22' vs 25'

F

Fish Mode

New member
Hey all, was busy this entire week and hadn't time to check things out for the time and had about 500 posts unread. Gots lots of reading to do!

However, I just wanted to ask, since I don't have a C-Dory yet, what do you guys like and dislike about the 22's and more so of the 25's? I know the elevated cockpit on the 25' is a bit scary at times since you're more prone to top over the side (-), yet on the 22' you're standing under the water level (+). But, the 22' has a slight curve to its cockpit due to the balsa core and such (-)

I just want to see some insights on every aspect you guys have with concerns and have 'compromises' to adjust to. Like interior space, cubby size, cockpit size and shape, fuel/water system, whatever between the two subspecies. Don't be shy! Just say anything you guys think that could help me decide, Thanks!

Hope to meet you all someday, David
 
There's only one way to make this decision...

You need a boat ride! Or more accurately... Two boat rides! Question is... who has a 22 and a 25 and lives close to you?

Once you do that, most of your questions will be answered.
 
David,

Update your profile so we can tell what area you live in. There are a lot of owners that would be more than happy to take you out for a ride.

I know of at least five CD owners here in the Pacific NW that have recently (in the last year) sold their 22 and bought a 25. I will give you some of my thoughts on your questions.

Both these boats are easily trailerable and launchable by one person. I launch from a concrete ramp w/o a dock into ocean water with tide differentials of up to 12 feet. The 22 is lighter and smaller in size so it was a little easier to launch and retreive, but not really that much. The 25 is probably 3000 lbs heavier when you compare them fully loaded.

The extra 3 feet in length and almost 10 inches in width doesn't sound that much to some people. Until you go from one into the other you don't appreciate the extra room you do get with the larger boat. It is that way on any boat, not just the C-Dory.

The cockpit on the 25 is flat and probably about 14-16 inches higher than the slightly curved floor of the 22. It is also wider. But the rails give you plenty of safety on the gunnels. Under the floor is a 106 gal gas tank vs. two 25 gal mounted at the transom in the 22. Also under there is the waste tank for the head, maserator pump, one of the two bilge pumps and trim tab pump. So the cockpit on the 25 has very little visible equipment in it.

You then step down into the cabin using one step. Now you are on the same level as you would be in the 22. Galley and dinette table are in the same relative positions. A lot more storage in the 25. Same great visibility through all the windows on both boats. There is more head room on the 25, but you can also get the raised roof on the 22 as an option if you need the head room. Also remember that these boats are very shallow drafted and when-ever you go up you pick up some more wind sail. On the other hand the shallow draft is why a lot of people like the C-Dory, you can "go places no man has gone before"

The water tanks are pretty much the same size I think. About 24 gal. The 22 has a sight tube so you can see what level your tank is. The 25 does not. I needs one and can be fairly easily be added on the port side under the dinette.

The one thing I would do differently if I were now ordering the 25 is in the marine head/shower. I would NOT have the head installed and would use the same porta potti that they use in the 22. One other new owner who you should be hearing from (Pat on Daydream) installed a composting toilet and so far it is doing what it is supposed to do just fine.

The marine head so far has worked fine, but especially in salt water you are going to have problems at some point. You have seals, valves, drain lines, maserator pump and a 25 gal+_ holding tank. The porta potti is simple in design, easy to operate and dump and you can replace it in five years if you have to for probably $200. I would keep the shower capability, put the porta potti in the shower and move it to the cockpit when you want to use the shower. Have the waste tank tied into the fresh water system and use the space for storage.

All in all, the 25 is just a larger boat and I find I have to just slow down a little more when docking or maneuvering. Cruising range for me on the 25 is about 400 sm. On the 22 it was about 225 sm.

There are threads on the site about the difference between twin engines vs. a single. I had twins on the 22. Loved them. Have a single 150 on the 25, and love that.

The V berth is more spacious and the 25 has storage shelfs along the sides. Also the 25 comes standard with a water heater, pressurized fresh water system, trim tabs, and a few other things.

So if you are in the NW let some of us know and we will get you out there to see for yourself. By all means if possible attend the Seattle Boat Show in Jan. You can also visit the factory in Auburn.
 
I have found that I don't even notice that the floor isn't flat in my 22' When standing or walking. To me its not even an issue. I like how rain water puddles in the middle. I have not been in a 25 yet. I do think that the 22's are best looking boat. Granted thats just my opinion. IF the 25s had a rounded edges vs squared head space on the forward deck it would look better. But thats just looks. I like the 25s very much and hope to own one someday.
Don't let the floors spook you from the 22's. Its great boat.

Chris
 
After thinking about your request, I'm inclined to agree with the first response to your post. Take the boat rides but just as important, find a dealer that will let you spend a significant amount of time hanging out in each boat with your crew.

Setting aside important considerations such as purchase cost, operating cost, towing vehicle size, towability, docking ease, etc, the remaining and perhaps most important question is if your crew is going to be comfortable in the space provided by the 22' for the type of boating you will be doing. There is a substantial difference in space and volume of space (actual and perceived) between the two boats.

Keeping in mind that compromise is always in play, I can honestly say that for my wife and I, the 22' is the prefered boat all things considered and there is no feature of this boat we dislike.

Have fun with your processes. Tim
 
We have a 22' cruiser and I've only been aboard the 25' at the boat show, but we boat quite a bit and here is my .02: The 22' would be better for folks using the boat primarily to get somewhere by boat, and the 25' would be better for folks who plan to spend more time on the boat, overnighting, etc. We use our boat for commuting and occasional whale watching day trips. I love its simplicity, easy access to systems and ease of maintenance. In our case, less is truly more. We have not used the cook stove or sink even once, and I encourage passengers to use the bathroom before getting on the boat! If we spent more time aboard, especially overnight, I would need a more fully developed head and probably a shower. You won't go wrong either way, and you get an awesome support group and factory service with either! Westward
 
Thanks a lot for the replies, guys! But, let's just say I'm not in the position right now to go on any boat, thanks though! I do agree what Chris Bulovsky had said about 22' being the better looking out of the two.

What I was hoping for was a boat where you stand 'in' the water rather than on 'top' of it. The 22' fits for me in that aspect, but the 25' is mucho spacious than the 22'. But how much? Anyone here who's kind enough to share the 25 footers specs?

From the gathering pics on this website I see a lot of the new 25 footers; And on a lot of them the people standing in the cockpit are only covered by the sides a little above the knees (a little too low for me, BTW what is the side height in the cockpit?) and are protected by the railing. Does anyone here NOT feel comfortable in their 25' cockpit?

Thanks again guys for the output! David
 
I have to say that the slooped floor does not bother me at all. i have kwiktile floor mats in the cockpit and my feet never get wet now. Standing in the deep cockpit of the 22 is great if you are in to fishing. Being lower in the water just feels better and having a higher side to lean against is great. I am 6ft and the top of the rail hits me just at the bottom of the inside of my pockest. I have not fished out of a 25 c-dory but did fish out of sarks defience with a raised deck. It was hell. I thought I was going in the water all day. Every wave was a puckerfacter event. I just hated it. Also with the 22 you have hi sides and you are able to lean over and wash your hands at the side of the boat. just great. I would like to have a stand up head. the porta pot works fine but I have to drop pants before I sit down. I can not sit on the pot and sit up straight. I hit my head . I need a couple of more inches in there. As far as the pot goes at night , we just move it to the back deck at night and use it out there. that way you dont have to get your partner out of bed just to pee.
 
Like a few others, we have owned both - we were PERFECTLY happy on the 22...I must say, though, we are even MORE perfectly happy on the 25!!!! We are cruisers, not fishermen - we like overnighters, three day weekends, eight day cruises, etc. And we usually cruise with Austin and one of his friends. The extra room, and the amenities like the hot water, fridge, shower, and separate head, are worth it FOR US. It totally depends on what you do. It ALSO depends on where your head is - are you fiercely proud of being a minimalist? The one thing I think everyone can agree on is: you cannot go wrong with either of these boats!

David on Anna Leigh said early in this thread that we would say a few words about our choice to go with the Airhead Composting Toilet. Here they are: so far so good! The original 12 volt fan crapped out (pun intended) a couple of weeks ago, and trust me - the fan is an ESSENTIAL part of this system! - but Airhead replaced it quickly, and I just got the replacement installed this morning. They say 80 uses (solids tank) before emptying, I think we are at about 30 or so, and it is performing flawlessly, absolutely NO odor (well, when the fan is working). We can highly recommend it to anybody considering deleting the standard marine head (thanks to Kas on Boat-y-Sattva, the former Daydream, for steering us in this direction!).

 
Pat
Have a friend that put a composting toilet in his cabin and pulled it out because the 12 volt fan didn't do the job. He figured that only the 110v unit has enough power to work. Obviously this hasen't been the case with you, what brand did you buy?
jimnsher
 
We went from a CD22 to a CD25. We also doubled the size of our family shortly thereafter, so the move not only proved to be needed, but was fortuitous as well.

In my opinion, the CD25 is hands down the best choice for cruising and boaterhoming. But sadly for me, the CD22 is hands down the best choice for fishing. There is no better platform for fishing than one that lets you stand ankle deep in the water without getting your feet wet. I really dislike the raised cockpit floor in the CD25. I did not have or want the floorboards in the 22. What we had was a piece of 3/4" thick rubber mat covering only the forward half of the cockpit floor. That gave us a dry and clean area to stand, and a bare area to flop the bloody fish onto that was easily cleaned. Everytime I go fishing I miss my CD22 something awful; everytime I have my wife, two kids and their two dogs on board, I don't miss it all.

I think the railing on the CD25 is adequate for safety, but I am constantly reminding the kids to not lean against the section between the rail and the cabin bulkhead where the rail stops to allow entry. I have given serious thought to a rail gate in those sections.

As for the fabled pounding in a chop, there is no doubt that the extra weight of the CD25 makes it a lot easier to control than it is in the CD22. I still maintain, however, that either size C-Dory does not pound all by itself - the operator must allow it to. Uh oh...........

We have a marine head storage tank unit, which is just like a giant porta-potty with the addition of a freshwater flush system. We like it a whole bunch. The only airhead we have is usually driving the boat.
 
Well, it seems that most everyone here likes the 25 footer better than the 22 if cruising and on family outtings but the 22 footer more if fishing.

How about the cabin? the cubby? does anyone here have any regrets in having too small of a cubby? Or better, anything you guys would do better if you've had the chance to do it again, concering mods. I guess, learning from other people's mistakes will help you not make the same mistakes. :xnaughty Things like attaching electronics, handrails, improvements with standard equiptment, and such. Thanks again guys


 
It is hard to picture where it would fit on a 22. What did you have in mind? It is definitely higher than a Porta Potti and it has a vent hose...


k3nlind":39d8pwbe said:
Pat, I have been contemplating an Airhead commode even before I got my CD. Do you think the Airhead fit in a 22'?
Click to expand...
 
Fish Mode":lh9imhn4 said:
Well, it seems that most everyone here likes the 25 footer better than the 22 if cruising and on family outtings but the 22 footer more if fishing.
Click to expand...

Hi Fish Mode,
As has been mentioned many times in different threads of this site, "each boat is a compromise". When deciding on a vessel we each have many questions to ask of ourselves.

ie: How many people will usually be on the vessel? (in our family 2 plus a teenage daughter, no problem for day trips and manageable for several overnight trips, but be sure to have a camperback for placement of gear during the night).
Does the owner have an adequate tow vehicle for the vessel and trailer. (if a Dodge Cummins.....no problemo... :lol:) (Just remember, the larger the vessel and trailer to be towed, the more difficult it may be to maneuver in certain situations) (I use to tow a 29' travel trailer with a 1 ton 4X4 dually flatbed...62 feet total length....I definitely needed to reconnoiter certain areas that I was driving into).
Economics? The larger the vessel the higher the price tag. Larger engines = higher price tag....etc. etc.
Storage? Quite possibly a 25' would fit into my shop where the current 22' is but I certainly wouldn't be able to walk behind it. (I'd have to add another deeper bay which = more $. If stored in a commercial facility, the costs may be slightly more).
Operating Costs? Somewhat more I suspect with larger engines.

All of the above were considerations for our move from a 16' Cruiser to the 22' Cruiser. We are very happy about that vessel change! Would we consider going to a 25'? Wife says no. In just a very few years our daughter will hopefully be married to a really nice guy, with a great job, lots of money, a large Nordic Tug with a full tank of fuel and no time to go boating so they will turn the ignition keys over to a drooling dad and mother so they can begin to cruise in the manner in which they'd like to become accustomed to! :smiled

Until the Nordic Tug arrives, we're very happy with the 22'. :smilep
 
Dave's daughter here... :note

Current status
car-none :cry:
boyfriend-none :(
boat-none :twisted:
money-none :|

I think you're gonna have to wait a little longer Dad. :smilep
Sorry :D
 
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