hours of service in commercial use--that is as good as many diesels!

Yes, good boats at the right price go fast. But buying a used boat, it will be almost as good as a new boat--maybe better in some cases..??

[416rigby]

Tough choice, isn't it? We're primarily fishers, too...but wanted a Cruiser for a few reasons:

We wanted the galley and bigger table for more comfy overnighters, which we do pretty much every weekend. No regrets here at all. We love our boat and have tinkered with a lot of improvements to suit our needs even better.

99% of the time, it's just the two of us on the boat...plenty of room to fish, and Donna is a serious fisherman.

The cruiser is just a bit more versatile. We are really not "cruisers" but we like to go and explore new places and stay on the boat. Heck, we trailered her to Alabama from Lake Tahoe and stayed in KOA's the whole way. She's a boaterhome!

So, for us, we're very happy with our choice. Like the others mention, though....if you are planning on having 3 or 4 guys onboard all the time fishing and you don't plan on many overnighters, the Angler would probably be better for your use. Not that you can't spend many happy nights on an Angler...some folks do and love it. Good luck with your search...it's half the fun of it.

BTW...used ones do sell quickly...we bought ours 61 minutes after it was listed!

Rick

[cabochris]

Wow, seeing Foggy Dew makes me want a Cruiser! Nice work guys! My 19' GlasPly is pushing 60mph with just myself onboard, with a nearly empty gas tank. Loaded with 3 guys, gear and fuel, nearly 50! Zoom, Zoom. A fun ride and a good boat. But here in the Pacific NW there are lots of logs and such in the water. So even when calm I feel crazy going that fast. Plus the motor is thirsty. Speed is fun for a bit, but as a fisherman grows old quickly. Just the other day we had 8' windy seas during a local halibut derby. No boat under 30' went fast, not even the cats. Most headed in, including myself. I have discovered that speed is not very important. When it kicks-up, I'll go slow and take my time- heck I'm fishing. I feel a C-Dory will serve my needs. My next choice would be a 40 footer plus! I like the photo of Foggy Dew beached in Florida!

I agree, all electronics should be the latestest and I still like the redundancy of twin motors. I have had big motor failure in the past and used my kicker to hobble in just 5 miles against currents.

This site is a real help. Members thoughts and opinions are positively influencing mine. That way I will not make a mistake. Thanks again for your help, Chris.

[C-Pup16 in Los Angeles]

You'll be a wise one if you can actually operate the different C-Dory models in the type seas you'll be in most of the tiime, including the windy afternoon returns to the marina. That is how you'll know what really feels right... not by boarding a boat at a dock, taking a comfortable cruise on a flat morning, or boarding the boat on a trailer in a showroom. Also keep in mind when asking an owner of any boat if he likes it that if he really hates it, he may not speak badly of his boat or he will feel like an idiot for how he spent his money. He may also hide the hidden reason (read wife) why he bought a cruiser over an angler, comfort & privacy over space and function when fishing. I bought a cruiser so my wife would be comfortable and green light this extravagant toy. Back to interviewing boat owners about their boat... ask specific use questions... how many can ride with comfort and not sink the boat off of plane when fully fueled and carrying standard gear (a full ice box, tackle box, bait tank, etc.)? Is the owner comfortable handling his boat in a large following sea? I personally would always prefer a standard hull over the Tom-Cat for that reason, at least in this size of boat. I want a high, light bow to avoid pole vaulting or broaching when coming down a swell and entering the next wave. You also need to know what your important and primary uses will be... and under what climate conditions. I boat in mostly fair weather SoCal and want to fish. A bulkhead separating the helm from the cockpit where my fishing rod has a line out is trolling... that bulk head door is a real a hinderance. I also want to handle the boat while casting near boiler rocks and kelp beds. A 22' or 25' cabin boat would need a second cockpit helm for that. Bimini poles on the gunwall obstruct fishing too. My boat's shade canvas is designed to elliminate such support lines or poles. (See C-Pup's album.) These issues make the open back 16' cruiser or 19' angler the best choice for me as a fishreman.

I own a 16 ft cruiser, but it's down-side is its low weight carry limitation for fuel, gear and people. That weight capacity limit is a more annoying problem to me than its people capacity limit. Weight-carry capacity is a key factor to consider in the larger 25 ft C-Dory choices too. The twin hull has a lower weight carry capacity than the standard hull in a 25 ft version. To say this again, a standard hull can haul a more weight and maintain plane and control better with that weight than can a twin hull, especially in large following seas. There's a beautiful, barely used twin hull C-Dory for sale at MDR's Catalina Yachts. I know the owner who wanted to take divers out on six pack charters. Before he made his choice, I advised him the boat was too small for that and to be sure its weight capacity was sufficient before buying it... but, he was sold on the look and feel of the Tom-Cat and bought it with an inadequate sea trial to really test his needs. The twin hull could not function with the weight of the divers and gear he wanted to carry, so he put it up for sale only months after being purchased. It's still for sale, a perfect boat for someone with appropriate uses in mind. Don't make a similar mistake. There is no perfect boat for everybody because we're all different in our priorities and use needs. Find someone with your intended uses and grill them mecilessly for what their boat's shortcomings are, not just "do they like it". If they don't hate you by the end of your interview, then you're being too shy! Unless you do this, you will risk being manipulated by sales pitches, ads and reacting to images and "feelings" which if you are not an experienced boater, means you might sink your money in the wrong boat. Good luck.