Questions regarding upgrades. Hep please.

[flapbreaker]

I need help figuring out what upgrades/options are worth the money as well as a few other C-dory quesiton.

1.) Trim tabs can you live without them? The 22' cruiser c-dory I'm looking at doesn't have them and I don't know how much it would cost aftermarket or if it's worth bothering with?

2.) How important is a windlass? If you don't have one do you pop up through the forward hatch and get on deck to pull it or go around the outside? Don't these cost around 1k?

3.) Is the new transome bar thing something I could purchase from the dealer and add on and would it be worth the cost? I'm thinking this would be handy to mount rode holders on.

4.) Where does the water from the sink go? I'm assuming back to the sea? Which would mean it would need to remain fairly clean right? So how do you do dishes?

5.) At times I would like to bring the boat to my house but can't back it in due to driveway shape ect... I was wondering how hard it would be to push this boat on a cement driveway using one of those trailer dolly's? Anyone use one?

Also Is there a comprehensive list somewhere of available accessories?

 

[Da Nag]

1.) Trim tabs can you live without them?

No. Add them - Trimmaster or Bennett's, not Lenco. Relatively cheap if you do it yourself - search the archives here, lot's of info.

2.) How important is a windlass?

Depends. How often do you anchor? And how deep is it where you do? What are the weather conditions where you do anchor? In a nasty rolling chop, it's a lot more comfortable to do drop and retrieve from the helm.

I find that I use it rarely, but it's nice when I do. Those sturgeon fisherman on the Columbia probably couldn't get by without them...

3.) Is the new transome bar thing something I could purchase from the dealer and add on and would it be worth the cost?

Yup and yup. Rod holders, safety in the cockpit, something to grab on to when you are climbing in from the swim step, tie-off point for rear fenders/bouys...I use it all the time.

4.) Where does the water from the sink go? I'm assuming back to the sea?

Yup.

5.) At times I would like to bring the boat to my house but can't back it in due to driveway shape ect... I was wondering how hard it would be to push this boat on a cement driveway using one of those trailer dolly's? Anyone use one?

Pardon the pun, but we're in the same boat. My boat just barely fits down the side yard, but there's no way to back it in with the truck - too tight, and too much curve in the driveway.

I've got an electric trailer dolly - a Powercaster PC-1. On perfectly level and smooth ground, it is adequate. Were I doing it again, I'd get the next model up for a CD-22.

There's no way one of those manual trailer dollies will work with a CD-22, even on flat and smooth concrete - the boat is far too heavy.

 

[flapbreaker]

Ok I'm struggling with one more "problem". This boat has twin 40hp honda's and for the life of me I can't figure out how I would troll for salmon and not be stuck up front. I've considered autopilots but they don't have throttle control so I'd still have to run up front to put her in neutral. If it had a main motor and a kicker I'd just buy a TR-1 autopilot but this boat doesn't. Any idea's? Would it be costly to add a second helm with throttle controls outside the cabin? It doesn't have hydrolic steering so I don't know if it's possible. Thanks for any more info and sorry I'm being a pain.... :smilep

 

[gljjr]

It seems the best solution to that problem would be an autopilot with a wireless remote. Most of the autopilots I've seen require you to have hydraulic steering. Raymarine does have one that can use mechanical steering though.

On my boat I will be adding a second helm station on the back of the cabin. Since my boat already has hydraulic steering that needs replacing this is going to be a matter of adding the second helm and re-doing the plumbing on the hydraulics for the new station. I'm expecting to have to purchase the helm station from EBay (brand doesn't matter according to the Marol Rep!) for around $300 and a new cylinder (mine is ceased up) for another $300 - $400. My system is made by Marol rather than Teleflex. I can't vouch for the quality of the unit but I have found out that the Cylinder is rebuildable (I just don't think I'll want to wait to have it done!). Plus the customer service I have recieved from them so far has been pretty good.

There are several places that sell the Seastar Hydraulic Steering for about $799 on EBay. When I checked the cost locally at Mercer Marine the same system was $1200!

 

[Da Nag]

...and for the life of me I can't figure out how I would troll for salmon and not be stuck up front.

That's what fishing buddies are for...

I think you're out of luck on this one...every "solution" I can think of is quite the kludge, and not cheap. Yet another reason I'm on the single/kicker side of the fence for folks who fish a lot...

That being said, there are probably folks who will suggest fishing from the helm is not too bad on a CD-22. You can see the rods pretty easily, and you can be on them pretty quickly when a fish hits.

 

[flapbreaker]

The only other thing I could think of was seeing what kind of trade in I would get for the motors to re-power with a main and kicker. Even though the motors are only 03 models I'm sure somehow it would cost me several thousand dollars huh?....

 

[TyBoo]

I have had the single/kicker on two CDs, and I never use the kicker for trolling in the Columbia or outside. The only time there is not too much current and/or wind is at slack water, and that doesn't last long. The 22 is real easy to troll alone from the helm. Just kick it out of gear and go grab the fish. The CD25 requires a bit more dexterity to get from the helm to the raised cockpit, but I do it that way on it, too. I have always been jealous of B~C because either one of them 40s is ideal for salmon trolling.

 

[Da Nag]

It seems the best solution to that problem would be an autopilot with a wireless remote.

Except you still have to head back in to take things out of gear, and I'm not aware of any remote throttle solutions for 40HP mains.

The best solution I've seen is Snoopy-C's cockpit helm station (link here to photo) - but it ain't cheap, particularly if a hydraulic steering conversion needs to be done.

Personally, flapbreaker - I may be in the minority, but if you plan on fishing a lot, I'd pass on the boat you are looking at. First, I don't think it's a "great" deal - the price is less than others have sold for of that vintage, but the options are lacking. Those that have sold for $40K+ have typically had electronics, trim tabs, better trailers, etc. Based on what I've read here, it sounds like a fair price - for somebody who wants twins.

Were I in the market for a used CD-22 from which to fish...I'd be patient, have money in hand, and jump on the first CD-22 with a single that was a good deal. And I wouldn't discount older CD-22's. If they're cared for and have a modern 4-stroke main, they can be an excellent value - the design has changed very little over the years.

 

[Da Nag]

One more bit of advice, flapbreaker...

TyBoo and B~C catch more fish in your neck o' the woods in a month than I have in my lifetime. If they say twins will work for you...I'm not really in a position to argue with them. What the hell do I know - I'm just a nerd, bored on a Sunday afternoon...

 

[flapbreaker]

Thanks Da Nag for all the advice. I am struggling with the trolling thing. I am sure that it works just fine but I can envision how handy a tr-1 would be on a kicker and never needing to be "stuck" at the helm. Some days of course being inside would be the place to be though. Either way it's a lot of money and If I'm not totally happy with it then I might regret it. I'm leaning toward passing on this deal. Like you said it's a fair price not a grand theft price. We'll see how I feel in the morning. Right now it's all a headache.....

 

[flapbreaker]

Da Nag where did you get those rocket launchers on the bulkhead and how much do they cost?

 

[gljjr]

Bill,

Snoopy C's solution with the remote helm station is precisely what I am planning to have when I'm done. Of course I have an I/O and will be adding a high thrust kicker into the mix for trolling. It will also be controlled from the rear helm.

My use for the boat is intended to be 95% fishing! So the rear station needs a fishfinder/gps too. My biggest expense is going to be electronics. I really want a Raymarine setup but I suspect I will end up with 2 Lowrance 337's instead.

 

[rogerbum]

...and for the life of me I can't figure out how I would troll for salmon and not be stuck up front.

That's what fishing buddies are for...

I think you're out of luck on this one...every "solution" I can think of is quite the kludge, and not cheap. Yet another reason I'm on the single/kicker side of the fence for folks who fish a lot...

That being said, there are probably folks who will suggest fishing from the helm is not too bad on a CD-22. You can see the rods pretty easily, and you can be on them pretty quickly when a fish hits.

Or that's what wives are for...:lol: I have twin 40's and troll just fine either alone or accompanied. Sure, it's easier when someone is there to help but I find that I can jump on a fishing pole pretty quickly from the helm. Also, I wouldn't write off the autopilot. I don't have one but unless the fish is big (8+ lbs) and/or you have your drag set too tight, we sometimes don't even come out of gear to reel 'em in. This is especially true when the fishing is hot (like in Neah Bay or Sekiu). I usually use 40-50lb firewire as a main line with 25lb leaders - this allows me to manhandle the fish to the boat and generally to release them after a very short fight. I can reel a fish in a usually leave the other lines fishing with the motors in gear on a slow troll. Caught about 40-50 coho this way last weekend at Neah Bay/Sekiu (of course I released almost all of them...).

Now if a big King or a large coho gets on, it's another story entirely. Even then though, if the drag is not set to tight and there's plenty of line on the spool, it's not a big deal to pop it out of gear and get on the pole - usually long before the forward momentum of the boat leaves the line slack (which only happens when a fish makes a run at the boat) and WAY before you'll get spooled.

With twin 40's, the slowest I can troll on a single engine is about 1.4 kts. For most salmon this is fine as I typically troll at 1.8-2.4kts. There are some occasions (for sockeye in Lk Washington), where that's too fast but I do have a drift sock I can deploy to slow things down. I don't have trim tabs - wish I did, was advised by a guy at the factory that they weren't needed (he no longer works there). With tabs down, you could probably troll a little slower on a single engine. No matter what you do, it's a great fishing boat and it sounds like you're getting a good deal too.

Roger on the SeaDNA

 

[digger]

Glad you guys like my 2nd helm setup. Works great for the trolling motor, and I occasionally just cruise from out there also. I did mount another gps bracket up on the rocket launcher for a garmin gpsmap76. It's getting so the eyes can't see quite so good from standing position to the small gps/fishfinder shelf. Must be nice to have young eyes for a multitude of things. Only thing wrong, when the eyes worked well, the brain didn't quite have the expertise that it now has for doing these improvement type projects :wink: Ron

 

[wailedcentipede]

i quit looking a few years back so things may have changed:

but with serge brake's you can't back up on a hill ... as you back up the boat weight throws the brake's on ... i have a bar i insert at the brake cylinder thats on the trailer to stop this ..... i was a couple minute's wondering why the bloody thing would back up .... lol .. (on the level no problem)

 

[gljjr]

Ron,

Yes it is a very nice setup. In my case I just couldn't see tripping over the 2 steps up to the deck and then tripping again over the fish box. Eventually I may make the fish box level with the floor so I don't trip over it. But for now it's just one of those projects put on hold. Also, since I have a 3 ft extension on the roof it only makes sense to put a helm station there. I already purchased a Morse Control for the second station so I still have the second wheel and helm to get.

Shoot, I troll pretty fast for all salmon! I've never had a problem getting Sockeye even at the higher speeds I troll at. I would think that trolling on a single motor would be just fine.

 

[Sneaks]

1.) Trim tabs can you live without them?

Contrary to popular belief, you can live without them. Many here do, including some with many thousands of nautical miles on their C-22. It's definitely on the list of "Nice to have," though, and it's my next project if I can get the solenoids to fit with swim step in place.

2.) How important is a windlass?

Depends upon your personal fitness level, age, boating or fishing style. I flunk fitness and am somewhat chronologically enhanced. For me the windlass was far more important than trim tabs. I especially don't like getting from behind the helm to the foredeck offshore here where we often have swells from two different directions. I also anchor several times a trip for one reason or another and I doubt I would stop if it weren't for the windlass. It adds a new dimension to our boating.

Don

 

[B~C]

some quick thoughts for ya...

if you're going to fish in the Columbia, a windlass is a durn nice option...and...be sure to point out to the spouse....it's a safety item. to be able to control the boat in the current and handle all the anchoring duties from the helm is a big plus.

Trolling with the Honda twins, piece of cake, if you have fishing buddies ya can trade off at the wheel, if you're forced to fish with family...well....all I know is that I can get from the helm to a dancing rod faster than a groggy teenager

 

[Sea Wolf]

wc-

Most of the surge brake actuators I've seen recently have either a lock-out lever that works like your bar to stop the actuator from developing hydraulic pressure, or an electric solenoid lock out valve that works off the back up light system to lock out transmission of the hydraulic pressure back to the brakes. This last item fits in between the output of the hydraulic cylinder and the brake line back to the wheels.

It's especially important to have this type of lock out feature on disk brakes as they work just as well in reverse with the tow vehicle backing up as in going forward. It's a little less critical with drum brakes, as their self-energizing effect with the shoes is absent in reverse, although there's still considerable braking effect.

Every trailer needs one or the other of these lock out features to prevent unnecessary excessive wear on the brakes when backing up. Joe.

 

[rogerbum]

i quit looking a few years back so things may have changed:

but with serge brake's you can't back up on a hill ... as you back up the boat weight throws the brake's on ... i have a bar i insert at the brake cylinder thats on the trailer to stop this ..... i was a couple minute's wondering why the bloody thing would back up .... lol .. (on the level no problem)

Most of the trailers with surge brakes these days have a latch for backing up (flat or hill). Keeps the hitch coupler from rotating and activating the surge brakes. Only problem is that if you stop and pull forward a bit the latch automatically unlatches and you have to relatch. OK for those experts who can back up in one clean motion, but for amateurs like me, there's a lot of getting out and running back to relatch the hitch....