looking for input on a small 16 foot C Dory do they ride well ,are they underpowered seems to be a to person boat thinking of purchasing one .any info would be appreciated.

I wouldnt say they ride well. They are nice when its nice out and they arent so nice when its not so nice out. if that makes sense.
Dont know how anyone can decide if its underpowered without knowing what kind of motor is on it.
I'd day its ok for summer fishing on the sound but beyond that I am very not confident.

I have a friend who had one, and he said the thing really rocked back and forth. These boats are pretty narrow. .02

I've got an older 22' Angler...not the best ride in a short chop, but very safe and great in large seas since they plane at very low speed. They are also very stingy on gas due to the planing hull, which is a big deal given the current gas prices, I do not know too much about the 16'. I suspect a 50 would be plenty of power for a 16', though a 16' wouldn't be my choice if planning to fish beyond the Sound or CQ. That said, there is a local out of Quatsino where we go each summer who fishes a 16' and takes it reqularly offshore for big halibut!

its a 16 with a 50 on it sound fishing maybe some sea bass of the kelp at neah or sea Q

Get a Whaler/Grady/Parker/Twin vee/Campion/Wellcraft...20'....

Another thing I just found: An 17' Alumaweld Stryker weighs more then a 16' Cuddy cabin C dory....By about a few hundred lbs...Stryker: 1,150, C Dory: 850/925...Definitely something to look at when you are gonna consider how it rides....

Well assuming you don't want to spent a bucnh more money on one of the above. Dory's are ok, not a big fan of them in a following sea. But I owned one, it was a pretty stable fishing platform.

Planned pretty easy, mine was lacking powertrim, Power trim would be nice.



Every boat listed above, has an up or downside. Well actually I have never heard of a "Twin vee" but, the rest are typically Heavy requiring a larger tow rig.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Older Tiderunners and Arima's would be my choice of older glass boats...

I would buy a 16' Arima over a 16' C-Dory. Matter of fact I did. I checked out both and the Arima was a much nicer boat. And a better ride too.
But you are right they are both two person boats.

Other than the 22' or 25' Cat, the C-dory could possibly be the worst riding boat on the market!

The 16-footer....

1) They ride loud- harmonic vibrations from cavitation will drive you through the roof inside the cabin.

2) You will feel every little bump on the water! They are 8-degree deadrise. Try a demo in following seas! That should scare you enough.

3) The bilge pump is exposed and will take at least 2-inches of water before you can engage it. This is because an underplate is mounted flush with the deck. Meantime you'll be walking around in water on the deck with no way of "bilging" it over the side.

4) Mounting DRs will be an absolute pain as there is no access to the top of the gunwhales from underneath.

5) 50hp is OK for power. CDs are built for fuel efficiency not speed...

6) They are a little pricey for what little you get. Plain Jane interior and standard feautures makes for easy cleaning and maximum profit for the company..

7) The price, for the most part, is set by the factory. You'll have a hard time negotiating a price at the dealership if you looking at a new one. You'll be lucky to get $500 off the price. Trust me I sold them!

8) For a better price, better construction, more standard features, better ride, and above all- resale value, that a look at Arima.

I didn't mean to bash C-Dory, but wanted to let you know of some issues I saw selling them and before you drop the cash.

Make sure you demo a boat on a not so perfect day before you buy! A lot can be said for a boat then....

On a positive note, there a bunch of loyal CD fans out there. So much so, they have their own website.. There is a ton of useful information to an owner. Everything from flotillas to customizing your boat.

It is one of those boats that you either love it and think it the best thing since sliced bread or you gunna kick yourself in the arse for buying it.

thanks for the feed back people I think ill look for a different direction.

I have a 16ft CD with 50hp yamaha. It is a good boat for two people fishing . I have two electric downriggers and 8hp kicker. when the water is rough you will need to go slow when the water is smooth you can do about 35mph. I now use a 24ft North River OS. Love it and can fish four people and it will do 45 mph. The CDory are good little boats but plan on going slow (20 mph) to your fishing sites.

Anything under 20' will get pushed around an awful lot if things get really schitty.

And also having to choose between a six pack of beer or a fishing buddy on board because of the lack of space will get old fast.

C-Dory's hold their value well, ride ruff, pitch back and forth easily at a stand-still and basically are overpriced IMO.
A nice used Olympic, Glasply or Tiderunner in 16', 17' or 18' is the only way to fly in Puget Sound inexpensively. Just make sure the transom is solid and not funked up and soft, get a tune up on the engine and you're fishing for under 4K .
Lofty

Being raized on fiberglass boats, I cant bring myself to purchasing aluminum boats for the ol' puget sound. Something about the sound of waves lapping on the side of fiberglass that just sounds, "oh so right"!

Fished halibut out of Homer, AK on a CD one time. I'am with Capt Downriggin' on this one, sub par performer, just got pounded with each bone jarring wave.

I have a 22' C-Dory Cruiser and am happy with it. I have been out in small craft warings with my boys comign back from the San Juans and felt very safe. It is not designed as a performance boat to plow thru the chop. So, you have to be prepared to slow down. For a different perspective on this and full of all the info you would want to know, try: http://www.c-brats.com/

I have a 17' Arima Sea Ranger with 90 Suzuki and a 9.9 Suz. kicker. I've been in rollers out of Ucluelet that I could not see over when standing up in my boat and never felt in danger.
Here's an owner's site:
http://groups.msn.com/ArimaBoatOwnersGroup

I had a 16' Cdory for a couple of years and I thought it was one of the best little boats a person could buy . Mine had a Yamaha Pro 50 for power , but you have to put a dolfin on it or it WILL porpose at high speeds .
I took mine to Willipa bay ,Grays harbor and all over the sound and straits plus it was small enough to take to 100 mile in BC to fish for lake trout or fish the lower part of the snohomish or skagit river for Coho.
It had a flat bottom so it will bang a bit in a chop ( give a little to gain a lot) but is stable enough to have two guys on the same side to net a fish without listing to far to be a worry in a heavy chop
Shallow draft ,which if I remember was about 4 or 5 inches, A hard top for the occasional wave over the bow and to stay warm and dry (with a drop curtain) while fishing Blackmouth in the dead of winter.
I had many great fishing trips in mine and the only reason that I sold it was for a down payment on a 22' SeaSport. I have thought many times about buying another one but have to many toys already.

thanks for the input I will be towing this boat with a small truck so boat size and weight is a concern as I like to be able to stop when I use the brakes. any thing over 18 is out of the Question boat need to be fairly lite and have aq small cabin