journey on
New member
While we were up in the San Juans this summer, a friend (Larry) and I visited Northwest Marine Industries, the builder of C-Dorys, among other boat lines. We were welcomed, but the guys who ran the outfit were out sea-trialing a 22’ C-Dory, so we were turned over to the gentleman who was a “knowledgeable employee”. This person, who shall remain nameless, did a wonderful job and answered all my questions. Disclamer: Larry (God bless his soul) owns a 25’ Ranger Tug. Also, this visit was this summer, my memory is failing, so let me know if I got anything wrong.
First, the factory was a large building, open, with several boats of the various lines they build under construction including C-Dory and TomCat as well as Osprey, Sea Sport and a ~32’ catamaran. There were 7-8 boats parallel, inline on one side of the building. The other side of the building was the layup area, curtained off from the rest of the shop. A couple of boats were outside, being finished off.
Since Journey On is a 25’ C-Dory, I asked to see one, but they weren’t building one. They did walk us through a 22 and a TomCat, destined for Central America. The latter has the same main cabin as a 25. They were very proud of their molded interior which they pointed out was neater and increased structural rigidity. I agree with that and it looked very nice. We toured the 22, where they were finishing it off and we had to dodge a guy installing the cockpit hand rails. It was also interesting to compare the C-Dory with the other boat lines. The other boats are deep-V, off shore and are much heavier than the C-Dory for the same size. Your choice, but for us the C-Dory meets our needs and I would hate to trailer a heavier boat.
We were also shown the layup area where they were making the deck of a 32 cat. A mixture of hand-laid cloth and chopper gun were in use. 3 guys at work, steadily employed. I would be interested to know if the C-Dory got any chopper gun glass. I don't think so from examining Journey On, but times have changed. The quality appeared to be very good.
Since they make 5 different lines of boats, I was curious as to how many C-Dorys were built in a year. An extremely unofficial guess of 25-30/year was made. This confirmed my feeling that the C-Dory is a niche boat with a small but steady market, especially used. As owners we may like them, but they are not a market driver. We should appreciate that they are still being improved and made.
I did not ask how many boats/year total were made, since this was after the fire. Based on the boats under construction and some guesses (mine) as to the turnover, perhaps 200/year seems reasonable. They sell complete packages, with rigged motor and instrumentation to the buyer’s specifications. When the boat leaves the factory, it’s a turn key operation.
And last, the 32’ camataran. I can’t find anything on the web about that boat. There were 2 at the building; one undergoing repair and the other being laid up. If anybody can tell me more I would appreciate the info.
A very pleasant tour, with ice cream for Larry and me elsewhere, afterwards.
Boris
First, the factory was a large building, open, with several boats of the various lines they build under construction including C-Dory and TomCat as well as Osprey, Sea Sport and a ~32’ catamaran. There were 7-8 boats parallel, inline on one side of the building. The other side of the building was the layup area, curtained off from the rest of the shop. A couple of boats were outside, being finished off.
Since Journey On is a 25’ C-Dory, I asked to see one, but they weren’t building one. They did walk us through a 22 and a TomCat, destined for Central America. The latter has the same main cabin as a 25. They were very proud of their molded interior which they pointed out was neater and increased structural rigidity. I agree with that and it looked very nice. We toured the 22, where they were finishing it off and we had to dodge a guy installing the cockpit hand rails. It was also interesting to compare the C-Dory with the other boat lines. The other boats are deep-V, off shore and are much heavier than the C-Dory for the same size. Your choice, but for us the C-Dory meets our needs and I would hate to trailer a heavier boat.
We were also shown the layup area where they were making the deck of a 32 cat. A mixture of hand-laid cloth and chopper gun were in use. 3 guys at work, steadily employed. I would be interested to know if the C-Dory got any chopper gun glass. I don't think so from examining Journey On, but times have changed. The quality appeared to be very good.
Since they make 5 different lines of boats, I was curious as to how many C-Dorys were built in a year. An extremely unofficial guess of 25-30/year was made. This confirmed my feeling that the C-Dory is a niche boat with a small but steady market, especially used. As owners we may like them, but they are not a market driver. We should appreciate that they are still being improved and made.
I did not ask how many boats/year total were made, since this was after the fire. Based on the boats under construction and some guesses (mine) as to the turnover, perhaps 200/year seems reasonable. They sell complete packages, with rigged motor and instrumentation to the buyer’s specifications. When the boat leaves the factory, it’s a turn key operation.
And last, the 32’ camataran. I can’t find anything on the web about that boat. There were 2 at the building; one undergoing repair and the other being laid up. If anybody can tell me more I would appreciate the info.
A very pleasant tour, with ice cream for Larry and me elsewhere, afterwards.
Boris