Does anyone what is going on with C-Dory terminating dealers and adding a new one. Wefings and Mobile East Marine are no longer listed as dealers and a new one, Three Rivers Marine, has been appointed in Crystal River, FL. Seems like they terminated two very popular long term dealers to try their luck with an unknown.
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C Dory cancelling dealers
- Thread starter Cfoster
- Start date
Wefings still shows itself as a dealer and Three Rivers has been around for awhile. My guess is that there is no active maintenance of the C-Dory site and the list of dealers you see is just way out of date.Cfoster":padyuqqj said:Does anyone what is going on with C-Dory terminating dealers and adding a new one. Wefings and Mobile East Marine are no longer listed as dealers and a new one, Three Rivers Marine, has been appointed in Crystal River, FL. Seems like they terminated two very popular long term dealers to try their luck with an unknown.
Cfoster":eg1zosz6 said:Roger,
It's more than that. The C-Dory website has been changed as Wefings and Mobile East Marine were listed until recently and Three Rivers in FL has never before been a C-Dory dealer.
This is not true. Three Rivers was a respected C Dory dealer for many years. They lost the dealership when they ordered some Cape Dory Cruisers--and this is what pretty much started the legal action between the Reynolds and Tolands. about the Cape Dory and non compete clauses in the sale of C Dory.
Three Rivers in Fl has been a C-Dory dealer for many years. The internet wayback machine shows them as a dealer at least as early as 2004 (listed on their own website).Cfoster":2ycjnkuz said:Roger,
It's more than that. The C-Dory website has been changed as Wefings and Mobile East Marine were listed until recently and Three Rivers in FL has never before been a C-Dory dealer.
Jack in Alaska
New member
Three Rivers Marine has been around since the early 2000's.
I tried to buy a used CD in 2005, the one I own now. The deal fell through but I found the same boat on EBAY 4 yrs later with only 30 more hrs. on it as well as $40k off of the price. It was in a repo yard in W. Palm Beach, Fla.
Turned out to be an excellent deal.
They were a CD dealer then.
I tried to buy a used CD in 2005, the one I own now. The deal fell through but I found the same boat on EBAY 4 yrs later with only 30 more hrs. on it as well as $40k off of the price. It was in a repo yard in W. Palm Beach, Fla.
Turned out to be an excellent deal.
They were a CD dealer then.
I just got off the phone with Marc Grove from Wefings. They are no longer a stocking dealer--their choice. Marc has a number of brands he is selling. He still wants to be the "Go to" for used C Dory sales. I believe he has had more sales of used C Dorys than new ones in the last few years. He does have the knowledge and resources to sell the used boats well. He is also a dealer for Suzuki, Yamana and Honda for the re-power fans, and has very competitive pricing.
I feel that part of the switch has to do with lack of support from the C Dory Factory. It falls on the dealer to buy boats (or floor them) and either is a significant part of the cost of selling a boat. The dealer has to do all of the advertising, take the boats to boat shows, answer questions, and probably has contacts from half a dozen people asking questions for every boat he sells.
Marc will remain as a very supportive member of the C Dory community. We talked about a gathering again "of old friends" toward the 3rd week of Oct. Nothing solid about that yet.
Marc remains a person that all of us in the C Brat community can depend on!
I feel that part of the switch has to do with lack of support from the C Dory Factory. It falls on the dealer to buy boats (or floor them) and either is a significant part of the cost of selling a boat. The dealer has to do all of the advertising, take the boats to boat shows, answer questions, and probably has contacts from half a dozen people asking questions for every boat he sells.
Marc will remain as a very supportive member of the C Dory community. We talked about a gathering again "of old friends" toward the 3rd week of Oct. Nothing solid about that yet.
Marc remains a person that all of us in the C Brat community can depend on!
It would seem to me that there are few dealers out there. Unless the factory wants to start selling direct, they might want to keep the dealer network they have.
On the other hand, maybe the manufacturer is not all that interested in making more C-Dory's if they have other brands that sell better.
Most of the dealers for C-Dory listed on the C-Dory website, I have never heard of or seen any participation from on this website.
I wonder what the recent sale numbers are for C-Dorys. Perhaps making new ones is not worth the trouble anymore.
It seems that all the activity around C-Dorys is organized by the owners with little to no participation/support from the manufacturer.
FWIW, I have never been to a boat show that has had any C-Dorys (new or used) on display (I attend some East Coast boat shows). Everyone I talk to at these shows know what one is (or at least act like they know), but no one shows them.
On the other other hand, while they have made 2K+ boats, the boats they have made are tough and durable. A 20 or 30 year old C-Dory is pretty much the same as a brand new one and perfectly usable. You can't say that about a lot of other manufacturer's boats. You'd probably have to pay someone to haul a 30 yr-old ***liner away. Perhaps the C-Dory manufacturer has designed themselves out of a job and are planning on moving on.
On the other hand, maybe the manufacturer is not all that interested in making more C-Dory's if they have other brands that sell better.
Most of the dealers for C-Dory listed on the C-Dory website, I have never heard of or seen any participation from on this website.
I wonder what the recent sale numbers are for C-Dorys. Perhaps making new ones is not worth the trouble anymore.
It seems that all the activity around C-Dorys is organized by the owners with little to no participation/support from the manufacturer.
FWIW, I have never been to a boat show that has had any C-Dorys (new or used) on display (I attend some East Coast boat shows). Everyone I talk to at these shows know what one is (or at least act like they know), but no one shows them.
On the other other hand, while they have made 2K+ boats, the boats they have made are tough and durable. A 20 or 30 year old C-Dory is pretty much the same as a brand new one and perfectly usable. You can't say that about a lot of other manufacturer's boats. You'd probably have to pay someone to haul a 30 yr-old ***liner away. Perhaps the C-Dory manufacturer has designed themselves out of a job and are planning on moving on.
Well said Bob. I have found Marc to be a man of the highest integrity and a man of his word as I have dealt with him on the purchase of my Sea Sport. The industry would do well to have more like him in the business. I look forward to taking delivery of my 26 Aleutian within the next month and Marc has made it a very pleasant experience dealing with someone with his level of expertise and knowledge. He goes above and beyond to satisfy the customer and do things the right way!
This is no shock to me....the new company could not care about anything but selling boats...I doubt they really have the quality build of the earlier companies as before there was a sense of building boats for friends...we all liked one another and we knew the company had our back...now they could care less who we are ....other than we sell lots of boats for them...I think they are worthless bunch of bums...
I never thought the company treated their dealers well, making them pay for the boats before delivery...not like all the other boat companies...bet that changes once people figure out who they are...
Yes... I am upset that they have dropped my friends the dealers I like and that have stood with us... I will always buy my boats from the people I trust...and that would be Wefings..... If I were a dealer of boats I sure would stand clear of the new company....they appear to be only interested in their bottom line and not the quality or tradition of the C-Dory brand...
I never thought the company treated their dealers well, making them pay for the boats before delivery...not like all the other boat companies...bet that changes once people figure out who they are...
Yes... I am upset that they have dropped my friends the dealers I like and that have stood with us... I will always buy my boats from the people I trust...and that would be Wefings..... If I were a dealer of boats I sure would stand clear of the new company....they appear to be only interested in their bottom line and not the quality or tradition of the C-Dory brand...
thataway":z9s0c6eq said:Cfoster":z9s0c6eq said:Roger,
It's more than that. The C-Dory website has been changed as Wefings and Mobile East Marine were listed until recently and Three Rivers in FL has never before been a C-Dory dealer.
This is not true. Three Rivers was a respected C Dory dealer for many years. They lost the dealership when they ordered some Cape Dory Cruisers--and this is what pretty much started the legal action between the Reynolds and Tolands. about the Cape Dory and non compete clauses in the sale of C Dory.
Umm... Cape Dory is not the same as Cape Cruiser, just to keep all this straight. When traveling with our C-Dory in the northeast, we often heard, "Nice Cape Dory!" from people. I tried to explain that C-Dory and Cape Dory are NOT the same builder... but heard, "Oh, I've been around these boats for years - yep, that's a Cape Dory, and they make nice boats."
:roll:
I finally figured it wasn't worth explaining to people who already "knew" what they were talking about (and by that, I mean: they didn't), so I just started saying "Thanks!" when they called our C-Dory a Cape Dory. Which isn't the same thing as a Cape Cruiser... well, until the C-Dory factory got the molds for the Cape Cruiser in a law suit that NOBODY won, when the Cape Cruiser then became the C-Dory Venture (23 and 26). Neither of which is a Cape Dory.
8)
I have no inside information about the relationship between the current C-Dory factory and their dealers... but, if they are as unresponsive to dealers as they are to potential buyers and current owners, I can see why a dealer would be looking to rep other boats.
(Sigh)
Sorry about putting that "Dory" in there Jim...you are absolutely right...
I do believe that the boats are well built--that does not mean that there may not be quality control issues--they seem to happen in many boats.
Flooring is pretty common in the boating industry. There may be an exception where the dealers are owned by the building company--or there is a close relationship. An example of this might be MarineMax where Brunswick owns a portion of the company, and the model includes buying marinas. This at least an 800 dollar a year business....not C Dory's...which I suspect is pretty much a hand to mouth operation...
I do believe that the boats are well built--that does not mean that there may not be quality control issues--they seem to happen in many boats.
Flooring is pretty common in the boating industry. There may be an exception where the dealers are owned by the building company--or there is a close relationship. An example of this might be MarineMax where Brunswick owns a portion of the company, and the model includes buying marinas. This at least an 800 dollar a year business....not C Dory's...which I suspect is pretty much a hand to mouth operation...
South of Heaven
New member
This sucks. We have a huge group of ACTIVE enthusiasts who love the brand and the brand itself is dwindling slowly but surely. Its frustrating to see Ranger Tugs/Cutwater booming and we're in the dark recesses! Lol
I know for a fact that the 22 and 23 would sell very good in Maine and Mass. It's the perfect coastal rig for up here. The only problem is that NO ONE knows about C Dorys in New England. There is zero marketing and no dealers here. So no boat show exposure.
The 25 and 26 I think would be a harder sell in New England because for the price ($110-120k +) you open up a lot of different options.
Too bad about Wefings but Im sure Marc had to do it. He's a great guy and helped me several times last year. I'm sure the used C Dory market will thrive.
I know for a fact that the 22 and 23 would sell very good in Maine and Mass. It's the perfect coastal rig for up here. The only problem is that NO ONE knows about C Dorys in New England. There is zero marketing and no dealers here. So no boat show exposure.
The 25 and 26 I think would be a harder sell in New England because for the price ($110-120k +) you open up a lot of different options.
Too bad about Wefings but Im sure Marc had to do it. He's a great guy and helped me several times last year. I'm sure the used C Dory market will thrive.
zsSouth of Heaven":35hlcpbo said:I know for a fact that the 22 and 23 would sell very good in Maine and Mass. It's the perfect coastal rig for up here. The only problem is that NO ONE knows about C Dorys in New England. There is zero marketing and no dealers here. So no boat show exposure.
.
The reality is that there have been dealers up in the NE ( Cutter in Baltimore and the one in New Hampshire) They sold a bunch of boats at one time in the past.
The market for new boats has changed. Right now there seems to be a reasonable supply and turnover of used boats. One of the issues is where the boats are, and transport to where they are wanted. A new 22 is going to be in the 80K range, a new 25 in the 125K range, and the Tom Cat probably in the 150K range.
This was hinted at with the question of where are all the boaters thread recently. The reality is that a lot of families with families are not in position either financially or time wise with the activities of children's demands to buy a new C Dory.
Also the less expensive boats (under 60K) tend to sell, and the very expensive boats tend to sell. The middle tier; the middle income is not as secure, and discretionary income is down,
san juanderer
New member
It is all very unfortunate, as the boat line has a good reputation. The enclosed hardtop rear bulkhead has it's place in the regions where getting out of the weather is needed.
The Wright family ( Seasport founder, and Sportsman founder ) is one of nations earliest boat builders that began use of fiberglass. They know what they are doing, but sold the line to a younger less experienced owner. But now they have it back, with the Osprey molds, Olympic molds, Skagit molds, and the C-dory molds.
They are NOT bums !
The C-dory line does not fit very well with the other boat line molds they own. It is like comparing the money spent by downhill skiers vs the cross country skiers. The price point of the "other" boat lines just does not fit well. Maybe they will sell it to someone, that would concentrate on building C-dory boats.
The Wright family ( Seasport founder, and Sportsman founder ) is one of nations earliest boat builders that began use of fiberglass. They know what they are doing, but sold the line to a younger less experienced owner. But now they have it back, with the Osprey molds, Olympic molds, Skagit molds, and the C-dory molds.
They are NOT bums !
The C-dory line does not fit very well with the other boat line molds they own. It is like comparing the money spent by downhill skiers vs the cross country skiers. The price point of the "other" boat lines just does not fit well. Maybe they will sell it to someone, that would concentrate on building C-dory boats.
thataway":2expaivp said:zsSouth of Heaven":2expaivp said:I know for a fact that the 22 and 23 would sell very good in Maine and Mass. It's the perfect coastal rig for up here. The only problem is that NO ONE knows about C Dorys in New England. There is zero marketing and no dealers here. So no boat show exposure.
.
The reality is that there have been dealers up in the NE ( Cutter in Baltimore and the one in New Hampshire) They sold a bunch of boats at one time in the past.
The market for new boats has changed. Right now there seems to be a reasonable supply and turnover of used boats. One of the issues is where the boats are, and transport to where they are wanted. A new 22 is going to be in the 80K range, a new 25 in the 125K range, and the Tom Cat probably in the 150K range.
This was hinted at with the question of where are all the boaters thread recently. The reality is that a lot of families with families are not in position either financially or time wise with the activities of children's demands to buy a new C Dory.
Also the less expensive boats (under 60K) tend to sell, and the very expensive boats tend to sell. The middle tier; the middle income is not as secure, and discretionary income is down,
From the museum of what it's worth...I fit in that category. For me to consider a new boat (Tomcat/Glacier Bay) I was looking at $120-150K - crazy numbers (well for me at least).
I have two kids in college (as I tell my son - "my boat goes to college every year"), house payment [insert more bleeding heart breaking stuff here]... A new boat just wasn't going to happen. So I took my time (18 months) and had 4 deals fall through. It's easier to buy a boat when you have a boat.
So I'm selling the 17' CC now...my wife drew the line on 2 powerboats, 3 kayaks, and a canoe. Oddly she seemed to be OK with getting a paddleboard.
Eventually I bought what I could afford and am working my way through the list of stuff to do.
Realistically my income had gone up (I'm in IT), but my expenses have gone way up...so I did what was best for the family. Buy what you can afford, and be happy. Honestly I tried to get my wife to move on a "big" boat, but she wouldn't have any of that.
Very few CDory boats in the Tampa area. I think I've seen 2 - probably the same one twice.
Yielding my time to the original poster...
Ordutch1975
New member
SEA3PO":1oo02obv said:This is no shock to me....the new company could not care about anything but selling boats...I doubt they really have the quality build of the earlier companies as before there was a sense of building boats for friends...we all liked one another and we knew the company had our back...now they could care less who we are ....other than we sell lots of boats for them...I think they are worthless bunch of bums...
I never thought the company treated their dealers well, making them pay for the boats before delivery...not like all the other boat companies...bet that changes once people figure out who they are...
Yes... I am upset that they have dropped my friends the dealers I like and that have stood with us... I will always buy my boats from the people I trust...and that would be Wefings..... If I were a dealer of boats I sure would stand clear of the new company....they appear to be only interested in their bottom line and not the quality or tradition of the C-Dory brand...
Where does this come from? Flooring is a dying thing, fewer and fewer companies offer flooring and certainly not any company that custom builds boats- But what I wonder is why so much animosoty towards the wright family? C-Dory would likely not be around anymore if it were not for them picking it up. Second from those I have spoken too the feedback is that the quality has never been higher with the new boats. The boats are more expensive than they used to be, but they still sell and second maybe with a little more profit they can stay afloat and offset warranty claims and expenses. If this is the attitude we are going to have towards them my guess is we can count on no participation and second maybe at some point the c-dory line will be halted. They have their doors open, you can go visit the factory speak with the owner whatever you like. There are still dealers like Sportcraft around and Ryan over there seems to really like the manufacturer etc. We as a community also need to support the company hence my post about adding seasport etc.
My guess is what someone else wrote, there is an abundance of used boats and likely more profit / less hassle in that market. You don't have to wait for a boat to be built etc. Its a quicker turn over.
I'm sorry maybe I don't know the history but in my eyes as a new consumer to the C-Dory world I could not ask more of my dealer and the builder. Both have been more than willing to do anything I ask and from those who have bought newer C-Dorys and owned previous ones the consensus I hear is that they've never been better. What more do we want?
A little aslant the topic:
It would be nice if the manufacturers of the boat established a boat servicing division. It could be run and priced with their desired profit margin. It could help even out workforce stability, perhaps lower prices when business slows, higher when they are busy.
Our boats do seemingly last forever, which has a pain for the manufacturer, but that could disappear - most of us are potential customers for major service and updating. I have thought of several updates, and would be willing to pay. I will open a thread on this.
It would be nice if the manufacturers of the boat established a boat servicing division. It could be run and priced with their desired profit margin. It could help even out workforce stability, perhaps lower prices when business slows, higher when they are busy.
Our boats do seemingly last forever, which has a pain for the manufacturer, but that could disappear - most of us are potential customers for major service and updating. I have thought of several updates, and would be willing to pay. I will open a thread on this.