25 Cruiser questions

Boris
Do you have bottom paint? What prop do you use? What pitch? How is your weight distributed? Do you have twins or a kicker? The list of variables goes on and on. Bill Smith on the Blue Days asked me for a ride on the "40mph 25". He got it up to 39 mph one way and I got 41 mph the other way. I was packed for a 5 day trip with lots of water and fuel. Is the C-Otter typical....No....most 25s do not have a 200 hp 2 stroke. John just wanted to know what a 25 could do. All my speeds are GPS speeds at sea level with no bottom paint, no kicker and the correct prop. It's all fun as I usually cruise at 6 mph.😊 Tom
 
Boris
Do you have bottom paint? What prop do you use? What pitch? How is your weight distributed? Do you have twins or a kicker? The list of variables goes on and on. Bill Smith on the Blue Days asked me for a ride on the "40mph 25". He got it up to 39 mph one way and I got 41 mph the other way. I was packed for a 5 day trip with lots of water and fuel. Is the C-Otter typical....No....most 25s do not have a 200 hp 2 stroke. John just wanted to know what a 25 could do. All my speeds are GPS speeds at sea level with no bottom paint, no kicker and the correct prop. It's all fun as I usually cruise at 6 mph.😊 Tom
 
I can tell you I have taken water over the bow. I mean buried it in green water. My own fault for catching "get home-itis" and not checking the weather. I kept dry and warm and the boat handled the rough conditions, although I had to use the throttle expeditiously.
 
Sounds like I might be able to reasonably expect a 20-25 nmph cruise speed in calm conditions with a 175-200 hp main and a 10 hp kicker on board, and 8-12 nmph in choppy to rough conditions, maybe more if the seas aren't steep and close...
John T
 
John T":w8rjizqe said:
Sounds like I might be able to reasonably expect a 20-25 nmph cruise speed in calm conditions with a 175-200 hp main and a 10 hp kicker on board, and 8-12 nmph in choppy to rough conditions, maybe more if the seas aren't steep and close...
John T
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Other than the calm stuff, everything else is a constantly varying situation. 8 to 12 is about the worst fuel mileage condition with a CD-25. You will find that the boat will let you know where it is happy. Yes, with 175-200 hp, the CD-25 will be able to do 20 to 25 knots. Will you want to run at that speed all the time? Before I bought the boat, I thought I might. Coming at it from a sailing background, after a year or so of going everywhere at 20 knots, I discovered the wide capabilities of the boat.

Most cars will do 100 miles per hour. Odds are pretty good you won't spend much time there in the real world. The CD-25 is about so much more than just the speed it will run.

If you feel like you will be missing out by not going above 20 knots most of the time, consider a TomCat TC255. Of course, in the real crap conditions, that boat will have to slow down, too. Physics.

I think the CD-25 is a very versatile boat. Good luck with your decisions.
 
Yep, makes sense. I'm coming at it from the other end; runabouts that I've generally cruised at around 30 knots, our 32' and 42' Uniflites that I cruised at 15-16 knots except in sloppy stuff, our current 22' Cobalt I generally cruise at 28-40 knots (WOT is 63 mph which is about 50-55 knots). Debris in the water is too hard to see at those speeds though, and the boat is loud, and it's not very pleasant. We'll keep the Cobalt for water sports with the kids and grandkids. The CD would be for my wife and me, for pleasant, hopefully fairly quiet cruising, fuel economy, simplicity, low maintenance, for poking into all kinds of beautiful and shallow places, and soaking in the magic of the marine environment. I think I'd like to move more slowly, leave a smaller carbon footprint, and be able to focus more on the surroundings than the systems on the boat. At the same time, I don't want to be forced into trawler speeds all the time. The CD looks like it may be the right boat, and yes, its versatility certainly is appealing.
 
John,

I look at other boats all the time dreaming...Ranger Tug 27, Nordic Tug 32-37, C Dory Tom Cat.

Well, I went out on my 25 today after 2 months of not boating and I can say I am really happy with it. Tried some displacement cruising on the 150 at 2000 rpm and around 6.5 mph sog and some on the kicker to get the cobwebs out of it. When it was time to head for the dock, cruised in nicely at 18-20 mph SOG and it is perfect.

Bottom line the boat does everything we want for now, is trailerable, provides lots of interior and cockpit room. Carries a dinghy and kicker when out playing for 10-12 days, very fishable. Now we have a refrig/freezer and Honda 2000 generator and will add another house battery to have longer AH capacity. We are happy boaters.

A used 25 is relatively inexpensive compared to new boats and it will do so much. If you go new, then you get state of the art build from a great company and you make all the fun decisions to outfit just for you.

If you haven't already planned to, consider coming up for the Friday Harbor gathering. People are more than happy to show off their boats and answer questions. You might even bum a ride :D
 
Well said Patrick. Yes, I've thought about the gathering in Friday Harbor. Weather permitting, it sounds fun to run up by water.
 
I toured the NMI factory in Bellingham and was very impressed with the quality of what they were building. We are inclined toward purchase of a new 25. However, both my wife and I continue to wonder how we will like the ride, particularly in a light to moderate chop. Our only major remaining hurdle is to ride in one. Neither of the dealers from whom we would consider purchasing has one to sea trial. We are planning to be in Friday Harbor May 20 and 21. As you suggested Patrick, we'll spend time on the docks hoping to talk with owners (without making pests of ourselves). What do you think our chances are of having someone take us out for an hour or less? I just don't want to be presumptuous.
John T.
 
John T":3o77tbuu said:
Neither of the dealers from whom we would consider purchasing has one to sea trial.
John T.
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Have you tried contacting Waypoint Marine near the Ballard locks in Seattle? I know they had an open house offering sea trials last month.
 
Yes, thank you for the good idea. We weren't available the weekend they offered sea trials. That boat is a purchased, but so far unused one that the owner allows them to show and sea trial. We've seen it; nice boat. However, I currently think we're more likely to work with Sportcraft Marina in Portland or Master Marine in Mt. Vernon, so I don't want to ask Waypoint Marine to launch that one and go through the locks or all the way to Lake Washington for us.
 
I have looked at a few of the new boats coming out of NMI and the build quality is probably the best its ever been, or at least better then they were during the period where production was increased dramatically.

Our boat was a 2003 and it was very well built, but some small quality control issues I noticed. For example, the transom cap was not installed properly and I had to seal it like it should have been done from the factory. Those issues are fixed on boats made now.

The fact that the new owners also produce SeaSport and Skagit Orca provides some confidence. If I could afford a new boat, I wouldn't hesitate to buy one now, they seem like a lots been improved on.
 
Hi John T.

I have no doubt you will be able to get a ride from some 25 owners at the Friday Harbor gathering.

In 2006, when we were ready to buy/order a C-Dory, we went to the Seattle Boat Show at the urging of Jeff Messmer (now with Ranger Tug, but a VP at C-Dory at the time). We were able to see every model C-Dory made at the show. I was ready to buy, but really wanted to see how the boat was on the water.

We came to this after being sailors. I had driven larger motor vessels, but nothing like a C-Dory. Starcraft Tom graciously offered to take us out - he and Susan had a 22 at the time. We took him up on his offer and were impressed - enough so that we went back to the boat show and bought/ordered our boat. The 25 is a bigger, heavier version. We had 6 months of anticipation while we waited for our boat to be completed.

Before this, we tried to find a dealer who actually had one in stock and rigged. These are not like cars, where there are demos to be had at every dealership. At the time, a dealer had to buy a boat from the factory; most dealers then rigged it after a customer decided what motor/accessories.

It was a giant leap of faith. The first few days after picking up the boat, I thought I had made a very expensive mistake. The boat didn't respond like our sailboats or any bigger boats I had driven. We took a week at Swantown Marina in Olympia practicing: docking, slow speed maneuvers, using the trim tabs... and getting ourselves moved in for several months of cruising. Yes, right after taking delivery of a new boat.

It didn't take long before I began to appreciate the differences that C-Dorys bring to the table. They are comfortable - the enclosed helm is wonderful. Responsive and economical... yeah, that is a relative term. Well-built and efficient. I was sold.

Would it have been easier if we could have driven one at a dealer that was equipped the way we wanted AND in the color we wanted? Sure. That isn't going to be the case with these boats. The are, most definitely, a niche boat - if what you are looking for in a boat fits that niche, they can't be beat.

We don't fish; we bought the boat to cruise. And for the 8 years we had the 25, we took it all over the US and into Canada. The 25 is an impressive couple's cruising boat that can be easily trailered (with the proper tow vehicle). We stayed on the boat for up to 6 months at a time.

Good luck with your search. The C-Brats is a wonderful resource - they know these boats inside and out; willing to share. And very welcoming.

Enjoy the process.

Jim B.
 
Hi Jim,
Thank you for sharing your experience getting acquainted with the boat and then cruising it so extensively. Learning of your experience with and perspective on the 25 is very helpful. Six months is a long stay on a boat of that size. Wow! That's quite a testimony to the boat and to your relationship! We want to do what you have done, though mostly South Puget Sound and north to Desolation Sound...the Broughtons...maybe even Ketchikan...? Who knows. Mostly Puget Sound and San Juan Islands. Sounds like my shopping experience has been similar to yours. We'll see where and when the next step (sea trial) unfolds.
Thanks much for weighing in,
John
 
John,

We just spent 4 days on the boat enjoying some great weather up in the San Juans, both at Deer Harbor and Friday Harbor. What a wonderful time to spend up there, not busy at all and everything is open. Stopped at James Island on the way home for lunch. What a nice spot. It was tough to come home, but those darn chores await and oh yeah, work, too.

Just talked to the Admiral and we would be happy to show you the boat and take you for a spin when you come up to Friday Harbor. If you don't mind a friendly golden retriever on board, you will get a feel for what a 25 is like.

So look us up, probably will be on H dock.

Patrick
 
Many thanks to Patrick and Kim, two of the most gracious people ever, for a most excellent boat ride and whale watching adventure last Saturday. It was wonderful! The 25 Cruiser performed even better than my wife and I had expected, with a sea-kindliness that came as a big and pleasant surprise. Another pleasant surprise was the friendliness of every c-brat we met on the docks in Friday Harbor. Such a great group of boaters!
John T.
 
It was a pleasure to take out Misty and John and show how excited we are about the 25 C-Dory. Very fun and gracious people and they brought us lots of luck as we found a fast moving pod of Orcas just west of Yellow Island in the Wasp group. We had all kinds of water conditions to show off how versatile and comfortable the 25 C-Dory is. Fun to show off the boat!

Interesting sidenote, is potential power plant for 25. Sandy on Tosca recently repowered his 25 from a Honda 150 to a Yamaha 200. Fred and Robbin of Anita Marie and myself went out with Sandy for a test ride yesterday morning. We were all very impressed with the power and performance of the Yamaha. For a comparison, we were cruising at 17 mph SOG at just 3300 rpm on the Yamaha. The same speed is at 4700-4800 rpm on my Honda 150 VTEC with 15x15 aluminum prop.

For more information:

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t= ... c&start=30
 
When my wife Misty and I went out with Patrick and Kim on their 25, I was surprised and impressed by how sea kindly and soft riding the boat was at low speeds. It did well at cruising speeds too, though the chop was light that day. My chief concern is what the 25 Cruiser does in a 2-3 foot chop like we often get here in the Pacific Northwest. If you slow down, will it slam or rise and fall softly in a 2-3 foot head sea?
John T
 
The 25's will not ride as well as a cat or deep V into chop. The steeper the chop, the more chance of some pounding. The secret of the 25 (or any of the C Dorys is to keep the bow down going into chop. You have to learn how to run the boat. I feel that both Permatrims and trim tabs will give the best ride. We went out in my son's 25 a couple of weeks ago. He went faster than I would have into chop off S. Calif at 5 PM--this can be pretty nasty, but at 15 knots the boat was riding comfortably. (we had about 15 knots on the nose, and it had been blowing since 11 AM. Both Marie and I have both have bad backs--we both have had back surgery, so we are careful about how we drive our boats.

I would say, buy one of the boats with a 150 or more HP. Having owned one with the 130, and run several with the 150's there is a lot of difference.
 
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