From a similar thread;
Our C-Dory Tomcat is the perfect boat for the type of diving we do. Sometimes we go offshore to the backside of Catalina Island, about a 70 mile run. We also have seven other islands within 115 miles of our slip. Most of the time we dive reefs and wrecks that are within 20 miles of home. We also have wrecks and reefs less than a mile from the harbor.
We have a pilot house so we can get out of the weather. Wind, sun, hot, cold, rain, or just splashing saltwater takes its toll on you after a day on the water. If it's hot, we have two fans or we can open windows. If it's cold, we have a diesel stove/heater. The Tomcat has a queen size V-berth in case anyone needs to sleep on the way to or from a dive site. We also have a refrigerator, sink, marine head, and hot/cold freshwater shower. I added a longer hose so we can shower and rinse our gear out on the deck after diving. We don't go inside the pilot house with wet gear. We also have an air dryer and two dehumidifiers to keep the musty smell common to many boats away. We've owned the boat for ten years and it still smells fresh.
The boat is powered by twin Honda 150 HP outboards with hydraulic steering. We had a custom swing dive ladder installed to make climbing back aboard in full gear easier. I installed racks for up to eight single tanks or sets of doubles. A stainless Bruce type anchor and 400 feet of stainless chain holds the boat in any conditions we have been out in. The shiny anchor and chain are very visible underwater, making it easier to find our way back at the end of a dive. Chain markers let me know how much chain I have let out. I have different color markers at fifty feet intervals. Caribiners with bolt snaps are attached to the railings along either side of the boat so we can clip off our cameras rather than trying to carry them up the ladder. Our camera rigs are the size of many small cars.
A thirty gallon rinse tank keeps our cameras, computers, and compasses salt-free.
Inside we have a VHF radio mounted as well as a handheld backup. A GPS/RADAR/Fishfinder multifunction display allows me to anchor within five feet of my coordinates every time. I have a drop camera so I can check the visibility and conditions on the reef before we gear up. It has saved us from a lot of aborted dives. I have a large dive flag on a long PVC pole that can be seen a couple of miles away.
The catamaran hull provides stability. There is nothing worse than having sore muscles after a day of holding onto rails on a monohull. It's great to be able to gear up on a 25 foot boat that isn't rocking.
It is fast enough to get us there and back, comfortable enough without having to treat it like a yacht, functional enough to get us on the dive sites accurately and safely, and it keeps Merry happy, which is the most important function.
Our C-Dory Tomcat is the perfect boat for the type of diving we do. Sometimes we go offshore to the backside of Catalina Island, about a 70 mile run. We also have seven other islands within 115 miles of our slip. Most of the time we dive reefs and wrecks that are within 20 miles of home. We also have wrecks and reefs less than a mile from the harbor.
We have a pilot house so we can get out of the weather. Wind, sun, hot, cold, rain, or just splashing saltwater takes its toll on you after a day on the water. If it's hot, we have two fans or we can open windows. If it's cold, we have a diesel stove/heater. The Tomcat has a queen size V-berth in case anyone needs to sleep on the way to or from a dive site. We also have a refrigerator, sink, marine head, and hot/cold freshwater shower. I added a longer hose so we can shower and rinse our gear out on the deck after diving. We don't go inside the pilot house with wet gear. We also have an air dryer and two dehumidifiers to keep the musty smell common to many boats away. We've owned the boat for ten years and it still smells fresh.
The boat is powered by twin Honda 150 HP outboards with hydraulic steering. We had a custom swing dive ladder installed to make climbing back aboard in full gear easier. I installed racks for up to eight single tanks or sets of doubles. A stainless Bruce type anchor and 400 feet of stainless chain holds the boat in any conditions we have been out in. The shiny anchor and chain are very visible underwater, making it easier to find our way back at the end of a dive. Chain markers let me know how much chain I have let out. I have different color markers at fifty feet intervals. Caribiners with bolt snaps are attached to the railings along either side of the boat so we can clip off our cameras rather than trying to carry them up the ladder. Our camera rigs are the size of many small cars.
A thirty gallon rinse tank keeps our cameras, computers, and compasses salt-free.Inside we have a VHF radio mounted as well as a handheld backup. A GPS/RADAR/Fishfinder multifunction display allows me to anchor within five feet of my coordinates every time. I have a drop camera so I can check the visibility and conditions on the reef before we gear up. It has saved us from a lot of aborted dives. I have a large dive flag on a long PVC pole that can be seen a couple of miles away.
The catamaran hull provides stability. There is nothing worse than having sore muscles after a day of holding onto rails on a monohull. It's great to be able to gear up on a 25 foot boat that isn't rocking.
It is fast enough to get us there and back, comfortable enough without having to treat it like a yacht, functional enough to get us on the dive sites accurately and safely, and it keeps Merry happy, which is the most important function.
