Chrysler Sailors Forum

Hello, Just happened to dig this site up while scouring the internet for info on my recently purchased C-20. I've been sailing a 12'4" O'day Widgeon for the past 2 years and was looking for something a little roomier (like an O'day Daysailer). All the sudden a C-20 pops up on Craigslist for an embarrassingly modest price. They've always intrigued me because of the massive cockpits but they're pretty rare finds around these parts. I took her out at StonyCreek Metropark on June 30th for the first time and all I can say about her is WOW, what a boat! It's everything I've hoped for and more. It took me 3 hours to set up the first time, but it was worth it. It was also my first time handling a genoa. Well actually, I didn't even know I had a genoa. I thought the guy I bought it from wrecked the original jib and just threw in a toss off sail. I looked to up on the internet and found out how to rig and sail it and voila! Took it out again on the Fourth of July again and I'm totally hooked now. I'm not afraid of a wrench, so I'm grateful to find a knowledgeable group as this as a resource.

Here's few pics of the c20 below:

Nice to see another C20 come along... not many around the only problem I've heard of is that once you fall in love with it the C22 and C26 start batting their eyes at you... oh the dilemma.

Terrence
Wilmington N.C.
Chrysler 26' 1980
Pandora (for now)

welcome aboard!

Welcome aboard !

Beau

Nice boat!

You will find lots of help here. Welcome.


M go Blue!

Brian

mariner wrote:welcome aboard!

What's wrong mariner, did he startle you?

Good looking boat. I noticed in your pictures that you have a trolling motor as a kicker. How does it work for you? Strong enough? battery charge?
I'm going to try an electric motor on my C22, and I'd be interested in your experience.
Thanks BC

Welcome to the forum!

THanks for sharing your story! Now lets see some more photos!

Scott

I've seen a million guys like you... they come, and they go...
they sail, and sail, and sail,
and like it, and like it, and like it...

...and I'm one of'em!!!

Just havin' fun with ya!!
Welcome aboard. Very interested in the "noteworthiness" of your biscuit-headed Chrysler 20. I have a 22, and I think you may have something of a rarity on this site??? I've seen 22's here, and their big brothers (26)... my understanding is that their is a whole Chrysler "family" of boats though Halsey Hershoff (-10 for spelling) didn't design the whole fleet.
Scuttlebut is hard to know where this design is concerned (22)... some downplay Hershoff's design ability, and that he wasn't as good as dear old dad, or grand-dad... some say our swing-keels grab weeds and plastic sacks all the time, and some say they aren't anything but a potatoe in the water. Mine is roomy, built like a f-in' tank at all points, and is still wind "tender". Mine cost $1500 with the trailer. If you included my decision to replace the original main... $2000 total. What's to lose?!! All my standing rigging is new, the hull is tank-like (but I did remove the foam out of the starboard seats...read that: listing to starboard/ water held, no damage whatsoever to interior glass or wood), the trailer is a magic-tilt galvanized wonder.... and now my mainsail is brand new. I have no cracking or age related issues above or below decks. I've had my boat in the water..... ONCE (my decision). I'm goin' agin (Ah like it alot...) )
Sounds like you have a lot of sail(s).
I just bought a new Mainsail ($500 to my door), and it was authentic to my boat.... check out "Sailwarehouse" just to see what sails are typically available for your boat. My understanding is that Sailwarehouse tries to sell sails for those boats that were mass-produced, and the "Chrysler" automobile vintage line of sailboats is no different. It might tell you what else was made for your boat.
P.S. Can I have your Genoa??
hahahahahahahahaha
Bill

BC wrote:Good looking boat. I noticed in your pictures that you have a trolling motor as a kicker. How does it work for you? Strong enough? battery charge?
I'm going to try an electric motor on my C22, and I'd be interested in your experience.
Thanks BC

Thanks BC,
Stonycreek is a 465 acre lake and the day was fairly calm (>10 knots) The little 32LB thrust Minn Kota worked out very well and moved the boat along gently. I used it for about two hours and it still had plenty of pep to bring her into the dock nice and easy at the end of the day. I'm going to Lake St. Clair for the first time this weekend, so I'll see how it does under possibly breezier conditions. I really don't want to do any of my traditional panic docking with a 3000 lb boat if I can help it!

Welcome aboard, I think you will really love your 20. I have a 22 and wouldn't take for it.

Papax3 wrote:I've seen a million guys like you... they come, and they go...
they sail, and sail, and sail,
and like it, and like it, and like it...

...and I'm one of'em!!!

Just havin' fun with ya!!
Welcome aboard. Very interested in the "noteworthiness" of your biscuit-headed Chrysler 20. I have a 22, and I think you may have something of a rarity on this site??? I've seen 22's here, and their big brothers (26)... my understanding is that their is a whole Chrysler "family" of boats though Halsey Hershoff (-10 for spelling) didn't design the whole fleet.
Scuttlebut is hard to know where this design is concerned (22)... some downplay Hershoff's design ability, and that he wasn't as good as dear old dad, or grand-dad... some say our swing-keels grab weeds and plastic sacks all the time, and some say they aren't anything but a potatoe in the water. Mine is roomy, built like a f-in' tank at all points, and is still wind "tender". Mine cost $1500 with the trailer. If you included my decision to replace the original main... $2000 total. What's to lose?!! All my standing rigging is new, the hull is tank-like (but I did remove the foam out of the starboard seats...read that: listing to starboard/ water held, no damage whatsoever to interior glass or wood), the trailer is a magic-tilt galvanized wonder.... and now my mainsail is brand new. I have no cracking or age related issues above or below decks. I've had my boat in the water..... ONCE (my decision). I'm goin' agin (Ah like it alot...) )
Sounds like you have a lot of sail(s).
I just bought a new Mainsail ($500 to my door), and it was authentic to my boat.... check out "Sailwarehouse" just to see what sails are typically available for your boat. My understanding is that Sailwarehouse tries to sell sails for those boats that were mass-produced, and the "Chrysler" automobile vintage line of sailboats is no different. It might tell you what else was made for your boat.
P.S. Can I have your Genoa??
hahahahahahahahaha
Bill

Thanks for the welcome Bill! Something just drew me to this boat. I was happy with my little O'day Widgeon, but lonely. Nobody seems to want to share a ride in a 12' boat with a 255Lb guy for some reason. Anyway, the C20 was standing in the back of this guys 100x150' nice upper middle class suburban yard along side a Macgregor 26 footer he bought a few weeks back. Needless to say, I'm sure the poor fellow had a ton of incentive to sell ASAP. (I've been there) To my surprise, the boat was very well maintained, with new keel bolt and cable recently installed to boot. Her hull was practically spotless and even has gloss left in the gelcoat! She was ready to sail. I've been hesitant about cheap boats since my first $500 motor boat took a day to saw up and four weeks to put out to the curb piecemeal.
As for the sailing of the C20. All I can say is that so far I've found her bleeping beautiful!.. Stonycreek is full of seaweed and although it was a constant problem with my Widgeon, was not an issue on the C20. The keel was only partially down and the seaweed simply rolled under without a problem. Thanks for your response. BTW, I kind like the genoa. It keeps my nephews and nieces busy too. Ha! and they thought sailing would be boring!

Welcome from the west coast (of the State )

Hey, what do you go by?

Crazy Michiganders and their funny boats built by car companies! Lol.

cs3079 wrote:Hello, Just happened to dig this site up while scouring the internet for info on my recently purchased C-20. I've been sailing a 12'4" O'day Widgeon for the past 2 years and was looking for something a little roomier (like an O'day Daysailer). All the sudden a C-20 pops up on Craigslist for an embarrassingly modest price. They've always intrigued me because of the massive cockpits but they're pretty rare finds around these parts. I took her out at StonyCreek Metropark on June 30th for the first time and all I can say about her is WOW, what a boat! It's everything I've hoped for and more. It took me 3 hours to set up the first time, but it was worth it. It was also my first time handling a genoa. Well actually, I didn't even know I had a genoa. I thought the guy I bought it from wrecked the original jib and just threw in a toss off sail. I looked to up on the internet and found out how to rig and sail it and voila! Took it out again on the Fourth of July again and I'm totally hooked now. I'm not afraid of a wrench, so I'm grateful to find a knowledgeable group as this as a resource.

Here's few pics of the c20:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cunningham1234/

Thank you all for the warm welcome. I have to admit, the research and the networking involved in keeping these grand old ladies of the lakes alive is a good part of the fun for me. Hope you all have a great and safe season. I'm looking forward to all the pics, vids and stories, and plan on adding a few of my own too!

Welcome!
I owned a C-20 for a while and really liked it. Don't think you could fine a larger cockpit on any boat. I used a Sears game fisher 5hp on mine and it worked very well. IMHO the C20 is a closer cousin to the C26 than the C-22 as far as hull, keel design and lack of flotation goes. BTW, you think sailing her on a calm day is fun, just wait until you get her in a stiff breeze, you will be impressed, she'll roll to about 20 deg, harden up, and you can ride her all day like that.
There's one at the marina where my boat is and I was starting to think it was abandoned until this past weekend. I was just kinda laying back in my cockpit nursing a cool one about dusk and suddenly slipping out the marina behind me was that C-20 with its running lights on and this very nice looking gal at the tiller . Great boats.

j42goose wrote:Crazy Michiganders and their funny boats built by car companies! Lol.

Better made by Chrysler than by Fiat

I would really like to see how that thing sails next to my friend's O'day Mariner, which is a remarkable boat.

Capt. Bondo wrote:Better made by Chrysler than by Fiat

Amen. (my first car out of high school in 72, 1970 Fiat 850 Spyder convertible)

A friend of mine in high school drove a Yugo. He had TWO parts cars for it.

I've had mine for about a year and a half and love how she sails. No problems at all, aside from a pesky slow leak into the swing-keel bilge....still can't find where the water is getting in. I also use an electric motor - 65-lb. thrust Minn-Kota that does well for most of my sailing. It had a hard time pushing against a 25-knot wind, though...had to break out paddles to make that last 20 feet to the dock. I sail in southcentral Missouri where there's usually plenty of wind. Will you keep your boat in a slip or trailersail her? I made a mast-raising system that really helps if you end up raising/lowering your mast a lot. Best regards - Wes

Welcome aboard

Welcome aboard !

I have a C-20, you will love sailing it.

Oh am I late to the party on this one.

WELCOME ABOARD SHIP MATE!

Okay lets see here, you said and I Quote...
"Just happened to dig this site" Check
"All the sudden a C-20 pops up on Craigslist for an embarrassingly modest price." Check
"they're pretty rare finds around these parts." Check
"I took her out... for the first time and all I can say about her is WOW, what a boat!" Check
"I'm totally hooked now." Check

Yup, I think it's official, just like the rest of us, and oh you've got it bad! Congratulations! Us too!

I think you can pull those same exact quotes right out of my Chrysler sailboat experience. Clearly you are in the right place, and you gave us a link to photos, NICE!

Thanks
Alan

P.S. Oh, I just looked over your photo's and I'm thinking that is an OEM trailer there too. Boat and trailer all in one swoop, good job!