Advice on C-Dory 22 purchase

S

SnapperBlues

New member
Hello all,

I from the middle-upper Chesapeake bay, have 2 kids and a dog that acts like one. We currently have an older, solid Grady White WA, but need to re-power soon.

I decided to look at boats as well as re-power options and found a 1994 C-Dory 22 with a 2011 Yamaha 70hp outboard (330 hours) and an older OMC 8hp kicker. The price is 20K and includes an older single axle trailer.

This is the perfect boat for my family. You can not beat the space and utility of these things.

The boat is at a marine dealership and is a one owner boat that has not been bottom painted.

My concerns are:

Is a 70 hp under-powered? Most of these seem to have at least a 90 hp. Typically we will have two adults and two children on the boat, at times maybe 4 - 5 adults.

I know these have a balsa core, is it common to have rot?

How common are transom issues with these?

Other items I should look while inspecting the boat?

Thanks a lot!
 
SnapperBlues":dbhxyypw said:
Hello all,

I from the middle-upper Chesapeake bay, have 2 kids and a dog that acts like one. We currently have an older, solid Grady White WA, but need to re-power soon.

I decided to look at boats as well as re-power options and found a 1994 C-Dory 22 with a 2011 Yamaha 70hp outboard (330 hours) and an older OMC 8hp kicker. The price is 20K and includes an older single axle trailer.

This is the perfect boat for my family. You can not beat the space and utility of these things.

The boat is at a marine dealership and is a one owner boat that has not been bottom painted.

My concerns are:

Is a 70 hp under-powered? Most of these seem to have at least a 90 hp. Typically we will have two adults and two children on the boat, at times maybe 4 - 5 adults.

I know these have a balsa core, is it common to have rot?

How common are transom issues with these?

Other items I should look while inspecting the boat?

Thanks a lot!
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Looks like it is in decent shape (from the dealer website). The 70 hp will limit your top speed. But it should still do well (IMO).

The towing weight of that boat is going to be 4000-4500#. Make sure you have something that can tow it.
 
I have a newer Toyota Sequoia that towed my Grady (4800 loaded), should be good for 10Klbs.

Thanks for the response. I am used to heavy, deep-v boats that take a lot to move people around with. Do you think the 70 hp would be enough to get 4 or 5 adults up to 18 - 20 knots?

Thanks.
 
The C-Dory hull is a very different animal from a deep-V. You should be able to plane at a lower speed, but that will depend on weight distribution. If there is chop, you will have to slow down to keep from pounding. The ride with this hull will be more comfortable at slower speeds than a typical V-hull.

That said, the CD-22 is a great couple's boat. With the drop down table on the Cruiser, you can put two small kids on that. The dog will have to fend for himself on the floor. 5 adults on the boat? You can seat 3 comfortably at the helm and the dinette. The other two become "a crowd." One person could sit at the opening to the V-berth, or you could put a couple camp chairs in the cockpit. Just know going into it that the aisle in the cabin is not wide and if you try to put everyone inside, it isn't going to be pleasant.

Not knowing exactly which Grady White you have, the walk around on that boat is going to feel more open than the CD-22. If you try to fish 5 people in the cockpit of the 22, they are going to be elbow-to-elbow.

Different horses for different courses. A walk-around GW isn't going to sleep a family of 4. You can make that work with the 22Cruiser. Snugly.

So, it really comes down to how you can adapt for your boating situation.

70hp? Not ideal, but workable. Just know you aren't going to get there as fast as with your GW.

This forum is a great place for all things C-Dory; welcoming and open to share experiences. Good luck with your decisions.
 
SnapperBlues":ou2qhpaf said:
I have a newer Toyota Sequoia that towed my Grady (4800 loaded), should be good for 10Klbs.

Thanks for the response. I am used to heavy, deep-v boats that take a lot to move people around with. Do you think the 70 hp would be enough to get 4 or 5 adults up to 18 - 20 knots?

Thanks.
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My 90 gets my 22 cruiser up to ~19 MPH with 2 adults on it at about 4300 RPM. With the usual load (2 adults) my boat will get up to about 29 MPH at full tilt.

A 70 may get the 22 up to that speed at closer to WOT. Depends on how big the 4-5 adults are and what else you have on board. If most of the adults are in the cockpit when you try this, you will not get the best speed though. Most days on the bay you probably won't want to go that fast anyway.
 
Thanks for the response. We have a 20 overnighter GW with a 200 hp outboard. It will do 37kts, but we rarely do more than 20kts.

I'm about 180 lbs and my wife is maybe 100 lbs ( I'm sure I'm wrong). Our kids combine for about 90 lbs, but our dog is a solid 100 lbs. So a total of less than 500 lbs passenger weight. We have found that our Grady is just too much boat for the bay. It is also fairly flat bottomed (not a V2 hull) so we are used to pounding.

If we can do a solid 18kts in fairly flat water with another 2 adults this is the perfect boat. If not we might need to find one with a larger engine.

Thanks all.
 
I had the same GW walk around with 225 hp--and we could get close to 50 WOT and people about the weight of you and your wife.

I agree that the cockpit of the C Dory 22 will get crowded--depends how you "do it"--bench seating on chests probably will work--not all that good a fishing boat for 4 people. But can be done. Keeping the boat light weight you can do the 18 mph with no problem---many like that speed. I feel that all C Dorys need both trim tabs and Permatrim foils. My first 22 didn't have either. Neighbor put the trim tabs on his... Then my first 25 had only tabs, and I put foil on for AK trip. Since then--all have foil and tabs. It gets the boat on a plane faster, and puts the bow down in a chop.

With your family, you should be fine--but as the kids grow, they will have to have one sleep in the cockpit or on the floor. Dogs fit anywhere (we have boated most of our lives with dogs--sometimes multiple.

I spent a couple of years boating out of Deltaville VA--so I have some idea of conditions in your area. (Great boating). But it can get choppy and you will have to slow down--watch your weather.

If the boat has been covered each winter, then I would not worry about the core. If it has been out in the weather--then you need to have a good survey, moisture meter, sound out the core--and maybe take a few screws out...I had a 1993, with no core issues. It had lived all over the West, including in areas for winter freezes.
 
SnapperBlues":210z14dt said:
If we can do a solid 18kts in fairly flat water with another 2 adults this is the perfect boat. If not we might need to find one with a larger engine.

Thanks all.
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I'm from Harford County, grew up on the Bay, and my father was a waterman after he retired. Initially, I brought his crabbing boat, a 20 ft center console with low gunwales and a draining cockpit, here to south Puget Sound. It was great for the shallow, warm water of the Bay and running crabbing lines, and I liked its history. It was cold, "splashy" and wet here in Puget Sound, which is actually a large Bay too. I now have a C-Dory 22 with a 90 hp Honda outboard, and rarely use WOT. I returned the center console and bought the C-Dory for comfort and protection. You crab with pots here, so a cabin that offers protection from splashing and rain (and is heated) is ideal. High gunwales with a low sole are also great for what I do, which is fishing and pulling shrimp and crab pots.

Loading and use of trim tabs/Permatrim might help with your 70 hp if you have trouble getting on step. I've never had trouble getting with that, even when heavily loaded, but there is that 90 vs 70 hp thing. That boat seems a good buy if the hull checks out OK.
 
@SnapperBlues

After looking at the ad for that boat, if you're even halfway interested in it you better get busy. Since that's just their "asking" price I have a feeling that boat is not going to last very long.

Best of luck, Desert Dory
 
Snapper, The 1990 to 1999 era C-Dory boats were built by the original factory and have stood the test of time quite well. My 1991 shows exceptional work performed, especially the fiberglass hull and gel coat finish. The boat had been driven hard off the pacific northwest coast before I purchased it several years ago. To date, there is no gel-coat crazing or spider web cracks anywhere to be found including areas around the transom. Better move quickly or someone else will get the prize!
 
Thanks all. You guys are killing me, haha. I plan to pick the boat up Monday when the dealership opens back up.

Attempting to find a marine survey service by then.
 
We picked up a 22 Cruiser this Spring here in Annapolis. We absolutely love her. But we knew what we were getting and chose her for those reasons. As long as you know you're going to slow down in chop (which, for us at least, means whenever the weather buoys are saying .75+ feet waves) you'll love it. We've settled into very comfortably cruising at 12-18 knots. I do more when the bay is flat but we find ourselves really liking 12-18. And when choppy, maybe 8-10. Not sure how she'd do with 70 hp.

The cockpit will get crowded. 2 camp chairs and our dog is about all we can fit.
 
The boat looks like it needs some TLC, but I would say it is worth taking a gamble on. I would guess that you may have to replace the steering (it is a push pull, may not be a non feed back... With a 2011 engine, the boat probably will have OK hoses and fuel system. The older Johnson is a jewel.

Buy
 
Don't buy it, trust me, you will never be happy with that engine. You are on the East Coast, many reasonably priced C-Dorys. Come Fall there will be a C-Dory blizzard. Here is what I know. Don't be in a hurry to buy a boat, you will pay for it later. Think carefully about what you want as accessories, and find a boat that already has them. You are getting all the extras and goodies at a deep discount. Pay extra for a well maintained boat. You will be saving money in the long run. Think about a larger boat now instead of ...this potti sucks and a little more room in the cabin would be really nice ie a CD-25. And sometimes all of us like to go really fast in a boat. Life is to short to be redoing a boat unless the money is really a major issue.
 
SnapperBlues,

We're really close to you, Curious Traveler is in the water, and I'm always looking for an excuse to go out. Let me know if you want a sea trial to see how you like her. May give you an idea for how she handles compared to your deep V Grady and how you're family will fit aboard.

A fellow C-Brat took me out on his before I made a purchase and I'd love to pass along the favor.
 
If the boat, motor and trailer are in decent shape, it is a good deal for the price. I saw it pop up on my Craigslist search last week, and would have gone to look at it if it was just a little closer to me. The motor is at the low end of of the power scale, but those Yamaha F70’s are generally a great motor! And the single axle trailer will do fine locally, but that would be one of the first upgrades I would do if you plan to take any long distance road trips with it. But overall, it looks like a decent package for the price.

Also, I’ve been looking at the used C-Dory market for a few years, and have noticed these boats don’t drop much in price in the “off-season”, on either coast. I wish they did! :wink:
 
T.R. Bauer":9jt2weri said:
I know tandems pull a little better....but all single axle trailers are not created equal. Mine has a big 6 lug axle under it.
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Mine too.

I'd prefer a tandem but this is what came with the boat and it's fine for now. Maybe after I retire and we are towing longer distances, more often, I might consider a new trailer.

Also, does anybody know if the OP ended up with this boat? I noticed the listing/ad for that particular boat disappeared a couple of weeks ago.
 
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