Southern California 22' C-Dory users

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Gratitude

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How does your boat handle our S. CA waters? I currently have a 17' Boston Whaler Montauk, and am considering a used 22' C-Dory. Perhaps a "Classic".

My needs are predominately day use fishing with one passenger, and limited cooking/reheating - microwave.

I would welcome a comparison between the current 22' Cruiser and the "Classic". They seem VERY close in their bottom configurations. Further, it seems that trim tabs or Permatrim are necessary on either boat for maximum comfort.

We have extremely variable sea conditions here. What do you like/dislike about your C-Dory for our local conditions?

I am particularly interested in hearing from owners who fish or dive around Catalina, San Clemente, and the Channel Islands.

Thank you for your insights.

Jim
 
Jim,

I have a 2008 22' Cruiser- my last boat was a 2002 22' Cruiser.
I fish and dive around the Channel Islands. We also go to Two Harbors, Catalina from Channel Islands Harbor- a 4 hour cruise at 15 knots.
We have been in 9' at 8 seconds with 20+ winds through the Potato Patch (Santa Cruz-Santa Rosa)-- the boat can handle more than we can!
I have been to most of our Islands- San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa, Santa Barbara, Catalina and San Clemente.

The C-Dory is NOT a speed boat, but it will get you there in comfort---- and you will be dry when you get there!
Due to the flat bottom, you need to slow down in a chop or you will pound, but you can also plane at 9-10 knots.
The old "Classic" is an iron flat bottom, the newer "Classic" has some chine and the current models have a sharper chine. It takes practice to dock in against the wind due to the side slip of the flat bottom.

The boat is a great little "Pocket Cruiser" and along with ownership, you also have the best "Owners Group" on the web.

Of course, since you've asked this question several times before, you know all this.
 
I think the C-Dory 22 is a marvelous boat. Ours is an 06 and lives up to the 22's reputation. We also have a Whaler Montauk 1984. I consider both boats to be classics and both boats turn heads no matter where you are, even at gas stations with the boats on the trailer. Common questions-" are those boats as good as they say they are?" The C-Brat bunch is a friendly bunch and I'm sure you can arrange some rides. The 22 is no speedboat but I really like being able to cruise at different speeds without having to climb up on plane. I love the gas mileage and my wife loves the cabin. Good luck and some of the Brats can expain this better than I can.
 
I own a 2005 CD-22 so I don't have any experience on the "classic" pre-1987 models. However, Fred on Anita Marie used to own a classic 22 and he has repeated to me on several occasions that the totally flat bottom of the classics bang like crazy in the chop, as he stated "bone-jarring", hard enough to knock your fillings out. Obviously, you can add trim tabs and/or a Permatrim but Fred has also owned a newer CD-22 and he stated that it is a pronounced difference.

On our 22, the addition of the Permatrim has been a more valuable addition compared to the trim tabs. I use the trim tabs now mostly for lateral adjustments due to shifts in weight. I use the Permatrim to raise and lower the bow depending on the seas we're encountering. The Permatrim has a more immediate affect on the boats trim than do the trim tabs, in my experience.

As all others have noted, these boats aren't speed boats. We've taken it to 30 mph without the Permatrim and the boat starts to porpoise and gets a little squirrely. With the Permatrim, it doesn't porpoise as much but it doesn't track like it usually does at lower speeds and still gets squirrely. Of course in chop, you're going to want to slow down just enough to avoid the hard banging of the hull. Last week, there was just enough chop to make the ride "annoying" but not uncomfortable. It was probably a 2-foot chop with wind and current in the same direction going down Saratoga Passage. I brought the boat down to about 12 knots which was enough to make decent time without constantly banging the hull. The Permatrim and trim tabs do help to smooth out the ride.

Perhaps more boat owners with actual experience with both hulls can chime in. Fred...
 
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