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I just got back from a trip to the West Coast of Florida to look at three (3) Cape Dory sailboats - two for sale.
I looked at a CD 22 in good condition, but with a trailer that is badly rusted and in need of an overhaul at least. I may pursue this CD 22 without the trailer if the owner is amenable to this.
I also looked at a CD 25 that, in my judgment, is in need of a significant refurbishing, etc. which I am not qualified to do.
On the way back to Miami, I stopped to look at a 1983 CD 25D (Hull No. 91) in Sarasota, Florida. Her owners, Carolyn and Kurt Thomas, graciously offered to show her to me even though she is NOT for sale because they learned of my journey in search of a Cape Dory. They are obviously proud owners.
Inspecting this CD 25D was a huge mistake I have looked at many Cape Dory sailboats during the past two years. A few, including Marv Brinn’s CD 27 and Ron Brassord’s CD 25, have been in very good to excellent condition. Marv’s and Ron’s were, in my tadpole opinion, both in Bristol condition. However, Carolyn and Kurt’s CD 25D is simply unbelievable. She looked like she had just been taken off the showroom floor and deposited in her berth in Pelican Cove. It was the most “Bristol” sailboat I have ever looked at and she is 24 years old Looking at this CD 25D was a huge mistake because I am now spoiled and will forever compare any other CD to this CD 25D. I intend no offense to anyone on this board, but I cannot imagine that there is a 24-year-old CD out there that looks more “Bristol” than Carolyn and Kurt’s CD 25D.
Both Carolyn and Kurt spent almost two hours with me this morning discussing their baby and the more than one year effort of love they did on her to return her to “Bristol”. Without exaggeration, you could see the glimmer in their eyes as they discussed their “love”. It is the same glimmer I get when discussing Sophia Loren The incredibly sad (for me) part of the story is that they found this CD 25D almost by accident while looking for another sailboat. I, on the other hand, have been diligently searching for a Cape Dory for two years without success. I know I made a lot of mistakes and did a lot of terrible things as an adolescent and young adult, but is it not time for the sailing gods to forgive my transgressions
I also looked at a CD 25 that, in my judgment, is in need of a significant refurbishing, etc. which I am not qualified to do.
Was that the one in Tampa I told you about last week, Seahunt?
Sea Hunt wrote:On the way back to Miami, I stopped to look at a 1983 CD 25D (Hull No. 91) in Sarasota, Florida. Her owners, Carolyn and Kurt Thomas, graciously offered to show her to me even though she is NOT for sale because they learned of my journey in search of a Cape Dory. They are obviously proud owners.
Inspecting this CD 25D was a huge mistake I have looked at many Cape Dory sailboats during the past two years. A few, including Marv Brinn’s CD 27 and Ron Brassord’s CD 25, have been in very good to excellent condition. Marv’s and Ron’s were, in my tadpole opinion, both in Bristol condition. However, Carolyn and Kurt’s CD 25D is simply unbelievable. She looked like she had just been taken off the showroom floor and deposited in her berth in Pelican Cove. It was the most “Bristol” sailboat I have ever looked at and she is 24 years old Looking at this CD 25D was a huge mistake because I am now spoiled and will forever compare any other CD to this CD 25D. I intend no offense to anyone on this board, but I cannot imagine that there is a 24-year-old CD out there that looks more “Bristol” than Carolyn and Kurt’s CD 25D.
Both Carolyn and Kurt spent almost two hours with me this morning discussing their baby and the more than one year effort of love they did on her to return her to “Bristol”. Without exaggeration, you could see the glimmer in their eyes as they discussed their “love”. It is the same glimmer I get when discussing Sophia Loren The incredibly sad (for me) part of the story is that they found this CD 25D almost by accident while looking for another sailboat. I, on the other hand, have been diligently searching for a Cape Dory for two years without success. I know I made a lot of mistakes and did a lot of terrible things as an adolescent and young adult, but is it not time for the sailing gods to forgive my transgressions
Fair Winds,
I think the moral of the story is that if you want a Bristol sailboat you have to do it yourself. Just find the best boat you can afford and start the Bristolizing a little bit at a time.
Robert, Just read your post after sailing Yolo up to St Pete for a couple of days. Thanks so much for the wonderful compliments! Yolo does seem to turn heads these days. We just got asked by a cruiser from Annapolis when we were anchored at Jewfish Key if she was new & when did Cape Dory start building them again? Good luck with whatever boat you purchase & please call us or email us if you have any questions about our renovation.
Thanks again,
Kurt & Carolyn
If you settle on a 25 Year Old CD that needs a some work - like most of our boats out there - don't worry, we'll help you bring her up to Bristol shape.
I just sold Sarah,a 28 Cape Dory, which is in absolutely bristol condition; iside and out..with new varnish, awlgrip hull and new Yanmar 2GM20F among other things. I have had her listed on this board under "Boats for sale" for over 9 months and NEVER had an inquiry...go figure
Dear Sea Hunt,
You will quickly learn that a CD28 is not too much hull or too large a sail area, for an inexperienced singlehandler. Many of us have done it with 28's and CD30's, with much more comfort below. There is a very nice 28 (with new engine) available here in the Galveston Bay, TX area, for a bargin price.
Regards,
Chuck
Gulf Coast Fleet
Thank you for your kindness in calling my attention to these two Cape Dory sailboats.
I am not inclined toward the CD 25 because of the configuration or placement of the O/B motor, although many sailors a lot smarter than me (not a difficult objective ) tell me I am crazy to think this. If I were to buy a CD 25 I would want the CD 25D.
I honestly believe the CD 28 with 9,000 lbs displacement and 404 sq ft sail area is really too much for me to single hand at my limited level of experience. I have considered a CD 27 with 7,500 lbs displacement and 365 sq ft sail area. That is really the very outer limit of my comfort zone. Even with that, I am sure almost all of my sailing would be done with at least one, possibly two reefs in even on relatively calm days.
I do have good news and, unfortunately, some bad news. The good news is we are getting ready to make an offer on a Cape Dory 22 that is in very good condition. The bad news is the current asking price is significantly higher than what CD 22s in similar condition have been selling for and the seller is not strongly motivated to sell. We are reluctant to significantly overpay solely because we want a Cape Dory and have been searching for one for some time. Candidly, the last sentence is mostly attributable to "the Admiral" but I do mostly agree with it, albeit reluctantly so.
Everyone (or anyone who wants to) keep your fingers crossed that we are in the favor of the sailing gods on this one
There is a line near the end of the movie "Money Pit" (a title that would equally apply to buying either an old house or an old boat) that says "If the foundation is good everything else can be fixed" If you buy a Cape Dory you are buying a boat with a good foundation, and everything else can be fixed. The satisfaction and pride that one has in having a boat in Bristol condition does not come from owning the boat but from restoring and keeping the boat in that condition. YachtWorld.com lists 95 Cape Dories for sale, I believe that most Cape Dory owners would agree that offering the full asking price for any one of them would not be as bad of a mistake as not owning a Cape Dory. As Ron said, it is time to buy a boat, then come sail with us.
You are absolutely correct. I should not be bothering the members of this board with my own personal struggles trying to buy a Cape Dory. I sincerely apologize to you and to anyone on this board I have offended.
Both Richard and Chuck were kind enough to direct my attention to Cape Dory sailboats for sale that they were aware of in their locations. I felt obligated to acknowledge their posts and explain why I would not be comfortable with these two models - given my limited sailing experience.
I guess I could have sent them PMs, but I did not want the other fine members of this board to think I was being rude or disrespectful to Richard and Chuck by not publicly responding.
Ron, I will try to do better and ask that you accept my apology.
Steve, I showed your post to "the Admiral" and told her I mostly agreed with your thoughts. She smiled, gently patted me on the head, and walked away.
Let me tell you about my boat. It might help put things in perspective. There might be perfect boats out there, but I sure didn't get one. These are 20-30 year old boats. If you bought a 1979 Oldsmobile, you would expect it to need some work.
I cannot even remember all of the things I have had to do to my "new" boat. I'll just list some that come to mind:
Had to add anchor and two rodes.
Being in Maine, wanted radar, so added that along with a chart plotter.
Found my diesel fuel filters were clogged with major goop; had to learn how to find and change them.
Ripped my yankee to shreds while merely tacking it; had to face the music, sails were shot, so ordered all new $ails.
Found most of my seacocks were incorrectly assembled; took all apart, had to lap some in, lubed them, re-assembled them properly. One is so inaccessible as to make this one seacock a half-day job.
Hot water heater was shot, so I had to remove it; this entailed much disassembly even before I could get it out of the cockpit locker. Had to shore up shelf it was on, as it was sagging; did carpentry, painting. Installed new hot water heater; this was new territory for me, had to learn all about boat plumbing, had to learn more about engine's cooling system.
New hot water heater took up so much space that I had to relocate one of my batteries. By the way, the old batteries were shot, so had to buy new.
That project made me closely inspect my battery cables, which I found to be burnt-looking in places. I replaced and re-ran battery cables.
I removed an old life-raft cradle from the foredeck and dealt with the holes in the deck.
Found the angle of the jib sheets from the foot blocks to the self-tailing winches (which I was thrilled to be getting on this boat) is such that it produces instant riding turns. This may require some custom-built solution; in the meantime, they are best used as standard winches.
Found my grey-water sump has holes in it which drain nasty, soapy water into the bilge; I may start that repair tomorrow.
Had the bottom stripped of old bottom paint, to find that the boat had once had thousands of blisters, but the giant patch job was not well done, and the gelcoat was shot; currently in the process of having all below-waterline gelcoat removed and an epoxy barrier coat done on the bottom. Depre$$ing.
My knot meter needed fixing, and the speed transducer had to be replaced; I just finished running the new cable.
Boat came with all kinds of old head parts, so when head did not work right, we spent hours trying to fix it with these old nasty spares. I wish the PO had thrown out his old discarded parts, because we ultimately wound up buying new guts for the toilet. After having all that fun trying.
I could go on. Seriously. My point here is NOT to scare you out of buying a boat! You see, the funny thing is, that even though we are spending the price of a year at Harvard (SINCE we bought the boat), nonetheless WE LOVE OUR BOAT!! Love it!
We are no spring chickens, so we have bitten the bullet and gone ahead with all of this stuff at once, but the reality is that virtually none of this had to be done right away. It could have been done gradually over several years. Much could have not been done at all.
I have a good friend who is a psychiatrist, and one of his favorite expressions is "...well, it's a process." Same with boats.
I am one of the fortunate folks who have had the pleasure to meet you. You are a really smart guy, and you clearly really want one of these boats. If you are nervous at first, join the club. We all were. Draft some sailing friends to go with you at first. Ease into it. It's a process.
Your boat won't be perfect. Most of the defects will be stuff you can live with. Best to live with the boat for a while, THEN decide how to improve it anyway. (We had already had two boats, one a CD, so we were in a slightly different position.) Go sailing, man! Be careful, which is your nature, and you will be fine.
I know that you are a scuba diver, and to me, anyone who will trust his life to a single mechanical device is a braver man than I. And anyone who can shoot underwater video, as you do, while doing this, has my respect from one photographer to another.
Robert, you can do this. Don't worry about getting the world's best boat deal; there is no such thing. It's an oxymoron. Fahgeddaboutit.
But remember this: it is virtually CERTAIN that you will get a better deal than I did!! And I had experience.
With all of your now-accumulated knowledge, and a good surveyor (I don't recommend mine), you can be sailing your new Cape Dory this summer. And like us, YOU WILL LOVE IT!
And it will be a process. My first two boats were virtually turn-key. Maybe you will be lucky.
None of us can tell you when to buy a boat, but it sounds to me like you are ready. You will love your Cape Dory.
Respectfully,
Dean
(PS: You coulda bought Mariah and would be that much ahead of the game.) :-)
Last edited by Dean Abramson on Apr 1st, '07, 10:47, edited 2 times in total.
Dean Abramson
Cape Dory 31 "Loda May"
Falmouth, Maine
After carefully reading your list of repairs, additions, modifications, etc., that you have done on your CD 31 "Loda May" in just the past year, all I can say is "YIKKES "
Oh, and thanks so much for reminding me about "Mariah". Every time I look at the pictures I took of her and remind myself of the obvious extra care and love she received from you, I kick myself in the "arse" for not buying her on the spot without a survey
By the way, trust me, diving is easy. If I can do it, anyone can do it.
I have looked at many Cape Dory sailboats during the past two years. A few, including Marv Brinn’s CD 27 and Ron Brassord’s CD 25, have been in very good to excellent condition. Marv’s and Ron’s were, in my tadpole opinion, both in Bristol condition. However, Carolyn and Kurt’s CD 25D is simply unbelievable. She looked like she had just been taken off the showroom floor and deposited in her berth in Pelican Cove. It was the most “Bristol” sailboat I have ever looked at and she is 24 years old 
I know I made a lot of mistakes and did a lot of terrible things as an adolescent and young adult, but is it not time for the sailing gods to forgive my transgressions 
Every time I look at the pictures I took of her and remind myself of the obvious extra care and love she received from you, I kick myself in the "arse" for not buying her on the spot without a survey