I recently purchased a Cape dory 25 (1977), and enjoy it very much. Does anyone out there have insights for me as to the limitations of this boat? Is it not advisable to take this boat on an extended blue water cruise? What are the weak points? What are your concerns? Any information is appreciated.
mikecookmshs@hotmail.com
cape dory 25/ocean passage
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Harris
Re: cape dory 25/ocean passage
I've logged alot of miles in a 23 foot alberg keelboat. I think the major weakness lie in relying on an outboard in rough conditions like running inlets and other rough conditions. Also dont plan to make great progress to weather in over 20 knots of wind...compared to 30 foot boats. The only other drawback is the fatigue factor of smaller boats......I have had my butt kicked a few too many times. Otherwise the boat can take more than you can.
hg@myhost.com
hg@myhost.com
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Don Carr
Re: cape dory 25/ocean passage
I agree with the previous post- you will break before the boat does. I
am also in agreement with the comment on boat speed. I believe the strongest limiting factor is hull speed which equates to safety in tthe case of large seas and the ability to circumvent/outrun storms.
carrd48@netzero.net
am also in agreement with the comment on boat speed. I believe the strongest limiting factor is hull speed which equates to safety in tthe case of large seas and the ability to circumvent/outrun storms.
carrd48@netzero.net
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chris mullins
Re: cape dory 25/ocean passage
mike,i agree with the other guys,the boat can take a lot in the way of steep following seas,but the motion of any 25 foot boat in a storm at sea is bound to get tiring after a while.as long as you can steer,i would think you could get through just about anything.after that,my main concern would be watertight integrety.when my 25 got sunk in hurricane bob,one of the cockpit seat lockers turned up missing,which led me to bolt them both shut.also it would be good to have a way of making sure the companionway slides don't go flying.i'm sure if you asked howard blackburn,he'd tell you the size of the boat wasn't the limiting factor in offshore passagemaking.josh slocum would say the same;'course both of them were lost at sea,but you got to go sometime...chris
douglas_rock@hotmail.com
douglas_rock@hotmail.com
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Bruce Bett
Re: cape dory 25/ocean passage
Let me preface my comments by saying that I’m a Great Lakes sailor. I have little experience on salt water and none on the open ocean. I agree with everything said in the previous posts. I am a big fan of the CD25 and would sail it anywhere on the Great Lakes with confidence.
But... I guess I’d like to more about what you mean by extended blue water cruising. If you’re talking about crossing an ocean I personally would like a bigger boat. If you look at boats in the 25 foot range that are built for that sort of thing you will see that they are considerably heavier than the CD25. A Pacific Seacraft Dana is a bit shorter than the CD but twice as heavy. The Virtue 25 that the Hayes’ sailed around Cape Horn weighs close to 10,000 lbs. That’s what a Cape Dory 30 weighs.
If what you mean by blue water cruising is island hopping in the Caribbean, where offshore passages are limited to a day or two (about the limit of an accurate weather forecast) than I’m comfortable with the cd25.
This is more book knowledge that experience but perhaps it adds some perspective.
Bruce Bett
Sostenuto
CC25 #496
bettb@macomb.cc.mi.us
But... I guess I’d like to more about what you mean by extended blue water cruising. If you’re talking about crossing an ocean I personally would like a bigger boat. If you look at boats in the 25 foot range that are built for that sort of thing you will see that they are considerably heavier than the CD25. A Pacific Seacraft Dana is a bit shorter than the CD but twice as heavy. The Virtue 25 that the Hayes’ sailed around Cape Horn weighs close to 10,000 lbs. That’s what a Cape Dory 30 weighs.
If what you mean by blue water cruising is island hopping in the Caribbean, where offshore passages are limited to a day or two (about the limit of an accurate weather forecast) than I’m comfortable with the cd25.
This is more book knowledge that experience but perhaps it adds some perspective.
Bruce Bett
Sostenuto
CC25 #496
mike cook wrote: I recently purchased a Cape dory 25 (1977), and enjoy it very much. Does anyone out there have insights for me as to the limitations of this boat? Is it not advisable to take this boat on an extended blue water cruise? What are the weak points? What are your concerns? Any information is appreciated.
bettb@macomb.cc.mi.us