cruising on a c-dory

J

jacquesbaumer

New member
Hi, I am considering a C-Dory 22 in the future. Any insight into a couple of issues would be helpful:

On a cruise, and living on the hook . . .

How comfortable is the V-berth for two people? Could you sleep there for a few weeks- or would it get tiring/uncomfortable?

How do you charge up the electrical system/keep the lights on?

What is your bathroom procedure? Shower?

How long have you been "out"- is there sufficient room/storage space- for a long cruise?

Has anyone been to the bahamas/Exuma islands- is this a safe boat to go that far?

any insight would be appreciated

Thanks
Jacques
 
Hi. We've been cruising on a C-25 for several years. They are a little different but you might get some insight here: Journey Ons Travels. Also Bil and El have traveled extensively on their 22 and they describe it here: Halcyon Days

You probably will get more pragmatic advice from Bill and El's story, 'cause they deal with a 22: porta-potty, ice chest, etc. But both they and us'n had fun.

Boris
 
jACQUES we spent seventeen days on the 22ft cruiser, port a pot served us well, since we traveled the hudson river. erie canal, oswego canal, lake onterio and the St lawarence river. we spent most nights at a marina with shower facilities, laundry ,stores within walking distance, we had a tendency to overpack, we packed clothes and personel items in soft sided bags, stored them in the v birth days and in the cabin at night. we use the under seat and under galley for food stuffs. coolers were stored outside covered to keep the sun off. on one trip we used a soft car top carrier for heavey winter clothes, wich thanks to good weather we never had to use, i am a rather large fellow and the wife and i have found the v-birth moe tham comfortable, one thing we did was put a long piece of foam along the bulk head so we could keep the hard fiberglass off our backs, help a lot. I think everone who has used the dory for trips has found through experience little things that make it nicer.


Bob & Paula (pop eye the sheltie)
 
Jacque - as previously mentioned, El and Bill undoubtedly are C-Dory's road warriors and speak from years of experience. At the same time everyone finds this or that convenient or not convenient - personal choices. The forward berth will accommodate two big guys with comfort.I prefer to sleep on the table and Edna in the forward berth. My hunch is that women will prefer using the porta-potty and the men, a pee jar. We evolved to having a supersized sleeping bag spread open in the forward berth -extra cushion - and a simple cotton sheet above and below and a down comforter for warmth - it is very versatile & compresses into a small bundle. The anchor locker wall and sides are very cool to touch, so a thin sheet of insulation glued to the area above the cushion area is useful. During the day we chuck everything we don't need into the forward berth. Regarding lights, invest in the low cost LED lights (save your battery) to place into strategic areas - we use industrial grade velcro (the super sticky stuff) on areas we don't want to drill into. Where shore power is available, a small ceramic heater is useful and a two burner electric plate. You will find curtains are important, not just for privacy, but to control light both daytime and nighttime. Regardless of the weather the forward hatch is cracked open slightly for cross ventilation as is a side window. The Wallas is worth the expense for safe heating and cooking. Twenty gallons of water is good for 2-3 weeks for two. Cruising with comfort is really a trial and error proposition. Hope you get a C-Dory soon. John
 
thanks for the input!

In deciding to buy a 22 over the 25- were the main considerations cost, trailerability, (wouldn't the 25 require a 250 sized truck?) or comfort aboard?

what made you buy either over the other?

thanks for the very interesting responses

Jacques
 
There has been a lot of discussion on your question, 22 vs 25, on many other threads, but here's my reasons:

1) Seating for 4 at the table (I extended the factory table about 6-7 inches, plus made the seat bottoms slide out about 6" to a second position). I have 2-5 on most trips.

2) Enclosed head, often we have mixed company, kids' friends, etc. I don't use the shower inside, I prefer a sunshower in the cockpit, but I'm in SoCal, not particularly cold weather.

3) Extra storage room for greater comfort and liveability for week-long trips. But I downsized from a 31 trimaran (sail). Many live just fine on extended cruises, check out Halcyon Days' site. The 22 works best for 2 people, 3 in a pinch.

4) Extra towing weight not a problem, I have an '03 4WD Expedition with tow rating of 8,750 lbs (8,900 w/o 4WD), about the same mileage between towing a 22 or 25, I avg about 10 mpg.

5) 25 does eat more gas, I average about 2.5 nmpg with twins, most report the 22 gets 3.5 to 4 nmpg.

6) Extra expense up front, didn't mind too much, back in '03 a 22 was about $50K out the door outfitted pretty good, $75-80K for the 25. I had the money from the 31 ft trimaran.

I absolutely love my CD-25, fits my lifestyle and where I go perfectly (mainly the islands off of SoCal). I also like the handling in big waves/wind, but haven't spent enough time in similar conditions with a 22, so can't really compare accurately.

Hope this helps.
 
Steve (Dora Jean) and Judy (Journey On) are in violent agreement. We downsized from a 36 sailboat. We started (long long ago,) with a porta-potty and Judy felt she now had a right to a private head, and an amount of total boat room equal to our home bathroom. It works well for ~3 1/2 months. Now, Steve, if you come out to Santa Cruz Isl after the 4th we're going to spend a couple of weeks there before heading up to SF. Got the landing permit and everything.

Also, since we cruise, we often go at 7-8 knts, to see the scenery, where the mileage is ~6 nmpg, fully loaded. Over a summer of cruising, the 150 Honda averages 4 nmpg.

Now why don't we discuss 2 engines vs one?

Boris
 
Hi Boris and Judy, great idea, would love to try and connect up on Santa Cruz, it's my favorite of the Northern islands. Are you launching up here or in San Diego? Any itinerary in mind?
 
Jacques -
Any other unanswered questions about cruising on a CD-22, that weren't covered on our website or in these responses, just make a personal message (PM from the link below this post) and we'll try to answer. Good look in your looking.
 
Add our :thup to Steve's and Boris' regarding the cruisability of the 25. We have spent up to 5 months at a time on Wild Blue (yes, every night aboard), and it is comfortable and capable. We, too, appreciate the enclosed head and shower. If we're in marinas, we will generally use their shower. When on the hook, we shower onboard. As often as not, we will use a solar shower hooked to the grab rail on top and the hose run through the window in the head. It uses less water and we don't have to fire up the water heater.

There are plenty of threads here on the 22 vs 25. Bill and El are exceptional people (and I mean that both in the scope of their travels and their ability to live large as minimalists). We know we would not be as comfortable in our travels on a smaller boat (also keep in mind that we travel with a large cat). Both are great boats - the key is to finding the boat that best fits your particular needs. After a lifetime as an "accumulator" (I'm really going to miss George Carlin's "stuff" routine), we have become very comfortable with the phrase "just enough"... and we find the 25 to be just enough for the way we travel.

There are plenty of us out there using the heck out of these boats, but everyone has different needs for comfort and space. Good luck finding the boat that is right for you.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
That was a good idea, Bris, to discuss the two engines vs one....I'd be interested in that as I have yet to decide. Of course, if I buy usd, that decision will be made for me!
 
Tom and Nancy,

Asking twins vs singles is almost like asking should I buy a Ford or Chevy. Again, lots of discussions on other threads on this site, just do a search on twins, etc.

An overiding summary that I've been able to pick up on, is people prefer twins when going offshore (not protected waters) more than say 15 miles regularly. There are multitudes of pluses and minuses to owning twins vs say a large single and kicker.

Some minuses on twins: Higher initial cost, higher maintenance, hitting a log could take out BOTH engines, very slightly higher fuel consumption, slightly more stern weight vs single + kicker.

Some pluses on twins: Separate battery systems, separate fuel filters and intakes (I have one tank, separate intakes), able to make good headway in wind, current and big seas -- even plane on smooth water to get back from a long distance, better handling in following seas (2 rudders instead of 1).

This is my first boat with twins, I REALLY like them. I go 15-50 miles offshore regularly. Like I suggested, do a search, there are lots of discussions on both options.
 
We have just hit the one month mark on this cruise-- in the 25. Our reason for up sizing was a bigger V Berth, and more comfortable entrance to the foreward cabin. It makes a huge difference for us. The head was a minor convience--and not a consideration. We feel that the 25 rides much better-but this is subjective..

Range may be slightly longer in the 25. I would prefer the 25 in rougher seas.

Yes, either the 22 or 25 could be taken to the Bahamas, but only in good weather. Remember that 30 and 40 footers have to wait for a good weather window during the winter.

Battery charging. We find that we can go at least 3 days if necessary without charging. This includes running the refigerator, but we have extra several hundred amp hours of house batteries. The outboard alternator keeps the batteries charged, and we have not had to use our Honda generator to charge batteries.
 
I think 2 weeks on 20 gallons of water is very optimistic-unless you are at a marina every night. For me that would barely cover drinking and cooking water for two weeks. Dishwashing, showers?
 
Water: Salt or lake water for showers, dish washing and cooking. That leaves the water tank water for drinking primarly.

We did a Transpac race--50 gallons minimum was the requirement--which we had--10 man crew, 15 days, and we had water left over when we finished the race.

We used to cruise Mexico with chlorox bottles of water (Tank only held about 10 gallons)--and if you use water only for drinking--a half a gallon a day is ample per person.--if you have other liquids (beer/soft drinks etc) then a quart a day.

Yes this is spartan, but possiable.
 
I have been out now for almost three weeks on our new 22, and so far so good. I am in Lund right now, heading south, and expect to be back in Anacortes around the 10th.

Anyway, I have found the 22 to be very comfortable. We have carried bottled water for drinking, so with 2 people aboard we can easily last 2 weeks on the 20 gallons of water. We use it only for cooking and rinsing dishes (washing is done in saltwater).

The V-Berth has bee very comfortable, there is plenty of space and the cushions are plenty comfortable.

Our battery system is set up with two group 24 batteries; one starting and one house. To be honest, we have only used the house battery for everything. The single deep cycle group 24 has been adequate for lights, using the stove, and using the heat for up to 2 nights. It may last longer, but we haven't tried. Charging is done while running the engine. I often charge my phone and run a small inverter for charging camera batteries and laptops while underway.

We keep all the perishables in ice chests in the cockpit and most of the food in the area underneath the galley. We keep cans and a few other things underneath the table. There is plenty of space for 10 days worth of supplies in these areas. There is a ton of space underneath the V-Berth for clothes and such, although it is somewhat difficult to access. We have often been doing 3 nights at anchor and 1 night at a marina. This works out well with showers, little food items that we want, and eating out. Depending on where you cruise, you can also shower/bathe in lakes or streams.

Overall the 22 has been a great pocket cruiser. We can get where we want to go fast, use relatively little fuel, and be perfectly comfortable for extended periods. Sure, it's not luxurious, but its nicer than a tent or sleeping under canvas on an open boat.
 
RE: saltwater use.

On extended cruising on my sailboat, I used to shower in salt water, too. Put salt water in a Sunshower and add a capful of fabric softener and you don't get that sticky or salty feeling that you usually do after a salt water swim.

Nick
"Valkyrie"
 
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