Dory Newbie seeks advice. Is a 16' too small?

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matthewbkpn

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I have always found c dory to be an attractive vessel. I am a newbie and thinking of purchasing a 16' Angler. My concern is, is it a bit too small? I would be boating with 2 children, 6 & 11. Gas cost and ease of deployment seem to make this a great start. Comments from experienced boaters welcome. Matt in Gig Harbor, WA.
 
Three aboard a 16, even with two being children, will be very, very cramped. Nothing more than very short jaunts, in calm waters, would likely be enjoyable.

The 16 is a great boat, but most people use it for short day trips and/or fishing for one or two people. I'll suggest a nice used 22 would better suit your needs. In addition to the added room, it's far more comfortable and safe if you get caught in rougher water...something that would be quite important to me, if kids were on board.
 
If the 22' is not in your budget I would highly recomend a 17' arima. There would be plenty of room for 3. The only downside is no hardtop. You can get a canvas top though.
 
We had a 16 for a short while - took it out on Lake Washington, and it was just a little too small for us - "for us" all you 16'ers . One thing about C-Dory's and C-Brats in particular - their boat is the perfect boat. We looked at the 22's but at the time had a Volvo wagon and didnt think it could tow the 22 - so we went with the 19. Of course now we have found the 19 to be too small for us - and are looking at moving up to a ?. What we found though was the 19 was a lot more than just 3 feet added to a 16, but wider, more solid, and a lot more comfortable out in Rosario Strait in 4 to 6 foot seas. We also liked to open back on the 19 and the wide gunnels. The fuel economy has been incredible. But the 19 is crowded with more than 2 adults.
Cheers,
Tom
 
Opps. Forgot C-dory made a 19 footer when I recommended the Arima. Definately check out the 19.
 
Hey now, C Dory and Arima both pretty much share the same driveway in Auburn........... I have had both . I loved my 16 Explorers , have had 2 . The biggest small boat around . But not a C Dory ............Get out on the water and try em !
Marc
 
We see lots of folks buy a 16, then a 19 and finally a 22. The cost of a 19 and 22, the trailering characteristics and the weight are close. But the 22 is so much more versitile. I would personally go for an older 22 over a 16 for what you want.. But in any case, get out on the water--especially with those kids!
 
I have owned the 16'er...now a 19'er.....and I'm happy. If I were younger and had two growing boys or girls, I'd go for the 22'er. No Question.... knowing what I know now. If someday I felt it too small I might step up to the 25'er. With that comes a lot of other expense in a tow vehicle, etc. My $.02 is the 22 will bring you and you kids many future years of fun with boating. If you go too small now they may lose interest. There are SO many good buys out there right now for 22's.
Go for the 22. You can thank us later.. :)
 
I am a huge fan of the 16 Angler - we have proven two adults can overnight on it comfortably! But a parent and two kids? Don't even think of it! You want a 22 Cruiser - no question about it! Look for a good buy on an older used one, or save up your pennies, but a 16 Angler would be a huge mistake for what you are describing!
 
We didn't even really consider the 16' when we bought our first C-Dory , a 22'. The 22 is C-Dory's "bread and butter" boat. Does it all in a great package. There have been some excellent buys on "experienced" ones too. Depending on the rigging you can save a whole lot of boating $.
I see you are in Gig Harbor.... after you get your C-Dory, you will need a good place to launch.
Please consider joining the Tacoma Outboard Association. You can launch, and have some great times in the events there with the whole family.From what I hear it is more convenient and also a bargain as far as cost in comparison i.e. launching at Point Defiance, even considering the Bridge Toll....and there a some other C-Dory owners that are members there too.
 
The 22 is your basic VW bus. The 16 is a Miata.
 
We love our 16' Cruiser, but weight, balance, weather, & sea state do make it a bit small and noisy for extended cruising. For comfort and extended, overnight trips the 22' Cruiser makes more sense to us.

We bought the 16' Cruiser to be our "training wheels" for the next 3-5 years. Its an absolutely great little boat, very easy to trailer, launch and park even single-handed. But it does bounce around in waves or swells over 3'. The boat can take it, the crew may not :)
 
Matt, would you always be boating with both kids, and your wife?
In that case the above posts advancing the 22' are very sound. But if you were to, say, devote a special day to one child to go boating with dad, I'd have little fear that the 16 would provide very adequate safety.

Pick the right day, motor around Gig Harbor, maybe out along Colvos Passage, perhaps up to Blake Island for a hike. The kids will never forget the wonderful moments you will have created.

Make sure they wear their life jackets, are respectful of the potential danger, know how to swim and understand why they can't run around and go wild. (One has to be 51 to do that.)

Too, a sunbrella camperback enclosure is highly recommended.
 
There you go, you just heard from the consumate 16er.
 
Hi Matt,

I also go boating with my kids (6, 8, & 12). Even without the 12 year old along I think the 16 would be small. We were lucky to find a 94 22 with the original engine (under 300 hours) in excellent shape save a few scrapes.

The 22 seems to be a perfect boat for children -- there is enough room for everyone to find a cozy spot, the boat is forgiving and safe even in larger water than one might hope for, and the kids are enclosed in a warm pilot house (rather than climbing over the gunwhales or transom as my 12 year old tried to do when he was a toddler on our last boat).

The 22 has allowed us a much larger window for 'boating weather' and always keeps the kids warm and comfortable. Happy kids make for happy boating -- cold and cranky kids make for a decidedly different experience.

Waiting for a used 22 to come on the market in your price range may be the way to go -- and boat shopping is half the fun of boating!

Good luck,

Matt (Tortuga)
 
We (wife, daughter -10yrs old at the time, and myself), started out with the 16' cruiser and loved it. However we knew in short order that it was too small for overnight trips (although we did some, but packed gear to camp on the beach). Within 5 years we made the move to the 22' and it works well for us. Now that daughter is graduating from high school (durn, those bratlets sure do grow up fast... :cry ) in a few days, she still goes out with us and last summer her boyfriend joined us on the boat for overnighters. (He slept on the floor in the cabin.....you know the drill.....keep the boyfriend under dad's boot at all times... :mrgreen: LOL). Anyway it was doable and he loves going out on the boat....even if our daughter isn't with us!

So, what does all of the above mean.....if your family enjoys boating as much as ours, just know that whether you do it now or later, you'll be in a 22' or larger.
 
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