Build quality

N

nimrod

New member
Hi, my name is John and I have two-foot-itis.

Working hard to fight this illness but the Admiral isn't helping any. That extra room and shower/head combo look mighty nice, she says.

I have a question: what's the general feeling about the build quality of the boats built by C-Dory Marine Group in the months leading up to Triton taking over? Fit and finish, hull penetrations etc?

Any feedback, both positive and negative would be much appreciated.

Thanks

jd
 
"Hi, John...." :wink: :lol:

Hate to admit it, but M was correct on the head/shower. (Just don't tell her I said so :roll: ) It is convenient and it's awesome to go to bed clean! A warm shower rocks! It's also good since we have two grand-DAUGHTERS; girls need a private place.

As to build, we have an '07; prior to Triton taking over and the bad days of the previous administration. No real issues w/ over-all build quality. There were some, uh, shortcuts taken that I remedied and there are more to be done, however.

For instance, I pulled the water pump and bilge pump since they were both just screwed into the hull (in the bilge). I re-bedded the bilge screws in epoxy and stood the pump up vertically on Starboard to get it out of the bilge water. Plugged the holes w/ epoxy. The pipe for the anchor locker needs the same. The deck is balsa and it's just "sealed" w/ what looks like 5200. I need to remove the windlass to to it though, and I've just never done it, as it falls into the PIA category. :roll:

But the hull, cabin etc seem fine and solidly built. No leaks, blisters etc. We have one of the last wood interiors and I like it. It's easier to modify if needed.
 
You might want to be very specific as to the year. I don't think that any of the boats were badly laminated--as Local Boy says, most were issues that many owners/dealers fixed.

There was a transition period after the Reynolds. There were some rough spots in some boats early in Reynold's ownership--where the old C Dory crew had left or was leaving and new crews were being hired. Quality control--but that was not in the 2007 to 2012 era. You also have to define what you mean by Triton--the folks running it now are (Northwest Marine Instustries) than the first part of the "Triton" management. Confused?
 
2009 model to be specific.

Also, since Mark brought it up, would love to hear pros/cons of wood cabinets versus the molded fiberglass. For those of you who like to modify the interiors, would the fiberglass be a deal-breaker?


jd
 
nimrod":1oh64835 said:
2009 model to be specific.
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I looked at a 2009 22 to buy. Now, I didn't actually visit the boat in person (sold before that, darnit), but there were some details in the photos that I really liked. For example (on the 22), there were three under-v-berth lockers built in, and the interior looked nicely finished and there were even bulkheads separating them. Some of the trim pieces looked like nice improvements (where the rub rails terminate, for example).

That said, I don't think any of the boats are built to a high standard, meaning, like a semi-custom or custom boat might be. They are pretty "basic," and there is room for owner improvement. But I think that covers all the models/years, and probably most other production boats as well.

nimrod":1oh64835 said:
Also, since Mark brought it up, would love to hear pros/cons of wood cabinets versus the molded fiberglass. For those of you who like to modify the interiors, would the fiberglass be a deal-breaker?
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I can see pros and cons, to both, myself. The Decraguard looks a bit less "shower stall" like, but then it is harder to keep clean and less durable (actually I think the original "woodgrain" cabinets in the older boats might have been Formica covered, or at least the Decraguard layer was a lot more like Formica). I don't have any problem modifying fiberglass, but I would still rather modify wood. Fiberglass dust is a pain in the rear, especially in your "living room."

The Decraguard cabinets are fastened in place with hardware store angle brackets and screws into the core (and some aren't even stainless steel). The molded interior is tabbed in. Points for neatness and core avoidance (I don't think any of the interiors are "structural" or I would give more points for tabbing).

I think the biggest disadvantage I saw with the molded interiors was smaller doors on what are actually quite large lockers for a small boat. I like stowage -- and I really like accessible stowage. Modifying the locker doors to be larger would be a project, because they have molded in lips to accept the doors.

So for me, I think I could be happy with either. Given the smaller access doors on the molded interior, I prefer the wooden one (but if the access were better, I might be 50/50 between the two). Either would be eclipsed by the condition of the boat overall. Note that I have not owned one with a molded interior, but have only seen them briefly and in photos.

Sunbeam
 
Good question and good luck. Kerri On is a 2011 22. Scott Boysen was the lead during my build at Triton. There has been zero issues. No leaks no failures of any kind. The only thing was a leaky ram on the steering which was an end plate not tight enough. Not a build issue. We have close to 15,000 miles on the trailer thru desert as well as snow and only about 1600 on the water in 2 seasons with 250 hours and have been aboard full time since October last. Fit and finish is excellent. I like the molded interior with teak doors and trim. This is one tough boat. Has held up at sea and highways in Alberta and I 5 in California! Good luck on your seach. George. Currently in beautiful Lund BC on the sunshine coast.
 
I owned a 22' c-dory for 4 or 5 years. Made a number of modifications and learned much about the construction of my 2003 boat. There were many issues I didn't care for. Balsa core construction, thin bulkheads and very low sitting cockpit. When tied to a slip we felt like we were sitting below the fingers to the dock. Our boat was in the water for less than four months and developed blisters that cost, around 2800 to repair epoxy and bottom paint. Indie notice that many 22's developed cracks inbthe transom gelcoat from tailoring. We sold the boat, took a big hit on money invested and moved on. We now own a Nordic tug, and honestly there is no comparison in economy, construction and features. The Nordic is easy to modify and seriously you can't venture far without someone pulling up to ya and giving a thumbs up. I only emtion this because you are apparently looking to up grade and now is the time to make your best selection. Ours is a 26', trailerable, with a permit, 9 1/2' beam. Most people don't apply for the permit and I haven't spoke with anyone yet that's been pulled over. Just giving additional info. Good luck.
 
I don't want to start a "brand war," but I've been involved with some pretty extensive core repair on a Nordic Tug, so I still feel that there are very few production boats that really do that correctly. And it's difficult to have a fiberglass boat without coring (especially a smaller or lighter one).

Now, I'm not saying there are not plenty of things on my boat that make me want to scream (and then I just fix them my way), but then.... I haven't found many other brands/builds that wouldn't do the same thing (until you get to custom or semi-custom, or in rare cases with production boats).

I do think Nordic Tugs are nifty :thup, and I know many folks who love theirs and use them to the fullest, which is great. I've always been really fond of the 26-footer. But I don't believe NT's are immune to build issues. And I could say the same for many other makes. Of course if I were building production boats, I'd do everything right (and then go broke because they would cost $200k apiece and no one would buy them :wink:)

One nice thing when shopping for a trailerable boat, is that one can often find one that has been stored on the trailer, covered or indoors, if that's a priority.

Sunbeam

PS: John (original poster), I just looked back and realize you already *have* a C-Dory 22. Geez, sorry for the parts of my post that were stating the obvious! Somehow in the course of the thread I forgot that part :oops:
 
Thanks everyone for your input.

Having owned my 22 for a while now, I'm aware of the C-Dory idiosyncrasies. What I'm mainly wondering is if, in the last few months of production before Triton took over, the quality of the builds deteriorated noticeably. I seem to recall some discussions regarding poor workmanship and maybe that was mainly with the fitting out, as opposed to the hull.

jd
 
I can only comment on new boats, but I am more than satisfied with the fit, finish, and build quality of the 2013 NMI boats. Greg at the factory is also customer friendly and has been willing to incorporate suggestions from owners in the line.

The integral fiberglass cabinetry is solid and looks great with teak door and drawer fronts. There are some interior shots in my photo album.

If you can't find what you're looking for in a used boat, consider new as interest rates are still low and you don't get killed on depreciation the way you do on other boats...

Pete
 
We have a 2005 25 Cruiser from the Reynolds era, when Andrew Custis was the QC guy, and we could not be happier. Andrew now takes care of Ranger Tug customers, and he did the same for us. No comments on the owners between Reynolds and Triton, I think they were generally upstanding, but the molded interiors they introduced are simply not as customizable as the Decraguard interiors. When Scott Boysen took over production with Triton, the build quality became the best it ever was, even though he continued the molded interiors. Scott was totally dedicated to quality, I visited the factory regularly and was always impressed with Scott's dedication. Now that the Wrights are back at the helm, I have not visited. I AM very disappointed at the Wrights' attitude about performing repairs for owners of C-Dory boats, regardless of who built them, they do not understand the value of owner loyalty based on customer service the way Ranger does. But such is life I guess. If I were to buy a new boat now, it would not be a C-Dory, it would be a Ranger Tug for this reason alone. Mark, are you paying attention?
 
Pat Anderson":3r1rksus said:
We have a 2005 25 Cruiser from the Reynolds era, when Andrew Custis was the QC guy, and we could not be happier. Andrew now takes care of Ranger Tug customers, and he did the same for us. No comments on the owners between Reynolds and Triton, I think they were generally upstanding, but the molded interiors they introduced are simply not as customizable as the Decraguard interiors. When Scott Boysen took over production with Triton, the build quality became the best it ever was, even though he continued the molded interiors. Scott was totally dedicated to quality, I visited the factory regularly and was always impressed with Scott's dedication. Now that the Wrights are back at the helm, I have not visited. I AM very disappointed at the Wrights' attitude about performing repairs for owners of C-Dory boats, regardless of who built them, they do not understand the value of owner loyalty based on customer service the way Ranger does. But such is life I guess. If I were to buy a new boat now, it would not be a C-Dory, it would be a Ranger Tug for this reason alone. Mark, are you paying attention?
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Since you brought it up. What is the current manufacturers attitude toward repairs on existing owners boats? PM me if that is better way to respond.
 
May I recommend that you could contact the factory directly by emailing greg@nmiboats.com. He watches this address and should reply promptly. You could report back to the Brats with the answer.

I have sea trialled the Ranger R-27 and really love it! Relative to the CD-25, however, it's much heavier, slower, complex, and more expensive. And it runs on diesel.

The CD-25 with it's trailerability, outboard power, and enclosed head/shower still has my vote for best in class.

Molded vs Decraguard is a personal call. I'm really happy with the molded setup and would never consider taking a saw to it!

Whatever previous management did at the factory in my view is past history, and I feel that the current guys are really doing their best and deserve a chance to earn our support. Obviously they have mine! :D

Pete
 
I agree with Peter, NMI is building a very high quality boat. IMHO our new 23V is the best built C-Dory that we've owned and that includes Reynolds and Toland boats.

As for repairs, all I can say is that they stand behind the Triton and NMI built boats without question and they are nice, friendly folks to deal with.
 
To everyone - IF we were going to buy another boat (unlikely at this point) we would CERTAINLY buy it from Wefings! Highly recommended for integrity, coffee and charcuterie!


Wefings":37uaeem4 said:
Apparently, you are a better speller than I am a reader !
MarC
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Unfortunately, I've had several "issues" with the quality control of my CD. The gel-coat appears "soft" compared to other boats I've had, there are areas of over spray between the blue gel-coat and the white. There are dirty fingerprints imbedded in the interior joints, the motor rail cap is pulling up, the interior finish flakes easily, there are stress fractures showing up in areas that aren't stressed, the starboard side of the cabin is 3/8th inch higher than the port side.

Overall, I enjoy the boat, but it was grossly over priced and, my bad, I was overjoyed with purchasing a CD. The boat only had ten hours on it when I purchased it and the warranty was supposed to be transferred. However Triton Marine has not responded to my inquiries. So... :sad
 
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