Full Circle
New member
I haven’t been active in the online C-Dory communities since buying our 2019 26’ Venture, but I want to let the C-Brats know that my wife and I completed America’s Great Loop last week in Ottawa, IL. We started on Oct 1, 2023 and “crossed our wake” in the same spot on Sep 5, 2024. Here are some stats:
TRIP SUMMARY
* Nights onboard: 246
* Nights at anchor: 117
* Nights in marinas: 98
* Nights at free moorings: 31
* Water miles: 6,857 (avg day: 48 mi; longest day: 200 mi)
* Hours underway: 478
* Gallons of fuel: 2,217
* Road miles with boat in-tow: 2,604
We approached the trip differently than most of the Loopers we met along the way. We wanted an active adventure, not a luxury cruise, and we wanted the freedom to explore off the beaten path where only a small, simple boat can go. We anchored as often as we could, visiting marinas every 3-5 days for water, groceries, fuel, showers, laundry, and to let someone else do the cooking for a couple of meals. Many nights we anchored in shallow, secluded spots that weren’t marked on the charts (ActiveCaptain, Waterway Guides, etc) because trawlers and sailboats with their deeper drafts couldn’t reach them. Our favorite anchorages were up little side-creeks, at the back of shallow bays, and just a few feet from long, sandy beaches or rocky shorelines.
Most loopers thought our little boat was “cute”. We thought they were missing the best parts of the journey. They said, "You must like each other a lot!" We said, "Well, yes, actually. We do." Why would you spend a year with someone on ANY boat if you didn't like them?! :lol: Even so, we were surprised how many people from all over the US and Canada knew and admired the C-Dory brand.
I think we’ve seen just about every kind of boat there is during this nearly 7000-mile journey. I pay attention to them all because I’m always looking for a better mousetrap. But I can’t think of a single other boat that meets our narrow criteria for the perfect Loop boat as well as this boat has.
- Towable by a 1/2- or 3/4-ton truck without permits (8.5’ max beam)
- Comfortable accommodations for 2 people (one of them 6’1") plus an occasional adult guest or 2
- Outboard power for reliability, serviceability, quiet operation, and easy re-powering
- Planing hull with economical fast cruise over 20 mph yet comfortable in choppy conditions
- Highly sea-worthy to handle rough conditions (Yes, we have stories.)
- Established manufacturer with reliable factory support
- Simple design to allow easy maintenance, upgrades, and modifications
- Relatively affordable initial purchase price (sorry Ranger Tug)
- Iconic brand and a timeless, high-quality build that holds its value over time
These little C-Dorys have long legs! When not observing no-wake speeds, we cruised between 18-28 mph getting 3 mpg anywhere in that range. That’s fully loaded with 2 people, fuel, water, food, tools, spares, dinghies, and a 200 lb rooftop tent on the cabin roof. We would frequently work until mid afternoon (we ran our business from the boat), hoist anchor and cover 50-80 miles, and reach the next town in time for dinner. Trawlers running at their 6-8 knot hull speeds had to run all day to cover the same distance. We calculated that the ability to go fast comfortably and economically gave us an extra 10 daylight hours per week to explore on land. That's 40 hours per month that we were enjoying the places we came to see instead of sitting at the helm watching the world go slowly by. Of course, when there was something worth slowing down to appreciate, we did so. Otherwise, we kept moving.
The Yamaha 175 performed absolutely flawlessly with nothing more than religious 100-hour services and occasional pats on the head. The 250+ mile range was fantastic, the Garmin Reactor autopilot was essential, and the 500W solar/lithium/inverter setup gave as all the juice we needed to motor past marinas while still running our refrigerator, Starlink dish, microwave oven, and hot air corn popper.
Our only mishap was on a narrow section of the Trent-Severn Waterway in Ontario when I missed an oddly placed marker and veered into shallow water where we hit a rock and took a chunk out of the soft aluminum prop. Later that afternoon, I tilted the engine and installed the spare prop in about 20 minutes while sitting on our paddle board. We later met 2 other Loopers in bigger boats who had made the same mistake. Both were stuck for over a week with their boats hauled out waiting for props and driveshafts and hemorrhaging cash. Over and over, our convictions about the beauty of trailerable cruisers were reinforced!
I would be happy share our experience in more depth with anyone seriously contemplating a Great Loop trip in a C-Dory. It’s a wonderful adventure.
As much as we have grown to love this boat, other things in our lives are demanding our attention. It could be a few years before we have another chunk of time to devote to boating, so we are thinking of selling her rather than let her sit. When we get serious about it, we will post a listing in the usual places.
Link: A Few Photos from Our Loop Trip (Google Photos, so it's safe)
The first photo is a map of our entire route from the Nebo Tracker. Notice our top speed!
In the second photo, we met TJ and Julie on Halfling, another 26 Venture, going the opposite direction on the Rideau Canal. 6 weeks later, we unexpectedly pulled in beside them at the marina in Ottawa, Illinois where we crossed our wake! Twins reunited!
PS: Another big THANK YOU to Bob and Marie Austin (thataway) for hosting us and our boat while we were away for the holidays last winter!
TRIP SUMMARY
* Nights onboard: 246
* Nights at anchor: 117
* Nights in marinas: 98
* Nights at free moorings: 31
* Water miles: 6,857 (avg day: 48 mi; longest day: 200 mi)
* Hours underway: 478
* Gallons of fuel: 2,217
* Road miles with boat in-tow: 2,604
We approached the trip differently than most of the Loopers we met along the way. We wanted an active adventure, not a luxury cruise, and we wanted the freedom to explore off the beaten path where only a small, simple boat can go. We anchored as often as we could, visiting marinas every 3-5 days for water, groceries, fuel, showers, laundry, and to let someone else do the cooking for a couple of meals. Many nights we anchored in shallow, secluded spots that weren’t marked on the charts (ActiveCaptain, Waterway Guides, etc) because trawlers and sailboats with their deeper drafts couldn’t reach them. Our favorite anchorages were up little side-creeks, at the back of shallow bays, and just a few feet from long, sandy beaches or rocky shorelines.
Most loopers thought our little boat was “cute”. We thought they were missing the best parts of the journey. They said, "You must like each other a lot!" We said, "Well, yes, actually. We do." Why would you spend a year with someone on ANY boat if you didn't like them?! :lol: Even so, we were surprised how many people from all over the US and Canada knew and admired the C-Dory brand.
I think we’ve seen just about every kind of boat there is during this nearly 7000-mile journey. I pay attention to them all because I’m always looking for a better mousetrap. But I can’t think of a single other boat that meets our narrow criteria for the perfect Loop boat as well as this boat has.
- Towable by a 1/2- or 3/4-ton truck without permits (8.5’ max beam)
- Comfortable accommodations for 2 people (one of them 6’1") plus an occasional adult guest or 2
- Outboard power for reliability, serviceability, quiet operation, and easy re-powering
- Planing hull with economical fast cruise over 20 mph yet comfortable in choppy conditions
- Highly sea-worthy to handle rough conditions (Yes, we have stories.)
- Established manufacturer with reliable factory support
- Simple design to allow easy maintenance, upgrades, and modifications
- Relatively affordable initial purchase price (sorry Ranger Tug)
- Iconic brand and a timeless, high-quality build that holds its value over time
These little C-Dorys have long legs! When not observing no-wake speeds, we cruised between 18-28 mph getting 3 mpg anywhere in that range. That’s fully loaded with 2 people, fuel, water, food, tools, spares, dinghies, and a 200 lb rooftop tent on the cabin roof. We would frequently work until mid afternoon (we ran our business from the boat), hoist anchor and cover 50-80 miles, and reach the next town in time for dinner. Trawlers running at their 6-8 knot hull speeds had to run all day to cover the same distance. We calculated that the ability to go fast comfortably and economically gave us an extra 10 daylight hours per week to explore on land. That's 40 hours per month that we were enjoying the places we came to see instead of sitting at the helm watching the world go slowly by. Of course, when there was something worth slowing down to appreciate, we did so. Otherwise, we kept moving.
The Yamaha 175 performed absolutely flawlessly with nothing more than religious 100-hour services and occasional pats on the head. The 250+ mile range was fantastic, the Garmin Reactor autopilot was essential, and the 500W solar/lithium/inverter setup gave as all the juice we needed to motor past marinas while still running our refrigerator, Starlink dish, microwave oven, and hot air corn popper.
Our only mishap was on a narrow section of the Trent-Severn Waterway in Ontario when I missed an oddly placed marker and veered into shallow water where we hit a rock and took a chunk out of the soft aluminum prop. Later that afternoon, I tilted the engine and installed the spare prop in about 20 minutes while sitting on our paddle board. We later met 2 other Loopers in bigger boats who had made the same mistake. Both were stuck for over a week with their boats hauled out waiting for props and driveshafts and hemorrhaging cash. Over and over, our convictions about the beauty of trailerable cruisers were reinforced!
I would be happy share our experience in more depth with anyone seriously contemplating a Great Loop trip in a C-Dory. It’s a wonderful adventure.
As much as we have grown to love this boat, other things in our lives are demanding our attention. It could be a few years before we have another chunk of time to devote to boating, so we are thinking of selling her rather than let her sit. When we get serious about it, we will post a listing in the usual places.
Link: A Few Photos from Our Loop Trip (Google Photos, so it's safe)
The first photo is a map of our entire route from the Nebo Tracker. Notice our top speed!
In the second photo, we met TJ and Julie on Halfling, another 26 Venture, going the opposite direction on the Rideau Canal. 6 weeks later, we unexpectedly pulled in beside them at the marina in Ottawa, Illinois where we crossed our wake! Twins reunited!
PS: Another big THANK YOU to Bob and Marie Austin (thataway) for hosting us and our boat while we were away for the holidays last winter!
