New members, no C-Dory yet

[John&Robin]

Hi, all-
Hoping we're in the "Welcome" section...? We're in the process of getting our Ingrid ketch ready to sell, and are thinking that a C-Dory will be our next boat. We wanted to join up and learn from y'all about the boats- looks like a good place to do that.
Thanks,

[rogerbum]

[John&Robin]

Thank you for the welcome, Roger!
We live on Whidbey Island, and we're hoping that our future C-Dory will make getting out on the beautiful water a bit simpler than it is with our complex-system'd ketch.
Our busy schedules have precluded a lot of the cruises we'd like to do- it sounds great to be able to just jump in and go (after the appropriate safety checks, of course), with less work on brightwork and other older boat maintenance!
One of the things we're mulling over is whether to be looking at the 22' or the 25' Cruiser- we would like trailering to be simple, as well. So any feedback on whether the extra length and weight make for a hard-to-trailer 25' Cruiser would be welcome.
Thanks again,

[Pat Anderson]

Welcome! Lots of C-Dorys all around you! Like Roger says, tell us what your plans are (Fishing? Day cruising? Extended cruising? Stay at marinas? Anchor out? Something completely different?), and all will be revealed by SOMEBODY. We are extended cruisers who anchor out, Roger is a fisherman, lots of folks only stay at marinas or state park docks, and we ALL love our C-Dorys!

[rogerbum]

[Sunbeam]

Hi and welcome! There are quite a few sailors here. I've drooled over the Ingrid many times - nice boat.

I think others gave a good comparison on the 22/25 decision. Needing to tow 8,500-8,900# would really mess with my choice of tow vehicle, so that is one big factor that suggested the 22 for me. But the other was simplicity. I, too, came from more (necessarily) complicated cruising boats, and one thing I love about the 22 is that no systems are buried or hidden -- it's basically all out in the open. The 25 has more comfort for sure, but it also has some systems more "built in" under the cockpit sole, and just more systems in general (water heater, holding tanks, etc.). Not that these are a problem if the 25 is right for you - they are still a lot less complicated than a "big" boat - but just something to be aware of. I didn't realize this when I was first considering the C-Dory.

Another possible factor is that the 25 has amazing headroom. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but it must be 6'5" or more (?). It was actually too tall for me.

I spent 5 weeks on Powell last fall with a buddy, and we never felt the boat was too small or cramped. But of course Powell has nice weather, and also neither of us has to have it be not like camping. I slept in the V-berth and my buddy on the sole with a cushy inflatable Thermarest (easier/more comfortable for him than converting the dinette). But this is so subjective!

Oops, have to run for now...
Sunbeam

[John&Robin]

Thank you for the information- all helpful!
Will keep looking at posts and stories in this forum- think we're in the right place.

[Rob55]

There a few of us here looking. Good luck and hope to see. You on the water.

[JamesTXSD]

Just for a "heads up" (pun intended), the 25 has 6'10" of headroom in the cabin. Almost a foot of extra beam. More storage. Most have a fridge and hot/cold pressure water. More than a ton difference in weight.

Attend a C-Brat gathering, and you'll get to see plenty of examples of both... and likely some 16s, a 19 or two, and some TomCats. You can see how people are using/cruising/fishing/day-tripping their boats.

Good luck with the search - there are plenty of sailors here who have come to appreciate the enclosed helm, shallow draft, and trailerability of these boats. Most owners understand exactly what you are going through.

Best wishes,
Jim B.

[PaulNBriannaLynn]

I think you should come aboard both the 22 and 25 before you make a decision. There alot different in my opinion. Your welcome to check out our boat if your nearby Stanwood if you havent had an opportunity to board a 22 yet.

We owned our 22' cruiser for over a year before we boarded a 25 and really got a sense of its size inside. We were shocked, they are completely different boats. After really getting used to our boat, the inside of the 25 felt cavernous. There is no need to squeeze by your spouse in the isle to get to the helm. The seat cushions are gigantic in comparison and everything is just bigger.

The other thing I noticed is the cockpit is raised to make room for the fuel tank, so you step down into the cabin. That is really a weird feeling after getting used to the 22. The gunwales of the 22 are tall, almost up to my waist. On the 25, they are much shorter. We have a 2 year old that cruises and fishes with us, and those tall gunwales are a real blessing since she's a climber.

Since we mostly fish and usually camp 1 or 2 nights at most on the boat, the simplicity of the 22 is for us. If we did less fishing and more cruising for longer periods, the 25 would be a better fit. We already had a diesel truck so towing wasnt a factor in our decision, but the extra initial cost of the boat was.

I sure liked all that extra space on the 25, it was awesome!

[Aurelia]

Wecome to the site and we were right there with you in 2008.

We owned a 25 and now have a 19 instead. We loved them both but have more fun on the 19 overall. Lighter, cozier, more fuel efficient, cuter, heated, dry, seaworthy, and sleeps/feeds the three of us perfectly. Simplicity is a great thing and the 19/22 models are so close in capability to the larger models that the differences amount more to preferences than anything else.

Extended cruising with two or more people who may not like to bump into each other all the time, get the 25/26 or tomcat. Couples who like to be cozy can pull off long trips easily on the smaller models, even the 16 footers have done some long trips with couples. Couples who need space or carry additional guests will really benefit most from the added space of the larger models.

The separate head/shower is a huge factor for some. We leaned that way largely for guests aboard but in practice they always hold off on using any boat potty of any kind anyway. We found that we didn't really want it for ourselves at all. Most of our trips are short enough to go showerless and the longer trips can work well with a marina shower or sunshower. A full size porta-potty is lower maintenance and provides really similar service to a basic marine toilet. Even the duration between pumpouts can be longer with a larger porta-potty.

Trailering is one big consideration and for us that meant keeping the 25 in the water because we had no desire to own a large truck. Towing the 19/22 is a less serious task that towing a 25 or tomcat.

We picked the 19 for its lack of a galley and simplicity plus we enclosed the rear of the boat fully to collectively have more space than the cabin of a 22 provides anyway. On our 25 we also had a cockpit enclosure but the rear bulkhead/doorway was really a separator of cabin and cockpit in a way that kept us from using them the way we liked. The open feel of combined cabin/cockpit, all heated and weathertite is what we like.


Greg

[Pat Anderson]

Bingo. We call it "elbow room." It is really the distinguishing feature of the CD25 compared to the CD22. Well, that and considerably lower fuel economy. We had a CD22 for two years, and loved it, but with our cruising style, it would be hard for us to go back to a CD22 now... not a put-down on CD22s, just a fact that if you want elbow room, the CD22 is probably not the right choice.

[BRAZO]

The key for us is this "if you think it is to small, it is to small" - just don't think about it. We love our CD22 for it's simplicity. We never complain about the space and instead we discuss the ease of use. We previously had a 32ft Sundowner with 12ft beam - we wanted something easier, less complex, trailerable, etc -- so we never get big boat ittis.

We like that we don't need to pumpout but instead just walk the porta potty up to the pumpout or bathroom. We like that our fuel tanks are easy to change out if necessary. We shower with the camperback on with a solar shower or a pan heated on the Wallas.

We cruised with 4 of us when our oldest was still living with us - now it is normally just 2 of us as our youngest is almost off to college.

We have a small cottage that we plan on using as our base when we sell our main house in a few years, a 24ft motorhome, a CD22, and a couple of Prius's (along with a F150). So, we know the advantages of staying small.

[John&Robin]

Wow, everyone- thank you so much! This is EXACTLY the kind of information we were hoping for- and it's obvious that we're not the first sailors who are coming to this kind of decision. That's encouraging, in itself.
And, to the Lorelei's - thank you for your generous offer to come aboard your 22- we may take you up on that!
We have a company truck we can borrow to do occasional hauling of a 25'; so we've considered keeping her in the water for much of the year, as of course we do with our Ingrid 38' ketch; and maybe just pulling her out for maintenance during the worst of winter weather.
So interesting, Greg, about downsizing to the 19' Ari- now we have a whole new choice to ponder!
Looking at all of your photos could keep us going as we get ready to part with our ketch... have to keep the next boat in mind, to cheer us up....
If anyone's going to the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival, come see us on the hard, if you're so inclined; "September" is her name, and we think we'll (gulp!) have a "For Sale" sign on her!
Thanks again!

[letitride]

There is a world of difference between the 22 and 25 - both are a excellent boats each has it's pros and a cons.

I have owned both and have been pounded hard in the 22 (It took me some time to get the weight properly balanced (I had to add weight to the front) and then the ride was better in 2-3ft chop, but you need trim tabs and a foil), the 25 ride is completely different (for me the speed and ride quality is amazing) and it does not pound the same as the 22 in the same conditions specially offshore.

If you need to get to the island and the wind kicks up unexpectedly you'll be happier in the longer water line, heavier 25ft, I smile every day on the water when the winds kicks up and enjoy the ride......home.......never thought I would write this but it's true....