Question from new Brat....sort of

[Tom on Icarus]

Hello Brats.

I must confess, although I am a new member to this forum, I have been a regular visitor for a few years from the sidelines so I feel as though I know many of you folks. And let me say what a great resource you all are. I would like also say a special hello to Ron(and Anne)on Meander(25) as it was their Meander(22) which I purchased in May 2005 and have been enjoying ever since.
Although my wife and I enjoy our 22 Cruiser (renamed “Icarus”) we too may be becoming infected with that common affliction “bathroom envy”.
Before I even entertain the thought of moving up to a CD25 I need to know a few things.
The first is…How high from the ground does a CD25 sit when on a trailer? I like to keep my boat enclosed in a garage and it has only a 10 foot opening. Our 22 fits inside even with a Zodiac dinghy atop. Just!
Now, I know there are as many answers to that question as there are boats and trailer combinations out there, but I am looking for a general idea, without a radar arch….or even with. This information will help in the decision as to whether or not to consider moving up to the CD25, as so many of you folks have, or drop the idea altogether.

Thanks,

Tom

[dotnmarty]

First a hearty welcome! Before you move up to the 25, Icarus, I must caution you, as Daedelus did to his son Icarus, not to fly too high. Here's some information on the 151 foot yacht Daedelus, owned by Boeing, which was up your way last month..

http://www.yachtspotter.com/ysp2_ycard.php?foo=20080113

[Tom on Icarus]

MartyP
Thanks for the welcome...and yes I am very familiar with both the new and old Daedelus as it (they) has been a regular visitor in our waters for pretty much the entire summer for as long as I can remember.
Quite a contrast to see Icarus beside her old dad Daedelus. I often wonder what the crew think when they see us out there...if they enen notice the name.
Tom

[dotnmarty]

I'm sure they look on her with both pride and envy.

[Bill.Secure]

I think the trailer is the key to your puzzle. Remembering my CD-25 on a trailer I can't imagine the total height being less than ten feet but I've never made the measurement. I have a fairly high roller trailer.

I'd suggest you contact Dragonfly and see if they have your answer. I think they keep their CD-25 on a trailer. To the casual observer (i.e. me) its the lowest trailer I've ever seen (Magic Tilt bunk trailer). See if they can give you the total height (excluding the large air conditioning unit which sits on top of their cabin).

Bill
Edgewater, MD

[pcator]

I do not think 10 feet will make it. I estimated my 25 on trailer at about 11 or 12 feet.

Patrick

[flagold]

I don't see how you'll make it and have a useful trailer. Remember, you can't have a trailer so low that it hangs on the lip of the ramp. A low trailer invites lots of road rash on the boat as well.

[teflonmom]

Don,t be to quick to get a boat that needs a pump out.On our recent trip on the Erie canal we met a boater with a full holding tank and no quarters for the pumpout. I had no change to help and it was after nine at night. My portapot dumps in any toilet or even a jiffy john. No charge.

Fred Pat and Mr. Grey(the cat)

[Nan-C]

Tom -- Our 25 on a Pacific trailer measures at 10' 4" to the top of the radar dome on the short arch. We just finished a metal garage, and since we had not picked up our boat when the order was placed, we went with 11' for the door. The contractor got nervous while we were gone to pick up the boat and bumped it to 11' 6". Way more than enough. 11' would allow the GPS mast to clear in the down position. At 10' 6" my wife would have had to press it down to enter/exit. I also think we lose a couple of inches of the opening to the roll up door. So be sure to factor that in. Also, due to my arrogance when it comes to backing a trailer, we have a 10' wide door. I did not consider that the driveway to the boat garage does not allow the rig to straighten out before the boat enters the garage. This is still very workable, but 11' would be better -- just like the contractor said.

[Nan-C]

Tom -- I responded as if you might be building a garage and then remembered you had one with a 10" opening. Sorry -- senility! I would assume given our height with short arch and radar your opening will work if the door opens to give you full height.

Greg

[El and Bill]

I suppose many of us, perfectly content on our 22's, would take exception to the general phrase, "moving UP to a 25," unless you are referring solely to it being higher on the trailer. There are many of us who would argue a switch from a 25 to a 22 would be the "move up."

Teflonmom (Fred and Pat) express our opinion perfectly. Many find the move down to a marine head from a porta potti adds complexity to cruising life.

[Pat Anderson]

Yes, "simplify, simplify, simplify" - get a 25 with an Airhead Composting Marine Toilet!

[JamesTXSD]

Oh, it's that "gazillion dollar head" thread again. While I have a "boat-load" of respect for those who prefer their porta-potties , there are a lot of reasons that the 25 is a "step-up". Up, as in up in length; up in beam, up in height; (for those keeping score that's: up in volume); up in storage space; up in home-like systems (like pressure water, hot & cold, fridge, electrical system, etc... and yes, those can be added to the 22). Up in ride comfort (that could be subjective, but this is a free opinion). And the down side: more weight (bigger tow vehicle needed), more fuel burn.

We've used porta-potties on other boats (have one currently in our sailboat), so it's not like I'm opposed to them. We actually carried a porta-potty with us on our trip to Florida this past winter... never took it out of the truck bed. But, just in case we were going to be on land for any extended time (that didn't happen), we didn't want to deal with "where do we pump out if we aren't near a marina?" It was a non-issue. These past 5 months had us doing plenty of land traveling; we found we could go well over a week... and that was as long as I could take without being on the water.

So, Bill & El (and all those who wouldn't trade your 22 for any other boat), most of us consider "moving up" means going to a bigger boat... same if you go from a small house to a bigger house... or a mini-pickup to a full-size pickup. To try to remain PC (and goodness knows I rarely do), let's consider that "up" doesn't mean "better", but bigger. We all know that the most important thing is to get the boat that keeps both principals happiest (and that's certainly not a slam on our single-handing friends, and by "both" I mean any two persons who consitute a couple, regardless of race, religion, creed, gender-preference, or sex... whew! )

Now, let's all hold hands and sing in three-part harmony... and celebrate freedom of choice... choice in size, systems, and potty preference!

Cue the music. Unfurl the flag.

Best wishes,
Jim B. (Proud that I like my choice of potty!)

PS - To get back to the original question in this thread, our boat is just over 12.5 feet tall on the trailer, with the tall radar arch and the anchor light that extends over the radar dome... and the cool head on the boat doesn't add any height!

[Tom on Icarus]

Don't get me wrong...I love the CD22 and I have had several boats before...larger and smaller. So to clarify the issue...by "moving up" I simply meant in size. The C Dory itself is a "move up" from the other boats I've owned.

Tom

[Dora~Jean]

Mine is 110.5" from the ground to the top of the roof, not including the radar dome. From the ground to the bottom edge of the shallow keel is 24.25".

And I refuse to get into the turlot debate, love my porta-potti (I just told them to keep the marine toilet when I ordered the boat -- saved a bit of cash also!).