Too much boat for my skills

J

jacuthbert

New member
I have owned my C-Dory since November of 2009. It is a 2009 25 foot cruiser. I had never owned a v-hull boat before buying my C-Dory. It is a beautiful boat, but I am finding it is simply more boat than I am willing or able to deal with.

It is very well equipped. It has a 150 horse Honda (Less than 100 hours on the engine at this time). It has a head with a marine toilet and shower. It has a refrigerator and a hotwater heater. It will sleep 3 (2 in the bow and 1 at the dinette table). It has a sink and a large butcher block next to the sink. It has electric cords for plugging into both marine electricity and RV park electricity. It holds 100 gallons of gasoline and 25 gallons of water. It also has a washdown hose, an anchor that is automatic off the bow, and numerous bumpers. It also has a motor bracket for a kicker engine. It also has a dual-axel EZ Loader trailer.

I purchased it at a discount for $97,000. Upon returning to Arizona with it I had to pay $6,000 in sales tax, bringing the total to $103,000. I realize I cannot get that price for it, but I would like to sell this wonderful boat to someone who can really appreciate and enjoy it. I was thinking around the neighborhood of $90,000 or so.

Let me know if you are interested. I am not opposed to traveling to some lake so that an interested person could have a look. I am retired and I enjoy travel and boating. I just have no desire to go on the ocean. I am not particularly fond of rivers either, as they tend to keep on going, even when I want to stop!

So if you are interested, or know of someone who is, maybe we can meet at a mutually agreed upon lake so you can look the boat over and maybe I can make a sale and put that money into my pontoon boat!

I frequent the lakes of Arizona, especially Lake Powell and Patagonia Lake. I have also frequented Flaming Gorge in Wyoming and Elephant Butte and Navajo Lake in New Mexico. I am willing to travel much farther in order to sell my C-Dory.

Thanks for listening...
Amanda
 
Amanda, needs to be posted in the "for sale by owner forum". Poke around, you'll find it. Also, ask for an album from the nerds, put some pictures in there, worth many words (maybe not a thousand but lots). Sounds like a nice boat, good luck!


Charlie
 
hello amanda,
first, i'm sorry to hear your boating experience has not went according to plan.
second, sorry to hear you have decided to sell your boat. don't think you could have picked a worst time to depart with your newly purchased treasure.
i personally can't say if $90,000. is a deal or not, regardless of what you paid, but you will be able to determine that by the amount of interest in your boat. i am always reading how these boats keep their value, even though my experience was not favorable to that statement. have you determined what the average resale, loan value, whole sale figures are for your boat?
good luck
pat
 
Amanda,
Maybe you might consider some professional help. Not to be facetious; but maybe with some instruction you might become more comfortable with the boat. It's really none of my business, but it seems like such a nice boat and you must have loved it once upon a time. If you Private message Tyboo or Da Nag (site administrators) they could help with your sales ad. Hope you find what you are looking for. :)
D.D.
 
I also would suggest some professional instruction about handling the boat. The C Dory 25 is a very basic boat (not a V hull)--and easily handled as you learn the skills. You have a good deal of money invested in the boat, and frankly currently you would take a huge loss trying to sell it.

I would suggest learning to enjoy this magic carpet which you own, and then down the line considering a sale. Look to see what comperable C Dories sell for on the list.
 
Amanda,

Helen & I were absolute newbies when we moved up to our 25' Cruiser. We bumped into some very nice friendly folks at the docks before we got some expert, hands-on training to navigate in tight quarters. We offered our boat as a Coast Guard Auxiliary facility and that has made a world of difference for us.

Best wishes on whatever you decide.

Brian
 
I wish you lived closer, I would love to help you with learning to control and enjoy your boat. I have helped several other new owners learn the basics of docking and handleing. I even had to retrain myself with the dual controls on my new boat as oppose to the single control I was use to. every new boat is a learning curve. good luck with the sale or the training.
 
Buy a six pac, put the boat in forward, just in gear, troll around for about 4-5 hours on a particuarly nasty screwed up weather day when everyone else stays at the dock.... and enjoy the boat. Yes, on the slopiest of days...when you and the folks inside your boat are warm, dry, laughing and loving life on the water.... or, wait until spring time and sell the sucker on the ramp. Either way, take a slopy weather day and enjoy what you have. Just a thought.

Byrdman
 
many reasons contribute for the decision to sell a boat. health, capital, job security questioned after the purchase, monthly payments and of course buyers remorse. in my humble opinion, the difference in handling a 16' vs: a 25' boat, when talking about a c-dory, is negligible. not all 25' boats are simular, as we all know a c-dory has lower freeboard, smaller boat, than a 25' maxum, or sea ray or host of others.
dr. bob is correct, amanda, potentially stands to take a big hit, financially. that's what happens when one pays 100k for a 25' boat and shortly thereafter decides to sell, in a terrible market.
hopefully amanda paid cash for her boat, or made a substantial down payment, and doesn't find herself needing to bring money to closing in order to sell her boat, or an unside down position.
amanda, this is a great site to sell your boat. unfortunately, the members here, by and large, are seasoned boaters and thus will take advantage of this market, but the end result is that you will sell your boat. a good friend recently told me, who had his boat for sell, was upside down, needed to bring 45k to closing, just to sell, stated, i could bleed a little everyday or bleed out all at once, he chose to bleed out, take his beating and get back to things that mattered.
good luck.
pat
 
While I acknowledge there may be some financial strains involved as just mentioned, I want to toss in some thoughts about maybe 'taming the monster', or avoiding emergency, adrenalin producing situations in handling.

1 - A constant battle in the handling of small boats is the tendency of the bow to fall off, or blow off sideways during docking maneuvers. C-Dory boats have a light bow print in the water and seem to be more at risk for this than others.

This problem is encountered when the wind is blowing across the beam and off the dock, tending to blow the bow off as you try to come alongside a parallel dock. You try to correct by turning the bow in, but that turns the stern out and you wind up making a death defying leap to the float, line in hand, or backing off and trying again.

It's a good idea to practice these things when the marina is not busy and the winds are there, but moderate. And, with practice you might be able to compensate on most days and get the boat tied to the float. However, I think you'd be a much more relaxed boater if you had a list of the most common hazardous situations and a sure fire, non-adrenalin way to approach each situation.

2 - If the wind is disadvantageous to reliable bow handling, you can always just back up to the float and get a line ashore. It may not look impressive, but being in control is impressive to me. So your goal is to get a long line from the bow, long enough to reach back to the stern area. Your goal is to get this spring line tied to the float somewhere near to where you want the stern to end up. Once this line is attached to the float, you just gently nudge the engine forward and the boat will just sidle nicely up against the float, even if the wind is trying to blow it off.

3 - Take your next half dozen trips on the boat to a non-busy area where there is something floating you can try to approach from different areas, and spend the entire day coming in against the wind, with the wind, abeam to the wind, backing in , forwarding in, sidling in, etc., over and over and over. I try to find a floating log to practice on.

4 - Understand how you can shift your bow and stern by short thrusts at certain rudder positions and make the mistakes in safe waters (with as few spectators as possible...) If you get the stern too wide when aiming the bow in, you can walk it over with a short thrust in the (F or R depending upon your motor). Practice this. You could even just loosen the mooring lines and try some of this stuff in your slip.

I have taken all sorts of guff from the ppl at my home marina who have seen me trying all sorts of maneuvers at slow times, but they are the first to call me to help them in pulling up to the pumpout dock!

What I am saying is that, whatever boat, whatever size, you are going to have a lot of fun and more confidence if you set up a time and place to practice safely.

And don't forget that, with an outboard motor, you can always just back the stern up to your target with the bow following downwind. No adrenalin in that, but it's not so elegant as a skilled landing.

'Hope you find your sweet spot in all this,

John
 
Amanda, you've had lots of suggestions, most recommend you learn how to use the boat and keep it.

One more, if you don't mind, and I don't mean to insult you or hint at anything else, just be a little lighthearted! You might try the following "AD" on any number of boat sites:

"Attractive retired school teacher has nice 25' boat and needs underway instruction in operation. Will provide gas and refreshments. My lake or yours.... Will send pictures of the boat!" :lol:

Again, we all hope you keep the boat and enjoy it!

Charlie
 
Well I must say you folks are all top drawer. What wonderful suggestions! Thank you all so much. Just for fun, I thought I might tell you a bit about what I have done with the C-Dory. I have practiced launching and retrieval until I can do it in my sleep at my little neighborhood lake very early in the morning on Mondays and Tuesday when nobody is there. I have practiced docking until I am able to sit in the driver's seat, reach out the window, tie the boat to the dock, turn off the motor and run to the stern and tie to the dock before the rear end swings out of reach. I have spent approximately 2 full weeks spending the night on the boat, eating, reading. I have cruised slowly all around the lake for hours on end. Things that are a problem for me: Getting up through the forward hatch to uncleat the anchor rope before slithering back down the hatch to push the automatic retrieval switch; trying to use the toilet with the head door shut is interesting (let's just say I am not a small person); using the Wallas stove with the starboard window open is not advisable; climbing off the front of the boat onto the shore is impossible unless I take steps and follow some of the other C-Dory users suggestions; understanding the many and varied systems on the boat has proved somewhat beyond my capabilities without taking a course in AC-DC electronics with some physics thrown in; not being able to see what is going on with the boat when I am laying down in the bow gives me the fantods; I am unable to stretch out when at the helm. Soooo, in short, I am not comfortable on this boat. I have a great need to be extremely comfortable. I am also quite lazy. I want to enjoy my retirement as much as possible. This boat is making me work. I have other boats and I love to go boating with them. I am very capable and comfortable on them. My dad always told me 2 things: "it's only money, you can always get more" and "do what makes you happy". I am following his advise (as always)...
You all sound so interesting, I am free to travel as I like, maybe we could meet somewhere and one of you will want to buy my C-Dory "off the ramp"!
Amanda
 
Amanda, just a couple of comments. First of all, if you're anchoring on a lake, I seriously doubt if you have to "cleat" the anchor at all, sounds like you have an electric windlass. Just let the rode (the rope) sit in the windlass, it probably won't slip or "pay out" unless you've got one heck of a lot of wind or current. Be sure to let enough line out and have some chain on the line. Usually 7X the depth of the water.

As for the head, my bride is a pleasantly sized lady too (I'm allowed to call it that, nothing else), we know each other pretty well, I stay in the cockpit, she leaves the door open.

We can help you through the electronics stuff, but by all means, come to a CBGT, you might well sell it at one of the bigger ones..!

Good luck.

Charlie
 
hello amanda,
first off, it sounds like you are the interesting person and it is us that are honored to have you aboard! i agree with everything you stated. boating must be fun or why else would we do it? if money can't contribute to our happiness, then why have it? so, you and the rest of us have earned the right to spend our money the any way we want. now, my good friend charlie, might say, we better spend it before the government takes it from us, and i would agree with charlie on that subject but wouldn't have the nerve to state same.
dude, i think you know exactly what makes you happy and you're willing to do what is necessary to achieve it. most people have no clue of either!
good for you, now go forth and enjoy your retirement. don't slow down as i am right behind you.
best regards
pat
 
Pat, I think she's a "dudess" not a "dude". :lol:

Actually, I think you should go sit in the corner. Calling a teacher "dude", what are you thinking!!??

Charlie
 
ok, based upon charlie's demand, i am now sitting in the corner, drinking a cold one!
dude or dudess, makes no difference to me.
pat

were did the boating season go? feels like we just launched our boat, and now she's high and dry!
 
Amanda, that was a great response. Some thought you were a newbie, and that is obviously not the case! Sometimes, we make a major purchase with plenty of research, and later find that it just doesn't fit us, or vice versa.

I'm not familiar with other boats that would allow you a place to sleep (up to 2 weeks), a galley, a dinette, and a head that would be any easier to handle.

In the nearly 5 years that we've owned our boat, neither of us have felt the need to go out the forward hatch, although we discussed it early on (if the weather warrants it); we simply go down the side of the boat to get to the bow. Like you, we do cleat off the anchor line when anchored for the night. I don't do that if we're just stopping for lunch.

We've had no issues having any of the windows open while using the Wallas; I guess I don't understand why one can't have the starboard window open while using it.

Head door open or closed... we've been married nearly 40 years, so that just isn't an issue. :wink: There are a lot of folks with boats without an enclosed head that would just be excited about the premise of privacy.

The only time we climb off the bow of the boat is if we are beaching it somewhere, and that's not a common use for us. When at Lake Powell, we do that, and carry a step to make the climb a bit easier. Others have used ladders attached at the bow. We have also anchored the bow off shore a bit and backed to shore, pulling the motor and trim tabs up, and stepping off and anchoring the stern to shore. There was a recent thread here about the use of the Anchor Buddy, a bungee type of line to make that even easier.

But, if you are certain that the other things make this boat less than ideal for you, following your Father's advice makes good sense. This is supposed to be fun, not a lot of work. One thing we have come to terms with: some stuff that you do on a boat IS more work. Some of us are OK with that being part of the boating experience, in fact enjoy that part of the experience. I commend you that, given your experience and practice with the boat, you know when to say when.

Giving this a bit more thought, if you aren't using the speed potential of the C-Dory (and you did say most of your use was on a small lake), you might consider a boat like a Nimble Nomad: no v-berth, instead it has a side berth. A door at the front, making it easy for anchoring and handling lines. A 50 hp outboard is the motor of choice on that boat, so you already know how to handle that. Fewer systems on most Nomads; i.e. no pressure water system, most didn't have a marine head or shower; an alcohol stove and a foot pump for water.

Some small trailerable houseboats have similar attributes. Or, the 28' AdventureCraft.

Of course, my take on those mentioned above is that they are not built like our C-Dorys.

Or, you may be quite content with the other boats you have (sounds like it) and just need to find this boat a new home. Realistically, I think you're going to wind up taking more of a financial hit, but you never know until you have it on the market for a while.

It's been a treat reading your post. Hope you'll stick around while you're selling the C-Dory. Lots to learn here, and it's a great place to find a new owner for your boat. Good luck with the sales process.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Thank you again for your kind words and helpful hints.
As for using the electric winch anchor on the bow, wouldn't you know the first time I used it I was on a lake with which I was unfamiliar. I was thrilled to electronically lower the anchor. A storm blew in overnight and the next morning I wanted to leave the spot...did I mention the temperature had taken a nose dive?... when I went to bring up the anchor it was a no-go! I ended up crawling out the hatch and finally realizing what that little wrench thingy in the bag with the anchor information was for...I had to crawl back down the hatch, get the wrench, crawl back up the hatch, tighten the clutch thingy...pull up the anchor chain by my now frozen hands far enough to grab the rope, and fianally got it to engage and have my crew (thank God I wasn't alone or I would still be there starving) engage the pull it up switch. After that, I rigged an anchor I could throw off the back for short stops, and I always cleat the anchor rope for big deal overnight stops. This is the continuing story about why I should not own a C-Dory...
Amanda
 
Amanda,

Your description of tightening the "...clutch thingy" tells me that you know/understand more than you let on.

Don't give up the ship prematurely.

I am (for the most part...) single-handing now, and your boat can be rigged with single-handing in mind.

You didn't mention problem with boat handling, trailering or launching, so I'm guessing they're not a big deal. Think about how you can use various boat modifications to meet your need. For instance: I find that having fixed lines, both port and starboard for both bow an stern relieves a lot of pre-docking busy work. And using something called "cam-cleats" will help keeping those lines under control. The bottomline is to identify what areas give you problems, and come up with a (creative?) way to (re)solve them.

RE: a windlass. Charlie was correct about tying-off the anchorline. I know we're supposed to tie it off; and I do (... about 10% of the time).

Rethink your options; selling should be the Last. Selling a CD25 will be like selling your magic carpet; look at the (positive) things and adventures you'll miss.

...and you will.

Question: What's a fantod? (I'm going from memory here, so cut me some slack!)

Best,
Casey
 
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