C-Dory vs. SeaSport

Y

yhc

New member
Good morning everyone.

I recently started to look into getting an all purpose boat (i.e.) for family cruising on weekends, fishing, hunting, etc. I have always been fond of C-Dorys but as I am researching into this topic, I've come across Sea Sport brochures. They seemed to be very well built w/ a similar design as C-Dorys except for the different hull design.

I do plan on visiting a dealer in the next few weeks but I am no where near a boat dealer presently. So I would greatly appreciate to hear from those of you who are familiar with both of these boats. Would you comment on them...any pros/cons, etc?

Since this is a C-Dory forum I am sure I will get a totally objective, unbiased opinions but I would like to hear from you all. :D
 
I looked at both before buying the C-Dory. The SeaSports are great boats. In my opinion, they have some of the most gorgeous interiors of any boats in a similar style/size. The SeaSport guys do excellent cabinet work - great fit and finish. Before I bought the CD I was in a waiting period where I couldn't sell stock in a company I helped found. At one point during the lockup period, the stock was valued at about 5x what I was eventually able to sell it for. During that time, the 32' catamaran was my boat of choice. SeaSports are more expensive than CD's for similar sized boats but as I said, the interior is much nicer.

The hulls (as you noted) are very different with the CD being a dory style hull (almost flat at the back) and the SeaSport being a V. For comparably sized boats - The CD will get better mileage (maybe 2x better) and hence will be cheaper to operate. The SeaSport will give you a better ride in the chop. Both have excellent resale value. The CD will also be a bit more stable at rest. The CD is a bit more utilitarian and overall cheaper to buy and operate. If money was no problem, I might own a SeaSport. As it is, I own a CD and occasionally daydream about rebuilding the cabinetry within to SeaSport standards.

(unbiased enough for you?) :)
 
both boats fix a similar need in a differant way. the seasport is faster and heavier allowing it to slice thru big waves and ignore chop all together. the c-dory is not as wide and has a flat bottom with a smaller engine,making it slower and more effected by chop, big swells are not problem. Its also gets great fuel milage. a 22 dory with burn about 4 gallons a hour at 20 kys on flat water. The seasport will burn 20 gallons a hour in a gas motor and 15 in a disel. so over the weekend of cruising and fishng the Islands the differance in fuel cost is moe then MY BOAT PAYMENT on a new cdory. if i could afford it i would get the seasport navigator 27 pilot house and leave it at a marina....come on lucky seven....
 
You should fish off both and spend time talking to owners.
After that the deciding will be easy.
I was really impressed with Sea Sports until I tried to fish on one. I am glad I did.
 
If you are willing to spend the bucks a SeaSport would cost you might consider looking into the C-Dory TomCat 255 :lol:

SeaSports are very well made extremely popular boats. But the cost of ownership is pretty high.

Mr Fisherman, what didn't you like about fishing out of the SeaSport?
 
I'm shocked at the Sea Sport fuel consumption figure quoted-"20 gals/hour" Thats over the top of a working persons financial reason -- In Canada at $1.10-1.20 per litre and app. 4 litres per American gal. that comes to 80 litres X 1.10=$88 dollars Can. per hour!!

I can hear it now--hey honey let go for a cruise this week-end. Its a short 4 hr. hop over to little X Island and we can over-night it with supper at the inn. And she says: lets see, thats 8 hrs X $88/hr + $50.00 for supper = $754-- give or take a few bucks. Hey thats 50% of what you earned this week and we got the boat payments to make next week too.
No honey go down to the dock and put a coat of wax her and tell a few Sea stories about where we may go when you get rich.
 
Well now,

This one should be talked about a bit. I've run both boats a lot - a whole lot. Both are extremely well-built boats but perform quite differently. Comparing a 22 CD that will get 4 NMPG if lightly loaded with a larger C Sport - not a fair shot.

A 350, at normal cruise (+/- 3,000 rpm), will burn about 9-10 gph. Because the Sport is a deep V it will usually start to plane about 16/18 knots... depends strictly on weight. If you are running a pair of 350 outdrives in a 27 Ft. deep V (of any manufacture) you fuel bill will be a shocker. BTDT and ain't going again. My fishing slug, 20 year old Pierson Rampage, with the same ci displacement burns 8-10 gph. Gives me heartburn at the fuel dock, but no better fishing machine around. Always a choice, eh?

The key to selection is how one plans to use the boat. For my use the C Dory is far superior -- I don't pull skiers or tubes, am quite happy with a 15-17 knot cruise, and don't mind slowing down for heavy chop. No deep V that I've run is happy in any speed during transition from displacement to full plane.

Because the C Sport is made locally there are hundreds of them around -- the owners I've talked to and boated with love them. For me they are too deep-v ish when fishing in big swells -- like Swiftsure Bank. OTOH they will take a moderate chop (3-4 ft.) directly on the bow with ease at over 20 knots. And that would ruin my teeth in a C-Dory.

Bottom line - both are fine boats, and choice depends on your planned use. Fit and finish on the C Sport is beautiful -- if that's important to you. And this is just one guy's opinion! There will be more.

HTH,

Dusty
 
I forgot a boat. If you have the money for a seasport but dont want the gas bill and like to go fast then look at the Stabi-craft or ABC boats. Both have the smoothest ride of any boat I have ever been on. They are soft rides in chop, big waves or swells. Faster then a sea sport and burn half the fuel if the makers are to be believed. a 25 is around a $100,00 fitted out and the v-berth is not quite as big, but dam fine fishng boats.
 
Dusty has an excellent analysis. We had seen a number of the Sea Sport boats when we spent three years cruising the PNW. At one point we had strongly considered on. Then we considered the trailering issues. The C Dory is so easy to trailer and launch! We pruchased a 22 cruiser and it was all that we wanted, for what we wanted. We used it on the West Coast for 3 years.

In the mean time, we did have a deep V hull similar to a Sea Sport as our second boat in Florida where we live and found that it was not that much better in the average conditions. Trailering was much more difficult than the C Dory. All in all, we found that the Cat gave as much room as the Sea Sport, with a better ride and economy (we hope)--plus it is more stable. But, we again thought long and hard about the SeaSprot--it is a very good boat.
 
Okay, here's a woman's opinion. We also looked at both. We were actually debating on a SeaSport and another boat (which shall remain nameless) when we took a second look at the C-Dory. At that point it was all over because, for me, it was visibility. We were going from an open boat to an enclosed boat and I was having heartburn about losing the feeling of being outside. We had also found that we did more cruising than fishing and I didn't entirely like the feeling that we were rushing everywhere in our previous boat which had a deep V hull. We spent a lot of time in the SeaSport at the boat show and I couldn't get over the feeling of being "inside" in that boat. It didn't matter if we were in the 24 or the 27. I had the same feeling.

SeaSports still turn our heads, however, we have no buyers remorse with our decision.

Dee
 
Thank you all for your insightful and mostly unbiased 8) comments. Your input will greatly assist in my research for "the boat".

If there are more comments, please keep them coming.

Regards,

yhc
 
Dee,

I completely agree with your comments regarding the SeaSport. We went to the boat show and my husband had it in his mind that SeaSport was what he wanted. We really looked them over good and decided that we felt very "trapped" inside them. It felt like you were way down inside the boat. I still like them, even though I don't think we will ever own one.

Julie
 
Dusty, you da man! Your explanation was clear, concise and oh so logical. I can almost feel all of those years of boating experience oozing out of the written words. Thank you so much for your invaluable contributions. They are so helpful to boating newbies like us.

As for SeaSports, they sure are beautiful fishing machines. But we love cruising in our lil' CD-22. Plus we have the option to fish when we want (and when we can find the time). As others have said, it all depends on how you plan to use the boat.
 
I find it very interesting that 95% of the C-Dory vs Seasport discussion has been based on, creature comforts, looks and sea handling. And yes those are important issues. But as I said in my earlier comments on this thread-- yeah got to be able to pay for the gas to run a Seasport deep V -350cu inch displacement engined craft. The limited comment on this point means to me that we are representative of a financial group who personify "don't buy the Cadillac if you can't afford the gas and then shut up about it".
 
Blueback,

Some of the "quietness" in this regard is that the fuel consumption figures quoted in an earlier post for the Sea Sport are way on the high side for the models most comparable to the C-dory's. At least at normal cruise speeds, you could burn 20 plus gallons per hour in their 32' cat or 30' Offshore but not the 22' or 24' boats.

Their smaller boats are also available with outboard power hanging off offshore brackets. Because of the deeper V a Sea-Sport will burn more fuel than a comparably sized C-dory, but not four times more. If a 22' C-dory can get to 4 NMG, one could probably get close to 3 in the 22' Sea-Sport.

Where most people will likely make there decision between these boats is in areas such as interior layout, fishability, desired speed in chop, etc.

As most post indicate both brands of boats are very well made. All boats are created based upon a series of choices and compromises to perform well for a desire set of purposes and conditions.

Sea-Sports are better offshore fishing boats, due to the deeper V and closed transom. C-dory's will be more comfortable to fish in once you get there due to the flatter bottom. C-dory's are also more economical family cruisers in protected waters and cost less up front.

As stated before, the choice may be clear once a person can define how that want to use the boat and what compromises they are willing to make.
 
Good we now have some clarification on the gas consumption and outboard options which brings this back to a realistic comparision.
thanks,
 
The Sea Sport 2200, a great boat, weighs about 2000 lbs more than a CD 22. It has standard V-8 270 hp engine, or 225 hp outboard. It is a different boat than the CD-22 in lots of ways. I doubt it will see 3 mpg. It does have a diesel option though which would be different. Or you could just buy two CD 22s.
 
And of course if you want an unbiased opinion the C-Brat site ain't the place. Nor would the owner's site for Sea Sport. We all must justify our decisions. Both of my immediate marina neighbors are Sea Sport owners. We often exchange rides and jibes... and the wheel keeps a turning - and where she stops nobody knows. Who else can remember that??

BUT, when you talk Sea Sport 27 dollars you are in the Tomcat 255 area -- and I'll arm wrestle any Sea Sport owner!! And my neighbor's 27 is a way cool boat, but I absolutely LOVE the Tomcat -- as does Mrs. Dusty.

How's that for a biased opinion!!

Duster
 
I have fortunately had some great fishing and rough water experience in both the 24' Sea Sport and the 22' C-Dory up here. On the Sea Sport side:
Great number of the Charter Captains up here use Sea Sports. They are comfortable at speed getting the clients out to the Kings and Butts. They fish well, they are quiet, they are well built, the interior's are well thought out, they are easy to clean up, easy to add poles, downriggers, towers, kickers, electronics, they hold up well to the rough conditions, pretty easy to maintain and pretty easy to re-engine. The main engine size tends to be at least a 350 and the Volvo DuoProp outdrive is preferred. The clients appreciate the boat and believe it to be a "Professional Rig". When the clients have caught their limit, or they are just plain tired, you can do about 25 to 35 mph back to the dock, even in the rough stuff and the banging is not too scary. There is lots of room to put things, even a bunch of fat and sassy Kings.

They are heavier, the 350 with DuoProp consumes about 3 times the fuel as a C-Dory, they require a more heavy duty trailer and a stronger rig to tow and stop them. When you are out trolling or mooching in the rough stuff, that back cockpit area is cluttered due to the inboard location of the engine and the engine cover that sticks out about 3 feet by 2 feet by perhaps 1 foot tall. This can be a bit hazardous along with the feeling that you are standing a foot or so above the water and you get thrown about a bit easier. You have to step down to get into the cabin and when it is rough you tend to want to stay just exactly where you are planted due to your uneasiness of moving about.

There are several Charter facilities in other parts of Alaska that use C-Dorys but from what I have heard, these locations are in quieter waters. I know of no C-Dorys that are used as Charter in the Sitka area. There are however quite a few C-Dorys in use by the locals for just about everything else. Many of these are early models and most of those are not well cared for or babied, but they are still in good condition despite the neglect. Fishing in the rough stuff up here seems more comfortable and safe (at least in the 22) due to the lower stance. The cockpit is clean and easy to move around in when you have something fighting their way all around down below. Leaning out with a net or club feels safer and it is easier to leverage yourself against the side. Probably less of a lift to get that 50 pound King in the boat. The gas mileage is noticeably better, the boat is easier to trailer, launch and store. If you are as fanatical about clean tanks, it is much easier to yank the tanks every year and clean them out; it is easier to get in and out of when it is on the trailer as well. When it is rough you still feel safe walking all over the boat, although the water seems a lot closer to you. They, like the Sea Sport are easy to maintain, although an engine problem is a bit more difficult to get to, a fouled prop seems easier. They are reasonably easy to clean, but only if they are out of the water as you cannot wash the blood out as easily if it is in the water due to the lack of self draining.

The C-Dory is noisier, they bang in rough water and when you hit a big wave the boat seems to flex more and you "feel" it in your inner ear due to the cabin air pressure I presume. The cabin seems a little narrower but the view seems more accessible. The cabin roof is not as thick so mounting things to it takes more caution and it probably supports less weight. I would not feel as comfortable with four fishermen aboard in the 22' as I would in the Sea Sport 24' but I would much rather camp out with four in the C-Dory than the Sea Sport. I have yet to see a Sea Sport with a "Camper Back" canopy up here, but that may be due to the support bars getting in the way of fighting fish.

As to which boat I would buy, that is a tough decision. Both boats are excellent tools, well build and well respected. I will point out though, as far as I am aware, there are few Sea Sport fanatics and I don't think they have a fan web site like the C-Dory has. Never underestimate a product that has a huge following, usually there is a reason for such passion!
 
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