Your Thoughts on the 16 ft cruiser

L

Landro

New member
Greetings to the pub. I've been lurking for a while and thought it was time to make use of the experience I've seen here. I'm a wannabe CD owner and have almost settled on a 16 cruiser (yeah, yeah, I know I really want a 22ft, but there's a money issue and there aren't a lot of used 22's in Canada, if any. However, if you have a minty 22 for sale at $25 000 Canadian, I'll reconsider :lol: )

I would like some info/input from 16 owners/ex-owners...

1) What power do I need? One and only dealer in BC offers a package with a Yam 4 stroke 40hp (mind you, they also put a 60hp on a 22ft, so they may not know what they are doing) and C-Dory shows performance figures for the Honda 40 on their website. But every photo here and at C-Dogs I've seen shows 50's (and one 60hp). I'm not a speed freak, especially since CD's seem happy at 15-20 kt, but I don't want to be wallowing either. There is about $1000 Can. difference in price. What do I need?

2) Factory weight capacity rating? Rated for 700lbs. But if you do a 40-50hp motor, kicker, 2 full gas tanks, battery, two adults and young child, tools, fishing gear, camper top, cruising/camping gear, you get a long way past 700lbs. Still safe?

3) Balsa core? Does the factory seal all the thru bolts and screws (cleats, anchor roller, bow rail, assorted interior hull fittings)? Or do I have to pull everything and seal it before it gets wet so the core doesn't rot?

4) What's with an auto bilge pump that doesn't activate until you have over 2" of water in the cockpit? That's a whack of water to have sloshing around in a 16fter waiting for another wave to finally start the pump.

Tonnes of other questions that will occur to me as soon as I post this, but this will do for now. Sorry if this has all been done before :oops:

Look forward to hearing from you.

Ben
 
1. Who knows what power you really need on these. I have a Honda 50 on mine and she runs a couple MPH faster than the factory chart shows for the 40. No one has yet published the torque curves for these engines so any comments the 40 has more torque at lower rpm than the 50 are spurious.

2. 700 pounds is the rating. Not sure what use a kicker is on a 16 Cruiser. Engine failure rate approaches nil and these motors can idle all day long to troll. 3 people on board can be handled by a folding chair in the cockpit in good weather, or on the edge of the berth in bad. I can't see the weight exceeding 700 pounds with your family and gear and the boat will support much more weight.

3. The boat's fittings are well sealed if our's is typical. You should not have problems with the balsa core. All C-Dories have this and I've not seen a single message here or on CDOGs mentioning this as an issue.

4. You have bad information on the automatic bilge pump. The fitted pump has a "computer" in it. It cycles every couple of minutes and runs until it senses it's not pumping water, which is usually 2 seconds or so. If it adjusts the cycle time if it's always dry. You can hand cycle the pump by turning it off than back on. I usually forget to turn ours on anyway. Other than rain there's no way water will come in. We have never, ever pumped water out of our 16 Cruiser with the bilge pump, but we have a complete mooring cover on her most of the time. The pump is not an issue.


Get the swim step, it's a safety issue.

Get the electric wipers, the 16 Cruiser's manual wipers are too far to reach and you'll need them in any chop.

Get the Honda 50 and no kicker. You can add the kicker any time. I still see no need for one. I fly single engine aircraft too.

Get a full cover for the boat unless you have covered storage. Skip the camper canvas etc until you're happy with the boat's size and performance.

-- Chuck
 
The factory is now using a Rule 1100 bilge pump with automatic float switch rather than the Rule 1100 with the timer. We seal all of the fittings very thoroughly and have been using balsa coring from the conception of C-Dory. The dealer in Canada has 2005 product with the new Rule 1100 pump.

40 Hp is a great match with the 16' Cruiser and Angler. You really can't go wrong with either a 40 Hp or a 50 Hp.

Good luck,

Jeff
 
Ben,
I have a 16 cruiser and the 50 HP Honda with a 10 HP Honda kicker. The reason for the kicker on my boat is that I go out into the bays where the current would push me out into the Pacific Ocean if I loose power on the main engine. Just a form of insurance and peace of mind. I also carry an anchor with 200 feet of rope if I need to hold my boat from drifting out to sea. I have yet to have to use the kicker except to play with it while fishing and make sure it will work if ever needed. I have never had to have the bilge pump running to remove water from the boat even while fishing in the winter when it is raining cats and dogs here in Washington state. I carry two six gallon and one three gallon fuel tanks a lot of fishing gear, Ray( a 300 lb fish partner) and what else we think we need and never thought of being overloaded or worried about the preformance of the C-Dory. We have been out in some pretty rough water and always had confidence in the boat and the way it handles it. Just slow down a little and enjoy the ride. Later Lyle
 
Hey there Ben,

I had an 89 16ft Angler for 2 years before upgrading to my 22. It had a 55 Suzuki two stroke. For the most part 55 hp is too much. Much of my cruising was between 12-16 knots because of water conditions and the 55 really didn't like to hold the 12 knot speeds. I would think a 40 horse 4 stroke would be a great engine for this boat.
I had an 8hp Honda kicker as well. If I was buying a new boat, I'd probably not bother with a kicker. A forty or fifty horse 4 stroke would troll just fine. Save the money and get a good VHS and GPS instead.

I had no problems on my 15 year old boat with any of the fittings or through hulls. The balsa core was not a problem, and even if you did have some rot in the core its not all that difficult to repair if its caught early enough.

As far as weight goes, I would have had over 700lbs on board in a number of occasions and have never had any concerns. Like others with 16's I have been caught out in some pretty rough conditions.

The 16's are great boats for their size, but just remember they are only 16ft so anymore than 3 people would be too crowded in my mind.

Happy looking

Ron
 
Hmmmm,

The old white-haired one thinks requiring a kicker depends on where you boat. When I was spending lots of time (not nearly enough) on the west coast of Vancouver Island, I considered a kicker a must. The new 4-stroke main engines are unbelievably reliable, but stuff does happen. If you are fishing close to a cliff or around rocks - and we do that often with no bottom for anchoring - and you lose the main for any reason - you are going to eat rocks if there is an onshore flow - and there usually is.

I now boat within about 150 NM of Deception Pass and don't have a kicker and don't think that I have a need. If I don't have a buddy boat along, I can always use the cell and get a commercial tow from anywhere in the area. Extra weight, extra cost, extra maintenance are all factors, so it's a judgment call. Agree with Chuck that these new engines are reliable indeed, but it's easy in our part of the world to wipe out a prop or lower unit on a log or rock (BTDT). And once in a while an electronic module will go belly up.

Where and how you boat should enter into the decision-making process.

Rusty Dusty
 
Wow, thanks for all the good info. I was also gonna contact the factory, but Jeff answered me already here. Not worried about the balsa core construction, Jeff. Just making sure it wasn't exposed.

Think I'll go Yam 50. They are EFI now and the 40 isn't.
Kicker still up for discussion. Live on the Wet Coast of Van Isle, so might be a good backup. However, my other two boats didn't have one (and I had used 2 strokes on them) and I never had trouble. Oh... who knows?
Would swap out the auto pump for a basic on-off switched version. It's a non-decked boat with an open back to the cabin, right? I'll just look behind me every once and awhile and not have to wait for the water to get high enough to activate the pump.
Will definitely get the electric wipers. It's a long way from the seat the the manual wiper in the Cruiser I saw. Up and down would wear thin fast on the Wet Coast.

Chuck (and anyone else), why not get the camper back right away? Lots of what I've read says it makes the boat if you do any overnighting. Is it just the cost of one or is it something else?

Thanks again to everyone. I look forward to owning a CD and becoming a full fledged member of the pub :beer .

Ben
 
The camper back is expensive and heavy and the area covered is really only about two feet x six feet. I had this on my list of things to get with the boat but we're thru our second season without seeing the need for it. Never slept aboard, though.

The Cruise Curtain works well for normal cruising and keeps stuff out of the interior while trailering. We often have 3 on board and appreciate the ability to look forward over the cabin top, a view which would be blocked with a canvas cover over the cockpit.

We started out with a good full mooring cover which should be at the top of your list. Keeps her clean and dry.

I had a rail installed across the aft part of the cabin roof which helps provide additional handholds moving around the tiny cockpit.

-- Chuck
 
We have owned 3 cdory boats a cd 22 cruiser and a 16 cruiser and now a cc-23 venture.
The cd 16 was a fun Little boat easy to launch and fun to drive.It brought back memories of earlier days with runabouts . That being said the boat was very tippy (230 lb operator ) and it felt every little ripple . I think for Lakes and small protected waterways they are fine . I think you would be happier with a used cd -22 there are lots of them all over the USA .Good Luck in your quest .Jim

If getting a cd-22 get at least a 70hp +
 
I now have quite a bit of experience with the CD 16 cruiser. My experience relates to me and my use of the boat, which likely differs from others, but here goes.

I have a Yamaha 50 fuel injected 4 stroke. I have put 700 hours on it without a problem. The only complaint I would have, and there is really no way to avoid it, is the weight of the engine. Weight in the stern, especially on the 16, is a problem. If there is a 40 hp on the market that is 50 pounds lighter, I'd go with that. Weight makes a huge difference. When my wife is on board, I can tell that rpm and top speed is less. I've never told her that (compatibility is important on a 16).

I have a Suzuki 2.5 hp kicker. It stays in the garage. I haven't felt a need to put it on the CD 16, even when on the outside of Vancouver Island (I've now completed my "circumnavigation" of the island). The 16 is tippy, as is a sea kayak, but perfectly safe if you are willing to put up with the motion. Having the boat balanced properly helps, but there is no getting away from the fact that it is a light little boat. The light little boat "problem" is what allows me to tow it easily (20.7 mpg) and quickly launch and load it by myself at remote and rustic launches.

I removed the 2 six gallon gas tanks from under the splash well and installed a 23 gallon tank forward. That gives me a cruising range of about 100 miles on plane (23 kts) and close to twice that at hull speed. The batteries were also moved forward to balance the boat and clean up the cockpit area. This allows the fin on the outboard to adjust boat trim without the need for those little hydraulic flappy things on the stern (whose name I can't remember right now).

A camper back is essential for my use of the boat. Although the area is small, it more than doubles the "livable space" on the boat. Plus, it is the only area with standing headroom when the weather is bad (if is is properly constructed). I have heat on board, so that little area is easy to keep warm and dry, another important feature when spending several days out.

I don't know how many people spend several days out. It could be that many see the difference between the 16 Cruiser and the 16 Angler as "cruising" simply mean boating without "angling." I see the Cruiser as allowing both overnight trips and angling.

I've spent 10 days out with two (very compatible) people aboard several times. No need to go to a marina except for fuel and ice cream cones. I would not attempt over-nighting with a child or a dog aboard, although it has been done. Three people and a dog getting off a a CD 16 would have the look of a circus clown car. If more than two people was my standard roster, I would not consider a 16.

It really is like a backpack with an outboard and there are trade offs which some people are unwilling to make (or later find out that they are unwilling to make). Maybe they are the sane boaters. The CD 16 is really not the boat for anybody who would complain about things like "my feet are wet," or "I feel queasy," or "I hit my head."

Mark
 
Superb summary, Marco. I think getting a "balanced" load, and minimizing weight are prime factors in making such good use of a spry, efficient platform such as CD-16. Good on ya!

PS, ours is a different hull, but also too small for more than two, on multiday ventures, but good weatherproof canvas aft really turns the cockpit into a fine living area in crummy weather.
 
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