Is a C-Dory warranty any good

Fellow Lurker,
I felt somewhat alone out here until your post. Thank You! My hope is that this discussion and ones like them will help shred some light on how potential buyers feel for both the factory and caring dealers who still represent and service C-Dory. Rather than being viewed as a negative cheap skate, deal seeking, wanta be; I would hope these posts can bring about change so that my grand children would at least have the option of buying a quality American made product made by C-Dory. I wish you luck in search for a quality C-Dory experience and that you have a long happy relationship with it.
Kind Regards,
D.D. a will be
 
On a positive note: :arrow:

Of all the simplest failings I have had was when the lower port "spring"
pin to the bottom Lite Block of the Diamond/Sea-Glaze port window
adjustor fell out of its position while underway and the arm 'flopped' out
of the 'holder'.

A replacement SS 4mm spring pin could not be located locally. I called
the CD factory and they did not have any in stock, but gave me the
'800' number to DSG.

I talked to Gordon at DSG and he sent me 2 replacement pins - no
charge. I received them today and the postage for those 2 pins from the
factory in Langley, BC was $5.05. Now, THAT is customer serice and
support from both parties working as a team.

Art
 
Granted, the problems I've experienced on Constant Craving have been fairly minor, but with the potential to be serious if not taken care of.... I have always gone through my dealer (Sportcraft) here in Portland, and had nothing but good results. Your dealer carries a lot of clout with the factory, and they know how to get things done.

My recommendation for anyone who is considering a new CDory is to talk to a couple of dealers, find one that you believe is more than just a show room, and buy through them.

Steve
 
To address the gel coat issue--C dory has always (as far as I know) used Cooke Composits Gel Coat--certainly a premium gel coat. It is not a product issue that causes crazing, but both thickness, and potential stress at specific areas.

I also love the C dories--and my owning two of them is testimony of this. Hopefully at some point, someone in administration will realize the resources which come from this forum. I agree that the Reynolds didn't--and so far it does not seem as if the new owners do.

I have a family member who is in charge of all advertising for a luxury car, and you can bet that if there is any feedback to the websites, it goes directly to the highest levels. This is one of the reasons that this perticular automobile has such a good reputation and following.
 
First let me apologize for those that have not had their concerns taken care of punctually and second say thank you for those with patience.

I don't want to stir a hornets nest just as it is calming down but I thought I should jump on and add a few comments. Fluid Marine does stand by our boats and I believe that as you tour our factory you would agree that they are built with utmost care by builders passionate about what they are doing. We are also a builder of boats not a retail dealer. The former company believed they could make some additional profit by selling direct - a big mistake in my opinion and one we will not repeat. I appreciate the fantastic partnership we have with Mark (Wefings) and our other (more reserved) dealers - they take great care of their customers and I will do everything I can to take great care of them.

Yes, there is only one Frank and I have spent considerable time with him over the past two months (he has over 14 years with C-Dorys) and he has taught me a tremendous amount about our boats. We are bringing a little more organization to his professional life and Casey will be assisting him with communication.

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts and opinions.

Respectfully,
 
Rich F-
I appreciate you jumping in and giving us some imput as to what Frank's work load is and recognizing that he needs help with communication.

Since I was the originator of this thread, I'm going to suggest that we C-Brats give Frank & C-Dory a little more time in getting this communication thing worked out.

ps - Don't wait so long to jump in. :)

Allan
 
Hello,
I wondered on the purchase of a new C-Dory is there anything besides the hull that has a parts and labor warranty? Aside from a good dealer taking a beating is a new owner responsible for the labor on non C-Dory items such as stoves steering engines etc from day one after the purchase? If there is a warranty grace period on labor for non C-Dory items how long is it? I assume C-Dory makes some profit on these items as they provide them as standard equipment or options with the boat. I'm not trying to be a nit picker but wanted to understand what the real terms are. If this is a grey area and where the dealer picks up the slack. Does this mean if the dealer needs an attitude adjustment the new proud C-Dory 0wner takes the labor hit on non C-Dory items from day one?
D.D. Lurker Will Be
 
Hi DD,

I sure can't speak for the new owner, but perhaps there is some confusion on warranty issues we fixed ourselves... that was my choice and by arrangement with the former owners of C-Dory. When I had an issue with the rubrail, C-Dory said they'd pay for a local shop to do the repair. I chose to fix it myself rather than haul the boat 50 miles and wait who knows how long for it. I don't consider myself a particularly handy guy (just ask the Blonde), but I am trainable. The only other big item besides the hull is the motor and the Honda warranty applies. Other small items will have differing warranty terms.

Since we've been in the market for another RV, we are seeing the same thing in that industry: manufacturers are cutting warranty terms on appliances and other installed items (i.e. no "bumper to bumper" warranty) and requiring you to go to that specific manufacturer for warranty issues. Frankly, there have been few issues. Repairs/replacement have been straight forward. That's one of the advantages of a boat like this: the relative simplicity.

We bought our first boat new (years ago) because we wanted a warranty and someone to watch out for us. I gotta tell you that boats are NOT like autos... there is always something that needs to be messed with. Most of the time it's less hassle to just take care of it yourself. Since that time, we've bought more new and used boats. They ALL needed attention regularly. We like our C-Dory and liked buying new. Sniffffffffff... ah, I love the smell of fiberglass in the morning! If I were buying another 25 today, I'd go look at Hank Brook's highly modified boat... I have no doubt that it is better than new.

It's certainly a buyers' market these days, but there's more to any big purchase than just the price. If I lived near a great dealer, that would play a BIG part in my buying decision. It wasn't like we didn't know that we were about 1,000 miles from the closest dealer when we bought our boat (part of the reason we bought from the factory). At that point, you have to know that you're pretty much on your own.

While you're deciding, there is some great boating being missed. Good luck with your decisions. Having to "mess with" a boat isn't such a bad thing... "

Here's the quote from Kenneth Grahame: "There is nothing absolutely nothing half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. "

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Or, you could be like me and blow up half the stuff in the electrical system simply trying to change out a battery, necessitating a trip to a real boat repair facility! Or remove a lug nut...or remove the Wallas...or damn, I wish I had some of those Alaskan women and children handy to do all this stuff for me! Or had Bob Austin as a next door neighbor!
 
Jim,
Thanks for your response and I can appreciate your fondness for you boat. My questions are what I think a lot of people wonder about. There are previous posts that indicate questions about the warranty. I did not start this thread. I simply responded to it as I think it's bad business to sell a product that goes for from 50 to over 100k and say there is no labor warranty. Marc of Wefings indicates they go over and above for their customers which is great. What myself and others wonder is it true that after spending 70k or more the dealer has the option of either charging you for labor or being a nice guy and taking care of it. What people have a hard time with is that you spend that kind of money and that C-Dory after selling all these items included with the boat does not even have a five day parts and labor warranty? This isn't about me, it's about people getting absolutely surprised by how little service 70k can buy. It's about what isn't stated as big and clearly as needed before the sale. Thanks for all your thoughtful posts. This has nothing to do with loving to work on your boat.

D.D.
 
A simple (though not necessarily inexpensive) solution to the "what does the warranty cover" question would be an Extended Service Contract. that would cover almost everything on the boat, motor and trailer for up to six years including roadside assistance for the trailer and hoist-out/lift-out coverage if you're on the water and it must be stacked.

They are available on both new and used boats and offer not only the benefit of having more comprehensive coverage but it's all administered at the dealer level. No more "Communication Breakdown"!

Charlie
 
Hello Everyone,

This is my first post on the C-Brats. I hope it wont be my last. I am not making this post to muddy the waters, but, to hopefully put all your concerns to rest about the warraty of a C-Dory, or Tomcat boat.

Every Fluid Marine product carries a 1YR PARTS AND LABOR WARRANTY!!!
To explain this further, all standard or optional parts or equipment installed by the manufacturer at time of construction will carry the warranty identified above.

We will gladly pay the dealer the labor necessary to remove and replace the defective parts. During that first year you should never have to deal with any other source than the dealer or factory.

If a "stove for ex." has a 2 yr warranty on the part. During the first year you deal directly with us the manufacturer or dealer. After twelve months you would need to deal with the manufacturer of the part.

If a dealer installs items and they fail, you will be dealing with them directly. It would not be a C-Dory related problem. They will work with the manufacturer of that part and handle it within there own dealership.

If it is a fiberglass problem. Once again we prefer you work with your selling dealer. If that simply is not possible we will require a reputable fiberglass shop to agree to our warranty procedures.

Let me explain our warranty pertaining to the HULL. Every C-DOry boat comes with a 5YR (STRUCTURAL HULL WARRANTY). This protects you from such an occurrence as a delamination of the hull, separation of liners from the hull, items such as this. Stress cracks while being very common to boats and might be unsightly they, however; are not structural. Our warranty will cover stress cracks in the first year of ownership only.

I did not intend this to be a novel but I hope it is helpful to you all.
Fluid Marine is dedicated to produce the highest quality boat on the water and we will strive to get better everyday. We wish you all many enjoyable days on the water in your C-Dory boat.

Sincerely,

Mark Cowperthwaite[/b]
 
Mark,
Thank You your single post has cleared the air for me, wanta be's will be's and a lot of the C-Brats. It's really what C-Dory needs to do. It's now great boat built by great people again who really do want to do right by their customers. What you stated means alot for people buying a new boat. It's like an all inclusive vacation that offers no surprises to the budget minded or folks that will be on fixed incomes after retirement at least for the first year. These are the people who are a large part of your potential customer base. If what you stated in your email is not on your current sales literature I would strongly recommend you tout it in a new version asap. The dealers should do the same in their initial sales pitch. You have separated yourselves from the R.V.industry warranty mentality which is a good thing. The American car industry got its ass handed to them by the Japanese for a lot of reasons but customer service, warranty issues were reasons enough for for a lot of people to jump ship. Thanks for taking the time to do that post. I think it will mean a lot for C-Dory in the days to come.
Best Regards,
D.D.
 
Just wanted to add that I recently had a small claim on my CD 25. After some initial trouble in getting a call from Frank Walters, left messages for him and Rich Findlay and finally connected with Frank. Once we talked my claim was handled quickly and satisfactorily.

They seem to be getting it together.
 
I would go back to the dealer that sold you the boat....does not matter if he is a C-Dory dealer anymore...He made the commisssion for selling the boat....he is still the responsible person.... Who did the rigging ?

Joel
SEA3PO
At Catalina using Roge's computer
 
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