16' Cruiser vs 16' Angler
- Thread starter Leo Smith
- Start date
Bill Uffelman
New member
Not an owner of either but I have examined the two versions to death.
Cruiser has a larger cabin and in my mind easier access to the V berth while Angler has a larger cockpit. Either version is basically a two person boat when you look at the CG load limit.
If you add camper back canvas to either version you gain an extra "room". Crabby Lou took out the factory post mounted seats on their Angler and bought an inflatable mattress to lay on the cockpit floor for the occassional overnight camping trip.
Personally I would go for the Cruiser version but I am not a big time fisherman.
Bill Uffelman
Las Vegas NV
Cruiser has a larger cabin and in my mind easier access to the V berth while Angler has a larger cockpit. Either version is basically a two person boat when you look at the CG load limit.
If you add camper back canvas to either version you gain an extra "room". Crabby Lou took out the factory post mounted seats on their Angler and bought an inflatable mattress to lay on the cockpit floor for the occassional overnight camping trip.
Personally I would go for the Cruiser version but I am not a big time fisherman.
Bill Uffelman
Las Vegas NV
Leo -
There's a guy on here named Block or Brock or something like that. Goes by Catman. Named his boat Bamboozle or something. I'm sure you've seen him around. A real nice guy, genuine fellow, although sometimes he can be a bit eccentric. I would suggest getting what he has. Unless you can find a Toland 16-6, that is.
It's good to see you got the bug back, or at least quit fighting it off!
There's a guy on here named Block or Brock or something like that. Goes by Catman. Named his boat Bamboozle or something. I'm sure you've seen him around. A real nice guy, genuine fellow, although sometimes he can be a bit eccentric. I would suggest getting what he has. Unless you can find a Toland 16-6, that is.
It's good to see you got the bug back, or at least quit fighting it off!
Leo- Anytime you want to go out on a 16 foot cruiser, just let me know. Maybe we can get together with Brock and go on Lake Washington together, then you can compare the Cruiser and the Angler side by side. For an added bonus I can tell you everything about Eddie Cantor, for whom the C in C-Dory was named. No kidding (about the ride offer anyway)
I got to test drive the 16' Angler before going with the Cruiser. The Angler was easy to drive, but I prefer the Cruiser for stowing more gear in the cuddy cabin & staying a bit dryer. We use ours for whale watching & day cruising. We're not into fishing that much anymore, but its easy to do on either model. I strongly recommend a permatrim or hydrofoil on the engine for trimming the bow in rougher waters.
This is sure a great topic for my first post. I have not seen, in person, either the Cruiser or the Angler, but both look like great little boats...with the emphasis on "little". I have spent months reading and lurking and am about to make a buying decision and this thread will no doubt help me out.
First, I am somewhat of a full figured fisherman...6' 2" and 250 lbs...which begs the question. Is this boat too small.....will the boat be leaning to starboard all the time because it is so little? Or, is there an easy fix with strategic placement of ice chests and tackle boxes?
One of the reasons I am looking at the 16 is to tow it behind my 30' fifth wheel. I am afraid if I go much longer (19 Angler for example) I start getting into overall length problems and perhaps even weight considerations. My fifth wheel is an Excel, and came from the factory with a class 3 hitch on the rear that has a 400 pound tongue weight limitation so I am ok with the 16. My tow vehicle is a 3500 Dodge turbodiesel that can easily handle the load and be within the combined gross weight limits as long as I don't take the kitchen sink and everything else she owns along in the fifth wheel.
Last but not least, is just how stable is the little 16? My first mate is real sensitive to tippy boats. We spent a lot of time years ago on a Larson tri hull that was dead stable under all conditions....and anything tippy is not her cup of tea.
Oh, and we are not campers so the berth capability is no big deal, so handling of the boat is probably the most important issue of all. And last but not least, we live in Kingman Az and will use the boat on western lakes so we need the ability to get home when the wind comes up.
The LDR stands for "Long Distance Rider" a holdover from my
BMW riding days.....I still have the now 20 year old bike and can not give up the name.....
thanks, and I would really appreciate any information you have.
Mike Page, LDR
First, I am somewhat of a full figured fisherman...6' 2" and 250 lbs...which begs the question. Is this boat too small.....will the boat be leaning to starboard all the time because it is so little? Or, is there an easy fix with strategic placement of ice chests and tackle boxes?
One of the reasons I am looking at the 16 is to tow it behind my 30' fifth wheel. I am afraid if I go much longer (19 Angler for example) I start getting into overall length problems and perhaps even weight considerations. My fifth wheel is an Excel, and came from the factory with a class 3 hitch on the rear that has a 400 pound tongue weight limitation so I am ok with the 16. My tow vehicle is a 3500 Dodge turbodiesel that can easily handle the load and be within the combined gross weight limits as long as I don't take the kitchen sink and everything else she owns along in the fifth wheel.
Last but not least, is just how stable is the little 16? My first mate is real sensitive to tippy boats. We spent a lot of time years ago on a Larson tri hull that was dead stable under all conditions....and anything tippy is not her cup of tea.
Oh, and we are not campers so the berth capability is no big deal, so handling of the boat is probably the most important issue of all. And last but not least, we live in Kingman Az and will use the boat on western lakes so we need the ability to get home when the wind comes up.
The LDR stands for "Long Distance Rider" a holdover from my
BMW riding days.....I still have the now 20 year old bike and can not give up the name.....
thanks, and I would really appreciate any information you have.
Mike Page, LDR
Hi Leo,
Good to "hear" from you again. As you well know we thoroughly enjoyed our 16' Cruiser. Likewise Brock I'm certain would tell you that he thoroughly enjoys his 16' Angler. I'm guessing you'll have to just try and buy both of them....
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For what it's worth, I'm thinking that you should have kept the 18.8 Toland that you used to own..........
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For those of you that don't know Leo, his former 18.8 Toland was a gorgeous vessel!
Good to "hear" from you again. As you well know we thoroughly enjoyed our 16' Cruiser. Likewise Brock I'm certain would tell you that he thoroughly enjoys his 16' Angler. I'm guessing you'll have to just try and buy both of them....
. For what it's worth, I'm thinking that you should have kept the 18.8 Toland that you used to own..........
.For those of you that don't know Leo, his former 18.8 Toland was a gorgeous vessel!
The cruiser and angler are "tippy" as the boat with-out motor is around 1,000lbs, and the beam is narrower than say a 22. When boarding, at the dock it helps to have anyone already in the boat to move opposite the side being boarded. The boat does list to the helm side when operated solo, but battery/cooler placement will balance it out some. Since the boat is not that wide you can drive from the passenger seat like the mail-man/woman does rural delivery and level the boat . The tippyness can be an advantage sometimes. I can board the boat from my kayak by pushing the gunnel down on the side the boat naturally lists and get in. The angler has lockable space in the bow, where as the cruiser does not. Seat compartments on the cruiser could be modified to have locking doors to put valuables in.
Oh well, I was hoping to hear that the flat bottom and a balanced load would overcome any preceived tippiness I might feel with the 16. So far the responses have not been very encouraging.
Perhaps the real answer is it's a little loose but after you use it a few times you learn that the slippery feeling on a narrow beam, short, top weighted boat is not a deal breaker.....
I believe that anyone taking one of these 16's on big water would sure be comfortable before taking the "risk"...is this something I can learn....
I need more data.......
Is there anybody out there that has taken one of these 16's on an "extended" trip in big water that has a bunch of experience to share....
thanks, Mike
Perhaps the real answer is it's a little loose but after you use it a few times you learn that the slippery feeling on a narrow beam, short, top weighted boat is not a deal breaker.....
I believe that anyone taking one of these 16's on big water would sure be comfortable before taking the "risk"...is this something I can learn....
I need more data.......
Is there anybody out there that has taken one of these 16's on an "extended" trip in big water that has a bunch of experience to share....
thanks, Mike
LDR,
My wife and I purchased a 16 foot cruiser this year and have used it extensively in Long Island Sound, the Connecticut River and Thames River. We like the 16 Cruiser because it has a lot of space to stow our gear, and if one of us wants to rest, the cabin is perfect for that purpose. It only needs a 40 HP engine, and we get approximately 7 MPG. It's no speed demon, but it can cruise at a comfortable 20 MPH at 5000 (with Suzuki 4-Stroke, 40 HP). We don't want to go much faster than that, because at higher speeds, it pounds unmercifully when the water gets rough. The Angler probably can take more horsepower and has a higher practical speed, because the cabin is set farther forward than the cruiser changing the center of gravity. As for the boat being tipsy, it rolls from side to side more than a larger beam boat, because it has only a 6.5 foot beam. If you want to use the Cruiser as a fishing platform, I would not recommend it. All in all, we absolutely love this boat. It's great for protected waters like Long Island Sound as long as we exercise common sense, and it is very economical to operate.
Rich
My wife and I purchased a 16 foot cruiser this year and have used it extensively in Long Island Sound, the Connecticut River and Thames River. We like the 16 Cruiser because it has a lot of space to stow our gear, and if one of us wants to rest, the cabin is perfect for that purpose. It only needs a 40 HP engine, and we get approximately 7 MPG. It's no speed demon, but it can cruise at a comfortable 20 MPH at 5000 (with Suzuki 4-Stroke, 40 HP). We don't want to go much faster than that, because at higher speeds, it pounds unmercifully when the water gets rough. The Angler probably can take more horsepower and has a higher practical speed, because the cabin is set farther forward than the cruiser changing the center of gravity. As for the boat being tipsy, it rolls from side to side more than a larger beam boat, because it has only a 6.5 foot beam. If you want to use the Cruiser as a fishing platform, I would not recommend it. All in all, we absolutely love this boat. It's great for protected waters like Long Island Sound as long as we exercise common sense, and it is very economical to operate.
Rich
LDR,
If a C-Dory 16' Cruiser or Angler just doesn't seem to fit the bill, pardon my heresy, but you might want to look at the Arima Sea Explorer 16. I've never been on one so I can't attest to the stability compared to the C-Dory.
My wife & I are both heavy set, and we coordinate with each other before moving around. Keeping the weight centered or balanced on the C-Dory isn't difficult, but may take some practice and communication. We've been in 3-5' seas and 6' swells. The boat can handle it safely. The crew may be less tolerant. Still, I've never felt uncomfortable in the boat in either a beam or following sea. When it gets rough, trim the bow down & slow down.
We haven't done any extensive cruising yet on the C-Dory, but it doesn't take much to run into bad weather or seas in SE Alaska.
If a C-Dory 16' Cruiser or Angler just doesn't seem to fit the bill, pardon my heresy, but you might want to look at the Arima Sea Explorer 16. I've never been on one so I can't attest to the stability compared to the C-Dory.
My wife & I are both heavy set, and we coordinate with each other before moving around. Keeping the weight centered or balanced on the C-Dory isn't difficult, but may take some practice and communication. We've been in 3-5' seas and 6' swells. The boat can handle it safely. The crew may be less tolerant. Still, I've never felt uncomfortable in the boat in either a beam or following sea. When it gets rough, trim the bow down & slow down.
We haven't done any extensive cruising yet on the C-Dory, but it doesn't take much to run into bad weather or seas in SE Alaska.
I've owned a 16 Cruiser for 5 seasons now and still have second thoughts about the 16 Angler. We've never used the V-berth despite plans to overnight in the boat. It remains a potential use, however.
The 16 Cruiser's farther aft cabin gives you no rear deck at all. The Angler has at least some room for a deck chair or two. Unless someone sits on the berth you're limited to 2 folks in the cruiser.
The dory hull pounds. All the time. Even with the foil on the engine you need "bow down" trim in any kind of open water. Dead calm on Lake Erie two nights ago -- the yacht club abandoned the sailboat races -- and we were pretty much limited to about 22 mph. These ain't speed boats but its sometimes nice to get somewhere faster. I suspect the Angler would trim out better due to center of gravity. The trim plate really helps in my opinion though.
The cruiser is unlockable. You can easily carry a porta pottie and lots of gear under and on the berth, but it's all open.
My favorite C-Dory remains the 22 Angler with the vast open cabin area. Our water gets hard in the winter so we're summer boaters unlike many in salt water so an enclosed cabin seems confining.
-- Chuck
The 16 Cruiser's farther aft cabin gives you no rear deck at all. The Angler has at least some room for a deck chair or two. Unless someone sits on the berth you're limited to 2 folks in the cruiser.
The dory hull pounds. All the time. Even with the foil on the engine you need "bow down" trim in any kind of open water. Dead calm on Lake Erie two nights ago -- the yacht club abandoned the sailboat races -- and we were pretty much limited to about 22 mph. These ain't speed boats but its sometimes nice to get somewhere faster. I suspect the Angler would trim out better due to center of gravity. The trim plate really helps in my opinion though.
The cruiser is unlockable. You can easily carry a porta pottie and lots of gear under and on the berth, but it's all open.
My favorite C-Dory remains the 22 Angler with the vast open cabin area. Our water gets hard in the winter so we're summer boaters unlike many in salt water so an enclosed cabin seems confining.
-- Chuck