What did you see at the boat show?

D

Dreamer

New member
Everyone at the Seattle Boat Show CBGT spent a lot of their time at the C-Dory display. I'm interested in what you saw in the current version of your boat model that you liked and what you didn't like.

The folks at the factory seldom ask our opinion but hopefully, they read our posts and may gather some feedback that way. I personally wish them the very best and try to promote their product at every opportunity.

We were impressed with the interior of the new TomCat. The headliner, naugahyde and trim panels were a nice touch. The molded interior has it's good points. However, it's obvious and sad that the factory folks are not boaters and have never cruised on these boats! The area below the dinette table is approximately 3'x3.5' and has a hatch to access it the size of a phone book. The hatch between the refer cabinet and the berth is almost as large and has an equally inadequate hatch door.

I was visualizing myself on my knees, with my short little arms reaching into one of these little caves. Pots and pans, etc, 18" away from my furthest reach. Come on guys! You can do better. Great storage potential, no access.

The reworking of the aft dinette seat to make a wider center aisle also gurantees that 4 people could never sit at the dinette table for dinner. The aft seat is now a one person seat.

The approximately 50% increase in price from 2006 was a shock but it just raises the value of my boat on the used market.

What happened to your C-Dory since last year?





 
The thing that jumped out at me was the change in the color stripe. It is now wider at the front and wraps all the way around the point of the bow. It used to stop on either side a ways before the point. Now I won't be able to tell a C-Dory from a Sea Sport coming towards me a mile away.
 
I also liked the improved fit and finish of the cat. Joyce was not happy with the dinette either. In particular, she felt that now the table was too far away - e.g. if you're seated with your back against the cushion, it's quite a reach to the table.
 
Not C-Dory related, but I was very impressed with the Ranger Tug R25. A lot of boat in a 'small" package and much better flow than the Nordic Tug 26' IMO. Now to just find that $140,000+. :lol:

I was dissapointed there were no 25' Cruisers to walk through, but none of the dealers had one so... That said, I did check out the 22' Cruiser, the Venture 26 and the Tomcat in detail & at my leisure. Both the Venture and TC were nice, but for the extra $$ they cost, the 25' will be perfect for us. Hopefully, we'll have one sometime in 2009.
 
My comments pertain to the 22' cruiser. Improvements in the new boats IMO are (1) the larger steps for boarding - the old smaller steps were too easy to miss when boarding (2) the glass door - the older models with plywood or starboard tend to warp and rattle - will be harder to create privacy, however. (3) the self draining and flat floor - no need for floor boards (4) the aft bilge pump is located where the water goes - having the bilge pump at the bulkhead on the side never made much sense.

John
 
Whether this is an improvement. viz., removing the foam in the bow section and putting in access hatches, has to be weighed against safety issues. I was told that the regulations do not require flotation on a boat over 20'. With the foam in place, the boat would not sink IMO. Without it, (say the forward section below water was holed) I don't know. Obviously, with the foam removed or not installed, extra storage space would be gained over the older model, and it would allow for real inspection for leaks coming in from the anchor locker or improperly installed brass stems. I have often wondered about small amounts of water getting in and then freezing when stored in cold country like Montana. Whether freezing and thawing would damage the hull. It would be good to read the opinions of other C-Dory owners about this very topic.

Got into a conversation with Ben Toland at the Larkspur about flotation (and since he has forgotten more about the C-Dory construction than I will ever know) I was interested to learn from him that he or perhaps no on else has deliberately tried to sink a C-Dory - how the boat would float filled with water. Hard to get volunteers to do that. I did relate a story to him about forgetting to put the plug in on my C-Dory on Fort Peck Lake before I launched it. Friend with me thought I had & I thought he had. Anyway, we tied the boat to the dock and drove away to park the pickup and trailer. The dock wasn't very busy and upon returning, a fellow was standing there looking at my boat as asked if I had a hole in it. I thought he was being sarcastic, but when I looked down, sure enough the cockpit had water in it. But it didn't go over the door sill. We didn't hurry on back to the boat after launching. So I installed the missing plug from inside and turned on the bilge pump which took care of it. My assumption at the time was that the boat wasn't going to sink anymore because the flotation in the floor and the gas tanks had equalized everything. But there must be someone in C-Dory land who could do some calculations to either verify or reject my assumption. John
 
No - when a 22 is filled with water only the bow stays above water. As I recall about 3-5' stays above water and the boat "turtles" - e.g. the cabin goes under. So, the foam in the bow does keep the boat afloat, but the engines are under water, your electronics are gone and you'd wind up holding onto the bow rail if you decide to stay with the boat. So to my mind, a dinghy + good insurance is far more useful than the flotation foam in the bow.
 
Does anyone have any pictures of the changes on the new TomCat 255's ??
I'd like to see the headliner, dinette, and cabinet changes.

Thanks, John
 
I thought I was climbing onto a 25 footer, but I guess it was a Venture 26! I liked the fit and finish, but was disappointed that the "lazarettes" did not have the full waterproof covers of the earlier C-Dorys. It's always good to see the Switlik life rafts, made in Trenton, NJ. This proud company made parachutes during WWII and saved many lives.
 
drjohn71a":2d4ujdju said:
Does anyone have any pictures of the changes on the new TomCat 255's ??
I'd like to see the headliner, dinette, and cabinet changes.

Thanks, John
Click to expand...

Me too...

I'm personally not a fan of vinyl or carpet on the walls such as with the Venture series. I'm sure it makes business sense to appeal to a wider audience of boaters accustomed to this finish. I think it's important to keep models following the original, salty finish.
 
Matt- The vinyl should eliminate some condensation issues, as it does have a foam backing. Plus I think when the boat gets abover $100K the buyer expects a little more.

But that's the beaty of having the Venture series and the Classic, we can better satisfy the desires of a wider range of buyers.
 
The best thing I found at the boat show was a three cup, cup holder with a pump up suction mount. A nice design and will stay where you put it on gelcoat or glass, inside or outside. No holes to drill. I suggested to the C-Dory sales guys that they should buy one and put it in one of the show boats. Blank stare.
Anyway, I am sure glad I never cut those holes for recessed cup holders.

Regarding storage: Can someone tell me if foam was placed forward of bow cut away where the porta toilet goes in 07?
I am thinking of cutting out for a large water tight hatch and finding a place for downriggers, spare prop (with padding) when not in use. My intent would be to install the hatch on the face facing aft.
I would sure hate to cut that hole only to find foam in the way.
 
I don't know when they made the switch, but the water tank used to be up in the bow. I think it was on the port side of center on the 22's. On my 2005 25 it is dead center just behind the bulkhead you are talking about cutting into. I put a large hatch there so I can see the tank level.
 
RE: foam-backed headliners. I had a vinyl foam-backed headliner on my Jeanneau Tonic 23 and it did look good, help with condensation and was easy to clean.

However, after a number of years the foam deteriorated and the headliner started to sag. Initially I tried to re-attach it with a factory-reccomended contact cement and that looked horrendous. Finally, I had to scrape off the entire mess and have a canvas guy put up some "monkey fur" which would not break down.

While the headliner will give the boat a finished look, it will probably become unsightly and a tedious and expensive problem to remedy, based on my experience.

I was told that the deterioration was caused by heat. We live in Ohio and do get some very warm weather in the summer, so perhaps those in the PNW and Alaska will fair better, but those in the south would detect the problem sooner.

Nick
"Valkyrie"
 
My concern with the headliner in the PNW is mildew. It can be difficult to keep a boat's interior dry all the time, especially in the winter when you can't have a heater or dehumidifier running.
 
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