Changes at C-Dory

Scot,

Thanks for having the guts to keep us informed of factory issues. It's better that we know what's going on than have us guessing. I too hope that the QC becomes the focus rather than the production schedule. Most people will wait for a quality product.
 
Scot:

Thanks for your post.

Maybe a "monthly note from the factory" to this site could provide you an opportunity to keep us informed on a scheduled manner, without having to devote an employee's time to the constant post on this site of the owners that make up this cult/family.

Many of us simply have way too much time on our hands, and this site and our C-Brat family is our passion.

You have to run the business, and be where the rubber meets the road, taking the responsibility for the good, and any bad that comes out of the factory to your dealers, and then on to us as owners buying new boats. That is plenty of a job without having to hawk this site for dailey post/blogs. Build them right, build them tight, and we have you covered.

Now, when the "family" has over 2600 members, we are all not going to be nice all the time, but, I think as a total package there are truly great folks on this site. Most of which own or have owned at least one C-Dory. As you know I have owned 3 and still own the last 18' Angler built. It is a fine boat.

I was raised in family of 6, and have marks from stichs to prove some of our family "quality time" was no cake walk, but, at the end of the day, we shared meals at the same table. Another thing we C-Brats do at our gathering, is share laughs and great times around meals. None possible without the C-Dory boat giving us a platform/foundation to build this C-Brat family from.

I truly hope in your slowing things down at the factory, careful thought is given to the small dealerships in America. The ones who put C-Dory on the maps. I would hate to see happen to them what happen to our family hardware business when the big box people popped up all over the place.... Things just are not the same in big shops, or big box stores, or big box dealerships. Your boats are different. Folks just might have to wait for them to be built.

You, your father Rich, your brother Bret are always welcome in my home down here in the rivers Heartland. Just drop me a note and yall come on down... a few nice days/nights on the river may do yall good as family. We have just about enough C-Dory boats in the Byrd family for you each to have your own to travel on.

Byrdman
 
William and Beth Tucker":2n018p1z said:
Scott,Bret,Rich or Tom.I will be attending the Annapolis boat show in Maryland this month and wonder if the center console and the 29 venture will be at the show? tucker
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The 29 will be in the show. We are not sure about the 22 CC just yet. It will be based on the space available.

Scotty Richardson
Regional Sales Manager
C Dory Marine Group
 
Dr Bob touched on something when he said he may have sold three C-Dory's while traveling across country. I'm a fairly new C-Dory owner. In the last year I've bought two new ones which is testimony to what I think about the product. In the South East you hardly ever see a C-Dory and here in Florida we only have three dealers. I think your customers are your best sales people. Everywhere I go in mine someone asks me about the boat and comments on how nice it is. I always invite them to come aboard and look it over. I took my boat to a Suzuki Dealer this morning close to my house for the 20 hour service and when I came out the entire shop was around my boat looking it over. I don't know if I've actually sold any boats but I've darn sure left a lot of people wishing they had a C-Dory. Thanks for visiting and contributing to the site.
 
An amazing thing about the TomCat 255 is that it draws admirers from owners of a wide variety of boats. My TomCat is about the smallest boat on my dock section. A number of 40-70 foot boats are just down the line, and their owners are constantly wanting a tour of the TomCat, and demo drives. One guy even flew in from Oklahoma City (they have an airport at the marina) to look at the TomCat!

Many like the closeness to the water in that cockpit as well as the handling (they've seen me spin it on a dime there) and the interior room.... and lower fuel use than the mega yachts.

John
 
A big thank you to Roger on the SeaDNA and Scotty Richardson..Roger now i will be up all night looking at boats on that site..Scotty will you be at the show representing C-Dory with the 29 Venture and if so I will be looking you up..I did not know that C-Dory had a factory sales rep on the east coast... I thought that was left up to all of us C-Dory boat owners...Thanks again and keep your life jacket on> tucker
 
William and Beth Tucker":2ucx4ef2 said:
A big thank you to Roger on the SeaDNA and Scotty Richardson..Roger now i will be up all night looking at boats on that site..Scotty will you be at the show representing C-Dory with the 29 Venture and if so I will be looking you up..I did not know that C-Dory had a factory sales rep on the east coast... I thought that was left up to all of us C-Dory boat owners...Thanks again and keep your life jacket on> tucker
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I will be at the show on Thursday, not necessarily the entire show. Our dealers Sail Annapolis and Winters Yacht will be manning the displays. They will have 2 boats in the water and a few on land also.

Scotty
 
Good Day to All! I made a post in another link, but wanted to bring it to this particular link as in hopes for Scot to be sure and see it, and not be preceived as "hidding in another link" that Scot, and any of his current staff, may not be following. No way we can follow everythings that goes on this site....

First, Scot, thanks for opening the factory doors each year to host a party for us C-Brats, owners, future owners, past owners, and want-a-be owners. I look forward to seeing folks in Seattle again this year too. It is just a great trip for me each year, as it has been for the last several years.

Second: By looking at Roger's (SENSEI) post it looks as if the factory is again going to supply who knows how many free passes for those of us wanting to get into the Seattle Boat show. I have been blessed by meeting folks like the Johnson Family thru these boats and this site. I enjoy helping him with the Seattle Boat show gathering and hotel stuff too. Thanks for the tickets.

Third: My home is always open to you Scot and your family. It always has been, as is the offer for myself and a few others to get together with you and your staff/dealership owners for a little round table talks.. We all love these boats and want them to always be available as a high quality, very useable, niche boat.

Now...the post...just to bring it up front and keep some for thinking I would just hide it in some stray message and/or link.

Heartland Regards!
Byrdman

Nobody loves these old salt C-Dory boats more than myself. I have and do travel the country to be with the other owners, friends, and just be in the mix. I wear their hats, jackets, and spend way too much time on here... I did not do that with my Bayliner, Bass Tracker, Sea Rays, Master Crafts...or any other brand I or my family have owned. It is a neat, niche group/cult. I like that.

But, what I have seen in the last 18 months was Scot, and i say Scot due to him having the helm of the current C-Dory factory, & hires and fires who he wants... may have attempted to possibly have all dealers stock all boat models at least to start "the boating business year."

The dealerships have to either pay for or finance the boats thru say GE or some other agency...

Take a small established dealership in the NW for an example who may sell 7 CD22s, 5 CD25s, and when one of use wants a CD 16 or a CD19, they would order, rig and sell it to us. That is about 14 boats a year, which "fits" what was sold at that smaller well established dealership.

Now, if Scot's Annual Dealership Agreement indicates something to the effect that "Dealers will order at least one of each model we have in production..." that would mean about 8 boats to start the year off. CD16 Angler & Cruiser, CD 19, CD 22 Angler, Cruiser & Center Console, CD 25, CD255...and the new...not CD but Ven something...29.

OK..many of you know about my unsuccesful attempt to get a CD25 Angler built for about 5 years...or, when Ranger was C-Ranger and Jeff was still active part of C-Dory...attempted to take the R-21-EC layout and put it on the Ranger 25 hull... )

That causes the dealership to attempt to dump the boats that do not sell on their particular lot, ties up their shop/employees rigging the boats that they "dumped" with low profit margins as to be able to free up "their" monies to move on to ordering the boats that do sell, and have sold, on thier lots. I feel very sure that each of the smaller dealerships now and in the past have at least attempted to have one or some of each of the boat models on their lot as to get a "feel" for what turns around on their lots. Then, they had a good idea of how many "days on their lot" (read on paying interest to GE) that could have been used on boats that do sell on their lots.

But, as I understand, some changes have taken place of late at C-Dory...and maybe, they will get back to what had worked in the past and keep C-Dory a nice, niche boat, and the small dealerships who got C-Dory to the dance to start with...can still dance.

Maybe, in the next 12 months, we will see our "old faithful" type business struckture back and our smaller very personal dealerships back. The dealers own their business' too, and have to do what is best to keep their doors open.

SOME NUMBERS AND I WILL RETREAT FROM MY SOAP BOX: You have 10-15 dealerships that can sell 14-15 boats a year...makes for about 140-225 boats a year, or about an average of 15 boats a month from the factory, with dealers selling what sells on their lots, working to manage their finances...and the QUALITY CONTROL and values of the boat should be there right from the factory. Build it right the first time while it is in the plant, give the dealership a well built boat that has been finished properly, they can sell it for a reasonable profit, we as the end users/consumers buy a quality boat, that holds it value much better than blow-n-go boats...and we all win.

And..I think that waiting for your boat to be built, rigged, and getting to the water is one of the best parts of a niche boat... Just look at the excitement we read about on this site of those who traveled to the factory to see their boats in the building process.....and the post they made during that process... It just makes you want to go buy another one...and get out on the water!!
 
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