New and need some advice

[C-Aggie]

Howdy,

My dad has admired C-Dorys for about 10 years now and is finally getting serious about owning one (with some help from me). We live in Texas so there are not a lot of opportunities to see/buy one around here.

We are in contact with someone selling a 14 year old 22' Cruiser in Arizona. We are working on a deal where we can physically look the boat over before purchasing it.

The main question is what should we be looking for. We have had boats all my life but I am looking for suggestions specific to C-Dorys. Any remarks or comments would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks and Gig'em ,

Corey

[Bearh]

Corey,
We just bought ours used a year ago--I would check the fuel tanks for condition, and any accumulated sludge at the bottom--ask the owner if he can run the tanks dry, or if the last few gallons are hard to get out--that would be a clue that there might be some crud built up. See the fuel systems section of this web site--lots of good ideas for fixes, etc. We are simply gonna get updated tanks, with lower pickups. Also check for any dings, cracks, chips in gelcoat and fiberglass skin anywhere where water might get into the wood--there's--again--lots of good advice here about what to do to fix, etc. Look for and ask if there's been any screws put in, then removed in areas exposed to weather, where water may have migrated into the coring through the holes. Maintenance records on the engine would be nice to have as a voucher for good care. Good luck--C-Dories are good boats, and the folks on this web site are awful helpful.

[jimandlaurie]

Hi Corey,
The C-dory you mentioned isn't the one I saw on E-bay was it? If so, you might consider looking at the "C-Dory's for Sale " here at C-Brats.
Jim

[C-Aggie]

Bearh: Thanks for the advice. Those are good questions to ask.

jimandlaurie: That's the one. What do you think about it?

Thanks for the help so far,

Corey

[Sawdust]

Hello Corey,

I had to chime in here -- no such thing as an expert in this field, but I've bought and sold a few C-Dory and other boats. If I buy another boat it will be #60 small boat! I have no idea about your purchase price, but here are some things to consider. If it is a 90, then it's the new hull - probably a plus. Does it have a trailer? Galvanized or painted? Pull hubs to check brakes and bearings and check brake lines for corrosion. Single axle or twin? The value of the trailer can vary from a few hundred bucks on up to a couple of thou. Engines? If 2-stroke and the same age as the boat, then the main engine should definitely be surveyed by a competent surveyor. A 14 year old 2 stroke, particularly if ever run in saltwater, has very little monetary value. There are lots of them running that do a great job, but the engine should be checked. A maintenance record of when the lower unit was serviced, water pump impeller changed, and other service items would help a lot in the evaluation. Be sure and check the condition of the fuel tanks.

You cannot properly survey the boat while it is on a trailer. The hull should be checked (again, preferably by a competent surveyer) by tapping the entire hull, deck, and cabin where the balsa is encapsulated for separation and soft wood. All through-hull fittings, screws -- in fact anything that penetrates the hull in the balsa core should be pulled and checked for soft wood. All the fibreglass should be checked for stress marks, cracks etc, and the transom area thoroughly checked for cracks and soft wood. Fresh water is much worse than salt, and the inside of the hull should be checked.

These are things you probably already know, but important items on down the line. The C-Dory boats are very well built, and if treated properly, age gracefully. Much better than this 84-year old owner! HTH

Dusty

[Sawdust]

Corey,

Just a short P.S. The best way to buy a used boat is obviously to know the boat/owner and the maintenance record. In lieu of that, any boat should be purchased subject to survey. The purchaser pays for the survey, the owner pays for agreed upon items found in the survey. Many times these are negotiable. Some surveyors get pretty picky (that's what they are paid for), but any safety items or major problems should be taken care of by the owner. I've never had a problem in this area.

Dusty

[thataway]

Looking at the boat in Arizona on Ebay--the asking price is $16,000. The seller is selling for a friend. The seller is in Wyoming. The boat looks to be a Angler??from the photos. No stove listed, there is a trolling motor bolted on the cavitation plate of the 70 hp two stroke outboard. There is a single axel trailer.

I have bought a number of boats, including my C Dory off the internet and at some distance. However I always saw the boat before I closed the deal. This would include a sea trial.

Is an Angler what you want? Or do you want the greater interior space of the Cruiser? Are you going to be towing a lot?--if so you might want the tandem axel trailer. The 70 hp will be fine with a light load--I have 90 and think it is better when the boat is loaded down.

I agree look for any delamination, soft wood, screws not sealed etc. I would try and get the boat for less than $16,000--but if the boat is in good shape that price is not too far off.

Don't be pressured into an Ebay deal by a time line.

[Sawdust]

To answer a couple of email questions. How to find a good surveyor? Depends on the area, I'm sure. In WA boating is a huge business -- although surveyors are unregulated by the State here, a good surveyor will gladly give references from previous customers. Local financial institutions usually have a list of surveyors whose work they will accept, and insurance companies are quite fussy about the surveyor being used. I'd recommend avoiding general recommendations from boat owners... some good, and some not so good.

About opening voids and removing through-hull fittings. Only with the owners permission is that generally allowed. I've never had an owner decline, with the assurance that the fitting would be properly sealed and signed off by the surveyor.

[thataway]

To my knowlege no state licenses or requires bond from Surveyors. There are several national organizations --but I think that NAS is the best.
I don't agree about insurance companies being picky--I have seen some bad surveyors which are used by insurance companies. In my experience, owners recommendations and talking to boat repair yards are the best place to get recommendations. I have never seen a surveyor remove a thru hull--and as an owner would resist--I don't think many surveyors would want to.

On the other hand, I am not sure that a simple boat like a C dory requires a survey. (Bear in mind that I have surveyed most of my own boats-and the several times I have had to have a marine survey was not happy with their work--so I may be prejudiced). If you were pruchaseing a more complex boat, I would recommend a survey. Even with a little water intrusion (probably rare in a C dory---because of the end grain balsa core) there would be little dammage--and if there was , it would be easily fixed.

The C Dory is a well built almost bullet proof boat--you are looking at cosmetics when you see dings etc--I would look carefully at the engine, and any other systems gear.

[wilbe asea]

There has been a a problem with some C-Dorys that I have not seen mentioned here that you should check, and that is water getting under the v-berth sleeping area. This water gets there from either a bad fit of the anchor rode locker and the drain that is put in the hull for same; if it is not sealed properly, water from waves splashing higher than the port will work its way under the sleeping area (as happened to my 2003 cruiser). A second water intrusion area is from screw holes drilled to deep (ie. throught the hull) for retaining the brass keel gaurd to the front of the keel. Each of these problems is an easy fix, but frustrating to have them to begin with.

Since the boat has a few seasons on it, these problems have probably not been there or have been fixed by now, but if the boat has been repaired for this problem, on should keep an eye on those repairs.

[C-Aggie]

Thank ya'll for the very helpful information. After closer inspection, the boat is a 22' Angler. (The ad said 'CABIN Cruiser') We like the 22' Cruiser better for our purposes.

We are still interested in C-Dorys, just have to wait for the right one to come along. Mabey we will just have to order one new!?!

Thanks again,

Corey

[Da Nag]

[Sawdust]

Bob,

I completely agree with you on all of your points. C-D's are unusually well-built boats, and I bought 5 of them last year. The only soft wood I've found or seen in a CD was around the factory installed drain, and that wasn't a difficult repair. The nice thing about being a buyer is that you can walk away from the deal - as can the seller. Concur that balsa core is a great way to go. Daughter's Pierson, now about 50 years old, has a balsa-cored deck and cabin that except for a couple of minor separations are still like new.

We've lived in the same area so long that I know the local surveyors quite well - which ones I have confidence in and the other kind. Far too many of the other kind.

Dusty (ex-W1SAW, W4SAW, K6RSR etc., etc.)

[Captains Cat]

Dusty, you bought 5 CD's last year?? What did you do with them all or are you forming your own Navy?

USN Capt Retired, current K4KBA

[Sawdust]

Hi Charlie,

Easy answer - boataholic! New and beautiful 22 C Salt, which Les spent weeks of his very limited spare time to customize -- sold because not enough room for crab pots, shrimp pots and cockpit full of fishermen. Ordered a new 25, but Les thought a Tomcat would be better for an old feeble (minded?) guy because of it's stability.

Les was absolutely right. Loved the Tomcat, but had a very difficult time convincing Mrs. Dusty that running 40 NM each way to the winter blackmouth hole, bringing back the allowed 22 inch keeper, then putting $213 bucks worth of gas aboard, was a brilliant financial operation. Some wives just don't understand the economics of fishing! Price per pound just doesn't matter. Or does it?

Sold the Cat and bought 22' Cheery. Almost new Yamaha F100 and near new two axle galvanized EZ Loader - sound Angler hull, but lots of TLC to bring up to CD Brat standards. My usual TLC guy was very busy, and TLC and fishing time don't go together. Bye bye Cheery. Good boat at great price.

Along came Little Buddy. Good friends Fred and Robbin decided to move up to a cruiser and made their beautiful Angler available. Bingo! Almost new Suzy with extended warranty, 1,600 bucks of new beautiful canvas, Wallas stove, shore power, etc. Lots of etc. NO TLC required. Had to check my Pablum daily for glass particles, but Mrs. Dusty - after well over a half century of listening to good well-thought out logic (a.k.a. BS) - said okay and released the funds.


And then TyBoo Mike really blew the whole thing. He decided Kay needed a 25 while we were in Pt. Angeles and made TyBoo22 available. I've absolutely loved that boat and knew how much work Mike and Kay had put into making it the show piece it is. Charlie, you should see TyBoo 22. Name it - it's got it. Beautiful anchor windlass with Mike's custom counter, twin electric wipers with copilot control on her side, forward facing seat (either way) on dinette side, 75 4-stroke Honda, 8 Honda 4-stroke kicker, trim tabs, new factory fuel tanks, custom cabinets, in fact it would take a manual just to figure out how to operate all of the custom systems. AND totally rigged for fishing. TyBoo has boated more Sturgeon than most commercials... whew.

So there it is. One boat for each head! And when Mrs. Dusty and I communicate again we'll see what next!!!

Dusty