Interested
New member
Hello Folks,
1st off, back in early March I was in the looking/purchasing process and had some questions that I posted. Much thanks to all for their help. C Brats, a great web site.
The purchase took place in early April so I am the new owner of an 06 CD 25. Still have my Bayliner 2152 for all the Bayliner Bashers out there. It will be for sale as soon as I can clean up and take pics. No problems. Been a good boat just don't need 2.
I was looking at several boat types Bayliner 2452,Nimble Nomad and Ranger Tugs. For many reasons the C Dory became my choice and with my experience thus far the correct one.
Boat was located on the eastern Shore of Md. Had super low hours and from what I have seen was priced right. 1 option it had that I was particularly interested in was a factory heat pump. Cool Cabin makes good for hot summer days. Heat? I'll stay inside in the house in Winter.
Now for the story:
My current full time residence is on the water close to Lake Ponchatrain in La. My wife and I purchased a retirement home in Va. which hopefully we can permanently locate to shortly. I grew up in the Chesapeake Bay area and have always missed it since leaving. My brother is an accomplished boater. Both sail and power and lives in Md. You can only imagine my happiness when he volunteered to pick the boat up on the Eastern shore in Md.(no trailer) and cross the Bay to return with boat to his home around Annapolis for the long trip to Va. with me.
He crossed with his kind of (sea unseasoned) girl friend. The Choptank River had about a 3' chop. After awhile of heading directly into, lets just say she kind of became a little unhinged. You folks knowing about the V in the bow and the flat in the stern and all. Anyway I got the reports of just a few holes punched in the bow from the anchor. A few broken windows from the waves not to mention the worry about a balsa core boat with the split bottom and strange odors. Remember I hadn't even seen the boat yet. If all of this wasn't enough, old gas, break downs in the middle of the bay (boat season not underway yet). 1st moral of the story, she made it through just fine. The boat that is.
2nd. moral of the story. My wife and I arrive in Md. We see boat for the 1st time. It was filthy and poorly maintained if at all. Good thing was it wasn't to old so a few 6 paks and elbow grease would take care of this. Now for the buyer bewares shake down. Trim tabs didn't work(bouncy ride?)and maybe never did. Solution was 20 amp fuse called for instead of the 15 amp installed. While noticing the smooth operation of tabs and the continued running of same after turning off ignition it was also noted that a burning odor appeared at which point my brother calmly exclaimed at the top of his voice S---! the boats on fire. TURN OF THE BATTERY SWITCH! He has several other boats at his pier and indicated you never want to see a fiberglass boat on fire. He was a little nervous. Me Too! Anyway I opened the rear locker door and a big cloud of white smoke came out. No fire. We set about finding problem. I think I saw somewhere on the web site that all wiring was accessible on the C Dory. Yea right, maybe if you be a wee one. Well we found a large loop of wire under the pull up floor in the rear port locker. Naturally as snug up against the side as possible. Another 1/2" and completely unreachable. We broke loose all of the wire ties and there was a loop of three wires about 3' long in an offshoot from the harness. No fuse no breaker? still trying to figure this out. Maybe it was for the fridge if to be located on the port side? Well imagine, the end was just cut and taped. Just enough water in the bilge to wet the end and guess what happened. Talk about Guardian Angels. What a timing coincidence. I can only imagine WHAT IF if this happened crossing the Bay. Yes the trim tabs do work properly. Oh yes they build Boeing aircraft in Wash. don't they? Hope they screen there electricians. So with this behind us and due to tight schedule we had selected the only forecasted clear day to set out for Va. I think about a total of 80 miles from our location. Wind gusts were only predicted to be about 20 from the N.W. 7:00 AM the protected water in the river already had a chop. 3-4 footers most of the way down the Bay to the starboard stern for us. If it had to be this was good. Anyway the Southern end of the Potomac got a little dicier which my brother had for warned me about. I'm almost 60 and I was to busy steering and fighting the waves so I can't say whether or not I was scared. I can say I didn't look behind us and also didn't take my insulin that morning. I figured I need a high sugar level. I was right. Didn't have time to worry about a heart attack. Finally the mouth of the Rappahanock. The waves seemed to come from all angles and I don't think I'm exaggerating. There were a lot of 6 Footers and 3-4 eights. Green water on the windshield ? Hmmm! Thank God the trim tabs worked. I think it was a different person that said on the C Dory web site. Due to there size and weight they bob like a cork. He/she gets an Amen!
3rd. moral of the story. Safe and sound boat on lift at pier in Va. Brother did mention at Easter dinner "Knowing what I know now I would have turned around and picked a better day". Boat did all it was asked to. Now only problem , I'm 1100 miles from it and and can't play.
Be safe be wise.
THUMBS UP TO BOBS LIKE A CORK!
1st off, back in early March I was in the looking/purchasing process and had some questions that I posted. Much thanks to all for their help. C Brats, a great web site.
The purchase took place in early April so I am the new owner of an 06 CD 25. Still have my Bayliner 2152 for all the Bayliner Bashers out there. It will be for sale as soon as I can clean up and take pics. No problems. Been a good boat just don't need 2.
I was looking at several boat types Bayliner 2452,Nimble Nomad and Ranger Tugs. For many reasons the C Dory became my choice and with my experience thus far the correct one.
Boat was located on the eastern Shore of Md. Had super low hours and from what I have seen was priced right. 1 option it had that I was particularly interested in was a factory heat pump. Cool Cabin makes good for hot summer days. Heat? I'll stay inside in the house in Winter.
Now for the story:
My current full time residence is on the water close to Lake Ponchatrain in La. My wife and I purchased a retirement home in Va. which hopefully we can permanently locate to shortly. I grew up in the Chesapeake Bay area and have always missed it since leaving. My brother is an accomplished boater. Both sail and power and lives in Md. You can only imagine my happiness when he volunteered to pick the boat up on the Eastern shore in Md.(no trailer) and cross the Bay to return with boat to his home around Annapolis for the long trip to Va. with me.
He crossed with his kind of (sea unseasoned) girl friend. The Choptank River had about a 3' chop. After awhile of heading directly into, lets just say she kind of became a little unhinged. You folks knowing about the V in the bow and the flat in the stern and all. Anyway I got the reports of just a few holes punched in the bow from the anchor. A few broken windows from the waves not to mention the worry about a balsa core boat with the split bottom and strange odors. Remember I hadn't even seen the boat yet. If all of this wasn't enough, old gas, break downs in the middle of the bay (boat season not underway yet). 1st moral of the story, she made it through just fine. The boat that is.
2nd. moral of the story. My wife and I arrive in Md. We see boat for the 1st time. It was filthy and poorly maintained if at all. Good thing was it wasn't to old so a few 6 paks and elbow grease would take care of this. Now for the buyer bewares shake down. Trim tabs didn't work(bouncy ride?)and maybe never did. Solution was 20 amp fuse called for instead of the 15 amp installed. While noticing the smooth operation of tabs and the continued running of same after turning off ignition it was also noted that a burning odor appeared at which point my brother calmly exclaimed at the top of his voice S---! the boats on fire. TURN OF THE BATTERY SWITCH! He has several other boats at his pier and indicated you never want to see a fiberglass boat on fire. He was a little nervous. Me Too! Anyway I opened the rear locker door and a big cloud of white smoke came out. No fire. We set about finding problem. I think I saw somewhere on the web site that all wiring was accessible on the C Dory. Yea right, maybe if you be a wee one. Well we found a large loop of wire under the pull up floor in the rear port locker. Naturally as snug up against the side as possible. Another 1/2" and completely unreachable. We broke loose all of the wire ties and there was a loop of three wires about 3' long in an offshoot from the harness. No fuse no breaker? still trying to figure this out. Maybe it was for the fridge if to be located on the port side? Well imagine, the end was just cut and taped. Just enough water in the bilge to wet the end and guess what happened. Talk about Guardian Angels. What a timing coincidence. I can only imagine WHAT IF if this happened crossing the Bay. Yes the trim tabs do work properly. Oh yes they build Boeing aircraft in Wash. don't they? Hope they screen there electricians. So with this behind us and due to tight schedule we had selected the only forecasted clear day to set out for Va. I think about a total of 80 miles from our location. Wind gusts were only predicted to be about 20 from the N.W. 7:00 AM the protected water in the river already had a chop. 3-4 footers most of the way down the Bay to the starboard stern for us. If it had to be this was good. Anyway the Southern end of the Potomac got a little dicier which my brother had for warned me about. I'm almost 60 and I was to busy steering and fighting the waves so I can't say whether or not I was scared. I can say I didn't look behind us and also didn't take my insulin that morning. I figured I need a high sugar level. I was right. Didn't have time to worry about a heart attack. Finally the mouth of the Rappahanock. The waves seemed to come from all angles and I don't think I'm exaggerating. There were a lot of 6 Footers and 3-4 eights. Green water on the windshield ? Hmmm! Thank God the trim tabs worked. I think it was a different person that said on the C Dory web site. Due to there size and weight they bob like a cork. He/she gets an Amen!
3rd. moral of the story. Safe and sound boat on lift at pier in Va. Brother did mention at Easter dinner "Knowing what I know now I would have turned around and picked a better day". Boat did all it was asked to. Now only problem , I'm 1100 miles from it and and can't play.
Be safe be wise.
THUMBS UP TO BOBS LIKE A CORK!