CD16 Fuel Tanks - Range for Lake Powell

[Sea Wolf]

Pat-

I know you're stuck between the dilemma of taking your smaller, easier to tow CD-16 and your much larger CD-25. Your former CD-22 would be a much better alternative to either for this particular trip!

Why not offer to trade usage of your CD-25 for usage of their CD-22 with someone you know and trust near your home or, better yet, someone much closer to Lake Powell?

This may be difficult from the trust point of view, but otherwise would work to solve some of these transport issues.

Expanded further, we could set up a thread to exchange usage or rental of C-Dorys between experienced and trusted C-Brats. This would allow some very interesting alternatives, such as a PNW CD owner the chance to escape the winter in Florida (and maybe attend a CBGT there), and the Florida C-Brat to vacation in the San Juans in summer, and likewise attend a CBGT!

This may seem like a difficult concept to implement, but I would certainly trust many of the C-Brat crowd with my boat, knowing their competence and experiences from their posting.

Joe.

[Pat Anderson]

Joe - you might not recall, but I have actually experienced what you are talking about with a borrowed boat. We were going to Patty's nephew's wedding on Long Island in June 2005, and Bill and El talked us into coming a week early for the 2005 Eastern Shore gathering. Tom Callahan, who is a State Department guy and lives in Alexandria, VA, contacted us out of the blue with an offer to use Otter for the week between the CBGT and the wedding. We stayed in Bill and El's camper for the weekend of the gathering, which was fantastic (thanks to Terraplane Tom and Charlie and the whole crew back there), and then on Sunday afternoon we took off on Otter with Halcyon, Wanderer (George and Penny), Cresent Girl (Dun and Becky) and an unnamed Tomcat 24 (Fred and Deb) for a marvelous week of cruising on the Chesapeake. I have offered Tom the use of Daydream any time, but so far he has not been able to take us up on the offer. Maybe after the next inauguration! I would not want to try to do this on a regular basis though.

Anyway, on our beach walk today (yes, Jim - TWO FOR TWO!!), Patty started mentally calculating - 1200 miles each way, 10 miles per gallon with the Titan towing Daydream, $3.00 per gallon, well, it is no more than when we buy plane tickets and get a hotel in New Orleans, right? It is our vacation, right? So it is looking more and more like it could be the CD25 instead of the CD16 - one way or another, we are going to be at Lake Powell in September!! I'd be good with doing it either way...

[Sea Wolf]

Pat-

Thanks for the reminder about your trip! I'd forgotten, but remember it now.

Joe.

[Chris]

Well...gosh...I wouldn't discourage anyone wanting to do Lake Powell in a 16. Jon & Patty did it in a 12 foot inflatable! But that was before they got Sea Shanti...a 22. Steve cruised with us on his 16 and did fine. Although Sidney must have said something because right after that Steve was looking for a bigger boat! I just think that for the relatively small premium...on about the third day...I wouldn't want to be thinking I shoulda brought the 25!
I know it's hard to convey...but this is truly a fabulous lake. And any way you can do it ...do it! I know many people who have wide cruising experience...Bob & Marie...El & Bill...who rate this body of water very high if not at the top of their list. It's worth some extra time...a long drive...dragging the bigger boat...whatever...to experience the place.
So...anyway...sounds like we need a Lake Powell 2008 cruise thread!

[thataway]

My cousins who were on "Trash Tracker" the shore line clean up boat, last Sept. sent me an E-mail yesterday telling me that they had the same week this year. They wanted to know if we were joining the C Brats up there again this year?

Yes, Lake Powell is one of the Must Do's in the US waters. I would definately vote for the 25. It can get choppy--and as you can see from the photos last year-it can be very rainy==all be it in short peroids. So you want a boat that you will be comfortable staying in for a day, if you have to...

[JamesTXSD]

While the 16 is a great day-tripping boat and perhaps the cutest thing going (well, right up there with puppies and kittens), on that long haul from WA to Lake Powell and then out on the lake, the 25 is going to make a better camper. Don't let the word "lake" cloud your decision-making... Powell is BIG, as in: nearly 200 miles long with almost 2,000 miles of shoreline. I described it as a spiritual experience and still stand by that. Once you get there, you will want to stay for a while.

Definitely a "must do". We will definitely go back.

Best wishes,
Jim

[Pat Anderson]

I understand. Patty is a little doubtful about the 16. That's why she is recalculating based on towing the 25. Actually with the camperback on the 16, we can put folding chairs and a cooler in the cockpit. We have a porta-potti and a little Sevylor dinghy on board (the dinghy would be deflated and carried on the roof). A little butane one burner stove, a couple of two gallon jugs of water, and I really think we could pull off this "boat camping" thing just fine in the 16. This is like Mount Everest - I want to do it because it is there! Sleeping arrangements are the current bugaboo. The cockpit is too short for a pad and sleeping bags because of the pedestal seats. I am thinking of pulling those suckers out of there and using folding chairs in the cabin, or something easily removable at night. I have installed a nifty LED cabin light, some gimballed cup holders, and a little miscellaneous stuff box. I have a plan for a little table in the cabin, just something to put your crackers and cheese or sandwich and soda on while cruising, and a plan for a chart rack. Next thing you know, I'll be down talking to Dave and Ben about cutting the sucker in half! Odds are pretty good though we will show up at Lake Powell in the 25...