1988 C-dory at sportcraft marine

I know the guys there at Sportcraft, if the owner doesn't plug in here I'd just talk to one of them. They are straight up and have always dealt with me and those I know honestly and with great integrity. It looks clean for it's vintage and might be a runner for a while. The engine is a two stroke, plan on a repower in the future. However far into the future - that's anyones guess. It would get you out into the water. I was thinking about it until I calculated a repower. Good luck with your search.
 
Thanks, I definitely have been doing some soul searching. That motor looks to be on its last leg, but if it gave me a year or two I could have the money for new by then. At this point I am wanting to make sure the transom checks out. If there is any sign of rot it will pretty much be a deal breaker. What else should be on my inspection list for this boat at this price?
 
There was a link earlier to a guy here on C-Brats (through another forum) that had a take off motor with low hours for about $5k. Sub $20k C-Dorys are hard to find. Look around for a 90 on CL or call around to the dealers and see what you can find. It's possible you might be able to put together a package that would really excite you. As well, it might be worth the trip to check it out. If your really serious I am sure the guys down there would start her up, with a deposit take you on a sea trial. Then take delivery and enjoy!

W/O really trying I found a listing locally here in Btown
http://bellingham.craigslist.org/boa/4609302509.html

Maybe pick it up around 5500-6000 and you really have a winner there.
 
capt. meares":138m2hh4 said:
What else should be on my inspection list for this boat at this price?
Click to expand...

I pretty much checked out the same things on any 22 I looked at, regardless of price range. So, overall condition; core condition (decks, transom, hull, etc. - there is a lot of coring), trailer, engines, etc.

Then the more personal: What do I want to end up with, and how close is this boat to it? What will it take to get it to where I want it? Is this the best (or a good) choice to meet that goal?

For me, the sweet spot was a lightly used boat in very good condition (stored indoors), but with almost no gear aboard. This suited me as I prefer to install my own. I would have spent less if I'd bought totally rigged out boat, but that would have had gear I didn't want, and not necessarily installed the way I wanted it.

On the other hand, probably the best "bang for the buck" is the most expensive boat. You can rarely do it yourself for less, once you add it all up (some can, with free labor time, gear in the garage, etc.)

On the other, other hand, a lower-priced boat can also be a good choice, as long as it's not a case of thinking you are getting something inexpensive and then nickel and diming your way up to where it costs more than the "expensive" one. Well, even that is not a problem as long as its what you expect and not an unwelcome surprise. It can allow you to do it in stages (or maybe you want to keep it simple; that works too).

The red boats are my favorites so I would have to pay special attention to this one :D
 
If it's any help I was were you are now- in the market for a sub20k 22' C Dory
I ended up buying one with that exact same motor. I admit it it was a bit of a risk but I bought a newer kicker to put on and never left the harbour without it Mine was even older (1982).

I considered any time I got out of it to be a "freebie" As old as it was it was the best two-stroke I ever owned.I ran it for two years and then sold the boat with it still running! I was always intending to repower one day but the old one never died! Eventually I was able to save up and buy a newer boat altogether . I am now running a 1988 with a 2006 Yamie and could not be happier

If you want to see a video of the old 70hp running when I sold it look in the marketplace section of this website for "Popeye "1982 Classic
Wish you the best on your journey! Personally I am not afraid of older C Dories--only neglected ones. It's a buyers market right now. Why not make them an offer that gives you room and see what happens?
 
I was asked by capt. meares to give some advice on what to look for when buying a boat of this vintage. My answer follows. If I were closer, I'd volunteer myself, but I'm about 500 miles from the dealer. Any volunteers free next week on Tuesday?
********************************************************************************
capt. meares wrote:

Hello, I am the guy inquiring about the 1988 Cruiser at Sportcraft. I have noticed over the last several year of studying this blog, you have contributed extensively and have a lot of knowledge to share.

I was thinking you would be a great person to consult with about concerns on this boat. I was hoping you could give me a detailed list of the major things I should check out and inspect before making a decision on purchasing this boat. As of right now I have the boat in "pending sell status" until I go take a look at it when they open on Tuesday.

Thank you, Terry

********************************************************************************
I responded:

Terry- There's nothing unique to look for in a 1988 Cruiser compared to other years. The very best advice I can give you is to

1. take another C-Brat or two with you when you go look at it.* They have the extensive knowledge that only an experienced C-Dory owner would have regarding the boat, and which is so voluminous that there's no way it can be all written down, and

2. if the boat / deal looks initially good, before closing the deal, have a professional survey done so that someone with a moisture meter and experienced professional judgement can spot any hidden flaws and give you their opinion.

3. Also, in this case particularly, get that 70 hp two stroke evaluated. Have a compression check and see it run at idle and various loads. This requires a sea trial. Take your C-Brats friends and/or Surveyor along, of course.

4. Have any flaws corrected in the purchase contract or get a significant reduction in price to cover them. (Although the price already reflects a significant discount, perhaps for such conditions, and may not be reduceable, or by much.)

5. If the motor will will require replacement in the near future, figure that into the cost equation. That's the lowest ($15k) price for that combo I've seen in a long time, but a new 75 or 90 hp motor will be around $8-10k (I'm not exactly sure, but be sure to check). A new motor could be written into the sales deal, of course.

*We used to go with new sailing club members to help them buy boats, since they were often new to sailboat racing and sailboats. We saved folks a lot of money, potentially bad experiences, and repair bills. (And we made a lot of good friends in the process, as you can imagine!)

I can post this or a version of it on the thread about the boat if it would help you seek some help from any C-Brats that might live up near you or the dealer, if you like.

Kep me informed! Good Luck!

Joe. :teeth :thup

P..S:

Just ready what C-Val wrote above. Great advice! I had an Evinrude 90 hp V-4 (I think the 70 is a 3 cylinder I-Block) with my 1987 Cruiser when I bought it. Ran forever! Replaced it because I wanted a newer style 4-stroke. Dealer sold it to a commercial fisherman in Bodega Bay! Probably still running! Not as fuel efficient, but a great engine. Kinda like a Chevy V-8 in your old pickup! Can't kill it with a stick! :lol: Joe.
 
HELLO!

Just bringing this thread back to the top to see if anyone out there would be available to help Terry out tomorrow!

(See post immediately above.)

Thanks!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
I remember Dr. Bob suggesting checking the transom integrity by raising the engine and pressing down hard on it. Also, try to work a new trailer into the deal. Tell them you'll pay their asking but they can keep the old trailer and put a new double axle under the boat. They're good people at Sportcraft. Good luck.
 
I am now a 1 day owner of my dream boat. It almost seems too good to be true. everything actually looked better than expected. It is very clean and looks to have been out of the weather most of its life. The motor passed all inspections and performs unusually well. There is a little clean up, staining , and electrical work to do, but I can use it through out the process.
Thank you everyone for all the great advice. I will have years of questions to come. Anyone ever want to fish out of Garibaldi, I can take you to all the good spots. Thanks again,

Terry
 
Congratulations Terry! Great to hear the boat turned out to be in better condition than expected. You will have tons of fun with her. Post lots of pictures so we can follow along.

Enjoy,

Kevin
 
I'll bet the old Costco canopy is happy to have another C-Dory under it to protect :)

congratulations on the new toy
 
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