A new Tomcat 255 has been added to the Gulf of Mexico fleet.
My friend Charlie and I took delivery of “Half-Time” - Hull # 48- from Wefing’s Marine in Apalachicola, Florida last week and it is now in its slip in Seabrook, Texas (near Houston).
The factory installed the refrigerator, hot water heater, and basic plumbing.
Wefing’s installed the motors (150 counter-rotating Suzukis), electronics (Raymarine C-80 with sounder, VHF, and 2 KW radar), the Wallas, an additional house battery, an additional charger, the VSR switch, a radar arch, a Navman fuel-flow meter, and a hot/cold freshwater transom shower.
This is a summary of our experience:
1. Every major system on the boat- structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing- worked perfectly.
2. It was clear that C-Dory had listened to the problems listed by other Tomcat owners. The gap between the pilot house and the roof was sealed; the electrical bus under the cockpit seat was covered; the saloon door closed perfectly, the shower sump drained properly, and so on.
3. The dealer (Marc Grove at Wefing’s) had checked all the factory-installed systems. In addition, the electronics worked as advertised, and the motors are a pleasure.
4. The boat was ready for sea trials on time, and the few leftover jobs were completed prior to delivery.
5. On the initial sea-trial, we were accompanied by Marc and his mechanic, Lee. We who went up the Apalachicola River to Port. St. Joe, a round-trip of over four hours. No major issue was identified.
6. The next day, Charlie and I felt comfortable enough with the boat to take it to Carabelle and up the Carabelle river. In two days, we put approximately 120 miles on the boat.
7. The dealer kept the boat for one day following the sea trials and completed all work on the boat. It was then delivered by the dealer to Clear Lake, TX, on its trailer 24 hours later- a distance of 700 miles. Incidentally, we have a Florida-built “Float-On” trailer and it seems to work well with the Tomcat.
8. Both Marc, at Wefing’s, and Jeff Messner at C-Dory, addressed all our questions and concerns promptly.
The only significant problem was that one of the Suzuki hour-meters had to be replaced twice. Bob Austin has had the same problem. There were also a few minor cosmetic issues in the cabin- but you had to look for them.
Overall, we had an extremely satisfactory experience. It is good to work with a responsive dealer and a responsive manufacturer.
My friend Charlie and I took delivery of “Half-Time” - Hull # 48- from Wefing’s Marine in Apalachicola, Florida last week and it is now in its slip in Seabrook, Texas (near Houston).
The factory installed the refrigerator, hot water heater, and basic plumbing.
Wefing’s installed the motors (150 counter-rotating Suzukis), electronics (Raymarine C-80 with sounder, VHF, and 2 KW radar), the Wallas, an additional house battery, an additional charger, the VSR switch, a radar arch, a Navman fuel-flow meter, and a hot/cold freshwater transom shower.
This is a summary of our experience:
1. Every major system on the boat- structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing- worked perfectly.
2. It was clear that C-Dory had listened to the problems listed by other Tomcat owners. The gap between the pilot house and the roof was sealed; the electrical bus under the cockpit seat was covered; the saloon door closed perfectly, the shower sump drained properly, and so on.
3. The dealer (Marc Grove at Wefing’s) had checked all the factory-installed systems. In addition, the electronics worked as advertised, and the motors are a pleasure.
4. The boat was ready for sea trials on time, and the few leftover jobs were completed prior to delivery.
5. On the initial sea-trial, we were accompanied by Marc and his mechanic, Lee. We who went up the Apalachicola River to Port. St. Joe, a round-trip of over four hours. No major issue was identified.
6. The next day, Charlie and I felt comfortable enough with the boat to take it to Carabelle and up the Carabelle river. In two days, we put approximately 120 miles on the boat.
7. The dealer kept the boat for one day following the sea trials and completed all work on the boat. It was then delivered by the dealer to Clear Lake, TX, on its trailer 24 hours later- a distance of 700 miles. Incidentally, we have a Florida-built “Float-On” trailer and it seems to work well with the Tomcat.
8. Both Marc, at Wefing’s, and Jeff Messner at C-Dory, addressed all our questions and concerns promptly.
The only significant problem was that one of the Suzuki hour-meters had to be replaced twice. Bob Austin has had the same problem. There were also a few minor cosmetic issues in the cabin- but you had to look for them.
Overall, we had an extremely satisfactory experience. It is good to work with a responsive dealer and a responsive manufacturer.