This past Saturday, my father brought home a new toy, a 1959 Chris-Craft 17′ Sportsman. As we have had no Dockside Classics for a while, I thought this would be of interest to you all. And besides, it looked so darn nice sitting next to their 1968 Commander. It still sports its original 283 CID Chevrolet V8, and as you might expect, I love the hunter green interior!
Related: Dockside Classic: 1968 Chris-Craft 38′ Commander – Dream Boat
Not really into watercraft (I don’t swim), but a classic wood Chris Craft? Sex on the water! No matter what size.
Love it! I’d be too afraid to own anything as large as that cabin cruiser (if a little one is $$$, a big one is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ when things go wrong)… but give me the runabout any day of the week.
Keith as the former owner of a wooden runabout I think the Commander will cost you more $ but the wood one will cost you more time. You know how long it takes to varnish one of those things (and you need to do it every year unless you store it indoors or have a great cover) Of course the real answer is a classic plastic runabout. http://www.fiberglassics.com/
I currently only have a classic glass sailboat but I’m on the look out for a little outboard boat. If I had the cash thou a commander would be high on the list to own. I was working on a customer boat in Tenn back in Feb I took a few pics of a commander in the marina I will have to dig them out and post them.
I prefer 4 wheels under me, but I’ll take an old wooden Chris-Craft any time. Beautiful and classy.
Fascinating, the world of boats and yachts. I’m “inbetween rivers”, so several dockyards and marinas in my neck of the woods. A few miles away there’s a builder of these superstructures for yachts for the happy few.
(Photo: Constructiebedrijf Willems Boven-Leeuwen)
And then the superstructures travel down south a few miles and something like this is the end result.
(Photo: Heesen Yachts)
As was said above, this is such a classy ride.
When I was a kid, there was a family that we’d see each year on vacation. They had such a forgettable outboard ski boat, I only remember it because it wouldn’t run half of the time. Then, one year they appeared with a 1959 Chris Craft Continental. It was a year or two old, but was like new. To this day over 50 years later, it is the most beautiful ski boat I’ve ever seen, with a smooth ride, cheerful upholstery, and such a mellow exhaust note from the SBC. To me, the boat by which all others are measured.
I just wouldn’t want to try and maintain it, though.
I almost bought a 1954 Sheppard mahogany many years ago. It needed re-calking, refinishing along with trim and upholstery work. A beautiful craft with engine turned instrument panel, big Stewart Warner gauges, a huge Chrysler Crown Marine hemi and large propeller. When a friend brought me down to the costs and practicality of restoring and maintaining it, the winds were taken from my sails. I still remember it with fondness and wonder where it is today. I was told it would pull 8 water-skiers at 45 miles an hour without difficulty. Not bad for an approximately 5000 pound boat
Tom, more pictures!
I love those old wooden ski boats. Growing up in northern Indiana lake country, there were always some dedicated owners who kept these classics going.
About 1989, I was going to my father’s lake cottage with my new fiancee. We drove past the marina and there for sale on a trailer was a 1951 Century with Chrysler power (I believe it was the flathead 6). It was priced almost exactly at what I had just paid for engagement and wedding rings. I suggested to the future Mrs. JPC that we could take the rings back and start out married life with a classic boat, but my motion failed to pass.
As I have gotten older, the idea of one of these old wood speedboats has been trimmed from my bucket list. But I still love looking at them.
JP, I am planning on doing a full Dockside Classic writeup on it. In the meantime, I posted a bunch of pics on my Facebook page if you want to check it out.
Breathtakingly beautiful, these old wooden speedboats. Now, you just need the perfect vintage tow vehicle…Dodge Power Wagon Town Wagon, perhaps?