Ranger moving strong into the outboard market

[journey on]

C-Dory is built by a manufacturer (Northwest Marine Industries) who builds a wide line of boats: C-Dory, Osprey, Orca, Sea Sport and Tomcat. They are manufactures only and do limited advertisement, depending on their dealers and the C-Brats. Some of their boats lines compete with each other: Orca and Sea Sport. Also, I understand they have a lease or a royalty with some of their boats (C-Dory for instance.) And they have a limited manufacturing facility (Google it.)

Contrast that with Ranger Tugs with 2 separate lines, one a tug type and the other a sporty type, both appealing to the retired boat owner who wants all the conveniences and has the money. The Ranger Tug models don't overlap. And they do have a tremendous advertising program and are willing to expand.

Different business models. One wants to build boats. The other wants to sell boats. I hope both are successful.

Now to compare C-Dory's to the Ranger Tug. Lets use the 25's as an example. I looked at a Ranger Tug several years after I got Journey On. Basically they're 2 different boats. The Ranger Tug has all the bells and whistles (fore and aft thrusters, lined inside,) The C-Dory is minimalist, but I hear that it's more seaworthy. I prefer the C-Dory line; the longer I keep it the more certain I am that I have the right boat for me. Both are good boats for their owners, you take your choice.

I expect that when they quit selling C-Dorys they will quit building them. And they're building a steady stream. But we're not hearing about them because the dealers don't have to let the C-Brats know.

I'd love to hear Wefing's comment on this discussion. Or any other C-Dory dealer.

Boris

[ken35216]

A lot of C-Dory owners are x-sailors. Sailors (historically) = Cheap. Who would agree that most C-Dory owners are thrifty (for lack of a better term)?

I think Ranger people like to throw more money around and are a little flashier. You can make more money off of people who like flash.

[JamesTXSD]

Ken, in case I didn't say it before, congrats on your new CD-25!

We were sailors before getting our CD-25 in 2006. There were several folks on here at the time who had previously owned Corsair trimarans (us included)... most sailors would not consider those cheap... BUT, they do return a higher percentage of the purchase price when it comes time to sell.

I know when we bought our 25, Jeff also suggested that we might look at the then new Ranger 25 Tug that was a brief marketing situation between C-Dory and Ranger Tugs. Yes, for a very brief time, they were called C-Ranger Tugs. They didn't have a completed Ranger boat at that time... but, there was no question for us: we were there to buy a C-Dory. We wrote the check - it wasn't cheap. And I'm guessing that just over a decade later, your 2017 CD-25 wasn't cheap, either.

I don't think of C-Dory owners as cheap or even frugal... practical is the word I have always used. I wouldn't consider the C-Dory boats to have a lot of "flash," but they are stout and get the job done. There is room for owner mods that make these boats even more practical.

Ranger has done a great job of making a boat that is turnkey, with power and exterior designed to impress men, and interiors that look finished and rich (to impress everyone).

I was concerned that my wife wouldn't be in favor of the C-Dory interior. When we first got inside one at the boat show, she said, "This should be easy to keep clean." Practical. She was sold. She picked the 25 over the 22 because of the extra room and amenities. Practical, for us. But... not cheap.

Not cheap to operate or maintain. Certainly more practical (and economical) than many boats. And, the adventures to be had are priceless.

Jim

[MikeR]

I sure love both of my C-dories. One is towed easily with a 4-cylinder car, the other with a 1/2 ton pickup or SUV. C-Dory and Ranger/Cutwater are entirely different categories of boats and companies. One is a low-production, light-weight, flat-bottomed, fast-planning, economical-to-operate (yet highly seaworthy) boat, the other a heavy, well-equipped, plush, and quickly becoming a mass-produced cruiser.

As the saying goes, every boat is a compromise and for my boating style, taste in design aesthetics, and preference for simplicity and seaworthiness...and the reason I'm here on C-Brats with all of you...C-dory is still the ultimate pocket cruiser and I have yet to find a model by ANY manufacturer that compares directly with a C-dory 16, 19, 22 Cruiser, or 23 Venture. Marinaut 21' would be right in there but as far as I know they aren't in production at the moment, and used ones are rare despite there being 2 currently for sale (what are there, about 10 that have been produced total?).

Now, if I was looking at a C-dory 25 Cruiser or larger then personally I probably wouldn't be trailering (and I'd also have a larger budget!) and therefore other heavier makes/models would be worth looking at, (although I'd probably still lean towards the C-dory line given the other options discussed in this thread, for similar reasons discussed above).

-Mike

[RobLL]

Last year at the C-Brats gathering (Seattle Boat Show) the factory rep did spend a little time. From what he and other have implied I got the impression that the factory was trouble making a profit on the 22 foot boat. And also the impression (politely made) that they really don't have the time or interest to deal with used boat owners.

[Foggy]

Gum flapping noted.

The bottom line is that there is no perfect boat; only incompletely
informed prospective buyers looking for one during which time
they are the happiest.

Aye.

[hardee]

[ken35216]

One would think the KISS C-Dories would hold their value much better after 10 years of regular use. All those extra goodies depreciate/wear out while the KISS does not.

[rogerbum]

[Catman]

Good point, Ken. And MikeR, well stated. I agree with your sentiments as well. Quite a lively exchange, this thread.

[Will-C]

We had a 23' Venture and I loved it. My wife could only handle about 30 days at a time on the boat. Always moving things around into the berth out of the berth. Storage was always an issue. We wanted a bigger boat that we could still trailer. Marc from Wefings had a loaded 2014 R-27 with only 11 hours on it that had been used as a demo of sorts. It had A.C. reverse cycle heat, diesel generator, windless, 140 watt solar panel, a complete Garmin electronics suite with Radar, auto pilot, VHF radio, and 12" 7212 chart plotter. It had a decent sized refridge with freezer, two burner propane stove with a small oven that we actually use from time to time. We added a nice custom camper back, a Vesper Watchmate 850 AIS up graded the anchor to a 35 pound Mansion Supreme. 4" memory foam in the berth. NO WINE COOLER. The nicest part was it came finished and everything had it's place. No condensation drips that fall on you in the berth. We trailered to the Trent Severn in 2015 and Coast to coast last summer to the Northwest and back home to PA. This our second year on it down in the Florida Keys where we stay on it for two months at a time. Lots of people have thought it is an older boat that has been restored. I think it looks nice but not flashy. Anyone who has who ever has met me could easy see I'm about as far from flashy that you can get. I don't really consider myself as throwing money around in buying a boat that allows us to spend more time on it more comfortably than we did on our C-Dory. I loved our C-Dory but this seemed like a natural transition that many other C-Dory owners have made. We are putting our boat up for sale as we want to transition to a cottage on Lake Ontario and a much simpler fishing boat for trolling for salmon and steelhead. Life goes on nothing flashy about it.
D.D.

[hardee]

Dave, it was a pleasure to get to meet and cruise together some last summer. That boat fit you like a glove and we had a great time. If I was looking for a tug, I'd be at your doorstep when you are ready. BUT, it is bigger than I need, and more boat than my PU will tow. It is a nice Ranger, and you two have really put it through some paces. Good to hear you have enjoyed the ride.

Harvey
SleepyC

[ken35216]

[Leo Smith]

There is a downside to building a boat with a long-term production run. As the costs of boatbuilding continues to increase (labor, materials, etc.), the new boats being built start to compete with identical models in the used boat market. Well-constructed fiberglass boats don't wear out, and it's fairly easy (but not cheap) to re-power an outboard boat.

At some point, buyers will choose a used boat in good condition rather than a new one when there are minimal differences between the 2007 model and the 2017 model.

The C-brat classifieds list older and well-equipped C-dories at a lower price that that of a new "bare bones" boat that will require electronics, outfitting, and too many visits to West Marine.

[westward]

My take is that c-dory and ranger are completely different boats targeting very different buyers. Except the ranger 21 , rangers target a more upscale, feature focused customer base. C-dory is spartan/utilitarian , generally lack proper toilets, and, as with automobiles, that market is disappearing. Think of a contractor pickup with vinyl seats, roll-up windows, no AC, and a straight 6, compared with heated leather seats, quad cab, premium audio, and DVD players for the kids. Which is selling today? Which makes more sense to manufacture? Even so, I'm happy to find people like the c- brats who favor simplicity over flash, and aren't too soft to pee into a bucket.