And... I'm Back

G

garyf

New member
I last posted about two years ago, and peeking in once again. The last two years have been a pretty wild ride!

I've inherited a 22-cruiser and still haven't really decided what I'm going to do with it. I believe it's a '91. Since my dad had severe lewy-body dementia the last few years of his life and the boat was actually something that triggered the "rage" side of the dementia, I have very little passed down knowledge of the boat. I'm going to take things one step at a time. I don't know what I don't know at this point. The boat was sitting on the trailer on the RV pad at my dad's house in Carson City for around 8 years. It had a cover on it, but the cover was badly worn and has since been replaced. The Yamaha 90 only has about 50 hours on it! But like I said it's been sitting for years. I live in the Sacramento area and finally trailered the boat down about a month ago. It's currently in the shop getting the outboard worked on.

I see some marks on the map here tied to people in the Sacramento area - anybody particularly active? I wouldn't mind having someone local with same or similar boat who can help fill in some of the gaps in my knowledge.

Also, general question - the electronics is OLD. Like CRT old. Like Loran-C old. All of the electronics was pulled out of the boat prior to its 8+ year hibernation, and I'm not so sure I see the point in putting it back - but I've got a brother in law telling me I'd be stupid to buy new electronics if I'm going to sell the boat because I won't get my money back and everyone has their own preference in electronics, etc. His point does make some sense and I'm not dismissing it - but I'm sure there are many different opinions in this area as well.

I'm not so sure I want to take it out without ANY electronics...? As far as I can tell so far, dad had a thru-hull transducer and he pulled that out - I have an old and a brand-new transducer sitting in boxes. I believe the hole for the old transducer has been patched - or at least I haven't found the hole yet. Based on discussion here, I'm thinking of going with a transom mount anyway. IDK. I'm just mainly brainstorming at the moment.

Thoughts would be appreciated re: electronics especially as well as please chime in if you're in the Sacramento area and wouldn't mind showing off your C-Dory (22 cruiser, ideally, but anything similar) and getting some coffee or lunch or something.

I've never owned a boat, so it's a bit overwhelming... but one step at a time.

- Gary
 
Gary, do you have an operating VHF radio on the boat or at-least a good hand held one that you know how to use and are familiar with it in the case of an emergency? You can travel with paper charts for any unfamiliar water just to see if you like the boat and want to keep it as your own. To buddy boat with an experienced boater in your area would be choice. Go slow on this but you may find that you now have a new hobby that you may wish to pursue and enjoy for years to come. Then you can buy all of the new electronics and radar.

Gary.
 
Hi Gary, welcome, I hope you take the time next summer to explore the Delta area, one of the best boating areas in California and a safe place to gain experience. This winter it would be good if you signed up for California's safe boating course a new California boating requirement that is being phased in by age. The Coast Guard Auxiliary boating course that covers navigation and electronics also as it would give you a lot more confidence and it is fun, some crusty old salts will take you under their wings for sure. I'm also sure that your local c-brats will help if you stay in touch here as the weather warms.
Have you read the story's of Halcyon and Wanderer on the lower left of the home page, they definitely inspired me and helped me choose a C-dory as our new cruising boat after our lifetime with sailboats, so it is all new and exciting for us also.
I hope you will try boating for at least one season in your great area, you may become one of our great boating fraternity!
 
GaryF you are getting good advice. I spent 3 weeks last spring down in the Delta, and it was fun. There are some great C-Brats in the area and lots of great cruising areas there. Admittedly, you will want to know where you are though, and a VHF will help with getting the bridges open. Plenty of places to go for easy peaceful cruising there. Go and try it out. Knowing where you are and the depth under you will make it successful, and can be done relatively simply, with a sounder and a tablet and some mapping/charting apps.

All the best wishes,

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

SunSet_MystryBay_SleepyC_2009_177.thumb.jpg
 
If you are going to sell the boat right away, then don't bother to put in new electronics. The delta is fairly benign cruising, but the bays toward San Francisco can get pretty choppy, wind vs tide.

If you decide to put on minimal electronics, I would go with something like the Garmin ECHOMAP Plus g3 73cv Fishfinder/Chartplotter Combo with GT22 Transducer. This is only $400 and has a lot going for it, with a 7" monitor, lake charts for the USA, as well as a very versatile transom mounted transducer. The down side of this particular unit is that the "sale" price seems to only include the "Lakevu" charts, not the US coastal charts--adding those would cost. Also not networkable with radar, but is with other ECHOMAP units. It does have CHIRP and can do PanOptic forward scan, as well as interface with Active Captain.

Agree, that at the very least a new VHF radio would be essential.

I pad with Navionics works well for navigation. Delta is a fantastic cruising ground.

I think your dad would be proud if you used the boat.
 
DayBreak":21x20s8d said:
Gary, do you have an operating VHF radio on the boat or at-least a good hand held one that you know how to use and are familiar with it in the case of an emergency?
Click to expand...

I found his handheld VHF... but it's pretty ancient. I'm fairly sure he had VHF installed in the boat as well, but I haven't run across it yet. I haven't really looked for it yet, still lots of boxes to go through. I'm guessing it's also a pretty old model... no AIS or anything. I'm an Extra class ham, so very familiar with radio in general, but unfamiliar with the specifics of Marine VHF.

Agreed that radio would be a pretty high priority. I'll probably have a 2m ham rig at minimum as well.

- Gary
 
garyf":1n3edne5 said:
DayBreak":1n3edne5 said:
Gary, do you have an operating VHF radio on the boat or at-least a good hand held one that you know how to use and are familiar with it in the case of an emergency?
Click to expand...

I found his handheld VHF... but it's pretty ancient. I'm fairly sure he had VHF installed in the boat as well, but I haven't run across it yet. I haven't really looked for it yet, still lots of boxes to go through. I'm guessing it's also a pretty old model... no AIS or anything. I'm an Extra class ham, so very familiar with radio in general, but unfamiliar with the specifics of Marine VHF.

Agreed that radio would be a pretty high priority. I'll probably have a 2m ham rig at minimum as well.

- Gary
Click to expand...

Gary,
An installed VHF should not be too hard to find on a 22 foot C-Dory :wink:
That old HH VHF might work if the battery compartment isn't all corroded.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

9_Sept_Seq_2019_Cal.thumb.jpg
 
Gary,
The newer VHF radios have DSC, which is a distress network alert system, and requires an MMSI number ("Free" with a membership in Boat US, US Power Squadron or Sea Tow.). If you are going out of US waters theoretically a FCC issued number is required. The radio must also have either an internal GPS, or be hooked up to an external GPS source. There are also hand held (Icom and Standard Horizon) which have the GPS and DSC function.
 
Gary, if you go to my photo gallery you can see how i installed a marine-HAM SSB radio in our C-dory, you might have fun playing with something like it on your new boat. Bobs idea of a inexpensive Garmin system and a new installed VHF with your new MMSI# would get you safely on the water.
Good luck [/img]
 
hardee":3dljjkpk said:
An installed VHF should not be too hard to find on a 22 foot C-Dory :wink:
That old HH VHF might work if the battery compartment isn't all corroded.
Click to expand...

You might have missed it, and I know it was a tongue-in-cheek comment, but all electronics were stripped from the boat for "storage" - and I've gone through so many things and moved so many boxes... several of which are in storage... that honestly it's a bit of a blur right now. I don't remember seeing a mobile marine rig, but I would bet there is one somewhere. I know he had an antenna for a marine rig, anyway. I seriously doubt he hooked up the mounted antenna to the HH... I know it's possible, but just not a move I'd see him doing. I'll bet the unit is in storage, but I'll probably replace it with a modern unit anyway.
 
garyf":165hywrv said:
hardee":165hywrv said:
An installed VHF should not be too hard to find on a 22 foot C-Dory :wink:
That old HH VHF might work if the battery compartment isn't all corroded.
Click to expand...

You might have missed it, and I know it was a tongue-in-cheek comment, but all electronics were stripped from the boat for "storage" - and I've gone through so many things and moved so many boxes... several of which are in storage... that honestly it's a bit of a blur right now. I don't remember seeing a mobile marine rig, but I would bet there is one somewhere. I know he had an antenna for a marine rig, anyway. I seriously doubt he hooked up the mounted antenna to the HH... I know it's possible, but just not a move I'd see him doing. I'll bet the unit is in storage, but I'll probably replace it with a modern unit anyway.
Click to expand...

Gary, my apologies for missing that the electronics had been stripped. I also had not caught that you are a ham extra, so .... I know you would recognize a vhf rig if it were mounted in the boat, however, digging one out of storage is a whole 'nuther story.

As mentioned, the newer marnie vhf's have the DSC and either come with a built in GPS or will need to be hooked to one for that service to function AND you will need an MMSI number for it to be specific to your boat.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
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