On the road... (and the good news is???)

J

JamesTXSD

Active member
We are in southern Oregon on the coast right now... two days away from getting to see our new boat! After the frustration of bumper to bumper traffic for HOURS along the PCH1 in California, over 100 miles of "No Vacancy" signs on motels, and record high temperatures, it is nice to be where it is in the upper 60s and NO CROWDS (honestly, I don't know how you California folks do it). And then, using the wireless broadband from a cute cabin with a view of the ocean, I read about boats with no bedding compound and oversize hatch cuts, blisters, lawyers, the factory not returning e-mails and calls... and I am on my way to pick up my NEW BOAT!!! :disgust

I gotta tell you, this isn't what I want to hear. Every contact I have had with the factory guys has been professional, friendly, and prompt. I can't imagine they only treat me (OK, me and almost everyone else) great. There has been one occasion when it took a day to get a return e-mail... many companies I've dealt with only send an automatic "we-got-your-e-mail-and-someone-will-respond-someday" return. I try to check my e-mail a couple times a day for business stuff, but it doesn't always work out that way. I understand that I am not their only customer, people travel and don't have access, and occasionally someone gets a day off.

I hope my boat is perfect. I also want world peace, and hope all the women on the planet find me irresistable (even though Joan doesn't let me date). Oh, and gas below $1/gallon would be nice, too. Since the latter stuff isn't gonna happen no-way, no-how, I'll settle for the C-Dory factory folks being helpful, considerate, and willing to work with me... just like they've been all along.

This is the first time in many years that we've done a road trip without the convenience of an RV. It sucks. Our normally quiet cat has "found her voice" and discovered the fun of projectile vomiting. Motel operators along our route seem to be in cahoots with the oil companies for price-fixing (and I really hate getting less for more $$). Stop and go traffic for hours on end really sucks for this small-town boy. Closed rest areas are not funny (nor is peeing behind a bush). If there is going to be a MAJOR motorcycle race at Laguna Seca, would it kill someone to put up a freakin' sign BEFORE the road that leads to it? If everyone in the LA basin is going to go to the coast to try to escape the record heat, could someone let CNN or FoxNews know (just my luck I'd be listening to Radio Margaritaville about that time)? In stop-and-go, traffic, why do I always get stuck behind the guy with a smelly exhaust? Why was the only topless couple I saw in a convertible two overweight, pastie-white guys holding hands (not that there's anything wrong with that) north of San Fran?

In the meantime, I am about to enjoy a sunset on the Pacific Ocean. The Blonde made me good stiff rum & Coke. My belly is full. And my cat is purring. For the first time in days, life is pretty good. And did I mention that in two days I GET TO SEE MY NEW BOAT??? :smilep

How about someone telling us what great service they got from the factory or their dealer? How 'bout how perfect their boat is? Tell us about the great comraderie of the C-Dory owners!

Have a great night, C-Brats! 8)

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Engineer? That must be fun, getting to drive the train! :wink:

Don't know why most engineers don't think that line is funny. :crook Thanks for taking the time to respond. Yes, I have boating experience (USCG licensed captain), but it is almost all on sailboats. This is a big leap of faith for us... heck, we based our retirement (now 23 days into it) on traveling with this boat... you can imagine the concern we have when we read the scary stuff about new boats.

I understand the frustrations with purchasing a product (and not an inexpensive one at that) and not having it be up to snuff. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt, and outgrew it. We buy these recreational products for the FUN of it, and the fun rapidly deminishes when the product doesn't live up to the expectations. We took a hell of a beating on our last motorcoach; the manufacturer stood behind the coach through all the problems, but over 1/3 of the miles we put on it were driving to/from service. You can make more money, but you can never get that time back.

We selected the C-Dory based on our research. And a big part of that research was the information provided here. The folks at C-Dory are not some big face-less corporation. When I looked in Jeff's eyes and shook his hand after signing the papers to buy this boat, I knew why there was all this discussion about the integrity of this company.

This traveling to get TO the boat has been frustrating and at times, exhausting. Seeing the posts here about folks having problems only added to that load. I tried to put a bit of humor into it... hope it didn't come off as whining. People have problems to deal with as they go through life; in the grand scheme of things, dealing with a new boat shouldn't be at the high end of the problem scale. I hope those with problems get them resolved quickly and to their satisfaction. Having been an employer for the past 30 years or so, I know that some people take their job responsibilities more to heart than others. It is harder to make someone happy after a problem; I always let staff know that EVERY job is important, and shortcuts that diminsh the product are never worth the time savings.

Reading this forum has kept me going when work seemed to fill up every available minute. It has been a joy to read the adventures, good times, and problem-solving of the many posters here. It doesn't take long to appreciate what a tremendous resource this place can be.

I watched the sun come up this morning. The windows are open in the cabin and I can hear the sound of the surf. The cat has forgiven me for the "I'm going to put a FREE CAT sign around her neck and leave her by the side of the road" crack I made yesterday. The Blonde loves that gray furball (OK, so do I :wink:) and I wouldn't want to put her in the position of chosing between us. Just finished a home-made breakfast and we'll soon hit the road... on the way to pick up our new boat.

Wish us luck.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Hey Jim,

Well I for one sure enjoy reading the chronicles of your trip to the factory. And, all the Alaska/Canada folks too -- love to read about cooler climes than what we're experiencing down here. To have the A/C on at midnight is well, ridiculous (93 deg).

On a positive note, we just got back from a Catalina/diving trip. Thunderstorms chased us most of the way home along with whitecaps, 4-5 ft swells, generally sloppy conditions. Had my son (17) drive us home in it to add to his experience, couldn't go over 8-9 knots most of the time unless we wanted to go airborne. Heck, he did better than me on maintaining a course +/- 50 ft...wow, now I know how to get some rest occasionally!

Still love our CD, even after 3 1/2 yrs. Keep us posted!
 
When you get to see your new boat the horrors of the traffic and the cat puke will all be worth it!
I too have read all the banter about gel coat ect...
We picked up our new boat 6 weeks ago and couldn't be happier. The fit and finish were as we expected!
The factory crew are great! Make sure to tour the factory and ask lots of questions.
They fit my boat in last week for its first service and checked everything.
When you take delivery go over the boat with a fine tooth comb and be very picky! That is the time to take care of minor details.
Rick Ristine is head of the fitting department and he takes great pride in this work.
Jeff , Scott Mathews and Rick have all be more than responsive when I have a question.
Have fun with your new "ride".
We will be taking several two day cruises in puget sound next week, maybe we will see you if you take a shakedown cruise.
 
Don't be such a worry wart :D . It never rains in Texas anyway so you won't have to worry about leaks. Do ya'll even have a puddle left over that way to float a 25 foot boat in.
Don't ever assume that other boats don't have problems. Compared to my first wife, my Tomcat is priceless. See, its all about perspective.
Fear knot oh weary traveler. At the end of your journey is a fine vessel, where you last saw your pot of gold. :mrgreen:
 
Hi--Jim & Joan---To make you feel better! All my experience with the factory and dealers over the past three years has been absolutely & totally positive, response time usually in two days or less.(E-Mails, phone calls, or shipping). Remember this is their busiest time of the year and everyone is probably overworked too the max! People should not be freaking out, calling lawyers, and jumping out of windows and such, because of slow response time.
I have never bought a new boat from C-Dory, my present C-Dory bought from an individual is about 15 years old and I'm still treated by the factory guys like I just bought it yesterday. Try doing this with ANY car dealership! Good luck and enjoy your purchase.



Blisterless and Leakless in Riverside------------Rich
 
James, I am really enjoying your reflections on the new boat and trip. Hopefully, in about 6 months, I will be following your footsteps.... Although reading your last few posts makes me consider paying for delivery...

I am pretty sure you will enjoy that 25, esp. with the shallow draft down there in Texas.

Good luck to you ....all three of you! ...and keep us posted! John
 
Jim - if man made it, it is not perfect (I believe I said that in another thread as well). So, there have been boats that leaked a little or lot from time to time (ask Caty Mae about that!), and boats with various other minor and sometimes major defects. BUT - and this is the big reason we love our C-Dory and the great folks at C-Dory Marine Group - from Scot Reynolds and Jeff Messmer on down, they are COMMITTED to their customers in a way that no other boat manufacturer (at least of a boat we mere mortals can almost afford) is. You will love your new boat, and you will find C-Dory a great company to work with if you need to deal with some aspect of your boat that is not perfect right out of the chute.

John - I can tell you from my factory visits, Ranger Boats and the Livingstons are the perfect complement to C-Dory. Just plain great folks, great products, another family owned company that cares about its customers - the C-Ranger 25 will be no exception.
 
Just rolled into Auburn this evening. Drove to the factory, so we can go right to it in the morning, and then got a hotel for a couple nights (but REALLY looking forward to moving on the boat). Also looking forward to some time on the water, instead of all this driving. Molly the catboat cat cried like a baby for several hours today, but no puking. We are wondering if all the elevation changes are bothering her? She will stay in the hotel while Joan and I check out the boat tomorrow.

And now we have a REAL problem: one of our dear friends (they watch our house in Texas when we're not there) called. She said, "I have the perfect name for your new boat!" And she was right - it is perfect (not ready to talk about it). So, we will have to wait to meet the new boat and see what she tells us her name should be. Probably won't get much sleep tonight... I feel like a kid at Christmas. :smile

Thanks for all the encouragement - love the responses and the upbeat tone of your posts.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Jim – I have been following your post since you purchased your new boat. Somewhere in them you have probably said what your plans are when you get the boat, but I do not remember. If you plan on any extended cruising in the Puget Sound area and do not have a place to launch where you feel safe leaving your vehicle, I have a warehouse and gated, locked yard about a half mile south of the Swantown Marina in Olympia, WA. You are welcome to leave it there and you can have a key to the gate so you can come and go as you like. Olympia is on the southern end of Puget Sound, Swantown is a very nice marina and Olympia is a nice town with all amenities a person could ask for. The marina is less than two miles from I-5
 
Dave, I am overwhelmed by your kind offer. We truly have no fixed itinerary beyond getting the boat today. I'd like to get a slip for a few days so we can get used to the boat without feeling any "schedule stress." We'd like to make it to the Catalina Island gathering on August 20th, and find our way back to south Texas in late September, early October. Then take a few months getting the boat set up and playing with it in our environment. After the first of the year, we're going to head east... the Keys, the Bahamas, up the East Coast, and around the loop... "as long as it's fun."

We'd love to meet up with some C-Brats and appreciate all the local knowledge that anyone cares to share. I'll PM you my contact info. Thank you so much.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Jim and Joan,

Have sent you a PM with cell # if you should get up this way. Good marina facilities at Squalicum Harbor (Bellinham) which offers excellent vehicle and trailer parking but we also have a light industrial condo with locked gates, etc. You are more than welcome to stay with us, too.

Ruth and Joe
R-Matey
 
Hi Ruth and Joe,
I have responded to your PM. Thank you for that kind offer. We would enjoy seeing you two again. We'll be in touch - I sent you our contact info.
Best wishes,
Jim & Joan

Off to see the boat! :D
 
Congrats on the new addition to your family -- bet that first look has been fantastic!! And the local Brats are giving you the C-Dory welcome. Sure would like to be up there to enjoy this special time with you folks. We're in CO with family, having just left Bellingham. Hope to be back to the San Juan/Gulf Islands in a few weeks and perhaps we'll cross wakes then. Meanwhile, our best wishes are with you two at this exciting time. Bon Voyage!!
 
Jim,

I'll be boating (and most importantly FISHING!!!) out at Neah Bay starting this Thurs through Aug5th or 6th. If you want to come out that away and learn how to fish for (and CATCH) salmon in the PacNW, drive on out. There's a great marina there and 30+ fish days are fairly common - limit 2 per person per day, but sometimes you have to catch a lot of fish to get two legal (hatchery) fish. The scenery is also quite nice and it's possible to get a little ocean experience in (weather permitting) by going around the corner at Tatoosh island.

Roger
 
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