Was a Cape Dory 31/32/33 built with a deck-stepped spar?

[rturpin]

A Cape Dory about 32 feet long recently moved onto A dock at Corpus Christi marina, just across from us, and looking at it, I noticed something quite unusual for a Cape Dory of this size: it has its spar stepped on deck, on top of an H-shaped support molded into the deck. I imagine some bulkheads and beams fit into the H to provide support below.

Every larger Cape Dory I have seen had a keel-stepped spar, so this naturally made me a bit curious what model this was, and whether it came this way from Cape Dory, or had been rebuilt later. The sailplan was the usual double-headsail sloop, though there were no intermediate shrouds. I didn't see any other signs that the deck had been rebuilt, and it looked very much like the traditional Cape Dory deck, with the usual Spartan ports and fittings, and tan non-skid. The finger piers aren't long enough for me to get a peak at the HIN, so I don't know the year or model. But I figure this board is the fount of all knowledge Cape Dory, so I figured I would ask here.

[lubeckmaine]

yes, plus tons of room down below. David Perry, who has known CDs since he was in diapers, should know the specifics of when in the 1980s the DSM became an option. JB

[Dean Abramson]

To my knowledge, all 32s (only 11 were built) were deck-stepped; and no 31s or 33s were.

[Bob L]

All CD32s were deck stepped as far as I know. Some are sloops and others are 'cutters'. There's a support structure for the deck that's part of the head bulkhead.

Bob

[king11]

All CD 30 MkII's have the mast stepped on deck.

[Bill Goldsmith]

The Cd32 has a laminated oak compression post directly under the mast--it goes from the ceiling down to the keel. The post is built into the head compartment bulkhead/door corner. This is different from the smaller CDs which have a steel H-plate that distributes the compression to the two bulkheads.

[rturpin]

This boat has four bronze opening ports each side, in the style of the 31, and older 30, where the 33 and 36 have five. There are no fixed ports. And the deck has a definite H-frame molded under the mast. Curiouser and curiouser...

[Bob L]

Yep, 4 ports per side, each open. Personally, I think 5 ports would enhance the lines.

[Cathy Monaghan]

I've got a CD32 and there isn't any H-shaped fitting on deck. The deck step is ovalish and the mast fits over it. It looks like this:



As Bill Goldsmith mentioned earlier, the CD32 has a thick wooden compression post directly beneath the mast which goes all the way to the keel.

Our CD32 is a double-headsail sloop and she DOES have aft intermediate shrouds -- so she has 4 shrouds on each side of the boat. The CD30 does NOT have aft intermediates.

The CD32 also has only one dorade box with a cowl vent. It's on the starboard side directly opposite the mast. In addition to the 8 opening ports (4 on each side) there are 2 large opening hatches (the same size) on the coach roof: one in the main cabin over the center of the boat and one over the v-berth.

If the boat you're looking at has a deck-stepped mast, it probably isn't the CD31 or the CD33 or CD330 either since they all have keel-stepped masts. But your description is not that of a CD32 unless the previous owners have made some modifications. Maybe she was dismasted and they purchased a new mast and mast step from a manufacturer other than Spartan Spars (Rig-Rite). The original mast and step were made by Spartan Spars.

The older (1976-1977) CD30s had 5 port lights on each side. Most of these boats were ketches. Cape Dory switched to only 4 ports on each side of the CD30 some time around 1978.

What is the vessel's HIN? We may be able to determine the model from the HIN.

Cape Dory HIN prefixes:

• 22D: CPDV
  25: CPDE
  25D: CPDY
  26: CPDBB
  27: CPDJ
  270: CPDP
  28: CPDF
  Intrepid 28:
  Intrepid 9 Meter: ????
  30: CPDH
  30 Mk II: CPDGG
  300 MS: CPDEE
  31: CPDM
  32: CPDFF
  33 and 330: CPDU
  Intrepid 35: ???
  36: CPDT
  40: CPDAA
  Intrepid 40: ?????
  45: CPDZ

Cathy
CDSOA Webmaster
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

[Mark Yashinsky]

Might make it easier for people to determine the boat. Ask or search the board if you dont know how to post pictures.