C-Dory Advice

N

Norcalfish80

New member
Hey all,

Wanted to ask your opinion on fishing a C-Dory 22 (Probably Angler maybe Cruiser) in the SF Bay Area. Summer, fall and some winter out the gate, spring and most of winter in the Bay and Delta.

Would love comparisons in fish-ability and suitability to my local waters with a Hewescraft 200 Searunner and Arima 19-21 foot models. Mostly concerned with being able to make decent time in chop (nothing ridiculous) and having a boat well suited to trolling and fishing on the anchor.

Appreciate any advice ya'll can offer!

Best,
Austin
 
For strictly fishing, I would go with a Hewescraft 210 Sea Runner. It has great bench seating for your crew and the forward center walkthrough door is a big plus while fishing. In the Ocean, the Hewes deep V hull can get you there faster with less pounding but unfortunately rocks more while at rest and mooching than a C-Dory.

Go to the the factory of each boat you are considering. Keep asking questions and continue to research on-line for the opinion of others like you are now doing.

You mention only fishing, but if you feel like you may someday want to cruise with your boat for days or weeks at a time, I would recommend that you think of a C-Dory. Arima makes a great boat but we prefer the cabin layout and construction design of C-Dory.

Many people fish with their Cruiser and Venture models, do so quite well and have the ability to cruise comfortably with the amenities in a true cabin. Everything is about compromise. Take your time and shop wisely.
 
for fishing out the bay I would want a faster boat then the 22 cdory. dont get me wrong they are great boats and would do well in the ocean but that area requires a lot of travel to fish and run back to a port. I fished north of the bay for stripper a long time ago from a 23 ft aluminum boat and felt safe , but we could run in chop at 35 mph if the weather and fog came in. 22 cdory is going to be running at 16 to 18 in the same conditions.

If I was looking for a boat in that area to fish and sometimes sleep aboard in the delta or in the mountain lakes ( used to do that a lot) i would be looking for a stabi craft. fastest, smoothies ,most economical boat in that size. The ride is wonderful and soft in big chop. Nothing comes close. I got to push on in 4 ft chop here in the sound at 35 mph and you hardly noticed. They are sparse on comfort but do have a vberth and similar lay out to a 22 cdory depending on the model.

either will work (22 angler / cruiser or the stabi) just depends on what your expectations are .
 
Appreciate the feedback guys!

I do think the Searunner is a better boat for some of the fishing I do, namely the ocean portion. I don't envision myself running at 35 knots, and typically cruise between 20 and 25, which I'm pretty happy with.

I'll likely be buying used regardless and will have radar to avoid the need to run home quickly to escape fog. The C-Dory I'm looking at is a 22 Angler, as I don't need the full space of the cabin. I'm mostly concerned with whether I can make better than 15 knots in chop/swell. If the average speed is lower than that, it's probably a hard stop but if it's somewhere between 16-20 I don't think that'd be an issue.
 
if those are the speeds your looking at you will be ok . it just depends on the weather and the size of the chop. I ran my 22 cruiser in a lot of 2 ft chop at 16 to 18 mph for years. I would try to get a ride in one before you make your decision.
 
Check out Arimaowners.com. Most of those guys are hardcore fishermen and many take their boats pretty far out. Some good posts there comparing C Dory and Arima hulls/ability to handle offshore conditions. Closest to C Dory 22 would be the Arima 21 Sea Ranger. For fishing most prefer the skip top version. They also have the Sea Legend 22 but that's a hardtop and 8'9".
 
Hey guys,

Familiar with the Arima models and would likely get a Sea Ranger 19 or 21. HT or regular not a huge deal either way. More curious around folks who fish heavily out of the Angler 22 model, as well as anyone who regularly boats out the Golden Gate and rounds the corner at Point Bonita.

Appreciate the input so far, and I've killed plenty of fish in my little BW just looking for something a little more comfortable and with more space.
 
The gentleman I purchased my 22 Angler fished that area. He did not keep the angler for very long for many of the reasons mentioned in previous post. Lots of large traffic and rough water from what he had told me.
He went with the Tomcat after selling me the Angler. Much better suited for that area and offshore. In the C-Dory selection and for fishing that area he was very satisfied as far as I know. I understand it is a different price range but the right choice.
I use my angler mostly in protected waters when the weather is rough. On calmer days I venture out further. I love my boat but she is rough riding in the chop. But it will go to hell and back at a slower speed.
Maybe not what you want to hear
Ed
 
Check out the headroom of the Arima, the cabin height in the 19-21 is designed for short people. The hull is fairly flat, less so than the c-dory but they are known to pound in the chop. The Arima I'd consider is the 22 sea legend although their motor bilge design is a lot of wasted space.

I prefer the simplicity and economy of the c-dory, but its not a go fast boat. If fast is what you need to aluminum hewes or a duckworth type boat would be ideal. Also there's bigger, faster fiberglass cabin boats like the Parker, Steigercraft ect that would do what your looking for well.
 
Austin,

If you decide on a CDory, I recommend putting a Permatrim plate on the motor(s if twins). They do a great job of bringing the bow down to deal with chop.

Good luck in your decision and search.

Steve
 
I own a 22 C Dory Cruiser and regularly fish the SF bay and go outside of the gate. I love the boat, but you are not going anywhere fast. The bay is almost always choppy and going outside the gate can get nasty sometimes. I installed permatrims on my twin yami 40's and they made a HUGE difference in performance, but for strictly fishing in solely this area I do not think it is the most practical boat. I'm actually looking at the Hewescraft 220 Ocean Pro, since my original intentions of my boat choice have changed to Fishing only and getting to the spot fast.

This does not mean the boat can't get it done. I've been slaying halibut, salmon, crab, rockfish in these fishing grounds for the past 5 years. I have twin Scotty downriggers and the boat trolls just fine outside the gate for salmon. Some days with perfect weather, the boat performs excellent, but as I mentioned above, the characteristics of the bay chop and the bar going outside the gate can sometimes make the ride from the golden gate to berkeley an hour or more depending on how comfortable you want to be. You will see other Deep V hulls passing you along the way.

With that being said, you also mentioned the Delta area. I also fish this area and have done some cruising. This boat is excellent for the delta. The windlass (option) anchors easily for sturgeon/striper fishing and you are super comfortable in the warm cabin. You can easily cook and relax while waiting for bites.

Really, you just have to weigh your options and really think about the main uses of the boat and go from there.

I can't afford a the ocean pro 220 anytime soon so I will continue my fishing off the c dory for the time being. If you want a test ride one day, PM me and we should be able to work something out.
 
That is great advice, and I appreciate the transparency around how the boat has performed for you in our area. I'll likely purchase something else given the potential for an hour ride to Berkeley, but appreciate the offer for a ride!
 
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