22 Cruiser Cockpit size, 4 adults

C

curioustraveler

New member
Hello,

I am looking for a 22-25 foot boat for cruising on the Chesapeake Bay and I love the C-Dory's. Our intended use is occasional weekends but mostly just day cruising, heading over to a restaurant for drinks/dinner, or even just out in the evening for the sunset. We have a marina in our neighborhood so I want something small that we can just hop on and head out for a little cruise but also a cabin that allows my wife and I to stay on her for a night or two.

I'm concerned the cockpit size on the 22 Cruiser might be too small. I can see us inviting another couple along for a happy hour cruise to catch the sunset. Is there room for 4 chairs in the cockpit? (Folding chair or camp chairs.) I haven't been on one yet but from what I can tell, the cockpit would feel separated from the pilot house so if two of us are in the pilot house, and two are in the cockpit, we will feel separated.

It doesn't need to be big enough to travel for hours with 4 back there but at anchor or slow cruising, I'd like to be able to all sit together.

The angler obviously has a larger cockpit but I don't want to give up the galley. Do those of you with 22 Cruisers think it'll be a little too small for my intended use?

Thanks!
 
I love my 22. It's just barely big enough for my wife and I. I think you would be hard pressed to get 4 chairs in the cockpit. Inside the cabin there is only seating room for 3 adults. Unless someone brings in a chair to sit on the floor, or sits in the berth. I have taken a neighbors family out to the local lake. But not everyone is in a seat. That's not saying you can't have 4 adults comfortably on the boat. I just think it would be hard to have 4 comfortably sitting on chairs in the cockpit if you have anything else in the way. I just asked my wife what she thought. "No way you could get 4 chairs back there, even folding. It's tight with just our two." I guess I tend to agree with her. Colby
 
Thanks Colby. That's too bad. And if two are in the cockpit, and two in the pilothouse, will we feel too separated?

I assume there's room for 2 folding chairs and another 2 people can sit on the gunnels?
 
And if two are in the cockpit, and two in the pilothouse, will we feel too separated?

I assume there's room for 2 folding chairs and another 2 people can sit on the gunnels?
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I guess that kind of depends. I've had my brother and his wife on with my wife and I. They enjoyed standing in the cockpit (hanging on) while we were in the cabin. (My brother, that dirt bag, was walking side to side to rock the boat. lol. That's another thing to be aware of. Small beam, so it doesn't take much to list back and forth!) I suppose you could have chairs in the cockpit and sit on the gunnel, but I wouldn't see that as comfortable for very long. At times I wish we had a bigger boat for socializing. But in our case we bought the boat for us, and tend to do our socializing on the docks. My wife said it's plenty easy to communicate between the cabin and cockpit. That's true if you don't have the engine running. Or if you are sitting in the aft passenger seat communicating with the cockpit couple. I suspect if you are looking at trying to socialize with other couples, the 22 may be a little small. If you are looking mostly for just you and your wife, and taking a short cruise with two others along, you'd enjoy the 22. I have taken several others along on a few occasions, but on short trips, and someone is always standing. Colby
 
Sounds like the perfect boat for the 2 of us, which will be her primary use. I'll have to get on one and see how tight it will be for another couple. I imagine there would only be 4 of us when heading out for a little sunset Cruise.
 
curioustraveler":3790w6o6 said:
Sounds like the perfect boat for the 2 of us, which will be her primary use. I'll have to get on one and see how tight it will be for another couple. I imagine there would only be 4 of us when heading out for a little sunset Cruise.
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If you're cruising someone is driving the boat, so that is one less chair in the cockpit. Also, if cruising at speed, the engine noise might preclude any sort of sitting around chatting in the cockpit anyway. The other thing is the 22 just ain't that big, so people are never that far apart.

However, there is really only room for 2 folding type chairs and the people to go in them. One option would be some sort of bench seat that can go in the transom well cut out. That would take up less space than additional chairs.
 
We've had 4 adults and 4 kids on our 22 Cruiser a good bit, it's tight, but doable. While underway its usually 2 standing in the cockpit, 2 in the cabin with the kids everywhere. At anchor we can all hang out in the cockpit if we sit on the gunwale. With the settee down you can sit 3 adults in there, plus the driver makes 4 inside the cabin. We usually keep ours down as its just more comfortable, even with 2 of us it allows the passenger to stretch out.
If you want more cockpit space look at the 22 angler.
 
I have two storage boxes spanning across the rear of the cockpit making one level bench (lower than the gunnel top) gunnel-to-gunnel and 3 can comfortably sit on them or one can lie on them. I also have a folding stool (Walmart) that I use for a third seat in the isle for the dining table or for smooth cruising forward facing in the isle - I extended the legs with dowels to make viewing out the front windows comfortable. Resting your butt on the gunnels works too.

Jay
 
Agree that 4 chairs in the cockpit are a no go. As C Green, we have used both storage boxes and chest freezers refer as "bench seats---plus Marie's plastic card table type of folding chair and my "Camp chair"--with swing up arm for a plate. The 25 is much better suited. There are two built in seats--and then room for at least 2 or 3 more chairs. We have seen 6 in the cockpit area--tight but do-able.

At displacement speeds--less than 6 MPH, the noise level of the engines is acceptable. After 3000 RPM--a bit loud.
 
Would love a 25 but that outside the budget.

I'm not too concerned with 4 adults while underway because I'll be at the helm, the other 3 will be scattered among the galley table and cockpit.

The times I'm thinking I'd really like to seat 4 in the back is at anchor catching a sunset or at the dock if we have friends join us.

I'm not finding many pictures of a 22 angler's pilot house. Am I correct we loose the galley and table? Basically it's just the helm seat and companion seat?
 
The C Dory brochure shows plan views and the 22 Angler just has two helm seats. See- https://www.c-dory.com/wp-content/uploa ... preads.pdf

I have seen pictures of older models of the Angler and they had a longer cabin but not sure if that included a galley.

I am not a C Dory owner as I have an Atlas Pompano 23, but I agree that for overnights you need at minimum a sink, hand pump and a water tank which probably means the Cruiser model. I can easily get by with a portable propane stove unless you need the heat from the Wallas stove.

David
 
Sounds like the perfect boat for the 2 of us, which will be her primary use. I'll have to get on one and see how tight it will be for another couple. I imagine there would only be 4 of us when heading out for a little sunset Cruise.
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Getting on one is really good advice! Only you can tell what you would be comfortable with. The most I've had on the boat is when I (without my wife) took our neighbors. Two other adults and 2 kids. I've also had, besides myself, 3 other guys. But we weren't watching the sunset with cocktails, but rather with the kids, tubing and swimming, and with the other guys, taking a run out to the bar at Astoria, as I had never been and wanted to say I did. (Not the drinking kind. lol) Yet the guy that got me hooked on the C-Dory had the 22 cruiser and he, his wife, and two tall kids, lived on it for a week or two at a time.

The 25 would be better suited for enjoying the cockpit with another couple. But as you said, you are looking at a more expensive boat. I think you could make the 22 work by some of the other ideas presented above. Colby
 
We had a cd22 and we would put a cooler and 2 chairs it was close quarters So when a cc23 venture came up for sale we jumped on it Room for 4 chairs Good luck with your quest. JimW
 
Given your stated needs you may want to look for an Arima 19 or 21. It's a pilothouse like the C Dory and also made in the PNW. They have a larger cockpit than the C Dory 22 and can easily seat four. These boats are used heavily by hard core fishermen who need more room back there. Obviously that means the cabin area is smaller but if you are not cruising for days at a time that should not be a major issue.

You noted budget concerns and that is another advantage of the Arimas - - on the East Coast they can be found for almost 1/2 the cost of a C Dory.

Good luck - - wish I was on the Chesapeake - - learned to sail at Annapolis many many years ago and loved the area.
 
More than 4 - and hour or two
4 - an afternoon or evening
3 - overnight possible, esp a smaller kid, but ......
2 - tight but comfortable for however long ....
 
Have you looked at a 26' Tollycraft? Maybe there aren't too many of them in MD. I think that they are much better suited for sunset cruise entertaining, and you can find one for less than a c-dory...at least around the PNW you can.
 
Thanks for all the info. Will keep up my search, including other manufacturers. I just really like the C-Dorys. Other than perhaps too small of a cockpit, they seem perfect for the 2 of us.

Will get on one in person and see what we think.
 
Here is another brand that has a long 8' cockpit and basic galley amenities. I have an Atlas Boat Works Pompano 23. It is about the same size as the C Dory 22, but because its outboard is mounted on a bustle aft of the transom its cockpit is totally open.

The pilot house is tiny with just the helm seats enclosed at the front and sides. The v-berth is every bit as large as the C-Dory's and has a small sink, water tank and pump and an ice box inside. It has no stove, but I use a portable propane one.

The long 8' cockpit will easily hold four adults on folding chairs to hang out at anchor.

The builders web site is here: https://acadia25.com/pompano-23/ and the sole dealer's web site in Fernandino Beach is here: http://admiraltysalesservices.com/pompano23.html

The pictures on the dealer's website are probably of my boat and a similar one could be purchased today for the low to mid $50Ks.

Other boats with similar layouts are the Sisu and similar bespoke downeasters. The Rosborough Cape Breton 22 is based on the Sisu hull and is built similar to the C-Dory 22 but has a bit more cockpit room due to the outboard being mounted on an Armstrong bracket aft of the transom. See: https://www.rosboroughboatsusa.com/22-s ... -jcce98qc2

David
 
RobLL":3qno2dot said:
More than 4 - and hour or two
4 - an afternoon or evening
3 - overnight possible, esp a smaller kid, but ......
2 - tight but comfortable for however long ....
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Yep, as RobLL says above, my version below
Fishes 3
Drinks 4
Sleeps 2.33
 
I have two storage boxes spanning across the rear of the cockpit making one level bench (lower than the gunnel top) gunnel-to-gunnel and 3 can comfortably sit on them or one can lie on them.
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I have something similar to Jay and it is much easier to have extra people in the cockpit without extra chairs taking up space.

The bench also works as a step to get in or out of the boat from the back or the swim grid.

I had 8 people on my 22 cruiser. One laying on the V-Berth, two sitting at the table, one standing in the cabin, and three hanging out in the cockpit. I wouldn't recomend it. The rated maximum capacity is 6.
 
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