The good and the oh-so bad.

I truely hope that the factory can reverse its decision. I know that can be hard for some to do and has very little to do with money and more to do with pride. I have to say that I truely love my boat and use the hell out of it. This year has been slow since sept., but I have over 600 hours since march 2005. thats twice the national average for boat owners. We have ran our little boat hard and long to many places and enjoyed it very much. I have only been nervce at sea once in her despite going out in bad winds,rain, and several bad storms. I have found the limitations on this boat and enjoy them quite well. I have also modified some stuff and had lots of fun working on her. In the last two years I have taken three couples on rides and shown them what great boats these are if you are looking for what she has. all three have bought boats after going out with me, even the ones I put on a sand bar. I would really hate to see the good things about this boat changed just to get more market share. I know that alot of people at the boat show want a more finished look then my sea dory has, I have heard them say so. but they should be looking for a different boat. I don't want to sound like a snob but this is a boat that appeals to a certain type of person. It would be a mistake to chase that those people away buy changing the boat to chase the money. c-dory was selling every boat they built, but they may have been hitting a limit in the market share. I see this molded interior as a way to appeal to the fence sitters that want just a little more. but in the end they ended up with a lot less. I never want c-dory to become bayliner and I think that they do. I would love to hear what the sells are after the boat show. i hope they do will and I will attend, but I expect lower sells. c-dory may just have to come to terms with the fact that this is a niche boat. I think that expanding into the tug class was a better use of time then revamping something that was working all ready.
 
I was with Tom and Fred on the boat we saw on Saturday. My opinion, I think the molded cabinets where the stove and sink are on the starboard side could be workable, there's a shelf under the sink/stove that could be modified. I liked the all-glass door, the molded cockpit floor and the bilge pump in the stern rather than at the door. However, I did not like the molded seat and dining area on the port side of the cabin. The table was smaller, did not give you the chance to fold or expand the table and the seat was not reversible, it was molded in and permanent, cutting off leg room in the front and table room in the aft. Plus, the table was installed on a pedestal which was not connected to the cabin side, making it wobbly. After all these years, I still don't think C-Dory has figured out the dining table yet.

I love my model year, 2005 and also like the following year, 2006 with the all-glass window, the molded cockpit floor and the increased hp capacity to 115 hp. I guess I agree with Tom and Fred, pre 2007, especially 2005 & 2006 models, would be better than 2007.
 
Becky and I did walk-throughs on the 22 and a 25 yesterday at the Portland Boat Show, and had similar reactions to that dinette table setup. She loved the glass door; I had my doubts.

Looking at the competition's interiors, C-Dory is still roomier, and airier in comparison to similar designs. If a person is committed to modifying, it will be tougher with the molded-in stuff, but that's what Sawzalls are for! Mike, a millwright ought to know all about how to use those puppies! :wink:

A walk-around and looksee at nonequivalents (e.g., Bayliner interiors) and the go-fast wakeboard stuff, it is no wonder C-Dory feels retail pressure to "conform." There is a lot of purchasing power devoted to that glitzyglammy "stuff."
 
You will see changes [ improvements] in the new design . I am absolutly sure of it .I have lobbied hard to retain the original dimensions and sliding/reversible seat.Calm down Y'all ,they do listen............
Marc
 
The table on the new TomCat 255 uses the side sliding hinge releases on the sidewall with the tube support toward the aisle. This makes for an incredibly stable table...

Maybe you could retrofit those sliding hinge things on a new 22.

John
 
416rigby":3g5zx8o7 said:
I believe that the factory doesn't care all that much about what we think.
They've already made their money from us (except in our case, we bought a used one.).......
We can yak about it all we want here online, but I really don't think they care. It's quite unfortunate, really.
Rick
Click to expand...

Rick
Cool your jets man, step back and take a breather. I also bought a used boat, but every time I've been to the factory they have treated me like I just put money down on the latest model.
They may have been a little slow to react, but they have responded to concerns raised on this web site.
As for the molded interier, I haven't seen it yet, (going to the Portland show Tuesday), sounds like a step backwards. If it is a bad idea, the market will bear it out and hopefully the factory will respond.
Tim, good to hear from ya. Say hi to Judy.
Terry
 
Rigby,

I too have to disagree with your strong statement. The factory and sales people have alot of irons in the fire and are skirting boat shows, new dealers, as well as what regular family situations are going on. Just be patient and express your concerns and I feel they will all be addressed in time.

Sorry for your problems, though. John
 
I have not seen the new interior yet, but after buying a teak board the other day, I think I kinda understand one of the reasons....Wow ! has teak gone up.... I ended up with plantation teak...not even the good stuff...and it was $50....and it was not even a big piece of wood... 2"X2"X5' I would hate to guess what all that teak molding cost for a new boat, not counting the man hours to install it properly...it takes a craftsman and those are not cheep.. a plastic molding can be made and installed by day laborers.

I am positive that if I bought a new C-Dory I would fine some way to teak it up if I felt it needed it... but again I haven't seen one yet.

I don't know how I feel about the glass door... kinda what Bayliner did to try to glitz up their boats... I think the old door looks more C-Dory ish.... commercial maybe....

Joel
SEA3PO
 
Marc, the changes that have evolved have been driven by customers and the competition from Cape Cruiser. I have my doughts that the factory would have put in a molded floor without the competition from CC. CC also has/had a molded interior. Did the factory make this decision to try to compete with CC? Face forward seating directly came from the customer (Tyboo/CBrats). CC put in face forward seating, a decision driven by CDory I believe.
I know the Cape Cruiser has inflamed a lot of passions on this site but I truly believe it was a good thing for any future owner of a CDory. With CC's future in dought is this what we are to expect from the factory. I know for a fact the factory heard from some folks on this site that the one thing they didn't like about the CC 23 was the molded interior. This decision was driven by something else than customer feedback. Marc asks us to calm down, I'm calm but what do you say to the new owners of these boats. We'll get it right soon, come on, they already had it right.
I have another observation on the new dinette. With the forward seat now unable to move forward how on earth does it break down into a berth? I for one love the glass door on the 22. It is a great door and with lots of visibility and you can put a curtin on it just like the windows.

Fred
 
Owning a 25 and not considering a new anything in the near future I read this thread with waning interest. Then my latest Passage Maker Magazine came and something in their Ranger 25 article produced thoughts that may be interesting here.
Many of you will remember my earlier rantings over quality issues with our new boat last year, these were all legitimate concerns but being new to boating we were unaware as to how the boating industry works. Even though boats are our oldest form of transportation, they have not evolved at anything close to the automotive industry or any other industry for that mater.
My industrial career of over thirty years has taught me a thing or two about customer satisfaction, production cost etc and for the most part I believe ANYONE will pay more if they think they are getting a better product. Now I realize that last statement will get picked apart but really, think about it when was the last time you bought the apples with the brown spots just because they were a dime cheaper than the rest?
In this Passage Maker article I was amazed at how readily Jeff Messmer agreed with the publisher about several things that had raised eyebrows. Jeff goes on to say these things will be changed in the future following ABYC guidelines.
If C-dory would adopt ABYC standards for all boats they build they would be very pricey and sales would plummet. If C-dory offered a certified boat as an option there would be some very happy customers.
In the same magazine an article about Diamond Sea Glaze mentioned that even though they produce 25,000 windows and 2,800 doors a year a custom one of a kind article is welcomed and not an imposition.
I realize little of this is relevant to the 22 ft'rs but the direction I was going is down the path of options. Get the factory to offer both interiors and you make more people happy, get the factory to give quality assurance through some form of certification and you make even more people happy. Big deal if options cost more, thats why they offer them as options, so you can choose to throw money at it or not!
Mike on Huda Thunkit :smiled
 
We were at the PDX boat show yesterday...

I don't know about the rest of you but I always hate a small door leading to a big storage space...especially if it is a vertical door.

And what on earth ever happened to the Barber chair???

I'll keep my '03, thanks.
 
I love my model year, 2005 and also like the following year, 2006 with the all-glass window, the molded cockpit floor and the increased hp capacity to 115 hp. I guess I agree with Tom and Fred, pre 2007, especially 2005 & 2006 models, would be better than 2007.
Click to expand...

Hey my 2004 just shed a tear. I am going to have to buy her something to make up for this. So Peter you just cost me some money.

Regards, Mark
 
:lol: Sorry Mark. I should have just left it at, pre-2007. First let me take my foot out of my mouth. Ok! I have no doubt your 2004 is just as good as my 2005. All these boats are good. I just prefer not having molded-in seats. I prefer the reversible Barber chair with the bigger table.

The fact of the matter is, it really doesn't matter to me because we're not going to be buying a new CD-22 anyway, if the day comes that we ever do buy another boat, it will probably be a CD-25 or TomCat 255. But that day's not coming for awhile.

Sorry if I offended anyone else. That was not my intention. :oops:

Peter
 
Valium not needed here! :lol:
My jets don't need cooling and I am perfectly calm. If I spoke the words that I wrote above, it would be in a very calm, matter of fact tone. I am not angry, excited or anything of that nature. I was simply stating what I believe to be true. No biggie. We love our boat.
Rick
 
Let my devious mind go to work.

If only the 22 is getting the molded interior, would this drive up the sales of the 25, if the 25 remained with the wood interior??

Would the loss of sales on the 22 allow more time slots to build more 25's.
 
David-

Devious minds can be a dangerous thing, although I suspect you may be just joking!

In any case, I doubt we have to wory about a factory devised scheme to drive up the 25 sales by making the 22 less desirable, simply because most folks buying the 22 can't slide up to the 25 financially.

Personally, I'd be more concerned that the 25 was next in line for a molded fiberglass interior makeover of some sort!

At least with all this speculation we have something to do on these long, cold winter nights!

Turning a lot of wheel centers out on the island during the day?

Looking forward to seeing you in Seattle!

Joe.
 
Devious minds can be a dangerous thing, although I suspect you may be just joking!
Click to expand...
Turning a lot of wheel centers out on the island during the day?
Click to expand...

The answer to both questions is YES.

In fact I just finished a bunch of really nice helm hubs from Cherry, and some from Rhododendron. The wood cost a little more, but they are really beautiful. I am keeping one of each and change out the hub on my helm once in a while just to look at something different.

How do these look?
More_Helm_Hubs_001.sized.jpg
 
Anna Leigh":3bhwqupd said:
In fact I just finished a bunch of really nice helm hubs from Cherry, and some from Rhododendron. The wood cost a little more, but they are really beautiful.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

So who got the "Bloody hubs" that you turned immediately following the bandsaw incident? Pass them off as "Tulipwood hubs"? :lol: I was gonna order a hub, Dave, but mine isn't the standard Teleflex one. Glad to hear you're back to turning with both hands though.

Don
 
Gorgeous, Dave! :thup (had to use the "thumbs up" smiley, 'cause I couldn't find one with stitches! :twisted:) Hope the healing process is progressing quickly; from the looks of the turnings, it hasn't affected your work at all.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Back
Top