We're selling Bess-C, but we still love C-Dorys

Bess-C

New member
Just a word out to our C-Brat friends that see that our boat is for sale. We are still in good health and still love C-Dorys and C-Brats. We had an opportunity to buy another boat and try a different style of boating for a while. I wouldn't be at all surprised to buy another C-Dory some day, and I will be lurking. Even though I don't contribute a lot, I think that this is the best boating site on the internet.
Lyle
 
Lyle,

So many boats, so little time. Plenty of us here understand... the boat that I've currently owned has always been the best boat for our needs. :wink: But, needs and wants change. We've enjoyed your posts here and hope you will continue to participate; tell us what you think about this new direction for you.

Good luck with the sale.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Hi Larry,

I'm a little reluctant to talk about it here, since I'm violating the "small boats are better" C-Brats norm and we're swimming against the present economic tide. I talked to you a couple of years ago about looking at a larger boat. We loved spending time in secluded places with just the two of us on our C-Dory. But we also had times that we would have like to be able to take friends and family along.

So, the first boats we looked at were 37' Lord Nelson Victory Tugs. Classic boats, but they are all 20-25 years old and starting to need major overhauls. Then I looked at sedan style boats with twins. Great layout, but limited sleeping for guests. Besides that, the fuel costs to run at C-Dory speeds would be a killer. Looked at various trawlers, but I didn't want to be limited to 7 knots.

So the boat we bought is completely different than anything I would have expected 2 years ago. It is a 2006 45' Westcoast. Built in Mission B.C. by Westcoast Custom Yachts, a Forbes Cooper company. Forbes is a well known Canadian builder who has built over 8,000 boats, everything from small sailboats to megayachts.

The story on this boat is that he and his production manager found the molds for the 43' Tollycraft in a field a few years ago. The 43 Tolly was built for a few years in the 80's. It was designed by Ed Monk, Jr. for Tolly. Forbes thought it was a perfect design for his project, but needed a couple of more feet in the cockpit. So, he got the molds and built 21 of these boats. They are the 46' Westcoast and the 45' Westcoast, both the same hull. The 46's usually have twins, lots of teak outside and fancier interiors. The 45 has no outside teak, plainer interior and usually a single. So this boat is an updated 43' Tolly. It has a queen berth in the bow and an aft cabin. The power is a single 270 Cummins. It cruises from 8-13 knots. At 9.5 knots it burns 2.9 gallons an hour. Similar to a C-Dory, it is built like a tank (and looks a little like one too).

It was a Canadian bank repo in Vancouver. We think we negotiated a great deal, but buying a repo boat from Canada and importing it wasn't as easy as advertised and isn't something I'd want to do again.

We're moored at Skyline Marina in Anacortes, and will bareboat charter for a while until we get more time to use it. We're glad to show her to any of our C-Brat friends that are still talking to us. I'll be the guy in the blue blazer and the Admiral's cap.
Lyle
 
Lyle and Shelley, I think that's great! Congratulations. It's really good to know you're still boating about, and that there's a good chance I'll see you island-hopping in the coming years.

I'm a frequent Skyline visitor and I'll look for your boat. I'm launching there Sunday for a week of puttering here and there after Memorial Day.

Your purchase must have dang near bursted the joymeter, and I wish you all the cruising fun you imagine.
:rainbow
 
Presume your "new" boat is the Westcoast 45 on Yachtworld.com with Sale Pending? Beautiful boat.

Looking is a nice diversion from watching Nevada Senate increase business taxes $780 million!

Bill Uffelman
Usually Las Vegas NV
 
Lyle,

Congratulations on your new boat!! You may now hold the title of C-Brat with the biggest boat!! :wink

Nancy and I realized that our C-Dory 22 was getting too small and too rough riding for our older bods, so after 16 years of ownership, we moved up in size and down in speed to our trawler.

Now we can start a sub-group called 'Trawler Brats'. :smileo

I hope you stick around here on the Brats, there are still plenty of topics that apply to big boats as well as to C-Dorys.
 
Congratulations on the new boat. You learn something every day on C Brats, and this is the first I had heard of this boata. Definately the Tolly / Monk hull, with a great cabin. Much higher quality finish from the photos than a Tolly. The 5.9 B cummins is a great engine, with lots of room to walk around it. You made a great choice.
 
Great choice, Lyle. Please don't leave us though -- come back down to EQ and have a cuppa or we can go up the street for a latte.
As you probably know, we have a 30-year-old 26 Tolly in the family. Slow, yep -- but fun. Bob is right, the Tolly finish is "okay" but lots of room for mo' betta. I'll be up soon to visit your new baby.

Dusty
 
Thanks to all of you for your kind comments. We're not really going anywhere, just won't comment much about our non C-Dory boat on here after this initial conversation. I'm more than happy to give any and all details on the boat and sales transaction to anyone that wants to PM me.

Thanks for your comments Brock. You're always a gentleman, but I do remember us talking (with Snoqualmie beer in hand) about some of the jerks in the big boats that were clogging up the docks. I'm now going to resemble that remark.

Bill, if the listing shows Vancouver B.C. that should be the boat. I think there was only one 45 for sale. There are a couple of 46's for sale, and two that just sold. The broker said that they had been dead for a year, but have been slammed the last month.

Bob, I've learned a lot about boats from people like you and Dusty on this site. When I looked at boats I looked at design, construction, the kind of hardware used, how the wiring was done, simplicity of systems, efficiency and ease of maintenance. I didn't just fall for a pretty face. I was really pleased when the surveyor that I brought up from Anacortes said "if I was in the market for a boat, this is the boat I would buy, it would make a good coastal cruiser from Ensenada to Alaska."

Dusty, you're welcome anytime on this boat. I would value your opinion. I can't bring it to you yet. My insurance agent says I'm not qualified to run it yet without an approved captain aboard. Wise man, I told him if you got me out of the marina, I could take it to the Broughtons with no problems, but I don't want to be in tight quarters until I'm completely checked out on it. I've run it twice now and with the keel and bow thruster it seems easy to handle. It goes where you point it, unlike a C-Dory. The captain that delivered it was telling me to be prepared for it to skid sideways. I told him a C-Dory was like a leaf on the water, I was well trained in expecting a sideways skid, what surprised me was the boat going where it was pointed when there was wind at slow speed.
Lyle
 
Lyle and Shelly,

Congratulations on your new hole in the water. From what I am reading you made a good choice. When you are ready for a CG Aux vessel safety check let me know. I would love to see the "new" boat and get you set up with the decal. PM me if you are interested.

Looking forward to seeing you out on the water.


David
 
Thanks David, we've only had the boat for two days, and it may get into its permanent moorage tomorrow, so I'm not quite ready yet, but I will want a CG inspection.

Joe, people are telling me it's still up on Yachtworld. If you put in Westcoast and 45 it should come up. Bosun's Yacht Sales is the broker.
Lyle
 
I hope for Jamie's sake you still plan to bring some cherries to Bellingham. They have big docks there, I'm sure you'll fit.

Congratulations! That is a fine looking vessel.

1717583_1.jpg
 
Bess-C":2ze19w9k said:
Thanks to all of you for your kind comments. We're not really going anywhere, just won't comment much about our non C-Dory boat on here after this initial conversation.

Why? We talk about other kinds of boats all the time here. I firmly believe that the more one learns about all boats the more one understands his/her own boat. So please don't feel you shouldn't talk about your boat here.

Warren
 
Lyle,

She looks great! The thrusters surely make a difference in close-in handling. We have a stern thruster on the Tolly and it makes a seasoned pro out of a newbie.

Diane is drooling! Her kind of boat for sure.

Big hug to Shelley and big thumbs up :thup :thup

Duster
 
Just got back from a trip to Anacortes to unload Bess-C and show her to a nice couple from Victoria. So I wasn't able to immediately respond to your comments.

Yes Mike, what would a C-Brats function in July be without us giving everyone one the dock the problems associated with eating too many cherries.

Warren, I know that you don't mind talking about any kind of boat, but I know that there are some folks on here that get frustrated when the topic strays from C-Dorys.

Don, I don't think she's really beautiful, but maybe attractive in a big boned, draft horse kind of way.

Pat, the term "sag wagon" like they use in long bike rides came to my mind.

Dusty, I had a couple of hours training on the new boat yesterday afternoon. Doable but intimidating. I definitely needed the bowthruster. It seemed kind of like driving my house around the block and then trying to park it in my neighbor's driveway.
Lyle
 
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