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Thread: Anyone Here A Wooden Boat Enthusiast...?

  1. #1
    Senior Member 911L Guy's Avatar
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    Anyone Here A Wooden Boat Enthusiast...?

    We've got a place on a lake up in Northern Wisconsin, and while we have a great ski and wakesurf boat for all the water sports we love (we've got a 22' 2014 Moomba LSV), I've been increasingly drawn to the beauty and aesthetics of vintage wooden boats to add to our fleet.

    I've been ogling some pre-war Chris Craft boats in the 19'-22' length, and I particularly like the "barrel back" boats as they just look awesome on the water and they sound even better. That said, I know next to nothing about them other than I love the way they look and what I have learned so far from what I've dug up on the internet on care and maintenance... So figuring that a love for air-cooled 911's may very well carry over to a passion for vintage Chris Craft boats, I'm hoping that somebody here may have some experience with ownership and caring for these beasts. If so, I'd love to pick your brain as I try to get educated on these boats . TIA to anyone who cares to share their thoughts and experiences!
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    Senior Member uai's Avatar
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  3. #3
    I used to own a wooden S Boat (it’s a sailboat). I now find it cheaper and more relaxing to just stay home and burn $100 bills in the fireplace.

  4. #4
    My relatives have a twin screw Hacker Craft. A thing of beauty to be sure but the maintenance is unreal. Sort of like the Golden Gate bridge; by the time one end to the other is painted, its time to start all over again.
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  5. #5
    Senior Member 911L Guy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by steve shea View Post
    My relatives have a twin screw Hacker Craft. A thing of beauty to be sure but the maintenance is unreal. Sort of like the Golden Gate bridge; by the time one end to the other is painted, its time to start all over again.
    Yup, that seems to be the standard experience, but also part of the joy of owning these beauties .... I’ve got my eyes on a 19’ 1939 Chris Craft Barrelback that I just can’t stop staring at

    This is actually a 1942, but you get the idea ....
    CCB3D1BC-EB79-4ABD-ABA4-96C744DC9292.jpg

    4FD657B0-083D-4685-9A47-6E7CE5786AD8.jpeg

    C4968D99-6A9C-4DD3-8F19-6421CC9A8769.jpg
    Attached Images Attached Images
    ________________________________
    Early 911S Reg #3096
    "Chester" - 1968 911 L, Fully Restored, Numbers Matching, Tangerine Orange on the original 5 1/2 x 15 Fuchs wheels
    "The Beast" - 2010 911 4S Cab, Triple Black, 6 Speed MT, SSK, PSE with Fabspeed Sport Headers and 200-Cell Cats
    "The Truck" - 2019 Cayenne Turbo, Jet Black, Sport Chrono, PSE, Rear Axle Steering & PSCB Brakes (for haulin' stuff... fast)
    ”Blue” - 2023 911 Turbo S Cab, Gentian Blue over Deviated Black Leather with PSE & PCCB’s

  6. #6
    Senior Member 911L Guy's Avatar
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    Pulled the Trigger on a Vintage Chris Craft ....

    Well, after a lengthy search and seeing some pretty beat up old wooden boats, I took the plunge yesterday and pulled the trigger on a 1936 19’ Chris Craft Custom Runabout. It’s an absolutely stunning boat, and we’re buying it from a guy who has owned, loved and restored it over the last 26+ years. Can’t wait to get it back home and on the lake to act as the MUCH older sibling to our 2014 Moomba LSV ski boat! Here’s a pic with the family sitting in her in the workshop yesterday .... Can’t wait to get her on the water

    Here’s a pic with the wife and our 3 boys:
    E6D52B79-36D4-404B-BA71-76B384AD8F07.jpg

    And with my parents:
    ACC9EFEF-9BBF-42F7-ABC6-9F912697BCB0.jpg
    ________________________________
    Early 911S Reg #3096
    "Chester" - 1968 911 L, Fully Restored, Numbers Matching, Tangerine Orange on the original 5 1/2 x 15 Fuchs wheels
    "The Beast" - 2010 911 4S Cab, Triple Black, 6 Speed MT, SSK, PSE with Fabspeed Sport Headers and 200-Cell Cats
    "The Truck" - 2019 Cayenne Turbo, Jet Black, Sport Chrono, PSE, Rear Axle Steering & PSCB Brakes (for haulin' stuff... fast)
    ”Blue” - 2023 911 Turbo S Cab, Gentian Blue over Deviated Black Leather with PSE & PCCB’s

  7. #7
    There are three perfect designs in this world. An early 911, a Chris Craft Runabout and a Beech Stagger wing, congratulations you have two of them. A Chris Craft restoration expert on our lake has a beautiful 29' Chris Craft triple cockpit that he restored (it patrolled in the Chesapeake Bay during WW II). It is always impressive when I see him out motoring around. Enjoy the ride and the exhaust burrbble in the back bays.

  8. #8
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    Beautiful vessel but it needs a liquor cabinet and small fridge.

    All the Duffy owners in Newport Beach harbor would be drooling over it.


    Nice acquisition. Congrats.

  9. #9
    Senior Member nvr2mny's Avatar
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    That’s beautiful, congrats! Looks like the hull is treated so no pre-soaking is nec. We had a Grand Craft 22’ dbl cockpit a few years ago. Like anything worth enjoying, maintaining it is key. Those harken back to days gone by, like vintage Porsche’s. I’m sure you’ll make lots of great family memories in that.

  10. #10
    Senior Member 911L Guy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by nvr2mny View Post
    That’s beautiful, congrats! Looks like the hull is treated so no pre-soaking is nec. We had a Grand Craft 22’ dbl cockpit a few years ago. Like anything worth enjoying, maintaining it is key. Those harken back to days gone by, like vintage Porsche’s. I’m sure you’ll make lots of great family memories in that.
    Yup, I totally agree that you get an unmistakable sense of history and a bygone era when you spend time with these old beauties. As I’ve been researching these boats during my search, I’ve picked up various books and period literature to give me the right context and understanding for owing these boats.

    Here is an ad that Chris Craft ran in 1936 to market this particular boat that really gives you a sense for the kind of pleasure boating experieiocne that Chris Craft was trying to tap into when selling these to the public. I’m not sure that I am going to head out dressed in a suit and tie, and I don’t own a Collie, although I particularly like the “chumminess” quote at the top left:

    AED0C7DE-E4C4-4274-B481-8266A8F0B691.jpg

    As you say, I’m looking forward to welcoming this boat into our family and making our own family memories
    ________________________________
    Early 911S Reg #3096
    "Chester" - 1968 911 L, Fully Restored, Numbers Matching, Tangerine Orange on the original 5 1/2 x 15 Fuchs wheels
    "The Beast" - 2010 911 4S Cab, Triple Black, 6 Speed MT, SSK, PSE with Fabspeed Sport Headers and 200-Cell Cats
    "The Truck" - 2019 Cayenne Turbo, Jet Black, Sport Chrono, PSE, Rear Axle Steering & PSCB Brakes (for haulin' stuff... fast)
    ”Blue” - 2023 911 Turbo S Cab, Gentian Blue over Deviated Black Leather with PSE & PCCB’s

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