10" C-dory - looking for info

S

Salty Biscuit

New member
new here...

I recently acquired a 10” C-dory. I have a couple other boats but have always been intrigued by the C-dorys. When I saw this 10’ C-dory, I could not resist buying it. I have only seen photos of it so far. Had my brother get it for me in northerner CA, and I will go pick it up soon. Anyhow, I have a few questions as I cannot find anything online about this boat.

Max HP? Or outboard weight? Hoping I can push the limits a bit a put a 9.8hp around 85lbs.
Construction? Assuming no wood, but maybe in the seat boxes or floor? Foam filled?
Handling? Anyone have one and can attest to how they handle? I have a another 10’ custom skiff that I use to beach launch and access remote surf spots. Considering doing the same with this but thinking it maybe more of a harbor cruiser.
How rare are they? Anyone know how many were ever made?

Any input, details or data on this little skiff would be great appreciated.

Once i figure out how to attached and image i can send pic.
 
I think I saw yours for sale on Bay Area Craigslist and was tempted by it myself. But I’m afraid know nothing about them and I hope someone will chime in with info.
 
There is very little about the 10 foot long C Dory skiffs. One sold about 15 years ago for $500, and was described as a "beast"--heavy. I have had 9.0 hp outboards on a boat as small as 9 feet, but it was a tri hull, with more than average beam. I probably would borrow a 6 HP if you can find anyone who has a 6 hp to see how it runs. It can be trickey on a plane.

When you get it, please post some photos. There were photos in the past, but apparently the address for these is no longer valid, and the photos do not show up.
 
I wish I had saved a pic from the CL ad because they’ve already been taken down. It. However, it looks a heckuva lot like the “Classic Dinghy” sold by West Marine (thumbnail attached).

 
I have a photo. My apologies, but this is new to me and I can’t figure out how to post a photo here from my phone. When I pick boat I will take a bunch pics.

Jared.
 
Jared, We should have welcomed you aboard when you first posted...My apology and Welcome aboard.. You will be owning a very rare C Dory. The West marine boat is much lighter, and made of a thermo molded plastic, rather than heavier fiberglass. Note that the West Marine boat is rated for only 2HP. I am sure that the C Dory will have been rated for more.

On the Pilot house motor sailor I took from Calif. to Europe and back. we had a 10 foot long, 1940 Wizard fiberglass hard dinghy in davits that we often used several times a day. That was a rounded chine, and I used a 4.5 hp outboard. On our trawler, we had a 12' aluminum "Duroboat" and a 15 hp 2 stroke outboard. That would plane nice with two aboard. It was probably lighter than your C Dory.

To Post a photo, you have to have an album. Go to the "Member List" in the header of the forum. Go to Members, and the first three are the forum administers--Private Message Tyboo asking for an album--then you can post the photos. You put the photo in the album and then using the "" command, copy the photo in your album and then paste its url next to the [img].
After the photo (has to be in JPEG or similar format) Many of our phones use HEIF and HEVC, and that has to be converted to one of the photo convention compressed address such as JPEG in your computer (I am refering to I phone and MAC computer. I you are running android and different PC computer, it may be different.
 
Ok! Thanks to help from TyBoo i figured this out!

This is the boat i will be picking up. I thought i read somewhere that the hull is around 140lbs. Hopefully not much more.

C_Dory_10.jpg


This is my current Hawkins 10' skiff with 20hp. I use it to access remote (not so secret) surf spots here in CA. Its surprisingly capable. Im not expecting to do anything like this with the C-dory, but this is my reference for 10' boat. My thought process at this time for the C-dory is a basic harbor cruiser with small 6hp, or possible step up to more hp with some transom wheels.

Hawkins_10.sized.jpg


IMG_1123.sized.png

This boat does 18 knots with two guys and surf gear
 
Thanks for the pictures; Including your surf wagon! Very interesting. I used to love to do crazy things like surf the waves of calving Glaciers, and run salt water rapids with our 12 1/2' RIB. Most of the time we used a 15 hp, but with bigger loads,( 4 people and scuba gear) we used the 25 hp.
 
Update

My brother lives in Santa Cruz and had secured and stored the boat for me. I was trying to find the time to get it but wasn’t eager about the drive and had been busy.

So last week my son went to surf Mavs. He called me at work the day before, “Dad, I’m going up to Mavs. Can I borrow your truck?”. Perfect, I thought. So I said “of course, just one favor in return. Stop by uncle Jon’s on the way home and put that boat in the back of the truck”. And he did. Fit right in, no problem.

Earlier this week I had a job in LA. And there just so happened to be a 2000 tohatsu 9.8 two stroke for sale only a few miles form the job. So I killed two birds with one stone on company time and dime. Outboard looks brand new under the cowling. Ran perfect and was close to a steel of a deal.

This weekend the wife was out and about , so after a morning surf I picked up a new fuel tank and hose at west marine, eager to play with my little dinghy. (Pun intended )

Anyhow, I transferred the Hawkins from the trailer to the beach cart. Then the Dory from the truck to the trailer. Slapped the motor on and wham! Within minutes we had a new boat!

So……..here is what I learned.

It’s kinda bad ass. Can’t possibly weigh more than 150lbs. My best guess is 135. Outboard weighs only 55lbs. (About the same as a new 6hp 4 stroke). So together with out any gear or fuel, less than 200.

Near flat , very little dead rise at the stern. Positive, it’s really stable (I could stand on one side easy) and planes right away. Down side, it slapped a bit in small chop. No worries, just go slow. Bulk heads appear to be hollow, no foam.

With just myself sitting in the center bench with tiller extension at WOT I hit a hair over 18 knots. Definitely plenty of speed. That little tohatsu just purred.

Later near sunset, my son and his pals decided to do a harbor cruise. And the thing floated darn well with 500lbs of youth.

image0.jpg


image1.jpg

image2.jpg

image3.jpg

image4.jpg

image6.jpg

image7.jpg

image8.jpg

image9.jpg
 
Thanks. I will keep it for a year maybe then send off to its next owner. Maybe someone with a larger C-Dory or Tomcat would like it as a matching manufacturer dinghy. Its pretty clean. Open to offers.
 
Added transom wheel and hatches with bags. Was a pain to remove the foam but was able to fix a leak. The port side was leaking, but the foam was closed cell, so that as a plus. The culprit was a poor fill and fix on some plugged screw holes where they had something mounted on the lower part of the transom. Hatches give access to backing plates and bolts for lower part of transom wheels. Hatches are waterproof and have bags for storage.

Two people can very easily lift and slide in and out of full size truck. Transom wheels work great.



IMG_0972.thumb.jpg

IMG_0965.thumb.jpg

IMG_0967.thumb.jpg

IMG_0970.thumb.jpg
 
Back
Top