C-Forum

I found a Bell Ocoee for sale that I'm going to take a look at tomorrow. I've read some comments on here about the shoddy construction quality of the Bell compared to the Dagger. Anything I should look out for before I fork over any cash? He didn't know what year the boat was built, but I'm guessing I will be able to tell by looking at the serial number? I haven't seen one with this logo, does anyone have any idea on the year by looking at the picture? Also, is having wood gunnels really that much of a pain on a royalex boat? I have no problem with having to give it a little extra TLC, but I also don't really want to worry about the cold cracks when I cruise it around in the colder months. He is asking for 650$. I've never been in a Ocoee, but I'm thinking that if it's in good condition that I shouldn't have any problem selling it if I for some reason dislike the boat. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks!

Not to talk too much crap about a company that in my opinion made some of the prettiest boats ever made. I'm in love with the aesthetic of the black gold in particular. I think this Ocoee is ugly. Maybe it's just that zebra colored seat

The vinyl gunnels that came with that boat are ugly, flimsy, pieces of crap. It's better with wood.

Specific issues I've had with my Bell Ocoee are 1) rivets that hold the gunnels on have popped out 2) the decks have cracked and 3) whoever glued up the two pieces of foam that make up the saddle didn't understand that the user really had a lot invested in the saddle staying in one piece during use. I agree (chime in here, Jack) the gunnels are on the flimsy side - but heck, I'm bouncin' off of stuff all the time and it just adds to the fun...

$650 for an outfitted Ocoee with air bags and wood gunnels sounds like a great deal to me. I'd mainly be concerned about the condition of the hull. Look for soft spots and any areas of delamination, particularly along the the chines and on the bottom of the boat near the seat. It the hull checks out, this could be a good deal. Granted, the Royalex used in the Bell Ocoee doesn't match up to the Royalex used in the Dagger model, but that's the way it is these days. Royalex ain't what it used to be. Try to hit less rocks and the boat will last longer.

The vinyl gunnels were the biggest complaint I had with the Bell version. Rivets popped on mine, too but Bell sent me some to do the repair. I think they attempted to go light and ended up with flimsy. I had a Dagger Ocoee at the same time as the Bell and the Dagger version was a much more solid product when compared side by side. The wood gunnels on this boat are a huge improvement, but I don't get the loops in the deck plate? From the photo it also looks like the bag cages have been modified for 54" bags which I also did to my Bell version. At the end of the day,"The old gray mare, she ain't what she use to be!" I'd say she's worth five hunny.

cheajack wrote:....snip.....The wood gunnels on this boat are a huge improvement, but I don't get the loops in the deck plate? .....snip.....

I bet that those loops are bungy cord and used to hold down long painters. I've seen a lot of boats with that. Not commenting on whether this is a good idea or not -- that was hashed out in some previous thread.

Musta been a heckova painter to fill up those loops!

Thanks for all the replies! I ended up buying the boat. I have a bunch more questions?? I'm really curious if this boat is a Bell, or a Dagger. The MN registration sticker, which of course doesn't come from the factory, says that it's a Dagger. The safety sticker on the inside, which I'm guessing did come from the factory also says that it's a Dagger. As you can see there is a Bell Canoe Works sticker in the middle of the hull (I've never seen a Bell Ocoee with that particular logo, have you?), but maybe somebody just slapped it on there thinking that it was a Bell.

The registration sticker says that it was made in 1999. The serial # ends in 01, so was it made in 1999, or 2001? When did Dagger stop making the Ocoee? When did Bell start? From the feel of the thickness of the Royalex, I would have guessed that it was Bell from how you guys talk about it. The Mohawk Probe 11 that I have is a lot thicker and more solid feeling. This Ocoee weighs 49 lbs.
Does the grey discoloration look like delamination to you? At first I thought it was, but there isn't any soft spots, so then I was thinking that it was just another layer of the Royalex.



And lastly does the small crack, that from what I can tell only goes through a very thin layer, need to be filled with some kind of glue? Is this something to worry about?


Maybe the outfitting would be a clue.

My Dagger Ocoee was made in '98. I THINK Dagger was still making them in '99. The gray area appears to be ABS where the vinyl has worn through and yes, the crack in the inside does need to be patched else water will invade your foam core and it will delaminate. That's another thread.

My Prodigy X and a friends Prodigy both are the latter Bell yellow Royalex. The spots that have warn through the yellow on both boats shows white not tan like in your pictures. Maybe yours is an early Bell boat that still used the dagger Royalex. Not necessarily a bad thing

My memory may have a bit in common with today's Royalex (a bit on the softer side), but if I'm recalling correctly, perhaps the Bell Canoe Works decal on this boat is an old one. That is, didn't Ted Bell originally start Bell Canoe Works in Indiana, some decades ago? Possibly this was one of his old, Indiana era BCW Decals.

Whether or not BCW built this Ocoee, there's nothing to stop a person from sticking a decal on a boat. Maybe somebody had this old decal and thought it'd look good on this boat.

Keep the hollow side up!

LFG

I m pretty sure that dagger made the boats until about 2003.

It should have a plate with a serial number that identifies it as a dagger or a bell. Aside from the warning sticker, everything about that boat looks like a bell canoe to me...

The serial # starts with DA. Does that make it a Dagger? The serial #s on the other boats that I have don't start out with the first letters of the makers.
ANd what's up with these cracks? I found a couple of others. I have no experience with the death of a Royalex boat. Is this the beginning of the end for the integrity of this hull? The other two cracks are smaller than the one pictured, but one of them goes under the pedestal, which I'm assuming would be a real pain to patch. Speaking of patches. I've read a bit of the threads on repair. Do I need to drill the ends of these pressure cracks before I fill them with glue? What's your favorite glue? Do I need to add a composite material as well? Sorry, I know there are lots of threads on this, but I wouldn't mind a few more opinions on this one. Thanks!

Lung; Yes, it would be best to take the saddle up to repair the cracks. It isn't that difficult it just takes some time and a little patience. I drill the ends and cut a shallow "V" into the cracks with a razor knife and fill them with JB Weld. After sanding down the JB Weld filler, I would rough up the vinyl and put a couple of layers of fiberglass cloth over the area using G-flex as the epoxy. It is probably best to remove the vinyl layer and bond directly to the ABS, but I have gotten away with adhering repairs like this to the vinyl and it has worked out OK. I would overlap the cracks by a couple of inches. Reglue the saddle and you should be good to go.