C-Dory Comps

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clivepeers

New member
I am considering selling my sailboat to purchase a 16 ft C-dory cruiser. I want to ensure that I consider all options. If a C-Dory is the right solution, it should stand up against all competition. So my question: If you were forced to chose another boat, what would it be?

Thanks
 
There are several factors that I would take into consideration when choosing a power boat. the first is where do you plan to use this boat. Rivers,Lakes or The Salt Chuck.
Next is how fast do you want to go, and third, what do you want to do with it,Cruising,Fishing or ??????

I chose the C-Dory for its great handling of rough weather while Crabbing and Shrimping. it can get rather snotty out there in early spring during shrimp season and I feel totaly safe . I have a 22 angler and just love it. It is not the best boat for cruising as there just ain't that much room in the cabin.but the cockpit space is great when you have all the pots and bouys and such.

Last friday we had four people in the boat, 8 crab pots , 4 shrimp pots and 4 sets of shovels and buckets. and all the ropes and bouys .we dug clams,shrimped, and crabbed all in the same day.What a day we had, and the C-Dory (imo) was the best choice for me.
 
Clive --

[ramble]
I had sailboats for darn near 40 years before selling the last one, a San Juan 28, and buying a C-Dory 16 Cruiser.

Our '03 16 Cruiser had all the options on it from the factory (east of the Mississipi we pretty much get them fully setup) other than electric wipers which I added after the first weekend on Lake Erie.

We're powered by a Honda 50. The guys with Honda 40s say they're fine, but many have also told me they'd get the 50 next time "just 'cuz."

The 16 Criuser is a 2-person boat and gives up 2 feet of cockpit for 2 feet in the berth. We've not used the berth yet and may never. Getting the 16 Cruiser over the 16 Angler was, perhaps, my last carry over from the sailboats which were full of berths. The berth gives us a third seat of sorts that's out of the weather. The rest of the time we put a folding deck chair in the cockpit. The berth area has a massive amount of storage on top and below the little deck. Porta potty, life jacket bag, spare prop all fit under there.

The 16 Cruiser's aft center of gravity (the seats are 2 feet farther aft) makes the boat stern heavy and needs bow down trim all the time. I've fitted the Honda-boxed SST hydrofoil to the engine and it helps a lot, although it feels funny in turns. There a NZ-made product I'm looking at right now which has no hydrofoil "lift", using the prop down wash, and may be better.

This boat has day-cruised Lake Erie and the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers. Fished and tubed on several inland lakes. Been trailered into 4 or 5 states. I've not done the math, but the Honda 50 runs economically and starts faster than I can describe it.

I'm still not sure if the 16 Cruiser was the better choice over the 16 Angler! That extra two feet of cockpit in the Angler literally doubles the cockpit size and the seating two feet farther forward makes the boat better balanced without engine trim. But the storage cabin on the 16 Angler is darn small and overnighting requires a pup tent on shore.

15'11" requires lots of compromises.

Is there a better choice? Depends on several things!

I wanted the hard top cabin. Been too many years at the tiller in cold rain and hate getting baked by the sun. A hard top was paramount. As was economical and reliable operation -- using 20 gallons of fuel annually on our sailboats was a major item!

My next consideration was paying cash for the boat. Yeah I could have purchased a dozen different Bayliners and other boats for much less than this. But this also ruled out the C-Dory 19 Angler and Arima 19HT both of which I looked at closely.

The 19 Angler is also a 2 person boat. There are jump seats behind the main seats, but I doubt anyone would want to be in them all day long. The 19 Angler hull requires trim tabs (I think they're factory fitted now). The 19HT is a full 4-person boat. Vee hull will go much faster thru chop but will probably use near twice the fuel of the 19 Angler. The 19HT is still on my wish list, the 19 Angler no longer is. But both of these boats are at least $10,000 more expensive than the 16s and the 22 footers are twice the price.

C-Dory 22 Sport Cruiser with a Honda 90 is also on my list. The canvas "bulkhead" on the 16 Cruiser works very well and the ice keeps us from cruising in the very cold months anyway. Not sure your cruising area, but the open cabin back is very nice in warm weather and the curtain cuts the draft in cold rain.

There are a few photos in our album. I can send ya more.
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-- Chuck
 
For the trailerability and economy-- a C-Dory, hands down. Now if I were to buy a boat just to use around the Channel Islands, it would be a 37' Nordic Tug- buy then PJ said I would have to sell the house, motorhome and first born--- I'll stick with the C-Dory or maybe a TomCat.
 
Clivepeers,
We absolutely love our 16' Angler. We also looked very close at the Arima. In fact the Arima was our dream boat until we saw a CD on the water one day. We liked the hardtop aspect as we do a lot of winter crabbing here in the Pacific Northwest. The 19' Arima was just more boat than we needed for the two of us and they don't come in a smaller model with the hardtop. When we found a 16' CD Angler, the cost, craftmanship, less motor needed than the deep V hull (we have a 50hsp Honda with a 5 hsp kicker) and the support of CD owners in this Pub made the choice easy. I can't imagine having the 16' cruiser. For fishing, crabbing and no need for trim tabs the Angler is perfect. If we were going to be taking trips and sleeping on the boat, I would probably get the 19' or 22' cruiser model.

Hope this helps. Jon
 
I shopped around for nearly a year and considered a wide range of boats before buying a 22-ft. cruiser in '01. Three years and 330 hours on the engine later, I would do it again in a heartbeat. The simplicity, economy, versatility, and ease of maintenance of a C-Dory with a 4-stroke outboard makes boating a joy for me and my family. I love to sail, but on the upper Potomac there isn't a lot of sailing room or depth. With nothing to rig, I launch the C-Dory from its trailer and am on my way in about 15 minutes. That really makes a difference in how much one actually uses his boat. I thought we would do more multi-day expeditions, but the fact is that most of the hours on my engine come from a lot of short cruises in every month of the year. It is also very easy to trailer, which has meant that we've taken the boat along on family vacations (twice to NC outerbanks and later this summer to Maine and Nova Scotia), adding a great dimension to our trips. The all-weather comfort also makes a big difference. Many times when we've planned outings with friends on a weekend when the weather is iffy, they'll call to ask if the trip is still on. My answer is always, "Of course!" and we've enjoyed many wonderful times on the water when the bad weather clears up and we have the entire river to ourselves. Five-star review from this C-Dory owner!

Best wishes,
 
The Arima is a great boat. They have the extended hull design and is fulled loaded with foam. Although, cruising around with a boat load of friends is not a good choice with an Arima as it is more of fishing and the like.
 
The Bartender was always my dream boat, but they stopped building them.
When I saw the CD at the boat show that year,I knew that that was the boat I had been looking for ,for years. I talked to the owners and arranged a sea trial.
well it so happened that the following friday night and Saturday we had the biggest wind storm of the winter. When I went down to the marina to see if they were going out to show the boat,man was it blowing and raining. I thought that they would postpone the ride. The boat was not there. I was about ready to leave when it came cruising into the marina with another customer aboard.
We went out and was it rough.The 22' classic was right at home.That was the most fun I had had in a long time. That was in the flat bottom days too. Needless to say when we got back I ordered mine.

I have crossed Puget Sound in weather where I have had to cut it back to 9 knots and just ride the waves. Never have I buried the nose where the water came over the bow. Came close a couple of times though.(2" of bow showing one time)
It went through the cut between cape Flattery (sp) and Tatoosh Isl. both in and out at Neah Bay. At Tillamook Ore. it went in and out over the bar,no problem. One thing about the CD I have never been afraid in it.

If I were to sell this one I would a get new 22' Cruiser.
The drawback on mine is the flat bottom hits hard and is noisey. I have to throttle back in choppy water. But ,the flat bottom is nice for beaching the boat ,and going into shallow water.
The cabin just doesn't have that much room in it for cruising and two adults sleeping in the bunks is crowded. But for fishing and day cruising it can't be beat.
 
Hi Folks,
Name me a boat that is economical, Has a cabin and cockpit, you can sleep in it, you can stand up to pull your pants up, it will take heavy weather, you can beach it, you can go 20 knots in it, you can park it in your yard, and you can pull it with an Explorer. There is ONLY one. A 22' C-DORY.
Man From Nantucket
 
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