Howdy

C

Captainstyles

New member
I'm not very savvy yet 'chat rooms', haven't really even read any of the posts,But I thought I needed to give this a try So here goes ... Why c-Dory, Well after meticulous research I have found That it's quite possibly the finest craft ever designed. Now that We have decided on c- Dory that leaves a zillion questions, I usually like to start at a zillion and work backwards, in this case we need to start with my number one Which is Billy, He is my cat And due to recent tragedies In my life it's kind of just me and him and another cat named sam. I don't mean to get heavy But I am kind of sad And I've decided instead of laying around in bed I'm going to lay around on a boat. I've been watching your videos and this chat room Does breathe a little life into me.What fun! Secondly I see a lot of you Spend a lot of time on your boat Which brings me to my goal Me and my cat Bill Going down the Mississippi Up to Illinois into the Great Lakes 3 months round trip[ summer] Then back home to St Paul then to the gulf 4 months round trip[ winter] then back home As I live a hundred yards from the river and walking distance to a marina ' Willy's hidden harbor' to be exact . I just need to know if this is Even somewhat doable Because I will go to Great lengths to make this happen . Sail by day Blog at night of the adventures of Me and Bill with the wind blowing through our hair I think I'm in the low 50s for age and have 'decided' to retire early but poor . I started roofing when I was a kid And I'm in the construction business now ,got about two years left before permanent damage . 2 years ago I took Mariner 4 30 lb trolling motor Out of Benton Harbor into Lake Michigan and spent the night on beach The sunsets The rolling waves was Unforgettable. That's why this and not something else, If anyone gets it it's you guys . > Target date January 2025 or sooner[lottery], I'm dreaming of that Tomcat Well maintained, All the latest equipment and extremely reasonably priced I prefaced I'm dreaming right

I guess I'm asking you guys If I can take a cat on a c-Dory for months or I should find a different dream
Let's start there and then we'll get to the other zillion
There is a lot of information here I don't know if I can get to it all Please feel free to private message me If I step over any lines I may get long-winded Or Not talk very much I'm in New Emotional Territory
hoping to be a long time member
Your new friend Ron
 
Welcome aboard, Lots of cats on C Dory. Read Wild Blue's blogs about the adventures of their cats and full time on a C Dory. Also I believe that cats have done the great loop.

From St. Paul, Miss, to Illinois--yes very do able. We have gone from St. Paul down the Miss to Ill. You may want to take some extra fuel--check out the availability along the bay going up stream in the IL.

Down to the Gulf--it may be further than you think. The usual route is via the Ten Tom water way, which starts off the Tennessee River at Pickwick Lake. Comes out in Mobile. The winter can be cool on the upper Gulf of Mexico. To get the warm weather you have to go along the ICW to Carabelle, and then jump across to the Anclote Key area. (Open Gulf of over 100 miles). Then down to at least St. Pete or below to get the warm winter.

I suspect that C Dorys will be less expensive in the next year or so, as the economy is cooling off--and possible recession..
 
Ron - I suspect that used boats and other toys will come down in price in the not so distant future as well. The TC255 is a fabulous boat and I don't blame you for wanting one, or desiring to retire early. However, people that buy them generally have their ducks in a row financially and I don't think I have ever seen a fire sale on one. The least expensive one I have seen in the last year is the Juneau boat and it was 75k. I didn't hop on a plane to see it, but it was a nice boat that I probably should have bought. The timing though was just terrible for me. I feel around 75-80k is probably the entry price for an almost 20 year old TC 255. If you can find one....And they are just going to go up in price from there as they get newer and nicer.
 
Roger that
Thanks for responding
A guy once told me 'What one man can do another man can do'
Then he proceeded to sharpen 10-ft pole and used it to kill a gigantic Kodiak bear and made a necklace out of its claws
Or maybe that was a movie, Either way It is a creed that has served me well over the years, obviously cats have been on boats since boats have had rats, So in our case What one cat can do... I think after We get to our first big secluded Sandy Beach His misgivings will be erased [ He's been on a leash before]
I now live next door to a marina and basically have a shipyard at my disposal After talking to the owner. I'm at am adept with hand tools and mechanically inclined but puttng a small cabin on a party barge and getting it to Lake Michigan Is unrealistic, Maybe a one and done,
boxes I need checked; turnkey operation , shallow draft, relatively easy maintenance ,enclosed cabin, outboard etc. This vessel has them all And more.
I briefly watched two guys tear into a McGregor and restore the hull and didn't see anything that I couldn't do. im a ex Army helicopter air frame mechanic.
I will spend the next year in research - scouring the internet and this website for information - weighing the pros and cons of each c-Dory- what to expect with ownership, yearly maintenance etc. and watching videos of your adventures - I'm watching one where you guys are on the Columbia/ snake
and if anybody has seen any hull or interior restoration videos of old 22's or tomcats, I would be real interested in that as it would help me gauge the time versus money aspect of my c-dory 'project'= I wouldn't mind spending the money if it saves time But I'll spend the time if it saves money.
Thanks
Ronny
 
Greetings Ron,

Great advice from Bob.

These are trailer boats…trailer it from your home to Ft Myers Beach, then poke south from there for a few months. It’s cheaper to trailer it than to cruise it.

We think the TC255 is an ideal trailerable boat (without a permit from each state) for a cruising couple. However, it’s way more than a solo captain and cats need in general and a lot to handle so don’t lust after one. On a calm day the ride in a CD22 will be the same. You can tow a CD22 cheaply with a much smaller cheaper truck. You can stay in mom and pop marinas that cater to outboard boats but still have clean showers and restrooms so you don’t need to bother with the porta-potti or dinghies or generators. We do advise an air conditioner in FL, even if it’s a $96 Wal-Mart window unit you stick in the front window with pool noodles.

If you are not yet familiar with the C-Brats site, click on ‘Home’ then ‘Forums’ then ‘Grand Adventures’ to see what these owners do while ‘camping’ on these boats for weeks or months or years at a time. En route, you can overnight on the boat at a campground (don’t spill gray water on the pad) like it’s an RV.

You can use the ‘Search’ box to search for ‘CD22 vs CD25’ for example.

hontoon_cutoff4.sized.jpg


Welcome to C-Brats, and hope this is helpful.

John
 
Hi Ronnie, and Welcome. C-BRATS is a great place and everything you could want to know about C-Dorys is here. Plus, there are great folks who know and understand great boats.

I have been looking at doing your route for a couple of years, St Paul, South on the Mississippi, down as far as the TenTom, (Tennessee) area, starting in the early Fall, to follow the Fall Colors. Something like the Tom Sawyer tour. Never did figure how far south I would go, but not plans to be in the area for the Hurrycane seazon.

Check out the web site here. Use the search box with "your word" AND your word ( C-Dory AND Great AND loop) or such, then click on Find all words and that will get you started. There is plenty here to keep yo busy for the next 2 years.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon

9_Sept_Seq_2019_Cal.thumb.jpg
 
Yes , Don't mean to sound like I'm on a sugar rush , love the 22 , I used to single hand family 24' party barge with relative ease but I'm not looking for a frequent maneuverability challenge I'm thinking I get one shot at this And don't want to have any regrets ;the 22 might be all the boat I can handle and seems to be well suited for river cruising , How is it going up river as opposed to Downriver ? And how far north is anybody made it ?Still have to read wild blues blog , Sounds fascinating .
I understand trailering Is much of the appeal But I was going to look to Buy without or sell it to defray some of the initial cost, Not even sure what they're worth , I'm in a unique situation living so close to the river/ Marina/ public access I might be able to get away without doc fees and just pay winter storage or even never take it out of the water by going to Florida in the winter idea Also my only vehicle is a 2002 Cadillac Eldorado The one from the movie Glenn Gary Glen Ross ' first prize is a Cadillac Eldorado second prize is a box of steak knives third prize is you're fired' Yeah that one , You can see a picture of it behind Pacino's head -only 77,000m- So I'm kind of fond of it and not in the mood to get another vehicle plus a boat But Eventually I might be able to wrap my head around using my boat as a land camper, I'm still planning of a budget of $2,000 a year and for eventual motor replacement so we'll C.
That being said I'm 95 minutes from Lakes Superior And Bob alluded to the daunting task It is to just get down the Mississippi I hate to ask What it would take to get back up to St Paul from the Delta.
roughly 800 nautical miles from my backyard to Chicago Bay Plus all the locks, haven't been through one of them since I was a kid
I could spend the first 2 or 3 years ' Getting to know the boat'just In the upper Mississippi St Croix And Lake Pepin a body large enough to contain an actual Loch Ness type monster - A lot of beautiful area up here That would take a lifetime to explore by itself But my heart lies on the big lakes - Maybe the oceans if I ever see one
But alas I have much to learn and with your guys's help I will try to be prudent in my decision making and not just some fool on the C .
I seem to have rambled on
thanks
Ronny
 
If you're going to single hand the thing, the 22 is a great boat and will take you anyway the TC 255 will, but the pace will 10 mph slower and your wallet will remain a lot more full. I read (I think) of maybe selling the trailer the boat comes with? The value of having a good trailer under the boat is priceless - especially when it comes time to sell the boat or work on it out of the water. Also, in my experience, the resale on old boat trailers is terrible....and that is putting it politely.
 
Tow capacity for the 2002 Cadilac Eldorado is 1000#. Even the 16 would be a stretch for that vehicle. Most SUV's will tow the 22 (figure up to 5,000#. But anything less do not try it. For the Tom Cat, you want a 3/4 Ton pickup.

One of the advantages of the C Dory is easy to trailer. Coming from Florida 60 mph on the high way, 15 miles per gallon, vs 20 mph less if choppy, with 4 miles per gallon on the water, and if much chop--then slower.

The major difference going up or down river will be the amount of current. A friend brought his 65' Carver up the Mississippi against 10 knot current. It was rough and difficult with even that size boat. (plus $$$$ in fuel).
 
thataway":3djcr7rx said:
... The major difference going up or down river will be the amount of current. A friend brought his 65' Carver up the Mississippi against 10 knot current. It was rough and difficult with even that size boat. (plus $$$$ in fuel).
Click to expand...

The current depends on the time of year. In the spring it can be much faster than in the fall.
 
Yes thanks for all the great advice , 22 sounds like all The boat I need , getting into the early planning stages can be quite euphoric Exploring all the possibilities and The adventures of the c -sick in the Arctic Makes me restless for adventures of my own, I try to temper that with realism And usually good judgment prevails , Like welding Takes a lot of prep work to make it look good. keeping the trailer makes a lot of sense with rethinking about the river currents Also I've never heard of Lake Powell But after watching it wouldnt be off the table. I'm still At least a year away from getting the boat, couple seasons learning staying local - Im aways from a big adventure But I can see it on the horizon , long camping on the water somewhere has always been Calling me. while researching the perfect boat for all my needs All roads led back to the c-Dory Which is ironically priced at all the money I have- - There was a shock -But doable, resale value ends the second guessing and there's a whole community of you guys Showing people how to turn Dreams into Goals
l Appreciate letting me kind of think out loud
Thanks
Ronny
 
Ronny,

Your $2,000 annual budget would be a challenge in a TC255, which gets 2 MPG combined at normal cruise (3,000 RPM/25 MPH) a bit less at 4,500 RPM. If marina E0 gas is $6/gal ($7 at MarineMax PNS today) one fillup is $900-$1,050 until next month. You do the Math. Our annual maintenance + upgrades bill has been $2,200/year avg over nine years for the twins (last year 10 yr maint at over $5,000 with timing belts etc), not including the Orthodontist or Yamalube Ringfree additive which was $55/qt but was $80/qt today. Don’t even think of not using it or stiffing the Orthodontist.

Your proposed use of a boat is a far outlier from what builders cater to…owners who want to trailer from SC to Alaska very cheaply, then launch and cruise while staying within the parameters of weight, width, height etc for a trailer boat.

If you eventually decide you really never want to trailer but to cruise from your home marina for long distances on a budget but don’t want a sailboat, we’ve seen some sailboat conversions. All were older/salvage sailboats dismasted with much of the keel cut off and powered by an outboard for displacement speeds. They had crossed the Pacific under sail for the last time 10-20 years ago, but they were still solid and tough with maybe 500 pounds of keel, which is more than any C-Dory, with larger staterooms, huge heads, and often window air conditioner units (which are dirt cheap at Lowes compared to proper marine raw water cooled AC units) . One was a 40 footer with Katrina damage that the owner repaired and a ruined diesel engine; he said he paid $900 for it, removed the engine and hung on a used outboard. All were one-off jobs. Not trailerable, and a tiny niche market, if any, when they want to sell. There are simply very few boaters who want to ‘follow the seasons’ but not to trailer. Since you can repair an airframe you can likely learn some basic boat repair and upgrade skills.

We have seen over the past 40 years together how often boat owners find a way to cobble together what they want in a boat. Hope this will be just another suggestion for you to consider as you consider your alternatives. If you do a sailboat conversion and cut off the keel to be under five feet deep, you can do the Trent-Severn canal in Canada without a waiver in a boat that is WAY more seaworthy than a TC255 for a fraction of the cost by handyman owners. Under three feet you can do the NJ ICW inside without going into the Atlantic. You need to make 10 MPH to counter the PNS Pass or St Lawrence River around Montreal. I would aim for 10 MPH fuel-efficient cruise, same as a CD22.

Just another consideration we have seen; hope this helpful and not to detract from the supreme versatility of a trailerable boat. Keep researching and planning, it’s half the fun!

John
 
I'm sure 2k goes farther than it does here. If it's just upkeep, and I'm doing all the work on my own boat, then 2k is probably enough with fingers crossed something major doesn't go boom (again). I hope it's not the total budget for all boating endeavors as I know I easily spend that on gas, bait, registration, parking, and launches.
 
Back
Top