Inspecting an older c-dory before purchase

T

ThousandIslander

New member
So we are going to look at a classic 22 tomorrow that has been sitting outside for several years. It's a pre-1987 old hull design. I'm not really concerned about cosmetics or the motor (I will repower) but I'm trying to figure out how to tell if the hull/transom/decks are sound. I know water intrusion can be an issue with these...is there a way to detect moisture/rot without drilling a hole?

Huge thanks in advance for any thoughts or advice!

Cheers,
John
 
Get a pinless moisture meter and run it all over the transom, deck,and hull. For more information search the C-Brat site for 'water intrusion, detection and repair'. Good luck.
 
"sound" out the inside of the hull (floor) with plastic screw driver handle. (phenolic hammer works also).

Look for any screws which are going into the inner layer of the bottom of the boat.

See if there is any moisture or rust around that screw. In some cases screws can be backed out to see if there is moisture on the screw or in the core.

The moisture meter, is relative. Pick a dry area, such as in the cabin, and compare it with the exposed are.

Look for cracks in the fiberglass,

Bring the motor up to trailerable position. bounce your body weight on the lower unit to see if there is any flex in the transom.

If this is the $4,500 1986 boat, it should be a bargain. Even if there are some issues, the price is such that you can do a lot of work and still have a great buy.
 
Thanks Bob! It is the $4,500 boat, pictures don't look too bad but it's definitely a project...I'll have a better idea on the potential scope of work later today.
 
Thanks for all your help everyone! Just bought the boat. We went over the boat with a cheap moisture meter and did everything we could to try to find any soft/weak spots. I'm sure at this price we're going to have lots of surprises.

Moisture meter question: We just used a General Tools Pinless Moisture Meter # MMD7NP which was $39.98 from Lowes. This meter is of dubious quality, isn't really designed for boats and has mixed reviews but it was cheap and made me "feel better" about buying the boat.
 
I used the Ryobi one too, that I picked up at Home Depot nearby where I was looking at my boat to purchase. In the past I've had access to "real" marine moisture meters, and they are great; but I couldn't bring one with on that trip and the Ryobi did the trick. Basically nothing super special was needed since I knew what I was looking for and just needed relative readings. (I bought it in 2012 - was around $40 and not every HD had them at the time.

Subsequent actual digging in revealed nothing that I hadn't picked up with the meter.
 
This boat should have a plywood core. In my experience these carry moisture much farther from the source (usually a screw) of the intrusion than balsa core. The reason I mention this is that I have known people to chase their core issues from hole to hole, putting a fair bit of work into repair single spots, and when they had finished, had realized that their work would have been cut in half by simply removing larger sections and replace the core completely, which can be done, even on a large scale, by someone who knows what they are doing.

I believe there are even some very good pictures and documentation on the site of a boat having most, if not all, of its core replaced. The result was excellent, and would very likely be cost effective on a $4500 boat if the core was generally in poor shape, meaning that you would be able to recoup your investment if you recored the boat and sold it, perhaps even turn a profit.

If there are no core issues, and you have cosmetics issues only, you have scored beyond scoring. Congratulations!
 
We checked with the meter and such and and didn't find anything but I'll be surprised if we don't find some issues. The boat does have trim tabs installed and the depth sounder is screwed into the transom so we'll start there. I'm fairly handy but fiberglass work will either be a new experience for me or something where I find someone who knows what they are doing.

Which brings up a crazy idea I've been having:
The classic 22 doesn't seem to have room to install twins. If I need to replace the transom would it be possible to install a wider transom similar to newer boats with space for twins or a single plus a kicker?
 
You got yourself a deal there!
Hope you dont have to open up the transom, but if you do, its not too bad of a job.

When I bought Retriever, my 1983 classic she had been sitting in a boatyard in the San Juans full of rainwater. The transom core was end grain balsa which was mostly pulp from improperly sealed mounting holes.
The floor core is f/g over 3/4 '' plywood - sound as a bell.

I cut the cap off the transom from one gunnel end to the other and cleaned all the go out with chainsaw and various other devices, finishing up with a 3 foot long flapwheel, a vaccuum adapter and then swabbed it out with solvent.
Then I filled the transom with a version of Seacast, made by 3M, and laminated a new cap in place

Downside of doing it this way -added 50 to 70 lbs to previous (dry transom) weight!
Upside - Bulletproof transom,no more core worries, & you don't have to tear out the motor well (assuming that its sound)

Re. adapting transom for twins/kicker; a great idea. I thought about it at the time but I was scared off by the difficult transition area where you'd have to cut back the gunnel ends. Too much for my fibreglassing skills!

These are strong and beautiful boats and well worth the effort to restore : :thup
 
Yet again a great thread for potential buyers.

Thanks for the feedback guys. Added this to my favorites for the if/when I pull the trigger.

Started out looking at Ranger tugs ("when the kids get out of college I can do that"), bump down to Tomcat ("hey in 3-5 years I can do that"), bumped down to 25 cruiser ("hey in 2-3 years I can do that"), sliding to a 22 ("hey in 6 months I can do that"). Still looking...

Missed the FL get together and I haven't stepped inside a 22,23, or 25; at 6'3" I think a 23' venture or 25'. Additional research required...

Regardless good feedback. :thup :thup
 
jbdba01":19qdag9f said:
Missed the FL get together and I haven't stepped inside a 22,23, or 25; at 6'3" I think a 23' venture or 25'. Additional research required...

Regardless good feedback. :thup :thup
Click to expand...

I am (or was) 6' 2", but fairly slender at the mid 170's--and I find plenty of room in the 22. There is enough headroom in the main cabin, and the bunk, if you sleep on your side or back, plenty of room. My son who is 6' 4 and in the 240 range preferred the 25, but has slept in the 22, without issues. One way to look at it, buying a 22 you won't loose much money if you want to sell it 3 years down the line, and you have 3 years more of boating in your life!
 
My 2007 boat had been stored outdoors, and I discovered that the bolts holding the bow pulpit to the deck were badly sealed. Rain had leaked into the cabin, run around until it reached the holes where the manufacturer had injected flotation foam, and gone down into the space between the cabin sole and the hull. I had to cut a larger hole beneath the porta-potty (pics on Pangur Ban photos) and dry it out. You might want to check that below-floor area, and sit in the boat during a rain to see if there are leaks anywhere. Nevertheless, you got a "find" and congratulations!
 
.Preview

"There are other ways to add a kicker. lots of different mounts out there, etc."

Kushtaka,that's an interesting issue for us Classic owners; Whats the best way to mount a kicker on these Transoms?

I have just bought a Tohatsu Saildrive(ultra long shaft) 6hp, with the idea of mounting it on a custom aluminum solid (non hinging) bracket.
However, when I "mocked it up" I found that the kicker mount would have to be about 20'' behind the transom to allow the motor head to pivot and clear the transom. Too far back for easy use. I'm thinking I will have to use the hinging type of bracket

Anybody have ideas or experience here?
 
I have a 22 Cruiser, but it came with a kicker mounted fully separated from the splashwell. I don't particularly love it though, because it throws off my trim and the boat has a list. I have to use nearly the full adjustment of my trim tabs to compensate.

One of these: https://www.google.com/search?client=sa ... 6166591248

But, you could use the same bracket closer to amidship than I could because you have a smaller splashwell, keeping the weight closer to the middle. I'm using a fixed bracket now, back in the splashwell, that simply provides clearnace for the trim tabs. I believe a previous owner moved the kicker out of the splashwell when he installed trim tabs.
 
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