High Top on 22 Cruiser

R

Rob & Karen

New member
How much of a "must have" is the high top option on the 22 cruiser. I am 6'3" and am concerned about the headroom. If I were ordering new, I would definitely go with the high top. But when considering a used boat, holding out for a high top seems to really limit opportunities. I also wonder about how much standing you actually do in the cabin. I would think sitting would be more common.

My wife asked me this question: You are going to have this boat for a long time. Are you really going to be happy if you cannot stand up in it? Thinking about that is making me pause and wonder.

Any input, particularly from the taller folks, would be appreciated.

Rob
 
Rob I am 6'2" and I can't tell you how happy I am that I got the high top ! I can even wear a hat inside, and I don't have to worry about hitting my head in rough water.
To me it is a must !
Enjoy.....Big Dave.
 
I am not 6'3 but I still think I would want a high top. I stand all the time. Frequently stand in the center and steer or watch the auto pilot :mrgreen:
I see you are also in the south. Roof top AC units are cheap and make a big difference enjoying boating on a hot day or night. That will take up more head room if you decide you want it.
 
At six feet I like having the high top but doubt that i have to have it. At 6'3" I would think you will need it. as for standing in the cab, you will be standing in the cab more while not underway. While under way you want to be able to look out the windows. any one over 6 ft will not be able to stand up and look out a wind with out stooping over to look out. You are just fine while sitting at the captains chair. send crazy frazy a email hes 6"6 and spent a week on a 22 c-dory with his two 'tall" uncles
 
At six feet I like having the high top but doubt that i have to have it. At 6'3" I would think you will need it. as for standing in the cab,
Click to expand...
I'm 6'0 and I have the standard top. It's just fine for me. If I was 6'1" I think I'd be rubbing the roof with my head. If I was 6'3" I think I'd have a problem.
 
Im 5' 12 1/2".............Wife swears I'm at least 6'. :roll: Any way I built my top about one inch higher than Toland intended. My boat has ample clearance for a 6' 1" fella.

Your 6' 3".............. GO HIGH TOP!!!!!!! They still look nice. :thup :thup


Chris Bulovsky
Washburn Wi
 
I am 6' 3", and the high top is a must. I cannot stand up in the standard top, but with the high top I can really live in that cabin!
 
I'm 6'3" and currently have a high top cruiser. I've also had the standard
cabin in the 22' cruiser. Personally, I prefer the high top. The extra headroom saves a little hair up on top, I can wear a cap or hat w/o a problem in the cab and over time the tall roof keeps me from being a little bent at times. I also like the general feeling of more space..

That being said, If I was looking for a used CD I wouldn't rule out a nice clean
C-Dory with a standard cabin top. I loved my '91 22 CD with the standard top
and we got along just fine. Since I decided to buy a new 22' in 2004, I just felt I would be happier with the high top and I am.

At 6' 3" it would be nice to have a high top, but for me, it wouldn't be a
deal breaker.

Good luck, whatever you do..........you're gonna love it!
 
At 6'0", I get by just fine with the standard top, and prefer the proportions/styling of the standard cabin.

However, I do hit my head on the doorway every once in a while when I'm rushing around fishing and forget to duck. The higher cabin doorway would prevent that usually (assuming that the door and doorway are both also taller).

Joe.
 
I am 6'2" and have the high top. There is a lot of time standing, moving from helm to cockpit, cooking, etc. if I constantly bumped my head the boat would be a lot less fun. A high top is a necessity for me.

But...I think converting a "standard top" to a high top is certainly no harder than many of the projects described here on Brats. Maybe someone with a lot more glass knowledge than I have could comment?
 
As far as hitting my head on the door on the way out, I have doen it a number of times. That door is to small. I was out by myself fishng when rod went off and I exploded out the door, almost. I hit my head so hard I had a hard time remaining standing. damm near blacked out, but dont tell susan. shhhhh
 
I'm 6'3", have the high top and wouldn't even consider anything else. More than just the headroom, it really gives the boat a much roomier feel. I was surprised how many people pointed this out at the East Coast Gathering last year.

Nick
"Valkyrie"
 
Hey Rob: Look, take the 840 loop from Franklin over to Mt. Juliet, TN. My brother Mike keeps his 22 in the water on the ready 25/8... yea, he and B love it and 24/7 just does not do it justice.

You will find it very hard to find a used high top....and ...when C-Dory does it, it is just the center part that is raised. Take a look at some of the work that Chris did on his TOTAL REBUILD... on the boat SCOUT ... Just hit the little blue link button under his profile stuff...and follow some of the links on his post.

Others will disagree with me here..and that is fine....but, if I was as tall as you, you need to end up with a taller cabin than the standard top. I am 5'8" short, and would like more room as if you were to take the top off a standard, and put in a 4-6" "raiser" around the entire top section. Easily done with many of the great fiberglass crews we have in the Nashville area, and can follow what Chris has done on his boat... Poke thru his links.

The money you save even buying a used C-Dory hull, can be used to "add your own" high top... the whole top which would give you much more storage for things when on long cruises....or...just the center section like the factory does.

Yes, more weight higher, more of a wind sail....yada yada yada.. But, look how thin the sidewalls of the vessel really are near the top, and you are not talking about much added weight at all... the wind...well, I do not think it will make that much differance over what we have now anyway with 6" added, when compaired to the TOTAL BOATING experience..

Either way....get one and get out on the water. The winter boating is EXCELLANT up here...nobody goes out ....except us little pilot house boat loving folk. Wish you'd been around during Thanksgiving... we had an 18, 2-22s (standard top), and a new CD25 tied at the docs in Mt. Juliet prior to our Nashville cruise.

Byrdman
 
starcrafttom":1s9y0c5x said:
While under way you want to be able to look out the windows. any one over 6 ft will not be able to stand up and look out a wind with out stooping over to look out.
Click to expand...

Are the windows any different on the high top? I thought the high top just had a raised portion in the middle of the roof??

Ralph
 
At Wefings , we order 22 high tops only , as they make for a roomier feel even for the altitudinally challenged [ like Byrdman] . And it makes the AC install a little better . And you can resell it to a tall person if you decide to upgrade !
Marc
 
I agree with others who say don't be afraid to RAISE the ROOF! This will give more room overall, unobstructed visibility all around and much better ventilation if the hot climates. The photo in the link below is an "ALBIN" cruiser. The photo is not great but it will convey the idea to search for.

I am sure other boats use this idea. The roof lifts up on four corner posts. I am sure simple pins could hold it at several levels of hight from a little ventilation (2") to full blown bird watching tower (12"). Similar to a VW pop top camper. This would give fantastic viewing all around. You will have to stoop while standing to see out the windows. Especially the rear windows on a standard top when underway.

With the standard top raised, stand-up and look all around. Window screen or clear lexan can be made to fill in the space for cooler weather. It could even provide ventilation in a gentle rain (at anchor) as the roof would still shed water. I live in the hot south at 5'11 and would love to do this mod. The ventilation/vision would be most welcome.

If you are like me you would balk at modifying a boat. Once you get the CD you will see that ease of modification is one of the many features and easier to swallow on a used (slightly worn) boat. You can easily end up with a mod that is better than a factory tall top which is raised only in the middle of the roof.

http://florida-family.net/albin/index.htm
 
Yet another Big and Tall store kind'a guy. 6'3" and fortunate enough to get a ride in a standard top before ordering our new one. If your head is like my nephew, TyBoo, or DaNerd, at 6'3 you'll get a "roof rash" in anything beyond absolute calm. Do go high top. We prefer the styling as well and only the standard top folk notice mine is a "high top" The rest see it as normal.

I can't imagine what my head would look like after a few days in a standard top with radar radome mounting bolts protruding through, even with nut caps.

Besides, life is too short to be small.

Don
 
Ugh...at the risk of stepping an a gazillion Brat toes, I'm sure glad I max out at 6'0" - the standard top works fine for me.

Personally...I think the high top is ugly, and detracts significantly from the classic lines of the boat. Perhaps a bit petty of me to place form over function, but I cringe every time I see a high top.

I like what Chris did when he rebuilt Scout, and wish C-Dory would take notice and do the same. Raising the walls a bit, avoids the "bubble top" look and does not detract from the more classic appearance.

It would also be much more functional than the current high top model. Just think...if C-Dory raise the walls by 4-5", you could get increased headroom in the v-berth, and you would gain height in the cabin at the sides as well as the middle - something those of us with knots on our heads from interior grab rails would certainly welcome.
 
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