Is a C-Dory the right boat for me?

JeffK":2s41w3y2 said:
This is great intel for this potential C-Dory buyer. I live in the Lower Florida Keys. When running in the Back Country (Gulf of Mexico side) the water depth can change from deep channels to a foot or less in a nano second. The CD's shallow draft could be a great benefit. I used to work on the National Park Service resupply ship and know the Dry Tortugas area intimately. The C-Dory's low fuel consumption may be what I need to get me out there again, and back. It is a 70-mile run from Key West. There is no fuel to be had out there. I need a boat with long legs. The area west of Tortugas is some of the most spectacular diving and spear fishing in the world. I long to dive there again. I'm sold on the idea of buying a C-Dory. Is the CD-22 the most fuel efficient of them all?
Click to expand...
"Long Legs" is not necessarily a C-Dory strength. Though fuel efficiency is great, about 6 nmpg near hull speed, and about 3 on slow plane for my '22, it only holds about 50 gallons. Key West to Dry Tortugas park is about 70 statute miles, so, you would barely have enough fuel to get there and back on efficient plane. I try and work off of "1/3 there, 1/3 back and 1/3 in reserve", so if you follow this, Dry Tortugas are out unless you slow cruise out or carry extra fuel. A '25 or Tomcat might be a more reasonable option. This might be a good place to discuss options for how people carry extra fuel. I rigged my boat so that the gas from the main tanks is detachable, and I usually run with a 12-gallon portable tank unless I take a long trip and fill the main tanks. Though available, fuel is extremely expensive dockside, and I try and avoid it where I can. I've been thinking of something more substantial like an ATL bladder tank....

http://atlinc.com/custom-fuelocker-mari ... dders.html

for long trips, but don't have any experience with them. Anybody else care to comment? These are gasoline motors, and carrying a lot of gasoline needs to be done carefully.
 
Welcome. This is an old thread butvit is still pertenant.

You are onto something here. I've had my 22 Cruiser, with twin 40 Yamis, for 15 years and love it. It is pretty fuel efficient for sure, and can even be moreso when running with a single 40 down, and SLOW cruising, (3-5 kn). Is that more fuel efficient than running a 16? Probably not, but there are significant differences: an enclosed cabin, better seakeeping, more stable, and reasonable comfort for 2 for living and sleeping, plus a galley.

The choice would be yours obviously. It's a personal decision based on preferences. And on your research. This is a great place to learn about C-Dorys. Have at it. We'll see you around.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
"Right boat" for you? IMHO, there is no right boat. There is no "best" boat.

Consider, boat ownership is relative to what you want to do, when you want to do
it and your own capabilities. If you want to boat "all the time", you'll need several
boats for various weather conditions. Ex: you would not want a sailbote in very
light or no wind conditions. You would not want a small powerboat in violent sea
states with heavy wind and spray (or any other boat, except maybe a large sailboat
which you most likely cannot handle or afford).

I've brainstormed this some and concluded that, to be "happy" (also a relative term),
I would need 4 boats:
(1) a small powerboat for short trips in good weather,
(2) a small sailboat for excitement on the water when the wind is up,
(3) a large sailboat for long distance cruises and safety at sea and
(4) a large powerboat to get kudos, show off some, party for guests watching the
sunset and satisfy my ego that, yes, I've really made it.

Yup. That works for me. But not for everyone and that is my point.

What's good for the goose is not necessarily good for the gander.

Aye.
Grandpa used to say, "Be your own man. Do your own thing."
 
I have used bladder tanks--for the most part they are great--until they leak. I had one leak after about 3 years. Fortunately it was diesel, and I had a "midnight diesel' sale in the Canary Islands. Half price--pumped into your container!

For the Dry Tortugas, and other back country exploring, I would fit an extra tank. There are some boats which have had custom tanks made, to replace the factory tanks, and up to close to 100 gallons total.. Another option is saddle tanks up under the deck on each side. 20 gallons each--or even 10 gallons each would give the reserve you need.
 
It's a shame this thread isn't kept fresher. Since the thread's 2010 origins, I'll bet there are many more C-Dory owners who have had experience in the challenging boat conditions and have something to contribute. Having started our boating lives out of Santa Barbara, Bratwurst's original question generated the kind of discussion I hoped to find here. I'll confess, however, I'm not terribly convinced a 22 or 26 flat-bottomed dory hull form is a preferred choice for those waters, altho' some owners back then seem very pleased with their choice.

I much appreciated the last (2022) posts about taking a C-Dory out to the Dry Tortugas since I'm now based in SW Florida. I would have thought a light displacement, flat bottom planing hull wouldn't have the range limitations it apparently does. Surprisingly, I haven't (yet) found comments from C-Dory owners who have taken their C-Dorys over to Bimini and the Berry's from FL's east coast. That Bimini run is so frequently done, I would have thought it a likely route some owners have run. Can anyone here speak to that?

Finally, there is a pair of new kids on the block: Beneteau's smaller Antares models and Jeanneau's 695/795 models, almost identical twins in the 23' to 26' range and therefore broadly similar to the C-Dory. Can anyone speak to their pros & cons vs. a C-Dory? Insofar as the intended market, size & layout and cost vs. age, they appear to have become a very popular, latter day C-Dory alternative.
 
To address your complaint that the thread is not kept up: There are multiple new threads, and someone new has a question (at least once a week) and a new thread is started. The new guy does not have to dredge thru 10 pages and a hundred posts to get the information they want.

As a guy who has several hundred thousand miles at sea, and has skippered sailboats for over 70 years, I have also owned power boats. :lol: If I want a power boat which will handle the most you can take, then go with with a deep V. Bertam,Condtender Regulator or a multihull like an Invincible. . (There are limitations on the Tom Cat, because the tunnel height should be higher.). I sailed out of Long Beach, Calif. for about 50 years, including numerous trips to the upper Channel Islands. To use a C Dory there, pick the weather. I commuted to Catalina from Huntington harbor a couple of weeks during a summer (45' racer cruiser on a mooring with wife and kids aboard.) I had a Ray Hunt deep V design. I could run to HH in the flat seas in the morning at 40 knots. Coming back in the late afternoon, I went up to the LA gap in the breakwater, and then under the lee of Pt. Firman to get a better angle for the rough trip across the channel which took 2 1/2 hours! Just keeping the boat on a plane so I didn't get beat up to badly with a lot of helm and throttle work.

You might look at the Ranger tugs, or Cutwaters. A friend of mine just bought one of the Ranger Tug 29, inboard, but Mystery Woman is a Ranger 23 outboard boat and it does better into the chop.

Yes, some C Dorys have gone to the Bahamas. But pick the day. If you know the conditions between S. Florida and the Bahamas, you know that there are weeks when even a provern offshore boat will not make a comfortable passage. The C Dorys are not necessarily rough water boat, especially into steep chop. Down wind and seas, I'll put one of the 25s or 26's up with many other seaworthy boats. Going into chop, then you will put the bow down (trim tabs and Permatrim foil), and slow down. You will make the passage safely, but it will probably be wet.

The best example I had running down seas, was running South in Johnstone Strait (between East side of Vancouver Island and the general area of the Broughton Islands.) in 50 knots of wind against a flood tide. Bigger boats were not moving, but with helm and throttle responses, we had a safe run of about 20 miles.

I have sailed to the Bahamas, but not with a C Dory. I had no desire to. I could have gone; probably put a 12volt water maker aboard. I would suggest you try and get a ride on a C Dory on a rough day and see for your self.

As far as the Antares--I have never driven one, but it is a deep V, and will require more HP. (250 vs 150) This equates to more fuel use, but the boat probably runs better into chop. The windshield does not open--a disadvantage in fL., unless you put in AC. (Generator/inverter?? Li batteries)

The Jeanneau's 695/795 have some similar characteristics as the Antares. I don't like the sun roof, but I see its points. No opening windshield. Sliding door--plus and minus--great for locks, but I prefer a window that opens, rather than a sliding door. Personal opinion. I wonder about the bunk in the 795-encroach by the head?? Also nice wider side decks, at the expense of the beam in the pilothouse.

Draft is 3' ; more power going to be a better ride. Lots of gimmicks with sliding out seats and tables...these sort of things can get broken in rough weather, if some one gives them a body slam....

Beam is 9.25 feet, which means a wide load permit. I believe for this amount of wide load you still need the separate Monroe county permit. The rest of the state is not big deal, a yearly permit is cheap. A lot of Florida's roads in the country tend to be narrow, with trees overhanging, that can be an issue. (I have only trailered one 9'6" beam boat in Florida and I found narrow roads were a bit of a problem).

Good hunting--C Dorys are not every ones boat. I loved them, but understood the limitations. During a month in AK on our first 25, we only had one day we could not move because of weather. That day, even the 80 footers were not moving. There were times we would tuck in behind a larger fishing boat and ride the smooth water there, as the fishing boat proceeded at 6 knots or so.
 
Thanks for your comments, Bob, I enjoyed reading them. In my mind, they make the point that it's not usually the boat nearly so much as the seaman. And please understand: My comment about this languishing thread was an observation, not a complaint. If it would have been twice as long, I just would have found it even more helpful.

I failed to make this point earlier but my main conflict when choosing the next boat is the diversity of its uses. For the sandbar beaching, protected ICW runs and skinny water trips so common here in SW Florida, a C-Dory's shallow belly seems ideal. A C-Dory should also be capable of longer outside coastal runs, crossing Florida Bay and slipping over to Bimini and, being selective with the weather, also fairly comfortable. The snag is that I will need to get back when conditions are 'do-able' but not ideal, as that's part of my domestic agreement now that my Mate won't be joining me. That's when the smaller Antares & Jeanneau hulls serve their purpose. With aircraft and boats, I've always tried to define the mission first, then choose the magic carpet. This time the mission is a bit more varied and I confess to being a bit stymied.
 
Jack,

The design brief is a safe, protected, economical, comfortable outboard trailer boat that can be towed anywhere in the continent 24/7 WITHOUT A PERMIT. Therefore it must fit within the federal 8.5 foot beam and 13.5 ft height on the trailer. We trailer to upstate NY in under three easy 500 mile days at 62MPH, but we pass through parts of eight different states. Any oversize boat must obtain a permit from EACH DOT FOR EACH STATE. NY to Fort Myers is $900 in state DOT fees one way for a Ranger 29 in 2022. In FL you won’t get your permit until three days after you pay for it, it’s only valid for ten days following a prescribed route, and there are two FL counties we’ve never heard of that you can’t tow through. Multiply that by eight, rinse and repeat, then add the fact that if you think your own state DOT is not always instantly helpful with your urgent requests, it will be worse when you’re not even a voter in that state.

We’ve found the C-Dory Tom Cat TC255 to be the almost perfect trailer boat for a cruising couple for the past ten years. It has the best berth in class, a bigger than queen size rectangle rather than a V-shape. It’s stable like a barge at rest, and rides through the slop like a locomotive on rails while getting somewhat better gas mileage. We never go out in Small Craft Advisory conditions, but if they pop up we know we can get home safely. Last month we circumnavigated all of FL in 1,300 water miles over 35 days including to the Keys and a 125 mile open Gulf leg one day and 143 miles across the Gulf Big Bend the next day mostly at over 25 MPH. We have no current interest in Bimini…pick your weather and don’t cross the Gulf Stream if there is any North wind. I agree with Bob that the TC255 would do better in over true two foot seas, SCA and Gale Warning conditions if the bridge deck were higher. However, with a Coleman rooftop AC (needed in FL) and radar, we must fold over the anchor light because it exceeds the 13.5 hgt limit on the trailer, and you might want a SUP up there as well. Bob’s mod l would require less cabin headroom, or some other compromise we six-footers would not like at all. Note he also wrote it three times: Pick your weather in a C-Dory. You’ll have more picking in a TC255 than in any other. Our No-Go criteria in open waters is true seas over two feet (by definition every 100th wave will be over four feet), winds over 15 MPH sustained or gusts over 22 MPH. The boat won’t break, but your bones might. Even worse, you might need the wipers.

We get at least 2.0 MPG combined with twin Yamaha F150’s with 150g of gas for a range over 270 miles with a 10% reserve. That’s way more than needed for the longest leg on the Great Loop. BOATTEST.COM WOT was 47 MPH. We get over 11 MPG towing with a 4WD diesel F250. No non oversize trailer boats under 25 feet have an enclosed head (most also have a hand shower) if that’s important to you or the Admiral. The Ranger current 23 does, but her LOA exceeds 28 feet.

On a typical flat calm day the TC255 is much more boat than you need. A pontoon boat or jet ski will do. Other CONS: You will need an $80,000 truck and a $17,000 EOH trailer. One sold at the 2023 Seattle boat show for $289,000 with joysticks (totally un-needed) with no trailer. 150g of gas weighs over 900 pounds and affects handling on a 26 foot boat, so don’t cart it around if you don’t need a 270 mile range that day.

PM me if you have other questions, would like to talk by phone, or would like to drive up to inspect Cat O’ Mine.

DSC03650.sized.jpg

Hope this is useful.

John
 
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