In want of a CC25 .....

[Cappy]

Hello again. Here are my questions. I have yet to ride on a 25, but was able to walk on a 2001 28 today and could not believe the SIZE! For a 28' boat it was huge. I can imagine its a tank.

If I were to go used...

How old?
What type of motor is BEST?
What to look for?
Has the hull changed at all?

I need insight.....also, if anyone is in RI or CT and looking to take me for a boat ride I will gladly go and pay for gas and bait!

Thanks!

[lrc]

CC 25, Best?

Cappy,

It depends on your circumstances. Are you going to keep the boat on a trailer, at a dock or on a lift?

Stay away from the fuel injected Volvo gas jackshafts. Carburated are o.k. Issue is water ingestion and no permanent fix. This affected other boats besides CC. There are plenty of threads on this issue at THT that you can spend time reading.

I have the KAMD 300 diesel with the jackshaft outdrive. I keep my boat on a lift thus less maintenance issues. I didn't plan on buying diesel when I went to purchase but couldn't go gas after talking to the Moorehead NC mechanics and others who had worked with the water ingestion issues.

The KAMD 300 puts out 285 HP, a bit more than previous diesel engines. I was concerned about having enough HP to get this heavy boat moving when needed. Older diesels were 260HP. The 300 gets the job done nicely.

If you decide to go new, and are keeping her in the water, gas inboard might be the way to go to keep expenses down.

LRC

[Cappy]

I would slip her and keep her in the water. What issues arise from that? I am used to outboards and never owned an inboard so "in water" maintenance I am not familiar with.

It looks like the diesel is the way to go, but how about years old for used? How far back should I look? Did the hull change at all? What about other "age" related issues..

Thanks!

[lrc]

Cc 25

Cappy,

The hull on the 25' is the same as it was with the first boat in 1994. Some changes on the inside, upgrades etc.

In slip issues are outdrive maintenance and a little more susceptibility to problems. I'm not sure if the outdrive will tilt up as far out of the water as an outboard. On the other hand, the outdrive gives you the performance boost over inboard props due to better running angles.

With fresh water cooling on the diesel, I flush the exchanger every time I come in from a trip. If you can manage to install a Groco flush valve in the seawater thru hull, no reason why you couldn't do the same in a slip. Preventive maintenance is the key to any marine engine. In addition, I use Saltaway in the last 5 gallons of flush (4 ounces does the trick).

Diesels generally have long lives if taken care of and not abused, same as any engine. These diesels have a supercharger and turbocharger (intake, exhaust compression) that gives them the power to move these hulls quickly. They can cost more to maintain due to that complexity. In addition, Volvo parts are expensive. I have yet to find much in the way of discounts.

LRC

[jeannieb]

My last boat was a 26' Albemarle with a Volvo KAMD44, 260 hp diesel, jackshaft/outdrive. I now own a 2006 CC25 w/Volvo D4-260, straight inboard.

I've always stored my boat in a slip. The Volvo DP drive is perhaps the best outdrive unit on the market in terms of reliability and performance. Still, a wet stored outdrive requires routine haul-outs (at least every 2-3 months) for cleaning, inspection of the zincs, inspection for water penetration of and (very important) re-greasing of the prop shafts. Make sure the boat you buy has stainless props, aluminum picks up more fouling and won't last long stored in salt water.

In my view and based on 5-years and 900 hrs service, the KAMD44 is solid engine but a Rube-Goldberg piece if engineering that subjects it to more frequent failures than a less mechanically complex machine. By comparison, the D4 in my new boat is smaller, significantly quieter has far fewer moving parts to fail. Whether or not it's an improvement in reliability remains to be seen.

260 HP is a bit underpowered for a boat the size of either the Albemarle 265 or CC25. But on the other hand, I run my boats at 85% power and average 21 knots while fully loaded for offshore fishing w/2 adults and full fuel. That's slow by today's standard. But then, when running 30-50 miles through a 3-4' chop in a 25' boat...it's amazing how few faster boats, in the same size range, will pass us on our way to or from the fishing grounds.

A gasoline engine will provide a higher top end and cruise speed, but it will also need to run at higher speed for optimum efficiency (NM/per gallon). Unless you can really use the higher speed generated by the gasoline engine, the diesel is a good choice (purchase and maintenance cost not-with-standing).

Finally, for what it's worth, the CC25 beats the Albemarle 265 hands down in its sea keeping ability and ride. The CC25 is truly a boat that does so well at sea for its size, I could probably get into trouble with it I'm not careful.

Best of luck in your search, and I hope some of that info helps.

Steve

[CC Rider]

Norwalk Boat Show

CC will have a booth and some boats at the Norwalk In-Water Boat Show this weekend. I believe Mac will be there so you can speak to the designer of the Albemarle and CC.

I have a 94' 25, 7.4l fwc, jack shaft. I bought it this summer and I love it. The motor runs very strong and reliably (carbureted). I think the fact that it was fwc out of the factory goes a long way in keeping the motor strong after 12 years of service. But other aspects of the boat are holding up great, such as gelcoat, outdrive and electrical.

IMO it is the most beautiful boat of its class and I hear many similar opinions from others that see it.