25 or TomKat and newbie greetings!

[JMacLeod]

Greetings C-Brats,

The wife and I want to get started in boating and I stumbled across C-Dory while checking off some of our want vs. need boxes.
The 25 cruiser and the TomKat both have a lot of the qualities we're looking for including; berth, head, galley, outboards, trailerable, as well as a very seaworthy reputation.

We live down in Florida, so most of our use would be the ICW, coastal off-shore, Keys, and Bimini/Bahamas.
All things considered, do you think the ride/handling of the 25 or the TomKat to be better suited or more preferable to our waters and use?
Thanks!

[thataway]

You will find that there are a bunch of us C Brats, who are Floridians. The pilot house gives you shade, and protection from the rain afternoon thunderstorms. You will want air conditioning for sleeping in the warmer months. When the boat is under way, I find it cool enough during the day with just the front window and side windows/back door open.

I have owned 2 25's and one Tom Cat. We loved the Tom Cat, but it is a bit more to trailer--and a bit more expensive. The Tom Cat 255 (there was a 24--same hull, but with the large solar collector, you don't really want that in FL (but there are a few down here--with "bills" over the sloped back front windshield)

For AC, we have used window units in the front pilot house window--and that is what we used in both 25's. On the Tom Cat we put in a 9200 BTU RV type of air conditioner on the roof. We have held off on that currently with the recent 25, because we want to keep the roof clear for our dinghy...but both can work... One can use a larger AC unit with an Easy Start, or Smart Start kit--and the Honda EU 2000 (now 2200). inverter generator. Our 5,000 BTU window unit runs off a Honda EU 1000. The generators are put on the stern of the boats--either on the engine bracket on the 255, or on the swim step (up off the water, on top of a milk crate, on the 25. I am building in a mount which can be changed from side to side over the splash well for a Honda 1000 or 2000. We are weight limited, so use a davit to move the air conditioner.

There is the option of a built in marine air conditioner. It takes up storage room, both with the compressor, and the ducting...Also may require a larger generator, shore power or "smart start"/Easy Start system. Negative, is that you cannot run it on a boat lift or trailer (Boater Home camping on the road, staying in RV parks, WalMarts, and government campgrounds).

The Tom Cat is faster (close to 50 mph), has two engines--safety factor, but twice the operating expense. The ride is better in chop up to 3 feet. Beyond that both boats go slow--and you have to decide what the trade offs are.

You are close to the St.John's river, and this is one of our ideal boating locations in FL. We have a gathering in March at Hontoon. A number of us cruise before and after the gathering.

Tow vehicle is a potential issue. We are towing with a Yukon XL with HD tow package. It is OK for flatlands, but not for mountain towing...best is a 3/4 ton vehicle. For the Tom Cat--definitely a 3/4 ton and diesel is best for the torque...

We are all happy to answer questions. One of our members who lives fairly close to Ocala has a 25 and organizes the Hontoon gathering, but they are in Wisconsin for the summer.

There are several 25's and Tom Cats thru out the state. Three Rivers Marine, has both 25 and 255 in stock I believe, if you are interested in a new boat. The best resource for used is this web site--home page, look down at right lower "For Sale by Owner".

Welcome aboard.

[JMacLeod]

Hi Bob,
I was hoping to talk to you at some point.
I've seen your signature in several (if not most) of the topics I've searched, and planned to send you a PM.
I currently have a 2014 F-150 XLT with an 8k tow limit.
I had just started a thread about that before I saw your reply.
Thanks for all of the information and help here.

[gulfcoast john]

JM,
I agree with Bob, as (almost) always.
Welcome as first time boat lookers.
We won’t accept the ‘head by the bed’ concept, which severely limited our options.
The TC255 is your choice for Keys boating in winter or Bahamas in summer (forget fighting the Gulf Stream or Dry Tortugas in winter) vs the CD-25, which is a great boat.
We suspect you may over estimate the usefulness of a boat ‘galley’ in Florida. Our TC255 is our 13th trailer boat, and you don’t want to cook in the cabin in Florida if you can avoid it. With experience, you will, like us, avoid any ‘open flames’ of any kind in the cabin. (We’ll use a propane Lil’ Buddy heater carefully watched when anchoring out in the cold on awakening for the 15 minutes it takes to heat up the cabin and get rid of the condensation). We removed the butane stove and dropped in baskets for extra storage.
We take a HD extension cord out the window and cook on the dock with a Breville Medium toaster oven, toaster, electric skillet, Mr Coffee SS thermos (no glass) inside for breakfast, and 2 burner ($25) Coleman propane stove on the transom seat when anchoring out. We like the NuWave induction skillet inside (thanks again to Bob for that great boating find).
You can’t go wrong with a C-Dory 25 or TC255 as long as the expense is manageable for you. I think the beautiful TC255 3 Rivers Marine has for $154,900 with a good trailer is a fair or even great deal (we boarded it at Hontoon). I agree with BOATUS that as first time boaters (no radios or life jackets…don’t laugh, a good inflatable can top $150 and a good floating waterproof VHF can top $250 each) you should budget an extra 30% for outfitting. Don’t get me started on Florida Registration fees for that yacht.
However, (don’t you just hate ‘howevers’?), it’s your first trailer boat (our 13th). Are you guys ABSOLUTELY SURE one of you doesn’t get terminal seasickness on a pontoon boat on a lake? Will you use the boat so often that your ‘total expenses per year’ divided by your ‘total excursions per year’ is under $500 per excursion? (pick your own cut-off cost).
I’ve said it here often and repeatedly…you can have the same amount of fun (or even more!) with a smaller and cheaper C-Dory boat if you don’t go out in bad conditions or when they are forecast.
We’re un-loading from the Chesapeake Adventure, when done I’ll PM you with contact numbers and you can poke around our boat to your heart’s content if you want to.

[JMacLeod]

Appreciate the seasoned advice and invitation to see your cat in person.
My wife has been very helpful narrowing down acceptable head arrangements.
Anything with a "head under the bed" was an immediate "swipe left".

As for a galley, it would be mainly for morning espresso and evening tea.
I can't see ever using the mfg built-in stove/heater, especially in Florida.
We plan to use a little induction burner (she wanted/got a NuWave last X-mas) on a Honda genny or a grill on the beach for cooking, especially if it's fresh fish.
(The Admiral has a very sensitive nose and a "fishy" cabin would be about as OK as a chili dog to a vegan.)

I'm a Jack-of-all/master-of-none tradesman, so I'm looking forward to possibly gutting and updating the galley with new appliances/conveniences and storage.
I'll save all the A/C wiring, sink/shower plumbing, refrig vs. coolers, bells & whistles threads for after we actually buy the boat and I see how much crawling around the hull my back can handle.

Good advice on seasickness.
I have more than one family member who won't get as much enjoyment out of a boat as some others.
Luckily the wife and I have been able to go on a couple of big cruises, dive trips, drift fishing, tuna fishing, lake pontoons, and kayaks over the last 15 years.
So far the only time my wife got nausea was a party boat when she couldn't get away from the deisel fumes and the cigarette/cigar smoke. (sensitive nose)
That's one of the things that made us consider buying our own boat.

Budget-wise, to charter a boat trip near family would be a 2-4 hr drive for me and $600-1000 for the charter before hotel, gas and food.
Depending on the price of gas, if I can launch my own and enjoy a daytrip for $500 (or under) per trip over the course of an average year for a mix of family fish/dive/picnics and monthly wife-time overnights, I'll consider it a bargain.

Thanks for the reminder on safety gear for us noobs.
The main reason we considered the TomKat was due to safety recommendations so we're not planning to skimp there.
I've already started window-shopping basic things I've seen mentioned: PFDs, EPIRB, hand VHF/GPS, prepaid Sat-phone, Inflatables with oar/motor.
I'd be happy to add anything else to the shopping list you can think of.

Thanks again for the invite.
I'll be looking forward to take you up on it.
I promised the wife a trip up to the white sand of the panhandle last month, but the boat I was watching on BT got sold... I think it was Bob's "Seaweed"... so she's still waiting on the weekend getaway.

Cheers,
John & Linsey

[thataway]

Going Backward--Sea Weed was bought in Washington N. Carolina. There was one 2005 C Dory 25 in Fort Walton Beach at a broker, and the other was in Pensacola--it had a non standard interior--and I had a lot of reservations about condition.

There are the built in 9 gallon holding tank with the potty on the top--pretty much standard in the 25's (since 2006) and 255 's The older 25's had a large holding tank aft, and a standard Jabsco hand pump marine head. We had that on the 2003 25--and the macerator pump went out on the way to Broughtons. (After finally finding a pump out station, and a new pump$$$, we were on the way...

We started using the induction burner about 3 years ago--the ideal solution for the FL heat. (The current 25 came with no built in stove--perfect--room for two induction stove tops.) We also got a 900 watt, .9cu ft microwave which goes over the aft hanging locker, on a platform, to get the door open with the back cushion of the aft dinette seat. We carry a back up propane burner (and sometimes a grill, both of which work on the standard about 1 qt propane bottles.

Sea sickness: avoid heavy meals and alcohol for the day before and day of the trip. Probably most effective, with minimal side effects are the chewable Bonine (Meclazine 25 mg). These can be dissolved in the mouth and will be adsorbed under the tongue. (Avoids the swallow/vomit reflex.) There are any number of RX medications, including the Transderm scopolamine. Ginger is a good homeopathic remedy. The act pressure wrist bands work for some.

For near shore, I prefer the Personal Locator Beacon. Some advantages over the EPRIB--it is registered to a person, and can be used on other people's boats, when hiking, RVing, snow skiing etc. Each person has one, incase one falls over board. Down side, antenna has to be deployed, and the unit held near the water.
Generally a Sat Phone is overkill on a C Dory. Be sure and get an MMSI number and program it into the hand held and fixed VHF radio. I carry several hand helds, only one has DSC and built in GPS. Both of my fixed mount VHF have GPS input and DSC capable with the MMSI #.

[gulfcoast john]

John,
sent you PM (Private Msg) yest with my contact info.
Sign in to see it.
John Highsmith on Cat O' Mine

[JMacLeod]

Thanks, John. Replied.