New construction method?

Hi all,
I often get nice comments from folks on my boat, as I'm sure other owners do. If somebody wants to come aboard I give them the 50 cent tour, which on an old Classic is pretty short as there isn't much to see. One of the features I always point out is the deck joint. I have them look at the joint then tell them to go look at the joint on their boat, if they can even see it. I've seen some sick looks on the faces of experienced boaters. Poorly constructed leaking deck joints are one of the biggest problems with boats. I like the old style joint.

Just my opinion.

Mike
 
C-Cakes!!! why the hard feelings??? The man is just being honest. I wanted a C-Dory for a quite a few years now but not anymore.. (and yes I am a boat owner) In my opinion the quality of the boat is slipping. I am not about to spend $60,000+ for one of these boats when they are having so many issues. I would love to own a C-dory... they are beautiful boats!! The fact is they are not the boats they once were. I was about to put a down payment at the last boat show but I just couldn't do it.
I am sure I will get all kinds of responses off this but I can't be the only one that feels this way...... nuff said.
 
maxone2003,

Welcome to the site.

I see that you are fairly new member, comtemplating a C-Dory.

If you check this thread, Barry of the boat C-cakes was responding to erehwonunderground's post. That was over a year ago in Jan 2007. Whoever 'erehwonunderground' is, they have only posted twice, both times about hull construction, both posts in early 2007. While we all have opinions, I too, wonder about the reasons erehwonunderground joined and why he or she has not participated since.

I know Barry and trust his opinions.

I would suggest that if you are concerned about the new factory's construction, consider buying a pre 2000 boat and re-powering or refurbishing. I owned my 1991 22 cruiser(built at the old factory) for 15 years and had zero hull problems.

Wishing you good luck in your boat search!!
 
If the shoe box joint is fitted properly, bedded properly and secured properly it is a superb construction technique. If, the boats have both the shoe box, and then is glassed over on the inside, this is a very good and strong technique. If the glassing over has been eliminated, then I would be concerned, but it still can be a fine construction. In some of the boats, the rivets which only hold the rub rail in place have been either puttied or epoxied over (in my 22 the material was hard, and I assumed it was epoxy).

I just double checked my 2006 Tom Cat. There are rivets about every 3 to 4 " and there is at least several layers of mat and tape over this joint, including the rivets. What may be different is the amount of glass on the inside. I cannot tell if it is a shoe box, but it does not appear to be.

As for the hulls being kept in the mold--it is always a good idea to let the boats cure longer in a mold. Definately the contour will not change, but I doubt if both the hull and deck were in molds--there would not be access to the interior. As long as the hull and deck match, the boat out of the mold is satisfactory.
 
Bob,

I was at the factory party in Jan 08 and looked at a Tom Cat in production. The hull was being rigged with electricals, steering, tanks and so on. The deck/cabin was nearby but not mounted to the hull.
 
I see alot of questioning potential buyers in this thread and I wonder why? I too am a potential buyer and I love this site. I take offence to being called a wantabe. I am an experienced boater and really like the C-Dories. I have been following many threads on this site about construction , certain problems etc. with great interest. I thought I would see a little more compassion from fellow boaters. Rant finished.
 
CM,

All the posts but two on this thread (not counting yours) were made by C-Dory owners, not prospective buyers. The only reference to wannabe was made by Barry and it was a question to 'erehwonunderground' in Jan 2007 asking if he was like Barry was before Barry bought a C-Dory!

Quote
"Do you have a C-Dory or are you, like I was for a year before I got C-Cakes, a wannabe simply trying to learn from the site? "

Larry H
 
Coal Miner":1uar4p3b said:
I see alot of questioning potential buyers in this thread and I wonder why? I too am a potential buyer and I love this site. I take offence to being called a wantabe. I am an experienced boater and really like the C-Dories. I have been following many threads on this site about construction , certain problems etc. with great interest. I thought I would see a little more compassion from fellow boaters. Rant finished.
Click to expand...

I'm sure you have observed several personalities on this site. It's also natural for owners to be upset about the realization and for some even the discussion of problems. This no doubt comes out in some posts.

You are doing exactly what you should be doing - research. It was from reading this site and speaking with the dealers and members that I learned about what to look for in my purchasing process. There are many boat owners who do not do this due diligence and discover problems as time goes on. I have no issue talking about the problems, it's the only way we learn about them and learn how to fix them. It's ultimately how the manufacturer learns about the problems as well.

Even knowing about some of the QC problems I still went through with my purchase. Anything that can be built can be fixed or replaced. The Tomcat was the best boat for my needs based on my extensive research spanning several months. I love the way it looks, the available systems and convenience, the space, the ride (based on my few sea trials), etc.

The boat has not been delivered yet (maybe this Sat) but that is for another thread.
 
Coal Miner":2erzxqxp said:
I too am a potential buyer and I love this site. I take offence to being called a wantabe.
Click to expand...

There's no need for you to take any offense at this - you are misunderstanding how it is used around here.

It's a term of endearment, and is quite often used by the wannabe's themselves. It implies nothing other than one wants a C-Dory - which is a good thing. I can state with near 100% certainty, that nobody here uses it in a derogatory manner.

We love wannabe's - the more we can drag into our cult, the better.
 
I'm proud to be a wannabe. My next boat will most likely be a 22 Angler, most likely used. I really enjoy hearing the good and bad, I'm here mainly to listen and learn. It's takes the good and the bad to learn and gain knowledge.

I imagine I'm like most wannabes, with a lot of boating experience and experiences that I will share when relevant. I have the utmost respect for the members here, happy that I am allowed to be part of it, and I want to hear the shit also. Every boat has it's issues, know about them, anticipating the problems and having solutions makes this a richer experience.

Call me a wannabe all you want, I even call myself that (my screen name), proudly.
 
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