Suggestion Box for C-Dory Factory

W

Will-C

New member
Scott,
Maybe TyBoo can make a button for this, but most of these were ideas made by others just some thoughts to offer possiblities to make dollars on options that could be part of the new age in boating "built to order". Obivously outside venders I.E. King Canvas etc could be employed to keep your overhead down while still allowing you to get a piece of the after market options. Some are what have been problem areas in the past. Some will always want to install their own options but others might like the idea of factory installed. Remember what the the C-Brats offer might not always be practical but No one beats our price

A statement of how all hardware that penetrated core is sealed at the factory, and is to be sealed by dealers installing options as to not void warranty
All hulls with thru hulls to be float tested for leaks
Making sure rub rail and rub strips have been bedded properly sealed and leak tested.
Inspection deck plates on Venture series in cockpit and front and rear of cabin sole.
Testing of anchor locker drains on all models
Options could include
Canvas options camperback,slant top cockpit cover, bimini cockpit cover
Air Conditioning
Fans for helm area and v berth
Option for all LED lights interior exterior and navigation

Angler packages to include rod storage options and gunnel mounted rod holders. Down riggers
Dingies
Davits
kayak racks
Tilt helm option
Compass options
electronic's packages from basic GPS
windless packages with chain and rode
Alum trailers with all stainless hardware bunk or roller
Screens for all hatches and back door area
upgraded seating options
Complete coast guard packages
Custom Graphics
Tinted windows

D.D.
 
Oh I really love some of those options, screens on the hatches? Oh yea those keep the bugs out right? Love the idea of a roll down screen on the back door!
 
Don and Brenda":14v582yb said:
Oh I really love some of those options, screens on the hatches? Oh yea those keep the bugs out right? Love the idea of a roll down screen on the back door!
Click to expand...

Our front hatch came with a screen, and Joan made a snap on screen door for the cabin door. Great flow through!
 
for the angler how about a fish box??? I built one on my boat. idea I got from another brat. I have showed this idea to several factory guys with out any commit or interest. It was easy and cheap to do as a add on and does not require changing the molds.
Every one that fishes and a few that dont think it was great idea. makes for more storage space and better place to sit.
 
starcrafttom":1qtlzuas said:
for the angler how about a fish box??? I built one on my boat. idea I got from another brat.
Click to expand...
Do you have photos in your album? I looked but could not find any.

Warren
 
On our Venture 23', automotive wire was used instead of marine wire. Additionally, it was of inadequate size for the various helm loads at #10.

If you assume usage at the helm to be (less a radar) around 15-20 amps, a better size would be at minimum a wire size of #8. This assumes usage of wipers (10), VHF (1-5), running lights (2-3), GPS (1-3) and dash lites (1-2).

I talked with a Blue Sea Systems Rep. at the Seattle Boat Show a few years back, and he indicated they offered to bid on a wiring harness for the Venture, but never heard back.

Following accepted color coding for the various circuits with identifying labels would also be helpful when trying to trace a faulty circuit.

If Sea Sport wiring quality is followed on the C-Dories and Ventures, I doubt the above would be an issue. I was very impressed with the quality of their work.

Tim and Dave Kinghorn
 
My thoughts are a little off the posts on this subject. Last week I read once again that C-Dory production may not be happening. Just days ago I looked at the dealer map. Just not enough dealers in MHO. The East coast is very slim.

It would seem that more dealers would equal more sales. If someone has a little interest in a C-Dory thay may not be interested in driving several hundred miles or more to actually see a Dory. I first saw C-Dorys at the Annapolis Boat Show years ago. They were displayed by Cutter Marine. I many years and boats later finally purchased a 22 footer. Cutter was a good dealer, but, they were dropped and the line was given to another dealer in the Annapolis area. They are no longer selling C-Dorys.

My suggestion for the factory if there is one would be to get more dealers. I am sure that more dealers would equal more volume. It would be a shame for such good designs to just fade from the market.

Just my 2 cents worth.
 
teflonmom":32nqcsyb said:
My thoughts are a little off the posts on this subject. Last week I read once again that C-Dory production may not be happening. Just days ago I looked at the dealer map. Just not enough dealers in MHO. The East coast is very slim.

It would seem that more dealers would equal more sales. If someone has a little interest in a C-Dory thay may not be interested in driving several hundred miles or more to actually see a Dory. I first saw C-Dorys at the Annapolis Boat Show years ago. They were displayed by Cutter Marine. I many years and boats later finally purchased a 22 footer. Cutter was a good dealer, but, they were dropped and the line was given to another dealer in the Annapolis area. They are no longer selling C-Dorys.

My suggestion for the factory if there is one would be to get more dealers. I am sure that more dealers would equal more volume. It would be a shame for such good designs to just fade from the market.

Just my 2 cents worth.
Click to expand...

I certainly understand your concern and reasoning!

The only counter-argument I can offer (just playing Devil's Advocate, not really disagreeing), is that if there were fewer dealers, the limited sales that will occur during difficult times will go further towards supporting the dealers if there are fewer of them.

Of course, almost all marine dealers carry several brands of boats, and more dealers mean more sales, as you say (to a limited extent), so maybe starting out with fewer dealers now and adding more as sales expand made be a better solution in the long run (?)

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
I for one, am more concerned for the folks at Sea Sport....and how I possibly could help them survive.... How can I help C-Dory stay as good a boat, with a demand that brings it to a point where a manufacturer can afford to build it...and make a fair profit.... compared to other items we purchase....the company provides way more support to us than say a car purchase...or even a home purchase.....

I believe this website is a great asset to the company...as well as our published adventures... seeing the boats being used and enjoyed it good publicicty.... I think possibly C-Dory cards might be a good idea..
Even Dealer cards would be an idea... I always try to remember which dealers have what stock...it's good for them...plus it's good for us...

I have been wanting to set up a Ships Store for us....with factory T shirts and coffee mugs...like the Nordic Tug Ships Store...neat stuff... like our pennants... remember those... I talked with Sea Sport and they agreed to allow us to use the logo...on a limited basis..

It's a really hard world out there for boat manufacturers,,,and if we expect them to bounce back,.....we need to be supporting them...and talking them up... selling boats for them...

Yes I do think ideas for custom touches on the boats is a good idea...even to the extent of having a custom shop... but just getting them to a point where they can sell a boat is our most important job right now...

Just my rant....please excuse .... gotta go out and do a wash and wax this morning on SEA3PO...getting ready for the Delta..

Joel
SEA3PO
 
My advice to Triton would be to follow the example of the Tolands when they built C-Dories. Build a well built boat at a fair price. This is a niche boat and can't be all things to all people. All the add-ons will do is raise the price of a utilitarian boat that is suppose to be the poor man's pocket cruiser. I'll give you an example of what I'm talking about. The Ford Mustang and Ford Bronco were neat little cars that were fun to own and drive. They were inexpensive and filled a niche that had a loyal following. What did Ford do? They kept making them bigger and bigger with more and more options until they had a huge tub of crap that was expensive, sluggish and looked like any other type of car. My advice to the C-Brats is to support Triton and give them some air. I know you love your boat, but times are tough and very few boat manufacturers are going to survive. Constant nit-picking is not going to help them. The suggestions are fine as Triton can take them or leave them, but constant whining about Triton not participating in this forum is unwarranted. After all they have a business to run. Step away from your keyboards, take a deep breath, and then go boating. You'll feel better in the morning. OK, go ahead and beat me up.
Regards,
Forrest
 
Both Forrest and Joel have excellent points. But the entire boating market is very depressed. What is interesting is that the RV market is not as depressed--sure a lot of RV dealers are out of business, but currently I am sitting in the service waiting room of what is billed as the world's largest RV dealer--and they are selling 450 RV's every month. (about half used and half new)--they start at about $15,000 for a pop up on up to over a million dollars for the top of the line real bus type. They have over 200 service bays, which are all full. Many of their employees are averaging an 80 hour week (mostly in service and delivery).

Maybe RV's are easier to sell--and offer better value to the he average person. I would say that the economic spectrum is all over the place, but the majority are retired. Maybe the RV industry has done a far better job of selling a life style than the boating industry.

Bottom line, is that I think that there is a real need for value/service boating; certainly advertising goes a long way to promoting sales. What can the lower end of the boating industry (and I mean this cost wise, not quality wise) do to promote the boating life style? Incidently, most of these have all of the extras--and you don't have to ask for them.

You might argue that storing an RV is easier. Many communities will not allow you to store a large RV in the drive way and certainly not on the street--so the storage is more like a trailerable boat. My suspician is that if there were a relitatively inexpensive trailerable boat, which had more amenities, that it would be a big seller. For example David Gerr designed a 34 foot pilot house trawler, with is 8 foot beam and could probably be built for a price comparable to the C Dory 25--yet have a lot more living room. The specific boat is diesel inboard powered, but that adds excessive costs--and an outboard version would be far cheaper.

How about driving skills for a 35 foot boat vs a 45 foot RV towing a 20 foot SUV--total weight about 40,000 lbs--I submit that The skills to drive both of these have to be learned and are not transferable from the average passenger car.

Another issue, is that boats have never reached the effeciency of building that the RV industry has. It would take thinking outside the current "box"--and some builders are doing this on a limited scale. Don't worry, I'm too old to take on this project--but someone will and revolutionize the industry.

Just some food for thought--and consideration as to where the boating industry needs to be going in the next few years with millions of retiring baby boomers--or the needs of young families.
 
Butttt take the other side of that Ford Mustang coin - the Japanese built a car and sold it for less WITH the radio, rear view mirrors, tires, wheels seats and all of those "options" included in the price. I still remember paying $16 for a outside rear view mirror that was required by our govt. Course I was making $37.50 every 2 weeks - thanks to the same govt.

A couple of different schools here - but the underlying fact is that quality will sell. SO build it correctly - then offer to build it however the customer wants. If he wants it "right now" take what is on the dealers floor, have the dealer add what ever he wants to buy and go down the river. If the customer wants something more than the inside of a bleach bottle, let him order it - and wait for delivery thru a dealer.

I once was in the market for a class 'C' motorhome. The one I wanted was the best and oldest on the market. The family still owns and runs the Company. But when I was ready to buy they would not even DELETE an item I didn't want - example delete a curtain covering a inside wall where a window had been in earlier models - they would not delete the curtain. The response I got was "we build to order, we don't custom build", they didn't build for me, their competitor did.

JMOO.
 
forrest":ozkrfdyb said:
My advice to the C-Brats is to support Triton and give them some air. I know you love your boat, but times are tough and very few boat manufacturers are going to survive. Constant nit-picking is not going to help them. The suggestions are fine as Triton can take them or leave them, but constant whining about Triton not participating in this forum is unwarranted. After all they have a business to run.
Click to expand...

Funny...Ranger Tugs seems to have plenty of time to devote to their customers' "whining" and "nit-picking". So much so, that they proactively started the TugNuts as a forum for just such communications. They've not only listened to their customers, they've designed completely new models based on this feedback. And surprise, surprise...they're also a "niche" boat builder, and seem to be one of the few keeping busy in these tough times.

The fact that Ranger Tugs embraces such communications, should come as no surprise to anyone who has been around here a while. Jeff Messmer saw first-hand the value of such interactions here during his tenure with C-Dory. By a show of virtual hands - who thinks that was a bad idea or waste of time, that resulted in no additional revenue for C-Dory? Rather, it was so obviously valuable to him, he made it a central part of the Ranger Tugs business model.

Whether C-Dory/SeaSport/Triton/whoever takes the input and advice offered up here or not, is hardly a reason to stop providing it. First off, we don't exist as a manufacturer resource; that's simply incidental, and something they can take advantage of if they so choose. We exist for OWNERS - and any product suggestions/criticisms members come up with, are beneficial to those investigating new and/or used boat purchases. Such input is also valuable to current owners, who may implement ideas from such feedback on their existing boats.

And finally...if Triton goes the way of all previous owners of C-Dory, all this customer feedback is sitting here, waiting for the next owner - or competitor. All of which, is good for us in the long run.
 
Bill your point is well taken , for Ranger Tugs. But what is the use of a Ranger Tug? It's socializing. You're either tied up to the dock, having a cocktail, socializing or on a slow cruise socializing with friends and family. It's a benefit to have factory involvement. It's a lifestyle. But basically Ranger makes the same model of boat that comes in different lengths and width. Any option is fine as long as the boat will hold it. Now if you look at Triton, they make SeaSport, Skagit Orcas, Ospreys, Tom Cats, and C-Dorys. These boats can be used as anything from cruisers like the Ranger Tug, to sport fishing boats to being a true working boat. How many different models does C-Dory make? 16 Cruiser and Angler,19 Angler, 22 Cruiser and Angler, 22 Center Console, 23 Venture, 25 Crusier, 26 Venture, 26 Pro Fisherman and many others that have been discontinued (like the 29). Not only that, Triton has 4 other brands that they make as well with the varied models that go with each brand. They have to communicate with the owners of SeaSports, Orcas and Ospreys as well as the people who love their C-Dorys. Like I stated it's great to list all the likes and dislikes for the factory to review. They can take em' or leave em', it's their choice. Just realize that Triton has a lot on their plate and they probably need our support now more so than any previous owners. Just saying... give them a little air and maybe a hug. Let's all hope that they make it and continue the line of boats that we all love. No offense intended to anyone.
You all have a great day,
Forrest
 
For what it is worth:

I have a fairly long involvement in recreational boating, mostly in non-powered sail. One of the jobs I had before deciding what to do for an actual living was building small sailboats, this was hand layup cloth and vacuum bag foam core construction of maybe 200 to 220 a year as far as quantity. The difference between the relatively high quality of boats vs a travel trailer is significant, the build standard required to have a seaworthy boat will ensure it stays that way. A C-Dory that is fifteen or twenty years old that has had even a modest amount of upkeep is worth a significant fraction of what was originally spent on it. Can the same be said of a fifteen year old trailer? A Morgan 30 I know of was recently purchased for fifty percent more than it sold for from the factory in 1969....how many travel trailers even hold together that long? I may be wrong about the quality of construction with the average travel trailer, but I would not want those guys building my next boat!

Kerry
 
Bill is right on the mark in my opinion,

Jeff Messmer may not remember it but he was pretty much the deciding influence that convinced us to buy a CD and we never regretted that decision even though we currently drive a "brand x".

Last year we had the good fortune to be "adopted" by our friends at the Ranger rendezvous in Bremerton. Not only did they have 30 + boats present but Dave Livingstone, Jeff Messmer, Andrew Custis and support team were there with 2 factory boats, doing odd jobs and organizing one heck of a party.

Every person we spoke to was full of praises for the service they got and the factory attention to their comments. Stories of Andrew driving many miles to deliver parts etc etc.

Harder to build that kind of relationship over the last few years with all the changes at C-Dory but if you can do it, it certainly pays off. In hard times, the personal touch can easily make the difference between a sale or not and above all, it leads to happy and repeat customers and referrals.

That's my 2 c worth for today. Now I'm going to the marina :D

Merv
 
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