Ok, let have some fun

C

cattlejack

Member
I'm troubled deciding between the better of the two. 22 or 25
So, C brats, chime in to convince me of one or the other.
It's a boring Sunday here in Maryland, so lets chat
Thanks
 
OK, JamesTSX is prejudiced, since he owned a 25. But there are real differences.

First the 22 is lighter by about 3000# when you fill it up with cruising stuff and thus, is easier to tow at 5000#. It's cheaper and that includes the motor, because it's a 110 hp or so. And it's a good fishing platform. But it uses a porti-potti in the v-berth.

That said, the 25 has a self-contained head. Judy said she's not going back to sharing a potty in the v-berth, or any where else, except in the head. So, we have a 25. And also an 8000# tow weight, a refridg for the beer, a 150 hp motor (and that's looking small these days), less v-berth depth, a windlass, trim tabs as stock and more space.

Your choice.

Boris
 
My decision was driven mostly by what I could tow. The 25 has more creature comforts (primarily the head), but would have also required a new tow vehicle to haul it around. Since we live some distance from suitable boating locations, being able to easily tow was a requirement.
 
My Two Cents....with popcorn:
If you can pull the additional weight, are ok with paying more up front and don't mind burning a little more gas, the 25 is very nice as it has more room and the separate head. If you are thinking at all about the 25 best go that direction now as opposed to buying the 22 and upgrading to a 25 later perhaps. An upgrade to a larger boat later adds a lot of expense.

All that said, the 22 can easily enjoy the same waters as the 25 for two people if they are comfortable with the smaller package. We put a fabric Pontoon Boat hanging porta potty enclosure by Taylor in the cockpit. It velcros to the bimini top supports. So we have a separate head on the 22....you just can't lean against the "walls"! I can pull the 22 with a larger SUV rather than a pickup so that was a consideration for us as well.

The 22 and 25 have both made their way to Alaska and around Vancouver Island. The boats will do it but what is most important is what is comfortable for you.

Lots of ways to make it work. They are both good boats and it is completely a matter of economics and preference IMHO.

Good luck with the decision! And have a blast with whatever you buy!
 
cattlejack":vgc7egqh said:
I'm troubled deciding between the better of the two. 22 or 25
So, C brats, chime in to convince me of one or the other.
It's a boring Sunday here in Maryland, so lets chat
Thanks
Click to expand...

While Jim is making popcorn, I’ll stir the pot a bit. Do you want twin engines, or a single with kicker?
 
Prejudiced? :lol: Well, that is not the word I would use. Try: preference based on our needs.

I have to chuckle a bit when these threads come up, because it happens so often. Here is something I wrote just two days ago on the towing weight thread:

Also for the record, the 25 is a lot more boat than a 22 with an enclosed head. Besides the discussed weight difference, there is more beam, more height, more storage, more amenities (most 25s have a 30 amp electrical system, fridge, water heater, etc). With the 25 being a ton or more heavier than the 22, the ride will also be different.
Click to expand...

There are Brats here who have owned both models, and as I have said MANY times: both are great boats. (See: no prejudice.) The smart choice is the boat that is just enough. While the two boats look similar in photos, they are very different in size, interior volume, cockpit space, amenities, towing weight, power needed to efficiently run the boat, and cost.

It has been tossed around here that "the 25 is a 22 with a $30k enclosed head." Not even close. But, if you are going to spend time on the boat, let's talk about that enclosed head... would you rent a motel room that only had a porta-potty and no shower? Most people wouldn't. Yes, many marinas have showers, but a lot of us like time at anchor, too. Like others here, I have hosed off on the swim step, but there are times that a private shower is just what you need. And, a private place to "take care of potty business," too.

All that said, the biggest advantage for our extended time aboard (up to 6 months at a time) was the ability to get by each other in the boat. Think that doesn't matter? Try blocking your significant other from getting through a doorway and see how long you both keep a sunny disposition. 8)

The V-berth is bigger. The boat is heavier and takes the chop with less fuss. Hot and cold running water for washing dishes (as well as bodies). A fridge (I don't care to do that "hunt for ice"). Room in the cockpit for 4, with the built-in cockpit seats (we've had as many as 7 in the cockpit, at the dock).

The trade-off for that size and comfort is expense (a truism is all things boating). More motor. More gas. A more capable tow vehicle. I don't see much difference in launching/retrieving (Joan could, and did, single-hand our boat onto the trailer and put it into storage when I was away for a family emergency).

One isn't better than the other. Bill and El were content with their 22. No way we could have done that. We joked with them about their minimalism and our need for space and amenities. We each had the right boat.

So, yeah, the premise of this thread has been covered SO MANY times here. I'd suggest to CattleJack to get himself to a C-Brat gathering and see how people are using their choice of boat. Read through the many 22 vs 25 threads here to get beyond those Sunday boring times. Another discussion probably won't "convince" anyone until you can see these boats in person.

In 2005, when we first began the search for an enclosed helm powercruiser, we did the same "which one" discussions. Going to the 2006 Seattle Boat Show (a bit of a jaunt from Texas) made it clear to us which one would work the best for our usage. I went to that show with the plan of buying a 22. We went back and forth between the 22 and the 25 on display. Visited a couple (Jim & Lori) who had owned both.

Good luck with the decisions.
Jim (or as some call me: unprejudiced, but not un-opinioned, Jim) :wink:
 
I loved my 22 but when I went back to sailing and paid for moorage, I think just doing the same thing but with a 25 would have been a better move. The 25 is a lot more boat in a lot of ways. When we went from the 16 to the 22 it made a huge difference in comfort and possibilities and I am sure the next step to the 25 would be the same.
 
Why not a Tomcat? Now THAT is a boat to die for, until you see it sitting on a trailer beside a CD22 and think about towing it, paying for fuel and maintaining two large engines. Except for the enclosed head and draining cockpit, the 25 is essentially a larger version of the 22, but still a relatively small boat. The discussion about size is an ongoing one, and the general answer is "get the small boat first". There is a reason why the CD22 is the most popular. If you don't have a 3/4 or 1 ton tow vehicle already, you'll also need to get a bigger tow vehicle. Maintenance and operating costs of the larger boat are, well, larger. Enclosed cabins are very nice, particularly in the PNW, and the CD22 is one of the smaller, lighter boats that offers a good working and fishing area, and a full enclosed cabin that you can easily heat and keep dry. I grew up on the Chesapeake, and after my father (a waterman) died, I brought his crabbing boat out here to Anderson Island in the Puget Sound. I thought it would be great here. Perfect for the upper Chesapeake, low gunnels, center console, basically a boat you can work a line or traps perfectly with. However, a few splashes and cold winds and it went back east and was replaced by a CD22. Unless you have had other boats before and need the size, smaller boats tend to get used more. These are the reasons why there are many more CD22s than 25s or Tomcats. If you find yourself using the CD22 a lot, with lots of guests and overnight trips, you hate the portapotti, and you want to go faster, and money isn't a limiting factor to using the boat, then get the CD25 (or the Tomcat).
 
I have the 22. I downsized from a SeaRay 268 Sundancer. (26') I think if I were going to go with the bigger C-Dory, I might as well just go for the TomCat. However, I have not owned either the 25 or the Tomcat. I will say the enclosed head with shower is very very enticing. But my wife and I (both fairly large folk, 6' tall and wide berthed....) have spent up to 3 weeks on the 22. Yes, you have to be comfortable together confined in this little space! We bump into each other a lot, and have just learned how to share the space. But as I mentioned in the other thread, the trade offs come in the way of better fuel efficiency, lighter weight for towing, and even the shorter loss of 3' has allowed us to get into some pretty tight spots. And when paying dockage by the foot without a 25' minimum, that's a bit cheaper too! It really does come down to personal preference. As suggested earlier, get to a gathering, and step on the boats. The only other negative I see with the 25's is the scupper drains. A little too much weight in the back, and you take water on instead of dispelling it! (But the two folks I travel with occasionally just put a plug in or something when that happens....which is only when several of us are sitting in the cockpit.) The 22 has worked fine for my wife and I. In all honesty, I don't think you can go wrong with any of the C-Dorys. Let your finances be your deciding factor! BTW, the TomCat rides the best, with the 25 next and then the 22. I should say the bigger the boat, the more stable. On the 22, you walk abeam, and the boat will list. Do it much as a passenger underway and you'll piss off the Captain. Do that in a 25, and it will list a little. But probably not real noticeable under way. Do it in a Tomcat, and no one will probably even know. :) Oh, regarding the enclosed head. If privacy is a concern, the portapotty is not going to offer much. But you make do. As for showers, during the summer the camp shower bags secured on the roof suffice.
 
Took the Mrs to the Everett boat show. They only had a 22 on display. She entered it and said "Oh, hell no". Many of her arguments against mirror Jim's posting above. One of them was that we'd constantly bump into one another just moving around the boat.

She also was not going to go for the porta-potty. And now we have a 25. Worked out because now we also have two grand-DAUGHTERS and two grand-sons. The boys can pee off the back. The girls...not so much. Worth every penny, IMO.

Of course we had to buy a used 2005 F250 Super Duty to pull it. But, I also pull my enclosed car hauler with the truck, so it was worth it. And it was used, so it didn't break the budget.
 
If your primary use will be fishing, then the deep cockpit of the 22 makes it the best choice. The raised deck in the 25 is not near as good a fishing platform as standing with your feet below the water level like in the 22. That is the only real regret I had when I went from a CD22 to a CD25. I even prefer the sloped deck of the original CD22 without the floor leveling cockpit inserts.

In every other aspect, the CD25 is by far the better choice for me.
 
Well, that was fun!
Now we should get a keg of beer to start the twin engine or single with kicker (or without?) discussion that Wandering Sagebrush suggested. But, we have been through that one before...without the beer though!
 
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