Alternatives to C-Dory

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Outdoornate65

New member
My apologies, I accidentally posted this question in the classifieds and was unable to move the post to the General Chat Forum.

Obviously the C-Dory boats are awesome "adventure" boats.

Thanks to the crew of Desert Dory, my wife and I were able to check-out a C22 in person last night and we are sold on the quaility/utiliity and trailerability of these boats.

So my question is what other brands of boats, with similar characteristics, did you folks consider before landing on C-Dory? Why did you rule them out?

Briefly, what we are looking for in an "adventure" powerboat:

Mothership for kayak adventures
Enclosed cabin
Trailerable (21-25 feet)
Reasonable weight (5000# or less)
Quality construction/reputation
Not primarily for fishing
Reasonably obtainable on used market

Thanks in advance, I appreciate your thoughts.

Nate
 
Hello Nate. You are wondering what boats we considered before buying our CDory. Many! We looked at the Roseburg 246 and found it to be a pretty good boat and may have purchased one but they tend to be a little on the pricey side . We also had a Ranger tug 21' that was a cute boat but didnt provide the ammenities we needed, like a dinette and cooking counter and the porta pottie was right in the pilot house. We did cruise in the San Juan islands with it for a couple years. We also had a Pompano 21' downeast lobster boat. Made by a small family owned buisness (Atlas Boat Works) in Cape Coral Florida. Loved that boat with a 75hp yanmar diesel. Again the biggest downfall was no dinette. It did have a nice cabin with a sink and area for a portable stove. Had to walk around the motor box to get to cockpit. Engine noise while cruising was a little much. Next we had the 25' Acadia another downeast lobster boat also from Atlas Boat Works. It was fairly heavy which was a good cruiser, We loved that boat with the 170hp Yanmar Diesel. A counter down below with area to cook, sink with pressure water, an enclosed head. Down side NO DINETTE and that diesel engine again sits in the pilot house under the deck but is really noisy. It was very hard to trailer as it had a lot of keel / rudder to get out of the water so it had to be a very steep ramp to launch without dousing the truck running gear. We now have our very best boat the 25' CDory Cruiser with a Dinette. In the end there are a lot of boats that will do the job but the CDorys have put together packages that may not have all the fluffy seating and upholstery but have utilitarian ammenities that will last and appreciated over time, while other boats will wither and depreciate. Good luck
 
It looks like you are looking for a boat for about the same reasons I was. Prior to buying my C-Dory in 2016, I had never owned a boat bigger than a Canoe. I started off looking for a Bayliner because I knew almost nothing about boats and then in my research stumbled on C-Dorys. I live in Alberta, but when I bought my boat I thought that I would retire on Vancouver Island, which I may not do in the near future for various reasons.

What I like about my C-Dory is that I routinely trailer it across the Rockies to Vancouver Island, I bought it in the Yukon and I have taken south to Lake Powell. It is very easy to haul if you have the right rig, I have a Ford F-350 which commonly has a camper on it. I installed a rear camera so that I can see if it is still behind me, as I rarely notice pulling it. On the water it usually has two 13' kayaks on top and we use it as a mothership to explore remote areas. It is very sea worthy, sips fuel and with some upgrades has become a comfortable home when we are on our adventures. We often drop the hook and then explore in our kayaks for several days.

I have kept one eye open for other boats that might fit the same bill for me, but nothing has really caught my eye. If I lived on the coast and could keep my boat tied to a dock, I might consider a Ranger Tug. But, my future plans for my C-Dory include Alaska, Haida Gwaii, Baja, the Great Lakes and beyond. As long as I consider along distance hauling, I would not consider another boat. My 22' Crusier has turned out to be the perfect fit for our boating needs.
 
As others have noted, there are a few boats out there that have some of what the OP had listed. But, none of those offer the package of amenities, economy, reasonable weight, easy launch/retrieval, and weather-tight helm that makes the 22' C-Dorys unique. If the budget and tow vehicle can handle it, the 25 gives more of the same, with the trade-off of more weight, less fuel economy (still better than most boats)... and the plus of more room (in both the cabin and cockpit), generally more amenities, and an enclosed head with shower and hot/cold pressure water, and a better ride.
 
Hi Nate,

You didn't say whether you're interested in multi-day cruising with cooking eating sleeping etc facilities (our idea of an adventure boat). If so, in a light weight but capable cruiser, it's hard to beat a 22 or 23 C-Dory.

We had a CD-22 for 7 years, cruising big western lakes, the San Juan islands, the BC coast, and SE Alaska. It was cozy, but very functional for two adults. Simple, easy to tow, economical at cruise speed of 16 knots, and very seaworthy.

Other cruisers you could consider if you could tow more than 5,000 lb: C-Dory 25, Ranger 23 25 or 27, Rosborough 246. They would all be considerably more costly, both initially and in towing and operating costs. (you did not mention a budget). On a smaller budget, but older, Albin 25 or 27.

You might also consider what cruising speed you want. Some do only 6-7 knots, others 16 or more on plane.

We moved up to a 26-footer weighing more than 10,000 lb, towed with a big diesel pickup. Considerably more creature comforts, but more costly in several ways. Cruised Lake Powell and the Inside Passage for 18 summers in that one. Pics of both in our photo albums.
 
We use our boat for scuba diving. I was interested in a power catamaran for its stability after owning monohulls. We looked at Glacier Bay, Twin Vee, and Arrowcat. None of them had the features we were looking for. We wanted a pilothouse to get out of the weather, a marine head rather than a port-o-potty, enough deck space for two or three divers to gear up, a sturdy dive ladder, and an outdoor shower. It wasn't until I found the C-Dory Tomcat that I knew exactly which boat I wanted.

I took Merry to the Long Beach Boat Show so she could step aboard a Tomcat. She immediately said this was the boat for her.
I modified it for diving, and other than a fuel filler hose and rigging hose issues, we've been thrilled with our boat for the past thirteen years.

https://youtu.be/tETImeTuCWc
 
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