Purchasing

D

Dubuque chad

New member
I have explored a lot of c-dory 22s in a quest to find a boat. A majority of those are on the market because the owners want to move up to larger boats. I am now looking for a 25. my wife is now involved, which is great, but she doesn't feel the c-dory is cozy. What have people done to make the interior more "homey", my wife would love to see.
 
I had concerns that my wife would think the C-Dory interior was too austere. I breathed a big sign of relief when she said, "This should be easy to keep clean."

"Cozy" may have different connotations to each of us, but we did spend up to 6 months at a time onboard - generally crusing, 3 summers living aboard while working boat jobs. We felt it was important to be comfortable and have "home touches" for that much time.

We added a microwave and Keurig coffee maker. A small TV at the dinette and another one that would flip down in the v-berth (used with satellite dish/receiver). Pillows to add to the back support at the dinette (color matched, of course). A shower curtain to allow the head door to be open when showering. Comfortable chairs for the cockpit and a large cooler that we used for storage/table/additional seating. A full length carpet for the interior aisle. Other homey touches like a calendar and a couple photos. Color coordinated interior window covers. Memory foam topper for the v-berth and a color coordinated comforter. Baskets sized for the shelf in the v-berth to hold clothes.

The amount of "homey" stuff we put out depended on our use: when spending more time living in a marina, we had more stuff out. When cruising, we kept things more simple.

If you want a luxury appearing interior, you should show her a Ranger Tug. Keep in mind that those interior wood and wall coverings in there will make modifications and repairs more complex. The C-Dory suited us well during our ownership.
 
We got a "your boat is so Cute" comment from a lady on a 75 foot sailboat at the La Paz gas dock yesterday a common occurrence. We have a couple of small oil paintings and family photos up on the walls plus teak holders all around, Dana has made the boat quite homey, just check out fuel use on our Sierra post down in Baja yesterday to prove it, also a few photos in our Sierra album.
Between Dana and I we have had a lot of boats, from 45' down, and our C-dory is a homey favorite!
 
How about a boat designed flower vase? I know several ladies that make that a priority. Last year at our Hontoon Island gathering, Rosanne showed a folding plastic flower vase in the Galley gadget contest. The vote was solidly in favor of her vase.

Making the galley convenient and well stocked helps me enjoy longer cruises.
Joyce
 
We are in the process of making Mistaya more homey. A few of the things that we have done is reupholster the boring seats with fabric with wilderness patterns, similar to what you would find in an RV. I build a new radio shelf out of red cedar and put more cedar over the back doors. Even more cedar is planned for this year in the interior sides so that we can add a few more hooks and fishing rod holders, but mostly to give it a more warm feeling. The white table top also has new formica on it. A C-Dory from the factory is very utilitarian, but its design also makes it easy to modify, which is the duty of every C-Dory owner.
 
I am not sure what homey is, but we have the a header all around most of the cabin for the roll down curtains which have a neutral nautical theme. There are a few throw pillows. We have extra teak trim, and a place for spices, and other sundry in back of the galley counter. Microwave, and induction burner for cooking. We have a light blue "V" shaped fleece we use for the forward bunk cover. The entire port forward bulkhead is removed, so access to the bunk is improved, and there is better circulation.

When you add things, be sure that they are well strapped down, so as the boat rolls, things don't go flying.
 
Here is another thought. Floor coverings. We have had from fake Oriental rugs to the current vinyl loop (Deckadence type) coverings. But teak--fake plastic or real laid boards with lighter wood between. Run thru some of the albums---Tinker Toy, the 19 recently sold, it an example of a boat which has been spiffied up.

In some of out boats we have had kerosene lamps--lots of brass and "old" glass type.

Of course then there is the bordello look, with red velvet. It depends on what tickles your fancy, and is practical for your use!
 
Our boat has a bright white interior. It was done by the previous owner and we really like it, brightened things up. I wish I knew what paint he used as its holding up well. We boat in some very damp areas and it makes any mold easy to see and remove, not that we get much. A C-Dory will not finish up like a Ranger Tug but can be made very comfortable. We spend over 5 months a year on ours and would not trade it for any other similar craft.

Tom and Joyce on the C-Otter
 
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