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kolive

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Hello,

We are new to the forum and really like the dialogue going on here, helpful with a good mix of humor and useful answers.

My wife and I have been looking at trawlers now for almost 2 years trying to find the right one. They all have just seemed to fall a little short for what we wanted. Well, we were at the Portland boat show saturday and met a couple that talked to us about their C-Dory 22 and suggested we check out this web site. To make a short story long, WOW! After reading numerous posts and stories off the C-Dory site it seems like we might be on the trail of our next boat, a C-Dory. We currently have a 19' Starcraft Islander and want something a more suitable for the cruising we like.

Now we "have" to go to the Seattle Boat show and go aboard the C-Dory's there. Does anyone know if there will be any afloat at Lake Union for viewing? Will there be anyone from this group there with their boat to really talk with about the cruising aspect of the boat? It would really be nice to talk with an owner on their boat to truly get a good picture of how someone else does this.

We live on the East side of the mountains near Yakima. The trailerability of the cruiser has a HUGE impact on us and we have been talking about this boat now for two days straight and looking online most likely too much for our good health.

We'll be at the show the first weekend and hang out at the booth and hope to talk with owners and sales staff.

Keith & Katie in Cowiche, WA
 
kolive":2jnuq4uh said:
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Now we "have" to go to the Seattle Boat show and go aboard the C-Dory's there. Does anyone know if there will be any afloat at Lake Union for viewing? Will there be anyone from this group there with their boat to really talk with about the cruising aspect of the boat? <more stuff clipped>
Click to expand...

There will be LOTS of people from this group at the boat show and if you run into ANY of us, you'll probably wish we would stop talking about our boats at some point... Come by the SBS show, we'll talk your ear off and you can probably find someone to give you a ride too!
 
kolive – Welcome to the site. You have come to the right place to talk about C-Dory’s. You should plan on staying here Saturday and go to the C-Dory factory party that evening. There is a SeaRay dealer on Lake Union with C-Dorys and I bet you could test one out there.
________
Dave dlt.gif
 
We will be staying on Vashon Island with friends and then coming to the show. When is the factory doing a tour? Is it for owners already or for others as well. I don't want to barge in on aything for the owners.

Keith
 
don't do it!!!! everyone that goes for a test ride during a bot show buys a c-dory. If i take you out for a ride during the boat show its all over. Iam 3 for 3 for rides that end in bought boats. You will assimilate....
 
Welcome aboard Keith and Katie,

We did just what you are talking about at last year's SBS... and became proud owners of a C-Dory. The kind folks here have been most gracious about sharing their thoughts and feelings about these boats. BTW, the cruising is mighty fine aboard our C-Dory. :thup

We will be heading for the other corner of the country, so will miss the SBS... have a great time there and enjoy meeting a great bunch of owners.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Keith - The factory tour/dinner/convention is for C-Brats or soon to be C-Brats - even those who do not yet know they about to become C-Brats. You really need to make time for it. You are aboslutely not going to believe these people. We are not alike and have vastly different lifestyles, but we all share the same pace of life and goodness of heart that makes this group truly unique on the water and in the world. The many folks here are an unimaginable bonus to the fantastic boat you will be getting. There is no way to really explain it.

We all look forward to meeting you and Katie. Welcome to our Pub and welcome to our dock.

Mike
 
Keith - you asked when the tour is - it's Sat. night. Go to the even signups link at the top of the page and view the link associated with the boat show. There's also a party on the Fri. night at Hawthorne Suites about 10-15miles from the boat show and perhaps a tour of a brewery run by a couple of brats. Also, a cruise on the locks on Argosy that you could sign up for. We could monopolize your whole dang weekend if you let us.
 
Boy Roger is telling ya the truth.... get us going and yer done.. we'all love our boats.... I was also looking at trawlers, actually was in the process of buying a Nordic Tug when I looked at a C-Dory... I still love the Nordic Tug, but it had so many limitations and the C-Dory just had so many possibilitys... we made the correct decision...and love it.

I originally wanted a 25 cruiser, but my wife talked me into buying a 22' cruiser and said if I wanted a 25 in two years we could trade up.... never did...I found I love the mobility of the 22'

Hope to see you at the show... (I am easy to spot)

Joel
SEA3PO
 
Yep -- Joel will be wearing a Hawaiian shirt and a big smile -- easy to spot. Join in on as many of the gatherings at the boat show possible -- you'll get an earful -- and meet some of the nicest folks on the water -- whether or not you decide on a C-Dory.
 
Thanks for the replies. El and Bill are you going to be there for the show? We'd love to talk with you, we are teachers and are ready to develop our plan to retire and go.

We'll figure out when we can be and where and let you know what our plans our. I was wondering about the difference in the 22 & 25' models for cruising. I have not heard much from the 25' owners. I tried to lay down in a 22 at the Portland show but the berth was to short, I am 6'2". Is the 25 berth longer or maybe someone has something to help me figure this one out.

Keith
 
kolive":2d6857mn said:
Thanks for the replies. El and Bill are you going to be there for the show? We'd love to talk with you, we are teachers and are ready to develop our plan to retire and go.

We'll figure out when we can be and where and let you know what our plans our. I was wondering about the difference in the 22 & 25' models for cruising. I have not heard much from the 25' owners. I tried to lay down in a 22 at the Portland show but the berth was to short, I am 6'2". Is the 25 berth longer or maybe someone has something to help me figure this one out.

Keith
Click to expand...

Hi Keith,

Here's from a 25 owner. Bill and El tell us to KEEP IT SIMPLE. I told Joan about their "three outfit" cruising style... she chuckled. We went to the SBS last year to buy a 22; I was absolutely sold on it before I saw it. Seeing the 22 and 25 side by side is a good way to make the decision. We feel the 25 is a lot more than "3 feet and a $30k head"; the added volume inside makes the boat that much more livable for extended cruising. As does the hot and cold pressure water. And the fridge. And bigger cockpit. The aisle is big enough for two people to pass (due to the extra beam of the 25). Comfort is more than seats and a berth - everyone requires a different amount of personal space, and the 25 gives us more of that than the 22. We will probably see over 180 nights aboard for 2007; I will do everything possible to make sure we both enjoy that time... and that includes making the living space as comfortable as possible. Some folks can camp for a couple weeks at a time; some need to hit a hotel. The hot water, shower, enclosed head, and other amenities and space of the 25 take this out of the "camping" realm for us. Others will tell you how the 22 is a perfect fit for them. When it comes time to put your name on the order sheet, you get to make that decision.

And, a thought about the v-berth. I am 5'10" and fit comfortably in ours. The 22 and 25 are similar in length for the v-berth; but again, the 25 has more beam. Think: diagonal; instead of directly fore/aft, the diagonal will give you more length and foot-room. Perhaps more info than you need, but I am a belly-sleeper and need toe-room at my feet and arm-room above my head. This is one place to not scrimp, 'cause you will spend (hopefully) 1/3 of your time aboard in that berth. Spend plenty of time in that berth so you know you can get comfortable before you plunk your money down.

Other thoughts (frequently discussed here): the 25 will use more fuel and require more of a tow vehicle.

Bill and El's adventures certainly influenced us on the decision to get this boat. We all admire what they are able to do. We just felt the need for a bit more room and amenities. If the trailerability wasn't an important consideration for us, I would have gone to a trawler. Now that we've had 6 months with the 25, I am very pleased with our decision - small enough to tow, big enough to spend extended time aboard. It works for us.

Hope this helps. Good luck with the decisions.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
hey there, welcome to the pub. That truck would be more than enough to tow most any C-D product. Don & Dee haul their 25 footer, Knotty-C, all over tarnation with a Chevy Avalanche car/truck and have no problems passing me on the freeway. One of the nice things about these boats is the ease of towing.
When you go to the boatshow, you should stop at the C-D display last. If you stop there first and talk to anybody you'll never get to see the rest of the show.
Do plan on going to the factory dinner, it's fun and informative, and if they have another yard sale, you may be able to buy enough parts for pennies on the dollar to build your own boat :) Don't even worry about not fitting in, between boat names, screen names and real names, nobody knows who anybody else is anyhoots.
 
kolive":264tgbw0 said:
Wow, another question after some good feedback on the berth.
the 25 will use more fuel and require more of a tow vehicle
Click to expand...

What does it take to tow a 25. Will a HD 3/4 to diesel tow it ok?

Keith
Click to expand...

We tow with a GMC 2500 Sierra diesel, and it tows like a dream.
 
Keith,
We live on the west side of Yakima and bought a 25 four years ago after a lot of dreaming. We tow her with a Ford Expedition and it tows just fine, even if the diesel dually guys think we should have more vehicle. The boat fully loaded on a trailer is around 7500#.

However, we found ourselves boating almost exclusively on the saltwater on the west side, so we now keep our boat in dry stack storage in Anacortes. The vehicle would handle it, but we only get long weekends and vacation and the charm of driving through Bellevue, Seattle and Everett traffic on a Friday night after work started to wear off.

We will be at the boat show C-Brat gathering and would be glad to talk to you at that time or you can PM me if you have any other questions.

We love our 25 and also started by looking at 22's. As has been mentioned here, the 25 feels a lot bigger inside. We have spent up to 2 1/2 weeks at a stretch living in the C-Dory and we wouldn't want to have any less room.

This is a great group of people and we welcome anyone interested in our boats with open arms. Please attend the C-Dory gathering at the factory. They will be thrilled to have a potential customer. All the rest of us already have a boat, so as Ken said the only thing they can sell to us are their garage sale specials.
Lyle
 
I am 6'2" and we slept fine on the 22. However as we age, the back was a problem getting in and out. If you are 6' 2" you have to sleep a bit catty wampus (I slept on the Stb side), with the head as far outboard as possiable to stretch to full lenth. I haven't tried the 25 so cannot comment on that bunk--but it looks slightly bigger. It may also be easier to get into, since you don't have the portipotty. (We left the potty under the bunk--and had a full filler, so it was wall to wall bunk).

We towed the 22 with a Honda Pilot, Dodge 1 ton Road Trek and 30 foot Holiday Rambler. For the Tom Cat 255 we tow with an Excursion PS 7.3, which is closer to a one ton chassis. We went with the Tom Cat for the ride and bunk--which is best desribed as a California Queen--over 7 feet wide.

Good luck deciding--they are all great boats.
 
Well, it sounds like our Silverado 3/4 ton diesel will be fine and I am going to try the berth out again in the 22 & 25 at the show. I'm looking forward to meeting everyone there and really appreciate the answers to my questions.

Right now I am doing a lot of reading in the other threads and picking up a wealth of information.

The pictures and stories I've seen and read have been great. It feels like there should be some kind of book with all this in it.

Keith
 
Keith,
Ever since we got our 22 ,then our 25, we have pulled them with ...Now this is where it gets wierd,because .I get "glazed" looks, looks of disbelief and sometimes folks look at me like I am nuts(jury is still out on that one) when I tell them we have a 2004 Volkswagen Touareg V8 for our tow rig...yep the same one that is tearing up the Dakar Rally this year so far.
 
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