Trailer Boats C-Dory 22 article / October Issue

Valkyrie

Hi Brats,

I just received my October copy of Trailer Boats and was surprised to see an article on the CD22.

They tested the boat on Biscayne Bay and I assume that it was during the Miami Boat Show. There are also a few of those spectacular shots of the FaCdory Guys running the bar including a near-airborne shot spread across the two opening pages of the piece.

It's a pretty good review, but it states that the interior cushions are vinyl. Is there a change that I don't know about or did they screw-up?

Nick
"Valkyrie"

Wefings · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 8:43 am Post subject:

They is wrong ! I was there . It was the boat that was also used in the "boattest.com" video . New [at that time] Honda 90 on blue hull .
Marc

patrick and linda · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 9:21 am Post subject:

my question is regarding the "Trailer Boats" selection of boats to write about. does the selected boat manufacturer pay for this service, if their boat is tested?
i am routinely contacted by any one of our many local newspaper companies, notifying me that our company has been selected to be interviewed and have a featured story published about our wonderful accomplishments. how fantastic is that! all i would need to do is pay for this opportunity.
thanks
pat

Pat Anderson · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 9:38 am Post subject:

Pat, I don't know about Trailer Boats, but suspect that the factory DOES have to pay for having their boats "tested." Daydream and Anna Leigh were featured as you may recall in Motorboating Magazine in connection with our Alaska cruise. Scot Reynolds later told me C-Dory had to pay for this purely editorial piece. It is a rotten practice and for me it takes away all credibility. But like slotting fees at the supermarket it is a fact of life...

Valkyrie · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 9:47 am Post subject:

Pat,

For about twenty years I worked as a freelance marine writer on a part-time basis - Sail, Cruising World, Small Boat Journal and Boating World, where I was Midwest Contributing Editor for about eight years.

During that time period, mid-70's to mid-90's, there was a very clear distinction among the major (note: MAJOR) magazines that the ad side was completely separate from the editorial side.

However, you will notice that almost all magazines, regardless of topic, are much thinner these days, partly due to the effect of the internet, which is a much more efficient way to reach a large market. Ad dollars is where the profit comes from; subscriber dollars usually pay for the publication costs if subs are maxxed out.

That being said, it seems to me that editorial content is often tainted these days as I have seen copy in an article that is identical to copy for a brochure or from a manufacturer's website.

I guess it depends on the integrity and solvency of the individual publication.

Nick
"Valkyrie"

JimD · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 10:23 am Post subject:

The manufcturers pay a pretty hefty fee to have boattest (and it's associated trawlertest) test the boats. Cosequently, you will almost never find a negative in the review. These tests are marketing tools for the manufacturer; nothing more.
A nice video, WOT, GPH and MPG are the most useful parts of the "test".

http://www.trawlertest.com/
http://www.boattest.com/

rdn4sun · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 12:37 pm Post subject:

Hi All,
I have been getting Trailer Boat for about a year and have noticed that they like everything they "test". This makes me question their veracity.
'ang on....they get PAID to test boats?? OK now I get it.

:^)

Larry H · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 1:29 pm Post subject:

The now defunct Powerboat Reports had no advertising and actually tested/reported on boats, motors, and products.

A subscription was expensive, but I didn't mind paying for honest tests and opinion.

So what happened? They sold out their subscribers by selling out to Boating Magazine. For the rest of my subscription money I now get a 'zoom boat' magazine which is all advertising. In addition, my name and address are now being sold to others for mailing lists.

Apparently, the corporations now control all print information in the boating world. It's a good thing we still have the C-Brats where we have the freedom to discuss the good and bad without censorship.

patrick and linda · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 1:37 pm Post subject:

Larry,
amen, to that! and, i agree with all poster's regarding this issue.
pat

Pat Anderson · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 3:32 pm Post subject:

But damn I love that Motor Boating Magazine pic!!!!

Byrdman · Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 10:53 am Post subject:

Beautiful Pic Pat & David. That makes you want to go boating in just about anything...just go boating. Yes, the dollars drive it and we all know the direction that Scot and Tom want/are trying to take C-Dory...hence the article. I too have enjoyed trailer boat mag for YEARS.... What I like most are the travel destinations and maintenance gigs.... The rest of it is all buyers beware...but hey... we have to have something. Also noted in this same pub this month is the 3.0 diesel in the "new Jeep".. So.. I am going to have to kick back in the recliner, with my reading light and glasses, and be forced to enjoy another pot of Cameno Island fresh ground coffee.... and read boat stuff.. Looks to be a great morning ahead while we are getting our much needed rain!!!

As far as the weights/MPGs/GPH's.... they are on boats that are empty...not like we use them with all our "stuff" on them...but...again... a base line for us all.

So TRUE ABOUT THIS SITE and being able to get the good, the bad, the ugly...and most of all ....the fixes...and the gatherings around our Great Country!!!

Byrdman

timflan · Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 12:00 pm Post subject:

Apparently, I'm an idiot! We haven't accepted ANY money from manufacturers to write Navagear articles!

However, we have accepted gear and equipment from manufacturers to test. Well, twice anyway. We make no promises about what we'll report, and I like to think we maintain some degree of editorial credibility.

But it should be noted that when a manufacturer has taken the time to make contact and provides a sample, courtesy may cause a writer to be a bit more forgiving of a product's shortcomings.

I can't claim to be immune from that; one of the pieces of gear we had failed upon initial installation. It appeared to be working at the dock, so we started the boat, and it never worked again, no matter what we did. We'll mention that in our review, whenever we get to it, but we didn't publish a report of this one test case all alone. Why not? Because it would be rude! Maybe we did something wrong, maybe this was a lemon, maybe a lot of things. We just didn't feel good about accepting the loan (it was a loan, not a gift) and then trashing the product on our site. If we were COMPLETELY free of such concerns, we would publish a report of our experiences, secure in the knowledge that readers would recognize the limitations of our single-sample experience, and that this manufacturer (and others in the future) wouldn't be upset with us.

All I'm saying is that "pure" editorial freedom is largely a myth, but it still worth preserving as an ideal.

Jazzmanic · Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 1:29 pm Post subject:

Yeah, I just received my copy yesterday. Nice article and pics although the picture of the FaC-Dory Guys on the Columbia Bar is not nearly as dramatic given the size of the picture they used.

There are a couple items I think need to be corrected but I wanted to check with owners of new 2007 CD22's first. The vinyl seat issue has already been addressed. However, they also mentioned that the boat doesn't have an anchor locker. Is that true? Our 2005 CD22 certainly does and I'm certain that all other model years do. I thought I saw a ss clamshell cover on the hull for the anchor locker drain in the picture. Please, do tell.

Valkyrie · Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 1:58 pm Post subject:

Peter,

In the truest sense of the word, they are probably correct, with an anchor locker being capable of holding an anchor and rode in a hinged, covered compartment on deck. What CD's have is more typically referred to as a chain locker.

I agree, though, that it is misleading.

Nick
"Valkyrie"

Valkyrie · Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 2:13 pm Post subject:

Oops! Unintended second post.