Looking for advice/suggestions

Castaway, I think for sure you should take Tom up on his and go look at a 22. The big difference in the Angler and the Cruiser, is of course the size of the cabin. If you're gonna have 4-5 adults on board and want/need to get out of the weather and/or stay warm, the Cruiser is the better choice. If it's gonna be two of you most of the time, and you fish, then the Angler is the boat for you!

I can't stress enough (and you seem to have to grasped the efficacy of the issue) the power for the boat. For sure get a fuel injected engine, not one with carbs. Nothing wrong with them of course, but it would help if you were an outboard mechanic.

Not sure you're going to fit in here though, most of us don't know what those big fancy words mean... :disgust

Just kidding of course, you're very welcome, good to have you aboard!

Charlie
 
Tom,

That's a very sporting offer of you and we'll probably take you up on it around month end.

Are you going to the Nanaimo CBGT? We probably cannot get our truck off island until around month end, but we are thinking that if we do so at about that time, we might just go down island to have a gander at a flotilla of C-Dorys. We have a fuel tank waiting for us in Nanaimo, and with luck, we can time our pickup to allow us to partake of the CBGT.
 
Well now Charlie, I may have the vocab, but man, you've got turbofingers on the keyboard. I was in the process of typing a reply to Tom, and you squeezed in there ahead of me!

Thanks for the tip about fuel injection and further thoughts on Angler v. Cruiser. I suppose I'll have to wait to seem them in the flesh, so to speak, in order to be sure. I am already guessing that my wife will have some input when she sees 'em. For my part, I am guessing I'd be a happy camper in either.

As for power, I suppose in there's a lot to be said for a twin setup. But that comes at a higher cost, including somewhat increased fuel cost I would imagine. If I had a single as main power, then I would certainly be looking at a small auxiliary motor. It could serve both for trolling and, in a pinch, if the main engine quits.

I recall being out on Georgian Bay in Ontario one time as a kid. Still fishing for bass on a shoal, but well out in the open. We were with one of my dad's colleagues in his boat. A storm came up and we decided it was time to run for home. The boat was a 20-foot mahogany lapstrake, built by Grew in Penetang. Nice boats. We had one too for a long time. Anyway, this one had a Merc 800 outboard on it, back in the days when the name "Kiekhaeffer Mercury" was emblazoned on the cowl. As the storm descended, the engine roared to life and, once in gear, lots of roar, but no movement. Took us awhile to realize it it somehow thrown the prop. No spare in the tackle box. We survived, but backup power would have been nice.
 
New Insightful Prop Pitch vs HP Formula: (Too bad DogOnDan ain't here for this one!)


Big Merc 800 x ( 6 cylinders) x three carburetors x lotsa' rpms x ZERO (no prop)= Spinnin' Yer Wheel(s)= 00.00 mph!=SOL*

*=Short On Luck!

Joe. :lol: :thup
 
Come on down Island on the BC Day long weekend to our gathering. There are going to be every kind of C-Dory made I believe showing up, except a 29 so far.
You can look and talk to a bunch of fun freindly folks and get involved.
My wife and I have a 19 now and when I can get my mate to sell the condo we'll get a 22 cruiser and a nice little rv and tour the continent like Bill and El.
See you there, George
 
Captains Cat":u9btuyj1 said:
Castaway, I think for sure you should take Tom up on his and go look at a 22. The big difference in the Angler and the Cruiser, is of course the size of the cabin. If you're gonna have 4-5 adults on board and want/need to get out of the weather and/or stay warm, the Cruiser is the better choice. If it's gonna be two of you most of the time, and you fish, then the Angler is the boat for you!

I can't stress enough (and you seem to have to grasped the efficacy of the issue) the power for the boat. For sure get a fuel injected engine, not one with carbs. Nothing wrong with them of course, but it would help if you were an outboard mechanic.

Not sure you're going to fit in here though, most of us don't know what those big fancy words mean... :disgust

Just kidding of course, you're very welcome, good to have you aboard!

Charlie

I have to rise again to the defense of the 16. The 22 cruiser and the 19 angler have almost identical (fishing) cockpit sizes. They are about 50% larger than the 16 cruiser that I just sold. On said 16 cruiser, I ran dual outriggers, a crab pot puller, or two sturgeon lines with very few tangles or snags. We caught a LOT of fish and crab in that boat. My point is that if the 16 (cruiser, no less, with the smallest of all cockpits!) can handle serious fishing, the 22 cruiser will also. Being in the 19 angler is, for me, like being on a dance floor. I say that with a little thought, you will easily accommodate what you need to on the 22 cruiser, fisherman or not. Charlie's point about how many people is well taken; also the other comments about buying a bigger boat than you think you need. With our little 16, we thought it would just be me and occasionally the family. Every single person who visits us wants to go out for crab, salmon, sturgeon, etc. and so we have had many trips with 3-4 adults in the 16! Although you might think you'll only have two of you, I bet you'll be surprised how many people are drawn to the Dory. The cruiser isn't "just" more cabin space. It is a third seat, an extra bed, a stove or stove/heater, fresh water, cabinets, etc. It is a dramatic upgrade. There is plenty of fishing space in the 22 cruiser, unless you're wanting to run charters or something.

As I said previously, were it not for wanting to have my boat in my garage, and needing the open back, I wouldn't hesitate to buy the 22 cruiser right now. And I rather imagine that in a few years, when the kids are better able to tolerate cruising overnight, we'll probably buy one then.

Regarding motors, there are also some really reliable carburetted motors out there, i.e. Hondas. Service them every 100 hours and they will not let you down. Sure, fuel injection would be the first choice if you're buying new, but I just sold a 2005 Honda, and just bought a 2004 Honda, and both are supremely reliable and I would take them anywhere.

Regarding the used vs. new question, I have been able to find what I consider to be incredible deals on my two Dorys. It's like buying a two-year-old car with 30,000 miles on it--someone else has taken the big depreciation hit, and proofed all the systems. You get the best of the boat at a bargain price. My 19 is a great example--I was about to pull the trigger on a new 2009 19 angler, and the 2004 with 100 hours on it is costing me exactly $14,000 less than the 2009! I can do a lot of minor maintenance for $14K. When I bought my 2005 16 in 2007, I paid $15K for it with 18 hours on it, and it had been purchased for $26K in 2005. I have added a few things (downriggers, electronics, pot puller), but when I listed it last week for $15,900 (with 196 hours and good maintenance), I had people beating down the door. My point is that with a little patience and willingness to drive, you can find a really good price on a near-new boat. Both of my boats have been bought in California and trailered up to Seattle.

Someone is always needing out, as witnessed by my two classic mini coopers that I can't GIVE away right now! :)

I hope to attend the CDGT that is mentioned above--would love to meet some people and hang out!

All the best, sorry for the long post. Gotta love this community and the experience and passion here!

bmc
 
Castaway,

Plenty much palaver for ya to sort through. I'll keep it real short.
Take Tom's offer to see his boat (maybe he'll give you a ride!).
If you can make it to the big gathering, do that as well.

I'll bet you end up with a 22.

Good Luck.

Capt Dan
 
I, too bet you'll end up with a 22 Cruiser. Having the bigger cabin is nice to get both people and cargo out of the weather. As for fishing, the cruiser has plenty of room for two people...three is do-able, although for a dedicated fishing rig, the angler is better.

Hopefully, you can catch a ride and get a feel if it is the boat for you. As you can see, the folks around here love our boats.

Rick
 
Hi Castaway, I am my mother's son. She is one of the most direct and serious toned person I have ever met. She can tell you that she is glad to see you and can leave you wondering what you did wrong. Sometimes that just comes through.

Thanks for the answers to my questions. I am with the group. Go for the CBGT and make sure that you look at the 16 and both 22's before you pull the trigger on your 22 Cruiser. How's that for a direct, subliminal message? But seriously, you have the luxury of time to make sure that you make the right choice.
 
Avoid incrementalism, go directly to the 22 and be done with it.
There is a reason this boat has been their best seller. Also there are more pre-owned 22's to chose from.
We understand your budget issues. Be patient, continue your research and good luck.

Yes, I am an unapologetic, opinionated 22 Cruiser owner.
 
Hi Castaway,
Welcome to C-Doryness. A lot of Brats have spoken about 3-foot-itis and other ailments. From the point of view of sailboats in these size ranges (say 16-25 feet,) I think that an increase of three feet will give you about twice the boat. I think the same holds true for the C-Dorys. I have a 22 cruiser that I keep at Thieves' Bay, Pender Island, and it is well suited to these waters. I avoid high winds, and so far have been successful here. However, I have been caught out in some terrible seas in Florida (much of it due to extremely shallow water, and the waves that can be generated there) and the boat was never a cause for concern. I would suggest that you install overhead internal hand rails, if you end up with a boat that has standing headroom, because that flat bottom can pitch the boat around pretty fast. Around here in the summer time, most of the fast pitching comes from wakes generated by tourist mega-yachts going somewhere in a hurry. All the best in your search. Rod
 
I must say I am delighted - or "tickled pink" as my daddy was wont to say - with all the really thoughtful responses received. Thank you, thank you, one and all! Lots of palaver to mull over, as Fishhawk says. I am now thinking the 22 Cruiser is probably the way to go.

Some have suggested that the course of prudence is to hold fire until I have actually seen, and maybe experienced riding in, a few different C-Dorys. I have to comment that such was not the advice of 416rigby. That handle suggests that master rigby is a straight shooter who, like milehog, sees no practical utility in incrementalism (good word, that) and will shoot straight for the 22. With no .416 Rigby to hand, I might have to do my shooting with a .500 Nitro Express. The honest advice of those two and all the rest of you is welcome indeed! I am more than mildly impressed by how willing folks on this forum are to share their experience with someone they don't know from a hole in the ocean. It appears that C-Brats are a special breed.

It also seems that I'm gonna have to be prepared to travel in pursuit of my quarry. I guess I can handle that. If I have to go to California or Alaska, I'll pull it off. Part of the adventure of becoming a C-Dory owner, I reckon.

For now, time to get on with life here on our rock. The sun is shining brilliantly on our solar panels and a light NW wind is cranking our wind turbine. Praise be! That means we have surplus electricity today to go beyond the mundane. We can fire up the clothes washer, the central vacuum and other power hogs that must otherwise lie dormant. All will be squeaky clean by day's end.

On days like this, we have enuff juice that I am thinking of constituting us the local utility. "Surge Narrows Power & Light" has a nice ring to it, don't ya' think? We might even export some bulk power to the U.S. All the excess kilowatts gets one thinking about an electric C-Dory. Anyone remember the Edison Electric Packet? The "22-Cruiser Electric" sounds catchy. Reminiscent of the Buick Electra. It might have to pull a small barge to carry the batteries it will need. I'll need to time to work out wrinkles like that.

OK, I'm off to do a little rock drilling project that won't involve fueling up the generator. If I sit here too long, the sun might duck behind a cloud, the wind might abate, and my electric high will become a bust.
 
Castaway,

Here's something to consider for your 'electric' C-Dory... http://www.ecyclemarine.com/

Now, if I could only figure out a practical way to run that little Kubota diesel generator on waste vegetable oil... A closed cooling system is beyond my experience base.

Tom Herrick
 
Rod, thank you also for your input. Your message was posted as I was writing the above entry.

I too was a Penderite for many years. I know what you mean about the tourist boats in a hurry. That's one reason I moved north. I must say I find it remarkable how few make it up here. Actually, I think many venture this far north, and well beyond, but we are not on a favored route (shucks!). My guess is that most of the boat traffic either makes its way up Discovery Passage, past Campbell River, or passes east of us and into Desolation Sound.

We look out onto Sutil Channel, east to Cortes Is. and the mainland mountains. Today is a gorgeous summer day, in high summer. It's the weekend. Not a boat in sight. Yesterday was like that. I know tomorrow will be no different. When we were on Pender - at the confluence of Swanson, Trincomalli and Navy Channels, with Active Pass off to our right - we could have walked on fibreglass to Prevost, Galiano or Mayne Islands on just about any summer day. On weekends, probably a million dollars worth of boat per minute went by.

I don't know how things look there now, with the "global crisis". In the years I spent on Pender, the boats that went by our door got bigger and more luxurious. We used to joke in the 70s at the dinghies under tow. Most were just that, dinky little things. As time passed, you'd see more Boston Whalers in tow, or on davits or some such thing, on boats that were increasingly substantial. We thought that was pretty hoity-toity. But the 80s saw the advent of the mega-yachts, complete with helicopters on board. My guess is that a lot of those people remain blissfully unaffected by the economic woes that have caused the rest of us to feel the lash.

Anyway, time to go drill some granite.
 
Hello Castaway

Just wanted to say thanks I have really enjoyed your posts of life on Read Island
My family usually spends a week or so every summer at Rebecca spit
boating all around your neck of the woods (but not this year ) :sad
I read from your post you built a new home last year wow thats great what a place to live
are you just beyond Evan's bay ?
well again thanks and no matter what boat you decide on I hope you stop in once in a while just to let us know whats happening on that beautiful island you call home
 
Blackfish,

Rebecca Spit is definitely within striking range of where we are. We not as far north as Evans Bay. We are at the south entrance to Burdwood Bay, at least that's where we built our house. We wanted a good bit of buffer around us, so our lot extends south, almost to Twin Bay. Our nearest neighbor to the south is at Twin Bay, about a mile away. Our next nearest neighbor is almost a mile to the north, although there is a cabin at the bottom of Burdwood Bay, half a mile north of us. It is occupied only about 2 weeks out of the year.
 
Charlie,

With no phone lines or anything of that nature, we have satellite. It cost us about $300 for the equipment and $300 for installation, plus transportation for the installer from Campbell River. Then it's $55/mo. (including, of course, a gov't tax grab of 5 bucks a month). You politely avoided asking the cost, but I am sure some here will be curious, hence I have volunteered.

It is provided by an outfit called Xplornet. They tout it as 12.5 times faster than dialup. Well, I have lived with dialup in a few countries, and this ain't no 12.5 times faster. Not even .5 times faster. I'd say they are tied for being equally pedestrian. You can read about it, inter alia, on the site of the guys who set me up: www.quinsam.ca. Let me say that I have no quarrel with Quinsam. They seem pretty decent, and they are not the originators of the preposterous claims about speed. They perpetuate same, but I suspect they have no choice.

You'll notice on the Quinsam site that if you pledge to pay Explornet a lot more money, they undertake to accelerate you up to 25x and even 37.5x the speed of dialup. So they say. Given what I am getting for my $55, I have little interest in doubling or tripling my monthly outlay to pursue some goal of blinding speed, which I am sure is more illusory than real. The promise of those speeds is, I dare say, what a student of contract law would characterize as "mere puffery".
 
Thanks, probably the same as Hughes Net here. I've got that for backup as I work from home and the company pays for it. :) I use a wireless network, local, as my primary. It's about 1.5MBS while the Hughes Net is only about half of that. Still, either is way better than dialup. I remember 300baud modems still.... :disgust

I've found when using the slower methods, it leaves a lot of time to go get a beer or get rid of one! :lol:

Again, I envy you, your situation! Although I don't think my bride would accompany me on such an excursion!

Charlie
 
Back
Top