Best boat show to check out C-dory

[Gavin17]

I've only recently heard of C-dory and think they may be a good fit for our next boat. We stumbled on them looking at Ranger Tugs and Cutwater. We don't have a local dealer so I think our next step would be to travel to one of the boat shows. Which boat show will be best? They're all PNW companies so should we go there or Florida? Is there another brand we should check out?

We don't fish, we just like to travel by boat. We're looking for a cruiser that can sleep 3-4 for 2 weeks at a time. I'm ok Marina hopping to use facilities and resupply so we don't have to be completely self sufficient. Ideally we'd have main + kicker or twin outboards, a generator and A/C. We boat on Midwest lakes and rivers, great lakes and Florida. We tow with a 3/4 ton truck but if I had to get a 1 Ton I would. I'm comfortable with inboards as long as we can cruise at 15 knots+. I think we'll have to save the 8 knot boats for after we retire.

 

[colbysmith]

All the C-Dorys (except for a rare few) are outboards. Top speed around 30mph, but most cruise comfortably at around 15-25mph. I believe the Seattle Boat show has some C-Dory boats. However you could always attend one of the several gatherings around the country. The largest two are the one at Friday Harbor in the PNW that just happened in May, and the one at Hontoon State Park in Florida, in March. (Those are annual events.) Otherwise many C-Brats would be happy to show your their boats, if you give a location you'd be willing to look. (You mentioned boating in the midwest. I live in the Madison, Wi area, and while I travel a lot with my CD-25, I am planning a trip to Door County next week. There are no generators on the boats, other than portable ones that folks add. Mostly the Honda 1000 and 2000 types. A/C can be an RV type on the roof, or some will get a small window air condition and put in the forward center window while on a dock. A 3/4 ton would be plenty to tow any of the C-Dory boats. I've towed my earlier 22 with a Toyota Highlander and my 25 with a Ford F150. (The 22 on trailer weighed in just shy of 5100 lbs, and the 25 anywhere between 7100 and 8400 depending upon how I have it loaded.) Also, while I know families that have slept 3 or 4 (one is in Alaska right now doing the inside passage with 2 adults and 3 kids in a 22), it can be a little tight for some. But still doable. Colby

 

[JamesTXSD]

Finding a C-Dory in stock at a dealer isn't a given. Three Rivers Marine in Florida may have a couple boats in stock, but it would be good to contact them direct. The production of these boats is a fraction of what it used to be in the 2006 to 2009 era, with ownership of the molds and name changing hands a few times. Many feel the current factory is making the best boats.

What you may have to do is look around to see one of these boats, whether at a dealer or from an owner here, and then go to a dealer to order one. Then wait while the boat is built.

Your 3/4 ton truck will handle anything in the 22' to 26' range from C-Dory. If you're thinking about a TC255, you may want to consider a one ton, but there are folks out there towing that cat with a 3/4 ton.

You may also hear that these boats are designed for cruising couples. That's how we used ours. There is a thread right now on the the forum about a couple with 3 young kids traveling to Alaska with their boat. It all depends on the size of the people and how much "cozy" everyone can tolerate.

Look down in the lower left of the home page and click on El & Bill's Halcyon Days. Their cruising on that 22 was truly epic. We joked with them about their ability to "live small" (minimalist) on that boat, while we "lived large" on our 25 (and we didn't travel light). You need to decide on how much boat is enough on these efficient cruisers. You can see how we used our boat in Grand Adventures and click on "The Cruising Adventures of Wild Blue and Crew."

Good luck with the search.

 

[gulfcoast john]

Gavin,

Welcome to the C-Brats!

Many couples search for a ‘trailerable pocket-yacht’ that can be hauled out to your goal cruising grounds quite cheaply on a trailer (we get over 11 MPG with a F250), then put into the water where we get only 2 MPG combined…but hey, we’re now 1,500 miles from home!

Agree with above, except my good friend Colby again forgets that the official Boat Test.com 2006 review proved the TC255 WOT top speed to be 47 MPH (not 30) and there are other reports with optional Suzuki 175’s of over 51 MPH, though we have no idea why your crew would want to go that fast over water as opposed to over I-10.

Agree with Colby that 4-5 adults on any C-Dory including our TC255 would be tight.

Based on your ‘cruising grounds’ of FL, rivers, and Great Lakes, you are basically addressing ‘segment Looping’ of the Great Loop on a trailer boat.

We wrote an article on this on the AGLCA website here, pages 14-21:

https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.greatloop.org ... r_2021.pdf

Of all the competing trailerable non-oversize boats we’ve looked at, the REAL take-home WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) is that you can NOT get a flushing separate head in any under 25 ft boat, and many Wives will not accept a Porti-Potti or (Eileen's pejorative) ‘Head by the bed’.

Our Adventures are also under the Home>Forums> Grand Adventures on C-Brats.

Hope this and our Loop Link article are helpful in your search. If you find other competing non-oversize brands in your search that I have overlooked, please let me know.

John

 

[kaelc]

Seattle boat show is worth the trip. When I bought my used one, it was from a broker in Seattle and they gave us boat show tickets. Climbed all over Ranger tugs and Cutwaters. NMI only had 1-2 C-Dory’s at the show that year 2018 or 2019. Lots of other boats to check out as well.

Several cutwater and Ranger tugs we’re at the show. I personally think NMI boats are better built Sea SPorts and C-Dory’s.

 

[Shaun77]

All the C-Dorys (except for a rare few) are outboards. Top speed around 30mph, but most cruise comfortably at around 15-25mph. I believe the Seattle Boat show has some C-Dory boats. However you could always attend one of the several gatherings around the country. The largest two are the one at Friday Harbor in the PNW that just happened in May, and the one at Hontoon State Park in Florida, in March. (Those are annual events.) Otherwise many C-Brats would be happy to show your their boats, if you give a location you'd be willing to look. (You mentioned boating in the midwest. I live in the Madison, Wi area, and while I travel a lot with my CD-25, I am planning a trip to Door County next week. There are no generators on the boats, other than portable ones that folks add. Mostly the Honda 1000 and 2000 types. A/C can be an RV type on the roof, or some will get a small window air condition and put in the forward center window while on a dock. A 3/4 ton would be plenty to tow any of the C-Dory boats. I've towed my earlier 22 with a Toyota Highlander and my 25 with a Ford F150. (The 22 on trailer weighed in just shy of 5100 lbs, and the 25 anywhere between 7100 and 8400 depending upon how I have it loaded.) Also, while I know families that have slept 3 or 4 (one is in Alaska right now doing the inside passage with 2 adults and 3 kids in a 22), it can be a little tight for some. But still doable. Colby

I’m not too far from you in Appleton. I’ve been interested in seeing a 25’. If you don’t mind could I check out your boat when it’s convenient for you? Thanks.

 

[Gavin17]

Gavin,

Welcome to the C-Brats!

Many couples search for a ‘trailerable pocket-yacht’ that can be hauled out to your goal cruising grounds quite cheaply on a trailer (we get over 11 MPG with a F250), then put into the water where we get only 2 MPG combined…but hey, we’re now 1,500 miles from home!

Agree with above, except my good friend Colby again forgets that the official Boat Test.com 2006 review proved the TC255 WOT top speed to be 47 MPH (not 30) and there are other reports with optional Suzuki 175’s of over 51 MPH, though we have no idea why your crew would want to go that fast over water as opposed to over I-10.

Agree with Colby that 4-5 adults on any C-Dory including our TC255 would be tight.

Based on your ‘cruising grounds’ of FL, rivers, and Great Lakes, you are basically addressing ‘segment Looping’ of the Great Loop on a trailer boat.

We wrote an article on this on the AGLCA website here, pages 14-21:

https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.greatloop.org ... r_2021.pdf

Of all the competing trailerable non-oversize boats we’ve looked at, the REAL take-home WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) is that you can NOT get a flushing separate head in any under 25 ft boat, and many Wives will not accept a Porti-Potti or (Eileen's pejorative) ‘Head by the bed’.

Our Adventures are also under the Home>Forums> Grand Adventures on C-Brats.

Hope this and our Loop Link article are helpful in your search. If you find other competing non-oversize brands in your search that I have overlooked, please let me know.

John

Thanks John, great article. Which cat is yours

We've been looking at Mini Loops and smaller trips while we're still working. Then, maybe after retirement, trying the full thing. We have a truck and are accustomed to towing so keeping the boat towable is a no brainer for us. We may leave it in the water at our "home" lake most of the year. We're in Indianapolis so some of our trips go north and some go south. We're taking our 23' open bow boat thru the chain of lakes, thru the lock and out to Mackinac island this week. This trip we're staying in hotels and taking friends. Last time we camped in the boat, under the Mooring Cover, with just the 3 of us. That worked great in Michigan but would be pretty warm in KY or Florida. Our "home" lake is Lake Cumberland KY. There is no lock but I think we can pull out, drive just past the dam, launch in the Cumberland river and cruise to Nashville, (and beyond).

It sounds like there aren't that many brands who make a boat like this and I've already found them all. I can't say I'm a "head by the bed" fan either, (but do like the term), so we're looking at the 25+ ft models. The cutwater 28 was the first boat that caught my eye and got me thinking of the possibilities. I didn't realize that boat's this capable could be this "economical" and towable. Since we'd only tow a few times a year I'd even be ok w/ a 10ft beam.

Now it sounds like we know what we're looking for. It will still be a few years minimum but I like to be informed and having goals to work toward. Going to one of the C-dory meetups is a great idea. I'll keep and eye on the schedule.

 

[Gavin17]

All the C-Dorys (except for a rare few) are outboards. Top speed around 30mph, but most cruise comfortably at around 15-25mph. I believe the Seattle Boat show has some C-Dory boats. However you could always attend one of the several gatherings around the country. The largest two are the one at Friday Harbor in the PNW that just happened in May, and the one at Hontoon State Park in Florida, in March. (Those are annual events.) Otherwise many C-Brats would be happy to show your their boats, if you give a location you'd be willing to look. (You mentioned boating in the midwest. I live in the Madison, Wi area, and while I travel a lot with my CD-25, I am planning a trip to Door County next week. There are no generators on the boats, other than portable ones that folks add. Mostly the Honda 1000 and 2000 types. A/C can be an RV type on the roof, or some will get a small window air condition and put in the forward center window while on a dock. A 3/4 ton would be plenty to tow any of the C-Dory boats. I've towed my earlier 22 with a Toyota Highlander and my 25 with a Ford F150. (The 22 on trailer weighed in just shy of 5100 lbs, and the 25 anywhere between 7100 and 8400 depending upon how I have it loaded.) Also, while I know families that have slept 3 or 4 (one is in Alaska right now doing the inside passage with 2 adults and 3 kids in a 22), it can be a little tight for some. But still doable. Colby

I'll be in Madison Aug 19-21. If you're available I'd love to see your boat.

 

[colbysmith]

Hi Gavin. Just sent you a pm. Colby

 

[thataway]

Welcome aboard.

Great information in all above. As far as max sleeping, the Tom Cat 255 wins there. Mine was rigged so that I slept fore and aft on the port side of the boat--extra cushion in the foot well of forward facing "navigator--port side seat) and then my daughter and 2 grandkids slept athwartship on the rest of the huge forward bunk. This still leaves the dinette which can be converted.

Some boats do put in Marine AC--but we feel that either the window--if only occasional, or the RV type on the roof is the way to go. A 9200 BTU works fine for the TC--OK 'Gulf Coat John likes sleeping in a refrigerator, and has a 15,000 BTU unit. Most use a 2200 Honda generator on the motor bracket on the 255 or a splash well/or swim step bracket on the Venture 26 or C Dory 25.

The newest outboard ranger "tugs" do have more sleeping accommodation, if you like the varnish, and plush interior. Most of use like the utilitarian, where you can hose out the boat if necessary.

There have been 22's where there were 2 adults, and 3 big teens, but usually 2 of the teens slept ashore.

One other boat would be the Rosborough 246. These are semi displacement boats--but can get up and go with enough HP. Economy and range is better with C Dory type.

There are also some catamarans which are under 30 feet which might also qualify. You can visit my photos and see the variety of boats I have owned. At one time I had a boat I kept on the West Coasts along with a van to tow it, and we would fly either to Vegas or S. Calif. Now my son has a early C Dory 25 cruise ship in Dana Point harbor, CA.

The presence of C Dory boats at boat shows is a bit hit and miss. Some years they are shown, other years not. Also very few dealers at this point. Most boats are custom made, or there are some fantastic used boats.i

As you see there are a number of our extended C Dory family (a real feature of the group) who gather all thru the US for cruises and gatherings. There used to be one on the upper Mississippi River, but that stopped with the passing of one of the organizers. That would have been Ideal. There are several 25's in your area. Maybe one of the owners will speak up and invite you to see their boat.

 

[Gavin17]

Welcome aboard.

Great information in all above. As far as max sleeping, the Tom Cat 255 wins there. Mine was rigged so that I slept fore and aft on the port side of the boat--extra cushion in the foot well of forward facing "navigator--port side seat) and then my daughter and 2 grandkids slept athwartship on the rest of the huge forward bunk. This still leaves the dinette which can be converted.

Some boats do put in Marine AC--but we feel that either the window--if only occasional, or the RV type on the roof is the way to go. A 9200 BTU works fine for the TC--OK 'Gulf Coat John likes sleeping in a refrigerator, and has a 15,000 BTU unit. Most use a 2200 Honda generator on the motor bracket on the 255 or a splash well/or swim step bracket on the Venture 26 or C Dory 25.

The newest outboard ranger "tugs" do have more sleeping accommodation, if you like the varnish, and plush interior. Most of use like the utilitarian, where you can hose out the boat if necessary.

There have been 22's where there were 2 adults, and 3 big teens, but usually 2 of the teens slept ashore.

One other boat would be the Rosborough 246. These are semi displacement boats--but can get up and go with enough HP. Economy and range is better with C Dory type.

There are also some catamarans which are under 30 feet which might also qualify. You can visit my photos and see the variety of boats I have owned. At one time I had a boat I kept on the West Coasts along with a van to tow it, and we would fly either to Vegas or S. Calif. Now my son has a early C Dory 25 cruise ship in Dana Point harbor, CA.

The presence of C Dory boats at boat shows is a bit hit and miss. Some years they are shown, other years not. Also very few dealers at this point. Most boats are custom made, or there are some fantastic used boats.i

As you see there are a number of our extended C Dory family (a real feature of the group) who gather all thru the US for cruises and gatherings. There used to be one on the upper Mississippi River, but that stopped with the passing of one of the organizers. That would have been Ideal. There are several 25's in your area. Maybe one of the owners will speak up and invite you to see their boat.

Thanks for all the info. I talked to the rep at 3 Rivers yesterday and he was directing me toward the Tomcat. I see you went from a Tomcat to a 25 cruiser. Any reason why? I think we'd really appreciate the simplicity and ease of maintenance of a C-dory/ SeaSport over an older tug.

 

[thataway]

Thanks for all the info. I talked to the rep at 3 Rivers yesterday and he was directing me toward the Tomcat. I see you went from a Tomcat to a 25 cruiser. Any reason why? I think we'd really appreciate the simplicity and ease of maintenance of a C-dory/ SeaSport over an older tug.

My transition between boats is not easy to follow. We bought the 2006 (Last of model year) Tom Cat 255 because it was going to be a primary boat at our home in Fl. It was replacing a 29' express cruiser. We loved the TC 255, except for the not as much tunnel clearance as the boat should have. In 2010 I had my second coronary vessel bypass (21 years after the first one). At that time, I was kept in the ICW for almost a week, because my blood pressure could not be maintained except with intravenous drugs. There was some question of my longevity--and so I elected to sell the "expensive" C Dory TC 255 to prevent my wife having to deal with that if things did not work out. I had immediate C Dory withdrawal syndrome, and we purchased a C Dory 22 for Florida. (Our first 22 was kept in Calif or Nevada along with a van, and we would fly out to use the boat and van.).

With the 22 in Pensacola, we discovered the joys of cruising the major river systems of mid America. We felt that we were spending enough time, on the boat that it justified buying a 25. " Thataway" the C Dory 25 was/ is a very special boat, having been highly modified by several knowledge owners before I purchased her. 10 years after that 2nd bypass we had to face reality and that even stocking up the boat for a trip, as well as both of us getting infections or injuries was not the best plan, and we had to sell that last C Dory. At age 86 and with significant heart disease, we have a wonderful run on several boating genre: Sailboat racing: 1979, long distance sailboat cruising was given up in 1998, trawlers to express boats n 2006. All cruising, and just doing RVing, plus a small boat is where life has left us currently. I had two more stents placed yesterday, and hope that gives me a few more years out and about and on the water a few days.

When I was born in 1936, male life expectancy was just under 60 years of age. Recently it has been just under 80 years of age. A 20 year gain in longevity, in one generation will probably never be seen again. I have fooled the devil for 35 years after my first heart attack at age 50! I have been very blessed by these "C Dory years". I agree that the C Dory Tom Cat 255 is an excellent cruising boat..

 

[Gavin17]

Thanks for all the info. I talked to the rep at 3 Rivers yesterday and he was directing me toward the Tomcat. I see you went from a Tomcat to a 25 cruiser. Any reason why? I think we'd really appreciate the simplicity and ease of maintenance of a C-dory/ SeaSport over an older tug.

My transition between boats is not easy to follow. We bought the 2006 (Last of model year) Tom Cat 255 because it was going to be a primary boat at our home in Fl. It was replacing a 29' express cruiser. We loved the TC 255, except for the not as much tunnel clearance as the boat should have. In 2010 I had my second coronary vessel bypass (21 years after the first one). At that time, I was kept in the ICW for almost a week, because my blood pressure could not be maintained except with intravenous drugs. There was some question of my longevity--and so I elected to sell the "expensive" C Dory TC 255 to prevent my wife having to deal with that if things did not work out. I had immediate C Dory withdrawal syndrome, and we purchased a C Dory 22 for Florida. (Our first 22 was kept in Calif or Nevada along with a van, and we would fly out to use the boat and van.).

With the 22 in Pensacola, we discovered the joys of cruising the major river systems of mid America. We felt that we were spending enough time, on the boat that it justified buying a 25. " Thataway" the C Dory 25 was/ is a very special boat, having been highly modified by several knowledge owners before I purchased her. 10 years after that 2nd bypass we had to face reality and that even stocking up the boat for a trip, as well as both of us getting infections or injuries was not the best plan, and we had to sell that last C Dory. At age 86 and with significant heart disease, we have a wonderful run on several boating genre: Sailboat racing: 1979, long distance sailboat cruising was given up in 1998, trawlers to express boats n 2006. All cruising, and just doing RVing, plus a small boat is where life has left us currently. I had two more stents placed yesterday, and hope that gives me a few more years out and about and on the water a few days.

When I was born in 1936, male life expectancy was just under 60 years of age. Recently it has been just under 80 years of age. A 20 year gain in longevity, in one generation will probably never be seen again. I have fooled the devil for 35 years after my first heart attack at age 50! I have been very blessed by these "C Dory years". I agree that the C Dory Tom Cat 255 is an excellent cruising boat..

Congrats on all the years on the water. I'm a generation or two or three younger than you and your stories remind me of my Dad and how much I wish he could still go cruising w/ us.

 

[Gavin17]

John's writing and extensive photo Library have pretty much sold us on the Tomcat. My wife is already thinking up Cat Pun names.

It looks like our next steps will be to visit some owners/ boats and hit the Seattle boat show. A boat show / ski trip sounds like a dream vacation for me.

I'm curious about all the recent price increases though. It seems like a new Tom Cat will cost about as much as a new to 2 year old Ranger or Cutwater while including a lot less "stuff" Maybe there's more too it than that, I don't have official quotes but I expected them to be cheaper than ranger due to the simpler designs. Some of the tugs are beautiful but I think the Tomcat may be a better fit for us. Does anyone have a photo of a tomcat with a bike rack on it? I think we could get by w/o a dinghy for a long time but we'd like to bring bikes and the roof of the tomcat looks like it has plenty of room.

 

[JamesTXSD]

... Does anyone have a photo of a tomcat with a bike rack on it? I think we could get by w/o a dinghy for a long time but we'd like to bring bikes and the roof of the tomcat looks like it has plenty of room.

There may be a photo in the Wild Blue album, or in the Cruising Adventures of Wild Blue and Crew thread of our CD-25 (similar cabin to the TomCat) with bikes (strapped to the radar arch) and an 8.5' dinghy on the cabin top.

Yes, the C-Dory line looks a bit spartan compared to the Ranger Tugs, but we really appreciated the interior of our CD-25, and the access we had to wiring, pumps, etc.

The decisions were easier when C-Dorys had outboards and Ranger Tugs were inboard diesels. I definitely preferred the outboard for easy of maintenance and access. But, now that most of the Rangers are sporting outboards, the significant differences come down to the hull shapes and interior appointments. Both are good boats. The outboard Rangers will have more of a V-shaped hull than the relatively flat deadrise of the C-Dorys. Ranger has nothing like the TomCat in their line, and that is another whole different animal. The TomCat is fast and reasonably economical to operate with that cat hull. There is a lot to like about it. Things that led us to the the CD-25 over the TomCat were: price, weight (for towing), size (for storage - the TomCat is significantly longer than the CD-25 due to the outboard platform), and two engines to maintain vs one. The TomCat virtues: a better ride in light chop, speed, more storage, bigger cockpit, flat floor from the cockpit to the cabin, large rectangular berth vs the V-berth in the CD-25.

If you are comparing boats, rather than compare the TomCat with anything in the Ranger line, you might want to look at other cat-hull boats. Good luck with your search.

 

[gulfcoast john]

Gavin,

Fiberglass is mostly a petroleum based product, cats have 65% more of it than monohulls and yes the price is going up as you may have noticed. COVID led many folks to buy a boat for the freedom and escapism. The market is reflecting that, but a recession could reverse it all. BOATUS once estimated that outfitting a new boat typically costs 25% of its price. After 13 trailer boats we think that’s about right for most buyers.

This 2019 TC255 was listed here for $175k (and note how quick it was snapped up). We met J.M. and Gail at the Jan Ft Myers Looper Rendezvous…that boat was very well equipped including AP. Now they’re on a Nordic Tug 32. Also a nice boat.

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t=30550

We feel a rooftop RV AC is needed even in Quebec in the summer. Because the sponsons ride on bunks that HAVE to be ABOVE the massive trailer tires, our radar is only three inches under the 13.5 foot Federal height limit on the trailer. I’m not sure about room for bikes on the road (we rent them a lot). Trying to secure bikes to a roof stand from a finger pier is something to think (or shudder) about. Monohull hulls can squat partially between the bunks but over the axles, so they don’t ride as high on a trailer. I doubt you need radar, but Class B+ (send/receive) AIS is cheap and much more helpful on the rivers in dealing with commercial traffic.

Think carefully about whether you want to bust the 8.5 foot Federal beam limit. A Ranger 29 (10 foot beam) has a LOT more room, but requires a separate State DOT permit for EVERY state to travel through and then again on the way back. We met a NJ couple on one in FM ($270,000 he said) who noted permits cost $500 each way and were a hassle to get. However, an annual permit for just your state is relatively easy.

If Colby towed an overwide rig, I estimate that by now he would have paid over $600,000 in overwide fees to various state DOT offices. (He gets around more than we do).

PM me if you’d like to chat or are interested in driving down to crawl around our boat. You’d need Real ID state driver licenses and for us to escort you on base. Edgewater Yachts is nearby and the largest Fluid Motion (Ranger/Cutwater) dealer in FL. Call owner Emile Pedro re whether he’d allow boarding vs gawking through the chain link fence (only Buyers can be Choosers?). That 29 is pending sale.

https://www.edgewateryachtsales.com

Other alternatives include attending the March 7-9 Hontoon Hoot, or to meet up with us when we finish the Cumberland/Tennessee river Loop portion we didn’t complete in 2018 (Huntsville/Ditto Landing to Knoxville) in the fall when tree colors are best.

So many boats, so many choices!

Hope this is helpful.

John

 

[Gavin17]

I think rooftop ac is the way to go based on multiple recommendations. I'd try to fit bikes around it when on the water but put them in the back of the truck when on land. We have a truck setup for our RV already. Getting them on the roof from a dock or pier does sound challenging.

The main thing keeping me from a 10 ft beam is the economy of everything. All else equal I'd find a 10' boat and deal w/ the permits. Until we retire, we'd only tow for 1-3 trips per year and they have to be well planned with vacation days etc. I'm used to this.

However 10' beam boats tend to be more expensive and use more fuel and take more truck/ fuel to tow and nowhere to park it at my house and typically lower cruising speed etc. When you add all that up we'll probably stick w/ an 8.5' beam for now unless I stumble on a deal somewhere.

As far as radar/ sonar/ radios I'm not sure what I'll need. I only have limited experience w/ those on friends boats so eventually I'll need to research that.

I’m also thinking that we may want to order new since we’ll stay mostly in fresh water and lots of C-Dorys live in salt. I called a few marinas today to ask about the waiting list for slips and that took the wind out of my sails a bit....

 

[ssobol]

... I’m also thinking that we may want to order new since we’ll stay mostly in fresh water and lots of C-Dorys live in salt. ...

Don't know why moving a salt water boat to fresh water is a concern.

For used boats it's all about the condition of the boat. Both fresh and salt water boats can be kept well or left to rot. A well kept salt water boat won't have any more issues than a well kept fresh water boat.

 

[thataway]

... I’m also thinking that we may want to order new since we’ll stay mostly in fresh water and lots of C-Dorys live in salt. ...

Don't know why moving a salt water boat to fresh water is a concern.

For used boats it's all about the condition of the boat. Both fresh and salt water boats can be kept well or left to rot. A well kept salt water boat won't have any more issues than a well kept fresh water boat.

Although I tend to agree with you (and that bottom paint should not really decrease the value of a boat)

However, there are those hidden items, such as corrosion or salt deposits in the engine cooling passages, due to not rinsing the motor with fresh and or salt a away after running in salt water.

 

[ssobol]

... However, there are those hidden items, such as corrosion or salt deposits in the engine cooling passages, due to not rinsing the motor with fresh and or salt a away after running in salt water.

Then buying a used salt water boat and replacing the engine would be more cost effective than buying a new boat with a new engine. However, it's not my money, so whatever....