Stay with the 22 or go big?

B

bshillam

Member
Well here's the delema. Our family has grown from two when we stared with the CD to three. Fast forward four years, we now have an active four year old, daily exercise and a small dog. We have had a 22 in the last year but that was used for day tripping. Now we're boat less again and are thinking once again do we buy a bigger more comfortable ie showers, hot water, more room, etc boat or stick with the Dory. We envision since moving to the front door of the San Jauns of spending many a night on the boat. On the hook, at dock, over night or just soaking pots to bring some crab home. I know there are some Dory owners that have had larger boats that have down sized. I'd like to hear from both sides of the fence. Here are the current list of boats we have on our radar,
CD 22
Bay liner 3388
Grand Banks 32
Island Gypsy 32
Californian 30 or 34 LRC

Thoughts Brats?
 
I will share our story of going bigger. We had a Nimble Nomad, about 24 ft. We got the hots for a bigger trawler because of all the fun we had on our Nomad.

We purchased a one year old Monk 36. It had all the goodies we thought we wanted and had to have for comfortable cruising. After 3 years we found that we missed a trailerable boat. When we got the Monk to Maryland from Florida we found that we did not have the time to take the 7 knot Monk back to Florida for the winter. We also found that the slip fees and other expenses were a lot more than changing trailer tires every now and then.

We had a Rosborough 246 for several years and it was a fine boat. We sold it because we wanted a small motor home and got a 22 C-dory.

The years we had the little C-Dory were the most fun we ever had with a boat. We took a two week cruise with our grown son, two bikes and a wheel chair and got along just fine. During the time we owned the dory se took many vacations of 6 weeks or more and did not feel the need for a larger boar.
 
3 people can sleep just fine on a CD 22 especially when one of them is a child. A small to medium size dog can sleep under the table or in front of the helm seat. So I don't see a family of 3 + a dog as a good reason to "move up" to a more expensive, potentially less flexible boat. My recommendation is to do a 22 and put the extra money you would have spent on fuel, moorage etc on the larger boat into a college fund for the kid.
 
A C-Dory 22 is even ok for 4 if you have an enclosed area in the back. The table berth is fine for a child and even an adult. Yeah it is cozy and never like the king bed at home, but there are a lot of things on the C-Dory that aren't like home and why you bought the boat. Honestly, I can't imagine not having a trailerable boat.
 
I just depends on you and your traveling compains. We had a 22 with Susan and Me and the kid ( 12 when we got the boat) and to tell you the truth it was to many on a small boat for me. Just not enough room or privacy for my taste. I would vote for a 25cdory, a 255tc or a 24 tc. I like the little extra room and I love having the head. IMHO worth every dollar it cost. In the future we are thinking about a larger boat but for now my 27 is great. But I would not like to spend too much time on it if we had a small child. the dog is bad enough, I step on him all day long and he still does not get the hint to stay out of the way,They just need a lot of room to roam so you spend all day either go to and from shore, not a bad thing, or stepping on each other all day. There were times I dam near jumped in to the sound just to turn around and not smack in to someone. I need my space.

In the future we will step up to a bigger slow boat but with a skiff large enough for me to fish out of. This will be for long trip of several month to a year. If I was you I would have two boats. The grand bank for trips and over nights and a 16 for day tripping and fishing/crabbing.

To all the " you can sleep 5 in a cdory for amonth" sure you can but why the hell would you want too?

My 27 is perfect for now-drinks 6, eats 4 and sleeps 2
 
We really liked the 25 for the extra space and head with one young child but now that she is older (6) it would be fine for us to do all the same trips with a 22 or even a 19 with a camperback packed efficiently. We do get along remarkably well and the kid is a keeper if you know what I mean.

Greg
 
We moved up from the 22 to the 27 Ranger Tug, while I had spent many a night on the 22, when the wife spent a couple of nights on it, she missed the comforts of home. Our plans were retire and do some long distance cruising so the shower and head were a must. On our radar was also the 32 Nordic tug which we really loved but the cost was just a bit more than the budge, so we bought a used 2011 model RT. We purchased directly from the factory and they consider it the same as a new boat purchase, so warranty and training came with it. We are headed to Desolation sound next week for a few weeks and then Alaska next summer.
 
we explored much larger boats, we could have bought another berth (or two), bigger galley, head, etc but in the end, cost was the issue. The boat would cost much less, but I would need a bigger tow vehicle ($$) Or perhaps it was too large to tow, then I would moor it ($$) still if I paid cash for the boat, the slip was a wash. BUT, the fuel economy ($$) was so bad that it still ended up a net negative. so the CD22 we found was a must for trailerability, fuel economy, and overall price of boat. I've had it on 4 different lakes since buying it 2 months ago. were it too large for trailering, I would have missed that opportunity. we have a 4yr old as well and it fits our small family well.


With that said, our next boat is likely going to be a tomcat, a 25ft, a Ranger 25, or something of those lines. But for where we are now, the 22 was just best for overall flexibility and economy.

these issues may not apply to you though because you are already in the san juans. perhaps you wont need to trailer it or cruise it very far. I think I estimated another vessel I looked at was $1,000 in gas from tacoma to friday harbor and back home.
 
A major turning point for us was when we realized we were doing most all of our cruising at 8 knots. And the second major point was when we realized we couldn't take/have the whole family (the kids left town after high school then returned recently with spouses and children) on our CD-22. I agree with nearly everyone about the pros and cons of CD-22 vs large boat.

In 10 years we used our CD-22 450 times. We've been out 60 times since purchasing the Camano 31 in June of 2012. In addition we use it as a tiny house at moorage spending evenings, even overnights when we feel like it.

Both boats suited our lifestyle at the times we owned them.
 
Chuckpacific":rafoqm27 said:
We've been out 60 times since purchasing the Camano 31 in June of 2012. In addition we use it as a tiny house at moorage spending evenings, even overnights when we feel like it.

Both boats suited our lifestyle at the times we owned them.
Click to expand...

thats a cool boat.
we had considered the same thing, a larger boat moored permanently would be like a vacation house in the city for us, which definitely has its charm.
 
I just have to comment. We had trailerable sailboats and an off shore sailboat. Now we're back to a trailerable powerboat. So there you have our biases.

Our kids are grown up and have their own families. This means the we now sleep a kid at a time PLUS our grandkids. So we have some perspective on what's desirable for a small group.

First, an enclosed head. That's not open for discussion. We've had both and Judy's not going back. I don't think the grandkids would grasp the idea of sitting on a potty in full view. I don't ever want to empty another.

Next, trailerable. Let's you see more of the US than a larger boat. We've been from Guymas, Mexico to the San Juans and the Great Lakes on trailerable boats. Yes, having your boat in the water all the time is great, but it takes a long time and costs a lot of fuel. And parking the bot next to the house is a lot cheaper, both in slip rent and maintenance. Though a large (30ish) boat is fun.

Last, sleeping a group on a 22 vs a 25. We had a 22 sailboat (with potty) and for a week end had 3 adults and 2 teenagers at Santa Cruz Isle, no real place to run. Was it fun? Yes. Was it comfortable? No, just something to remember and enjoy. We now have a 25 (C-Dory, by golly,) and we've had 3 adults and 2 preteens on board for a week. It was fun and we've repeated that scenario several times. So the size difference matters.

Last, but not least is the towing difference between a 22 and a 25. You're towing another 1 1/2 tons. Be aware of that. It comes into effect when your towing and when you're launching. The trailer is bigger and it takes more truck to tow it. Is is worth it? To us yes.

Good luck, Boris
 
It is a personal choice, and the folks answering your query have done a great job pointing out the pluses and minuses.

So I respond just from our personal experience. We were retired and lived on our 22 for twelve years, most of the time. We had no house to maintain, just our easy to maintain 22. She was easy to trailer and launch and retrieve. So we traveled to most of America's "best" (in our opinion) lakes, rivers and coastal areas. We cruised tens of thousands of miles and lived aboard thousands of days and nights. We cruised (and anchored) in waters where larger boats feared to tread (due to depths). Our G'kids "grew up" with vacations aboard our 22. They experienced the "Inside" to Alaska (some several times), the wonders of Yellowstone Lake, the 'gators of the Everglades - and many other bits of exciting water. They often were with their siblings (or cousins).

She was trustworthy, economical, and easy to live on. We (and the kids) loved the solar shower, the choices of great anchorages, and we rarely used a marina (except when G'Pa would dump the porta potty in the early am before anyone aboard was awake).

We were never tempted to move "down" to a larger boat that would have made trailering more difficult, more beauty spots less accessible, or more time spent repairing heads and stuff. Life was simple - yes, close, but sharing. The G'kids love to bring up special memories with their "homeless" grandparents. It was exciting and adventurous - and they could help steer, anchor, choose routes, find bears or pelicans - it was a kid's life - free from the restrictions they felt in a house.

So - one couple's experience on a 22. We are all different - no size fits all. Most important, we think -- know yourself, and match to you. Not to what the culture says -- we find bigger is certainly not better for us, with boats, houses, or vehicles - we enjoy freedom of choice and flexibility. Others choose more space and 'comfort' -- but that comes at a cost (and not just in dollars).
 
On another note. Should anyone reading this have a CD 25 and be in Bellingham it occurs to me that I have had two 22 and know what to expect for ride but have yet to ride a 25. I would love to connect and go for a quick ride around the bay? You can reach me direct at 503-781-9967 cell.
Thanks, Bryrick
 
Bryrick

You might stop by the La Conner event, I am sure there will be a 25 CD to check out, along with many others. I know there is a Ranger Tug 25 going also.

don
 
I will post even having never ridden aboard a 22 or a 25. I did take a trip with Tom on his 27 but thats it for c-dorys experience.

We settled on our tomcat 24 after much thought. It was more $$$ than we had initially set out to spend. We are fairly new to boating but knew spending time on the water would be an integral part of our lives going forward. Finding the right boat would allow us to use it more often and for longer periods. After reading of how some had given up boating due to health reasons, and others wishing they had purchased a boat sooner, we decided to try getting the best boat possible for us.

My family consists of my wife, a 5 year old and 3 year old. We often take aboard our parents whom we wanted to keep comfortable. This purchase needed to be the boat to take us for the next 10+ years. Having changed cars practically every year, we did not want the boat to be a similar experience.

Our choice of Tomcat 24 came down it it meeting all our needs as much as any boat we contemplated. Our criteria in no particular order

1. Space for 4 adults and 2 children for day trips. (inside)
2. Fishing ability as well as cruising ability.
3. Overnights for our immediate family
4. Safe (unsinkable)
5. Warm (wallace)
6. Stove, Sink, Head
7. No Stairs
8. Fuel Efficient
9. Dining Table
10. Presentable (for client outings)
11. Spacious to handle all our gear
12. Fast when required
13. Stable
14. Good visibility
15. Good handling / maneuverability
16. Windlass
17. Nice looking
18. Good resale
19. Backup engine (Twins)
20. Good in the type of conditions we typically see in the Puget Sound
21. Trailerable
22. Quality build
23. Great support forum (as we discovered)
24. Year around boat (Summer, Winter, Spring, Fall)

We purchased the Tomcat24 as a platform to work with and have been very pleased. The items which we found to be lacking are slowly being addressed at some considerable time and cost. The boat is becoming better with each modification to better suit our needs.

As has been said, you will need to determine what your needs are as they will be be different for each person. For us, the boat we purchased fit the bill. My inlaws are very grateful to us for the purchase we made as it has allowed us to spend more time with them. The ability for my children to spend quality time with their grandparents is truly a joy to my wife and I.

To find a boat with so many attributes and few drawbacks, we feel truly blessed. Hopefully you will find something that works for you.
 
I say go BIG! Since you've already had two 22' c-dory boats under your belt it might be time to try something new and bigger! Lifes too short, so go for it! :)

You can always downsize back to a smaller boat later. I love our 22, but the walls of the cabin seem to close in on me when there becomes a crowd on the boat.
 
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