Wendy wrote:

This one is shaping up to be an excellent boat to focus on. I've heard
almost nothing negative about it, they are in my price range, and they do
NOT have teak decks!

Wendy, the CD 36 is a nice boat (more comments below) but I think you're going
about this wrong-way to. Instead of deciding in advance "*THE* perfect boat is
the XYZ-100, and that is what I'm going to focus on" try just taking an
unfocussed look at boats available in your area. With a minimum investment in
time & money & travel & heartache, you can get your toes wet and go poking
around on some boats. This will give you a chance to put into practice some of
what you've learned about evaluating boats, and it will toughen up your hide
for dealing with the inevitable broker when you do find the right one.

Also: good work getting out on the Ranger 33.

There are a dozen or so listed for sale on the East
Coast; perhaps I can get out that way this spring to have a look. In the
meantime, if anyone has any experience with or knowledge of these boats,
please let me know what your thoughts are. If anyone in the Galveston Bay
area happens to be reading this and is a Cape Dory (any size) owner, I'd
love to pick your brain and have a look at your boat, if that's at all
possible.

We have some good friends who had a series of Cape Dories up to the 36, they
kept wanting something 'a little bit bigger' before they started cruising for
real. They did make a trip to Bermuda and back on the CD 36, the comment was
that it too was not big enough. Of course your mileage may vary, but one item
to keep in mind is that the old fashioned seakindly hull is not roomy for it's
length. They also are a bit pokey and tend to motor a lot (our friends also
said they needed more tankage). But they certainly earned their reputation for
being solidly built, and they are great looking boats.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King