Help!! 16ft or 19 ft C-Dory??? Cruiser

T

triehl27

New member
Ok when I started my quest for a C-Dory I was looking at the 16 ft cruiser. But for the money and comforts the 19 looks like a MUCH better choice. 25K - 32K for a 19ft.

What I wanted from my C-Dory,

1. Good handling in rough water and can go anywhere in Puget Sound.

2. Easy one man loading and unloading.

3. Good fuel economy. I am coming from 1968 offshore fishing boat with a 1970 85hp evinrude, that burns enormous amounts of fuel.

4. A boat the offers comforts for overnighting.


The 16 just seems that it will be too tight, and that two people are the max for a comfort level in the 16.

Some q's about the 19.

What kind of power for best ecomomy? 1 80+hp main, or 2 40 hp twins.

Does the 19 have shore power?

Is there anone around Seattle that wouldn't mind showing off the 19 to me?

This is a very big desicion for me. I have spent months researching the 16 and in 10 minutes have decided that maybe the 19 is a better choice.
 
triehl27
I wouldn't be too quick to end your search just yet. From what I've seen on this site, most people with the 16 or 19 end up moving up to the 22' cruiser. Lots more room and flexability. I would guess a good used one can be had for around the same cost of a new smaller one. I've kept my eye on the C-Dorys for a long time and am glad I held out for a 22.
Good luck with your search and welcome to the pub.
 
As usual the first response is to "buy a 22 footer." As if everyone has $45K+ to drop on a boat. :roll: I'd love a 22 footer. My daughter is eying private colleges...

The 16 is a great little boat. Operative word is little. We have a 16 Cruiser and love it. She's done everything we've asked her to do. This is a two seat, two person boat, pure and simple. Although we very often have 3 on board which requires a folding chair in the little cockpit. I single hand the boat all the time. The 16 Angler has twice the cockpit space (twice almost nothing is still pretty small) and no berth.

The 19 is a bigger boat in every respect and has 2+2 seating. The website photos show seating which no longer exists to my knowledge. Current models have no-seatback pads behind the pair of standard seats. Bigger, wider, requires more power. Also requires trim tabs.

No C-Dory is a rough water boat if you expect to make any speed thru the water. Slow and easy or the pounding will be severe. But they run thru rough water very well. Even on Lake Erie, notorious for bad wave conditions, we've never shipped any water into the boat. We can rarely run more than 20mph on Lake Erie. We can push 30 on the Ohio River and inland.

Twin engines require great effort to syncronize or the drone will drive me crazy; they're twice as likely to fail; require twice the maintenance; and running just one won't get you home much faster than your kicker. Bigger engines usually have longer lifetimes, they're stronger.

-- Chuck
 
triehl27, There are just a few 19's around Puget Sound. I have had mine for 5 months and I love it. I use it for day trips and for overnights. I have the full camper back and I find it very comfortable for overnights. The only way to really know if it is a boat that will fit your needs, is to spend some time in and around one. Too bad you missed Langley because I think 16's, one 19 and 22's were present. There is no question that the 22 is a much more comfortable boat for spending multiple days, and winter days in, plus it's extra room makes it capable of carrying more folks. My needs are satisfied with the 19. I can handle the boat alone, it is easy to launch and retrieve and it was within my budget. Plus it came in green!
The factory is in your back yard, and I bet they have a 19 around that they will take you out in. I think they sold one at the boat show a few weeks ago. If not, let me know, and you can visit C-Run in Tacoma. Robbi
 
Chuck S":3r7qp8y4 said:
As usual the first response is to "buy a 22 footer." As if everyone has $45K+ to drop on a boat. :roll: I'd love a 22 footer. My daughter is eying private colleges...
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Actually, that's a bit of a stretch...a more accurate statement is that many folks , Rock~C included, suggest looking at USED 22's when considering NEW 16's and 19's. This is a very sound suggestion, both from a functional as well as financial perspective.

Given that used 22's crop up very often for less than a new 19 (and for far less than $45K), it's worth looking into. Having owned both, my personal opinion is that the 22 is a better boat for most people's needs - particularly when somebody's priorities include a boat with the "comforts for overnighting."

The other advantage of buying a used 22 over a new 19 - you'll lose less in the long run should you sell, and being that it's the most popular model, it will be easier to sell.

Not that anyone ever upgrades around here... :shock:
 
Not to dis the 19, there are a few people here who own them (Robbi Krum, Mike and Marty and Joe and Ruth for example), but I agree with Rock-C, if you like the C-Dory, you are going to end up at 22 eventually (Brock excepted, apparently). Really, the choice to me is a 16 or a 22...The 19 just seems to be odd man out - I think secretly C-Dory knows that. The 22 Cruiser is just the "ideal" C-Dory, with the rear bulkhead, dinette, and galley, which the 19 lacks. The 16 has everything the 19 has, and costs less. Da Nag has the real expertise here, having owned both a 19 and a 22...

Rock-C":36gzyi60 said:
triehl27
I wouldn't be too quick to end your search just yet. From what I've seen on this site, most people with the 16 or 19 end up moving up to the 22' cruiser. Lots more room and flexability. I would guess a good used one can be had for around the same cost of a new smaller one. I've kept my eye on the C-Dorys for a long time and am glad I held out for a 22.
Good luck with your search and welcome to the pub.
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I'll second the used 22 recommendation. I bought a used 1994 22 with less than 240 hours on twin Honda 45's from the original owner. Have put on a radar, new upholstry, new chart plotter, Autopilot, lots of minor stuff and still have less than $20K in Captain's Choice. Admittedly it's probably an anomoly but I don't think it's impossible. Just have to wait to find just the right thing or, like me, happen to see an unused boat at a local marina and do some investigation.

Good luck!!

Charlie
 
The 19 just seems to be odd man out - I think secretly C-Dory knows that. The 22 Cruiser is just the "ideal" C-Dory, with the rear bulkhead, dinette, and galley, which the 19 lacks.
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Actually, I think the 19 is better in two respects:

- Fishing. It's a great boat to fish from; the wide gunnels make for very comfortable "leaning over the edge" retrieves, and they also make for better downrigger mounting surfaces. Also, you can sit at the helm while fishing, and be on your rods in a second when a fish hits.

- Single handing. As with the fishing, it's an easier boat to captain alone on, as you can get between the cockpit and helm very quickly. Real nice when weather/water conditions make getting into the dock or on the trailer tricky.

Still - the creature comforts of the 22 outweighed the above for me.

The 16 has everything the 19 has, and costs less. Da Nag has the real expertise here, having owned both a 19 and a 22...
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I don't think you can compare the 16 and 19 - they are very different boats. There's much more room on the 19, and I'd be more comfortable on it in rougher water.

And the 16 is not only cheaper, but can be easily towed by much smaller vehicles; vehicles like Explorers and 4Runners can easily tow a 16, whereas they aren't ideal for a 19. You really need the same size towing rig for the 19 as you do for the 22.
 
I poked around in the 19's and 22's at the last boat show up here, and I can tell you that I would love to have a 22. I can also confirm that the 19 (which I would also thoroughly enjoy piloting) is substantially larger than the 16.

But one thing that keeps me loving my 16 is that the hull weighs almost half what a 19 does. I think my little Jeep could pull the 16 up Mt McKinley if I thought there was enough water thawed out at the top to float her. But, I think I might have some issues if I was bold enough to try towing (and/or stopping) a 22, or even a 19. And I just don't have the cash to buy a bigger tow rig AND a bigger boat.

It's big enough for me and a friend to cruise in and fish out of. It gets good mileage on the water (~4-5 MPG depending on load). It's easy to tow. I can easily launch and retrieve it by myself. It handles relatively big water better than I do (been in both 4-5 foot breaking chop and 8-10 foot rollers :shock: ). For a dedicated daytrip vessel, what more can I ask for?

Of course, if you're planning on staying overnight......Well, I'll tell you that I've done it (2 of us). I won't tell you that I enjoyed it. Or that I'm planning on ever doing it again. (By the way- I'm 6', 240 pounds and my fishing buddy is 6'4" and 230 pounds. Can you say cramped?!?)

Anyway- I hope I could help. Good luck with your decision.
 
Amen, brother 16. I might add that I really like sleeping on Bambina. I'll be out with a buddy for three nights this weekend, and we'll have plenty of (relative) room. I'm 5"11 and on my good days a shade under 190, and I cruised Desolation Sound for six weeks a while back.
:cat
 
Ok here my 2 cents worth on this...to me it is a numbers thing too.... there will be more 16's around than 19's, and alot more 22's around than either... talking used and new .. I am not dissing any model of C-Dory, 14's ,25's, 27's included ,but a seems a used 16 or 22 would be easier to find...
 
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