C-Dory or Arima as Fire Department / Fire Rescue Boat

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inthrewtheoutdor

New member
I am a volunteer fireman at a department in Suffolk County. We are on the north shore and cover part of the Long Island Sound. For next year the department is looking into getting a new boat. Currently we have a 14 foot Rigid Hull Inflatable Zodiac, tiller steer 50hp yamaha.

We want to go at least 18 Ft and a regular steer boat for the new one.

I have been looking around for center consoles and then came accross hard tops. I really like the C-Dory 19 ft and the Arima 19 Foot hardtop boats.

What is the possibility of getting a basic stripped down version of the 19 Ft C-Dory hardtop or the Arima 19 Hardtop, with a removable dive door for a price of around 35-40 grand. All the extras would not be needed, the more room in the boat the better.

At this time there would be no need for a pump to throw water as it it would be a rescue boat only

I see the beam is over 8 feet, but would it still be practicle to get a 6 foot backboard with a person on it to fit in the aft part of the boat? Are these boats really practicle as a rescue boat or would you guys have better suggestions?

Thank you
 
Let me first say: the C-Dorys are great boats. From my perspective, though, they would be less than ideal as a rescue boat. For two years on a previous "fun summer job," when not driving the cruise boats, I drove our company's rescue boat. It was a metal hull, that allowed us to get the bow on the shore or come up against another boat or debris without loosing any fiberglass. It had a forward cockpit that was reasonably low, allowing you to reach someone in the water. The rear portion of the boat was low, same access. The CD-19 has a relatively high coaming - great for fishing, not so great for pulling someone aboard.

We also had an Arima-21 as a guided fishing boat. I drove that boat on a couple occasions, and it seemed pretty similar to the C-Dory. I think you would be hard pressed to find space for a backboard.

Depending on the slope at the shore, beach launching could be an issue due to weight.

Jim B.

That said, you can make almost any boat work for that purpose - some are better suited because of the basic design.
 
"Inthrewtheoutdor" welcome to C-Brats. As you know getting a patient into most any small vessel while they are on a backboard presents a real challenge. With the cabin on the C-Dory you are further limited to good "working" cockpit area. Additionally, you state that you are launching from a beach.
My experience with Marine Rescue vessels has been with 3 different vessels. A 26 foot ACB (Aluminum Chambered Boat) a great platform to work off of but larger and heavier than you are seeking. A 14' Achilles w jet outboard which is similar to what you are currently utilizing. The third is a Neoteric Hovercraft, (our Hovercraft was recently featured in several news media clips during the recent I-5 bridge collapse in Washington State). (You should be able to google some of those pix and videos).
Since you state you are launching from the beach, you might give the hovercraft some consideration as you can just "fly" it off its' trailer across the beach and into the water. It does have the capability of carrying a backboard across it's gunwhales (a factory set up), although just like other small vessels, the challenge still remains in getting a person already on a backboard on to the vessel from the water.
Our hovercraft has served us well and has been utilized on numerous occasions in river and flooding rescue scenarios. Although, we've never utilized it in ice rescue scenarios, we have practiced on ice covered lakes. The only time it has been in the salt water was to assist law enforcement in the apprehension of potential "bad guys" that we're grounded by an outgoing tide in the mud flats out of Everett.
 
C-Dory is certainly better than no boat at all but I think better choices are out there. Not a good "Go fast" choice. That being said I certainly feel safe in the 22' when things get gnarly.
Lifting a body over the side of a C-Dory will require a folder of workman Comp. claim forms available in the cabin for the impending back injuries. :cry
You will have to examine how you will deploy. Boat launch, Marina or Beach?
If your horsing the boat off the trailer with just a few staff from a beach then A glass hull may be poor choice. A slightly bigger version of what your using may better satisfy the task of rapid deployment of staff to target. Sometimes less is more.

Now if you keep a rescue boat in a marina that changes things.
Good Hunting
 
I think C-Dorys are great boats, and I love mine. But for what you are doing, I'm thinking it isn't quite fitting the picture. (Although, if kept in the water, a 22 Angler with a pair of good sized twins and a proper cockpit hoist would be a great vessel with plenty of room in the cockpit , there are probably others that could fit the requirements better.) A beach launch of a 19 or 22 would not be very practical without a long trailer tongue extension and a tow vehicle that you don't mind wetting. It won't be as fast as some, especially in chop, and the gel coat will show close encounters of the harder kind.

DaveS has considerable experience here, in what you are doing and his advice is right on. I'm thinking first choice, hovercraft. Second choice maybe an aluminum cat on some type. I know Armstrong (Port Angeles, WA), could build what you want.

Good luck in your search and thanks for your service.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon

JC_Lately_SleepyC_Flat_Blue_070.thumb.jpg
 
Call Chad Crozier at Crozier Craft. He is in Port Angeles. His # is 360-461-4825. He does custom work. I was looking for a smaller monohull, and Armstrong recommended Crozier. He used to work for Armstrong.
 
as much as I love my C-Dory, I also love Safeboats and they have boats designed specifically for your specialty. I see Safeboats all over out here by police and coastguard, and I "thought" the NYFD used Safeboats as well.

http://www.safeboats.com/uses/fire-rescue-boats/


also, you mentioned beam. the beam is not over 8ft. the 23' has an 8ft beam, but the 22' and shorter have narrower beams. 7'8" I believe.
 
I think the main problem this poster will have is finding a boat that meets the requirements for "35-40 grand". There are many good suggestions in this thread for boats that would better meet the needs but I rather doubt that any of them can be purchased within the poster's price range. Dave - what did the hovercraft or ABC boats cost?
 
ACB (Aluminum Chambered Boats) doesn't exist anymore, but Stabicraft (www.stabicraft.com) , the boat that they modeled the ACB after is available in the U.S. and an 18' to 20' Stabicraft can be purchased within that budget.

Having owned a Stabicraft and taken it into some extreme water, I know it could handle the weather and water conditions of a rescue. They are used as rescue boats in New Zealand and Australia.

I just read that the 2050 SC is only 7'6" wide.

My 2 cents.
 
Check out www.maritimeboats.com lots of these are used in the northeast by the police and fire companies. Not sure if the fit all you requirements. They are pretty light and don't require a lot of power. I see one in my future as a simple fishing boat.
D.D.
 
rogerbum":1maz6kgt said:
Dave - what did the hovercraft or ABC boats cost?
Click to expand...

Hi Roger.....the short answer is both of them together would cost less than that new granddaughter of yours is going to cost her parents when she is done with expenses all the way through college.... :lol: BTW...Congratulations! (Our daughter graduates from WWU this week....so no more tuition etc to pay....I a RICH man now....LOL!)

On a serious note, I just looked up the hovercraft on the Neoteric Hovercraft web site and one like ours is just over 35K. (This includes trailer, and lights and siren!). The ACB (as Sarge already mentioned is no longer being built) is considerably more expensive as it is a 26 footer and has a 225 HP Yamaha outboard.

There are many choices of manufacturers of rescue boats on the market and I'm sure a person could spend days googling the many possibilities. Just as in recreational boats......rescue boats are various and each vessel is a compromise and have different capabilities and uses.
In answer to the first part of the inquirers question, I would say a C-Dory or Arima would not be my choice for a rescue boat.
 
Inthrewtheoutdor, I just sent you a "pm" (Personal Message) with my telephone number. If you call me, I can perhaps offer some helpful suggestions.

(If you look at the header on the site you will see a header alerting you that you have a message....click on that).
 
The removable dive door will probably be a huge issue, as it would compromise the structure of the boat significantly. With no stringer system, the C-Dory uses the boat hull and deck to provide structure, and i think cutting a "door" into the hull will be a huge issue.

And even if it could be done, it would be really expensive.
 
I agree, the C Dory is not going to be a good boat for your use. The reasons are the weight, the ability to put a dive door, the cabin and room.
I use my Caracal 18' cat (Carolina cat now) as a rescue boat and it fits the picture much better, with lower freeboard, and ability to handle rough water about as well as the Tom Cat (better than the C Dory 19 in chop at speed).

I believe that Americat has made at least one of their boats with a side dive door. The cat hull with a sealed deck lends itself to this modification well. On both the Ameracat and Carolina Cat 18 have the fuel tank on the bridge deck and only floatation in the sealed hulls, as well as being self bailing, which the C Dory is not.

One of our local FD had a small hovercraft and some problems in salt or rough water. That craft also had dependability issues. I had to tow it back to the trailer several times. As I recollect the skipper of the hovercraft said that 1.5 feet was about the limit of its capability in the chop. However this was a different brand than what Dave uses, and that one may be far better.

I would agree that a SAFE boat or similar would be better in the LIS area.
 
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