Hello, another new member here. Driving to central Oregon on Wednesday to look at and hoping to bring home a 1989 cruiser. I fish, Sandy my wife wants to camp so a 22 cruiser looks to be the best compromise Looking forward to getting to know some of you. Home is the Long Beach peninsula in SW Washington.
Another New Member
- Thread starter Srandy
- Start date
Just wondering. How do 22 C-Dorys, after 34 years (1989 - 2023), hold up?
I sold my 2014 26 C-Dory Venture, like new, in 2017, because of
Lake Michigan's "square waves". So, I bought a bigger but older, 2004 Tiara 32
a year later. Tiara is "quality'' Michigan made, known allover. That vessel I sold
in 2020 because of CV-19, increasing repairs, etc. Unknown to me, the sale survey
found dry rot in several places on the deck which cost me some $6K in the sale.
Bitter lesson learned, again: Everything changes; the boat you now love will be the
boat you sell. Same could be said for much else.
Aye.
I sold my 2014 26 C-Dory Venture, like new, in 2017, because of
Lake Michigan's "square waves". So, I bought a bigger but older, 2004 Tiara 32
a year later. Tiara is "quality'' Michigan made, known allover. That vessel I sold
in 2020 because of CV-19, increasing repairs, etc. Unknown to me, the sale survey
found dry rot in several places on the deck which cost me some $6K in the sale.
Bitter lesson learned, again: Everything changes; the boat you now love will be the
boat you sell. Same could be said for much else.
Aye.
The 1989 C-Dory was overall in very good shape. The only reason I walked away were a lot of little things. Stove didn't work, sink drain was broken, no bilge pump, things like that. But over all looked to be in good shape. I think they hold up well, but it was more of a project than I want.
My first C Dory 22, was a 1993, and I purchased it at 10 years old, and the basic boat was still in excellent condition. I have followed it for the interim and the boat has had 2 more outboards, multiple electronics upgrades, but the boat seems to be still holding up well.
My second C Dory was a 2003 25, that had been badly abused. I knew that, and paid accordingly ($30,000, plus the C Dory factory paid $3000 toward the materials needed to repair the boat and bring it to very good condition.)
A lot depends on how these boats are maintained. Overall, it is very rare that a C dory is consigned to the dump. Also as boats go, they hold their value amazing well.
Sometimes a boat needing cosmetics and otherwise in good condition can be a bargain, if the buyer takes the time and coin to bring it up go very good condition.
OK. I get that " well made" popular boats (like C-dory, tho, I cannot assure to the
quality compared to others in their class) hold their value resulting in happiness
to their owners, especially at resale. Kudos to those who follow maintenance
guidelines, but that may not be enough.
The problem I see is that deterioration over time (hull blistering, hull water ingress,
semi-clogged bilge pump(s), aging foul fuel tank(s), wiring pre-shorts, structural
damage below the floorboards from excess pounding/abuse, etc) is silent until
revealed by a symptom or discovered by an alert surveyor. The result is,
unfortunately, a boat owner really may not know the condition of his boat until,
unfortunately, an inopportune time.
Aye.
quality compared to others in their class) hold their value resulting in happiness
to their owners, especially at resale. Kudos to those who follow maintenance
guidelines, but that may not be enough.
The problem I see is that deterioration over time (hull blistering, hull water ingress,
semi-clogged bilge pump(s), aging foul fuel tank(s), wiring pre-shorts, structural
damage below the floorboards from excess pounding/abuse, etc) is silent until
revealed by a symptom or discovered by an alert surveyor. The result is,
unfortunately, a boat owner really may not know the condition of his boat until,
unfortunately, an inopportune time.
Aye.
colbysmith
Active member
Foggy, even you deteriorate over time.
I've seen a lot of boats during my travels that shouldn't defy gravity, and still float. Even something well cared for, over time is going to require repairs as it ages. Doesn't matter if it's a boat, car, rv, or house. Stop taking the fun out of it all. I look back at all my travels between earlier campers and a motorhome, and earlier boats, and the boat I now have. I wouldn't give up the memories to have saved the expenses. ColbyYes, Colby. Timing is everything. Be sure to get yours before, as you describe,
it falls apart.
Actually, you are describing the inevitable 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, entropy
(aka chaos). Everything works towards it. Yes, us too. No exceptions, ever.
Even memories. Hence my moniker.
Have fun in the mean time? It works for me.
Aye.
Grandma used to say, "Make hay while the sun shines."
it falls apart.
Actually, you are describing the inevitable 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, entropy
(aka chaos). Everything works towards it. Yes, us too. No exceptions, ever.
Even memories. Hence my moniker.
Have fun in the mean time? It works for me.
Aye.
Grandma used to say, "Make hay while the sun shines."
Foggy makes some excellent points. Unfortunately there are few, if any surveyors who can really determine the condition of a C D Dory (the "raw" older 22's without a cockpit non removable floor were probably the easiest to "diagnose ) . I don't have a lot of faith in the run of the mill SAMS marine surveyor.
Osmotic blistering is very rare in the C Dory line. I have seen some gelcoat blistering in several of the green strip and bottom older C Dorys.
The 25 (and the Tom Cat, plus Ventures) are the hardest to ascertain the condition. The 25's have the cockpit floor over the fluel tank, and multiple screws into cored cockpit flooring. There is a "grid" holding the 100 gallon fuel tank in place, and there were some sort of spacers holding the tank off the inner hull. These spacers seem to degrade with time, and leaves the aluminum fuel tank sitting is water--often salt.
The proper way to build any cored boat, is to put solid, non water penetrable in the way where screws are placed into a "cored" structure. This would include solid fiberglass Laminate, Coosa Board, PVC "lumber',
Builders like Hinkley do this. But compare the cost of a Hinkley to a comparable sized Hunter or Catalina! In other words, you have to pay a lot more, and selling boats is a competitive business. Plus most buyers just don't care, or more likely don't know.
Some 25's have the tabbing from the inner skin of the hull to the aft cabin bulkhead, come loose. From what I can tell, C Dory has only used one layer of mat or 6 oz cloth. To do it properly, when it has broken down, means cutting out the floor (even those with hatches, have to cut out a little of the deck, to get adequate clearance to pull the tank. Then the bottom of the boat (inner skin) has to be cleaned and assessed. The core of the bottom of the boat examined both physically,, by percussion and by moisture meter (after all water has been removed and the boat allowed to dry out. The repair is to place concentric layers of tape such as 1708 laminated with epoxy. That is "bullett proof." and should last the life time of the boat. The average boat does not have this problem. But if there is "unknown'" source of water inside the cabin floor, this is most likely to be from this tabbing delimitation. If the core is compromised then it should be replaced at this time, the fuel tank inspected--if the boat is over 15 years old, consider a new tank, Which will be coal tar epoxy coated, after proper prep. The tank should be spaced so that air (and water) can flow freely under the tank. I would also put one of the mini pumps which pull all of the water out of bilge just in front of the fuel tank, and make a plate to access it down the line. This should keep water from accumulating there in the future.
Boats that have floors, where you cannot access the inner side of the bottom, are harder to know what is going on there. There should not be any screws penetrating the core. However if a fuel tank leaks, and ethanol gets onto the fiberglass, it can destroy the polyester resin, and open the laminate to water intrusion without a screw penetrating the hull.
Osmotic blistering is very rare in the C Dory line. I have seen some gelcoat blistering in several of the green strip and bottom older C Dorys.
The 25 (and the Tom Cat, plus Ventures) are the hardest to ascertain the condition. The 25's have the cockpit floor over the fluel tank, and multiple screws into cored cockpit flooring. There is a "grid" holding the 100 gallon fuel tank in place, and there were some sort of spacers holding the tank off the inner hull. These spacers seem to degrade with time, and leaves the aluminum fuel tank sitting is water--often salt.
The proper way to build any cored boat, is to put solid, non water penetrable in the way where screws are placed into a "cored" structure. This would include solid fiberglass Laminate, Coosa Board, PVC "lumber',
Builders like Hinkley do this. But compare the cost of a Hinkley to a comparable sized Hunter or Catalina! In other words, you have to pay a lot more, and selling boats is a competitive business. Plus most buyers just don't care, or more likely don't know.
Some 25's have the tabbing from the inner skin of the hull to the aft cabin bulkhead, come loose. From what I can tell, C Dory has only used one layer of mat or 6 oz cloth. To do it properly, when it has broken down, means cutting out the floor (even those with hatches, have to cut out a little of the deck, to get adequate clearance to pull the tank. Then the bottom of the boat (inner skin) has to be cleaned and assessed. The core of the bottom of the boat examined both physically,, by percussion and by moisture meter (after all water has been removed and the boat allowed to dry out. The repair is to place concentric layers of tape such as 1708 laminated with epoxy. That is "bullett proof." and should last the life time of the boat. The average boat does not have this problem. But if there is "unknown'" source of water inside the cabin floor, this is most likely to be from this tabbing delimitation. If the core is compromised then it should be replaced at this time, the fuel tank inspected--if the boat is over 15 years old, consider a new tank, Which will be coal tar epoxy coated, after proper prep. The tank should be spaced so that air (and water) can flow freely under the tank. I would also put one of the mini pumps which pull all of the water out of bilge just in front of the fuel tank, and make a plate to access it down the line. This should keep water from accumulating there in the future.
Boats that have floors, where you cannot access the inner side of the bottom, are harder to know what is going on there. There should not be any screws penetrating the core. However if a fuel tank leaks, and ethanol gets onto the fiberglass, it can destroy the polyester resin, and open the laminate to water intrusion without a screw penetrating the hull.