25/26 vs 22 in rough waters

[Foggy]

[crowleykirk]

There is not one single C-Dory that is designed for rough water. If you need that then look at the Sea Sport line. We had a new C23 Venture. Was a great boat but once we moved to bigger water forget about it.

No matter what anyone says.... a C-Dory is NOT designed for open ocean and big waves and swells.

Can it do it.... up to a point. Like many have said, they can handle more than any of us. Does that mean it's safe of should be done. ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!

I think the issue here becomes I bought a cheaper boat that's not really made for what I want to do but I'll do it anyway.

We hated our 23 in chop over 2 feet with swell. Add in a mixed swell and it was absolutely terrible. So, we sold her. Not the right vessel for us.

Yes, I did like the C-Dory. The build quality is great as is NMI. We had lots of custom features and for buzzing around the San Juans in decent weather is was great.

Moved it to SoCal and it was a major no go unless the water was pretty tame. Headed to Catalina on a good day but crappy coming back. That is when we said nope, never again. We bounced around like a cork. It did handle it but it was major white knuckle.

Now in all fairness I'm used to much larger trawler style boats.
Which is what we are going back too.

This debate just gets old. It really comes down to buying the right boat. But if we don't have the funds for the right boat we tend to settle and then justify our purchase to everyone else.

We learned our lesson. I still really like the 26 and the Tomcat.
And if we were back up in the San Juans, we used to have a place up there I'd look seriously again at C-Dory.

Now someone will send me a pic of a C-Dory jumping a wave.. and here we go again. IT IS NOT A ROUGH WATER VESSELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[C-Wolfe]

That one?

[Foggy]

I've said something like this before, "For a boat on the water, length is ride."

Now, I'll add the following caveats to the above: .... up to a point. As with most
vessels, there are tolerance limits to the vessel and the occupant(s). The boat can
usually withstand more than the occupant(s) regarding savage seas.

Your definition of "savage seas" will also vary.

Aye.

[thataway]

As I noted in the other posting by crowleykirk If you want smooth water going to Catalina arrive there before 11AM. Same for returning to the mainland. A lot has to do with the ability to trim the boat and experience in different types of boats.

No one pretends the C Dory is a "rough water vessel". Yes everyone who is considering buying one, needs to ride in one, preferably by an owner who is skilled in various types of seas.

I have run C Dorys in heavy weather conditions--considerably rougher than coming back from Catalina on average afternoon. One case was down Johnston Straits with 30 to be 40 knots of wind against ebbing current. Seas were steep and breaking--no "wave jumping". No other boat was moving, even 65 footers. It was a bit of "work"--but never unsafe.

When running a vessel in rough conditions, especially downwind/seas, working the throttle is as important as steering. This is the reason that offshore racing powerboats have a dedicated helmsman and dedicated throttle man.

Conversely I have run sailboats, sport fishers and "trawlers" coming back from Catalina in the afternoons when they were a handful.

What was the motivation to bring up a 2022 thread, just to claim C Dorys "are not rough water boats?

[Hunkydory]

Well yes, the CD22 & the the slightly larger 25/26 weren’t specifically designed for big wave, rough sea use, but from my own experience of 21 seasons & 26,000 miles of cruising our CD22 it has done exceedingly well in rough sea conditions & these, I’ve documented in the Grand Adventure Forum. In SE Alaska, the small C-Dory boats have an extremely good reputation for sea worthiness & of the very small boats, the most often seen far from marinas. The Sea Sport is a better off shore boat, but in my many thousands of miles cruising & exploring in the more isolated areas of SE Alaska including the out side waters of Yakobi, Chichagof & Baranof islands, I’ve only seen them relatively close to the main population centers & used for fishing not cruising.

The CD22 purchase for us was definitely not as Kirk stated “issue here becomes I bought a cheaper boat that's not really made for what I want to do but I'll do it anyway” after 20 years waiting & knowing exactly how we wanted to use a boat, the CD22 fit for some off shore Alaska cruising along with much trailering between use on rivers, lakes & ocean. The boats, that are better in differing degrees on the rough outside waters don’t do so well on the rivers, shallow lake areas & exploring the near tidal & tidal areas of the ocean. No cruising boat is perfect in all of these areas, but I’ve found our little CD22 does all of them well enough to have given us many grand boating adventures.

Our boating in a little boat in a big ocean has been safe enough for us to have no regrets & without some risk show me the adventure.

Jay

[Foggy]

Perhaps more significant than boat length to safety and comfort of vessel
occupants and keeping structural integrity of the vessel is the proficiency,
experience and competence of the helmsman, especially in challenging sea
conditions.

The two posters above represent examples of such.

Aye.
Grandpa, an old Navy man, used to say, "The sea simply waits to take the
innocent. Conversely, it actually stalks the unprepared, the foolish and the
arrogant."

[primative]

Fourteen years ago while working with a shipwright on my boat, he made a recommendation for a bilge pump addition.

He said he would mount a larger pump, ie. Rule 4000 next to the existing aft 2000 pump. My recollection is it would be mounted higher so it would only run in the situation of taking on more water and help get it out more quickly. I didn't do the installation, but from what I have read on this thread it sounds like a good idea.

I have not taken measurements for fit, and also whether it will allow continued sweet fit on my boat for a cooler, or 35 liter Dometic. Perhaps next winters project if the cooler/Dometic fits. A smaller pump might be an option too.

[kaelc]

[Hunkydory]