This Chris-Craft Is Driving Me Nuts!

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1977 Chris Craft Sportsman Fisherman

The boatress has put in a request for a simple center console fishing boat. Something she can run around and go fishing with the dogs and friends. I have been eyeballing Shamrock 17’s and 20′ footers which have a burred prop keel thing going on which are very cool

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Shamrock keel thing.. These are amazing boats and take a beating, and can be beached easily. This one is listed HERE

But this 1977 Chris Craft Sportsman Fisherman is rocking.. The owner dropped a new mercury engine in there, which has only 69 hrs on it, and its a 70’s fiberglass Chris Craft so you know its built like a tank!

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The colors are perfect…history, touch of wood, fresh water, all of it. The one issue is what are these worth?

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So I ask? What is something like this worth? I see them out there for $3K and $35K.. I checked the Hagerty Price Guide and its not there. And YES, I know its whatever the buyer is willing to pay.

SEE IT HERE ON EBAY

The listing is almost ended so hurry if you want to click on it.  Here are some very cool factory pictures that show how Chris Craft saw these. Has anyone owned one of these/ Are there issues to look for?

$_57-5

1976 Factory Photo

And a spec sheet factory cover shot from the Chris Craft Antique Boat Club Archives.

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Brochure cover

And this from the mariners Museum

And this from the mariners Museum

Or do we go to the extreme and have Wayne Moores of pacific marine build one.. More on that CLICK RIGHT HERE

tournamentThis is one that was found on Yacht Forums from Al,  that is beautifully restored. WOW

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This thread on Yacht Forums is fantastic and a bunch of guys are restoring these.

Happy Dory day!

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36 Responses to “This Chris-Craft Is Driving Me Nuts!”

  1. Troy in ANE

    I have seen these pop up from time to time. Don’t really know much about them, but I suspect that just like the wooden boats you are probably ahead of the game to buy one that is already restored vs one that needs restoration.

  2. Matt

    Thats my guess as well. The cool thing about these is that they are in a way timeless. Not sure how to improve on the design.

  3. Rick

    There was one in our marina restored, painted yellow and cool as hell.
    The owner would take it out of the inlet on nice days to fish off LI so it’s more than just a lake boat.

  4. Ann Guldemond

    Matt
    We have had one since the early 80’s. Come see it when you’re in Algonac and Bob will tell you all about how GREAT a boat Shamrock made (and makes)!

  5. Matt

    Ann its a date. We have some 17 and 20 shamrocks here in the neighborhhod and they are very very cool. The guys around here customize them and its a fun time..

  6. Walt

    Matt, that looks like a great boat for the lower Rapahannock and the Chesapeake Bay down there at Reedville.

  7. WoodyG

    Suzy needs a bigger boat! Fishing must be good? Love it!

  8. Sean

    70’s fiberglass…
    Count on replacing stringers and transom. Then you can be overjoyed IF you find, when you really get in there, that they don’t need replacing (or have already been correctly done).

    Check fittings and anywhere a hole has been made as these are the places that didn’t get sealed and the moisture wicks through the core.

  9. Phillip Jones

    The boatress has put in a request for a simple center console fishing boat. Something she can run around and go fishing with the dogs and friends.

    Matt: Translated this means “NO MAINTENANCE” “DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE DOG CLAWS” “NO EXPOSED WOOD ON IT” boat.
    Fishing boat with pocket prop, a no brainer Shamrock is the way to go much better built boat.

  10. Wilson

    There was one of these at the Clayton show many years back. We featured it on the back cover of a Brass Bell. I thought the style looked good then..It looks even better today.

  11. John Rothert

    Matt,
    There was one down around Gwynn’s Island a couple of years ago…got repainted at the railway I used. Wood. will check on.
    John in Va.

  12. Dick Dow

    Hmmmmm – It wasn’t that long ago you had a fiberglass, center console “fishing boat” as I recall… 😉 A little smaller, less power, but the idea was all there!

    I’ve always liked the Cutlass models, but have no experience with them. Bertram built some 20′ “Moppie” center consoles in the late 60’s – that would be a good one as well!

  14. Kevin Pagliuca

    I recently finished a restoration of a 1964 22′ Chris Craft Cavalier Dory at my boatshop in Duluth, MN.

    Very nice boat.

  15. Wilson

    The one on the back of The Brass Bell was in the Fall 2000 issue. Caption says it is a 1966 model owned then by Harold and Jonathan Graff. It doesn’t say there they are from but boat has a NY registration.

  16. Tom

    One of the prettiest dory’s I’ve seen was at Clayton. Here are a couple of pics.

  18. Bob B

    Matt—It’s now 2:23 pm and you still haven’t bought Suzy her new boat?

  19. m-fine

    While I love a good Chris Craft and the more saved the merrier, the lower draft and protected prop on the Shamrock gets my vote, especially if she might let her husband drive on occasion. A tunnel drive Penn Yan is even better, but I don’t think you will find one with a center console layout.

    BTW, someone put liquid dish soap in the dishwasher in our office. The incredible volume of foam it is producing is exceptionally entertaining.

  21. Craig Judge

    Good choice but not great. If you want something beach-able the outboard version might be more appropriate. Same hull just different propulsion. These Cutlasses originally started as wood lap strake and later fiberglass.
    If you want something similar but a little smaller look for the 20′ Cutlass Frontrunner. Not a center console but dual console with a nice layout. Very similar hull to the Lancer with transdrive. They pop up every once in a while and nice examples can be had.

  23. Jimmy

    You could also go for a inboard 23′ Lancer which has a tunnel hull design sort of like a Shamrock they’re also built tough and can take a major beating. My dads 22′ fiberglass Dory has wood going all the around they also built 12 “Sportsman” versions of the fiberglass Dory don’t know the differences but my dads has wood going all the way around and can’t seem to locate the hull number anywhere needs stringers and the engine traces back to a cruiser.

  24. Jon H

    Matt’s whaler came back to the offspring (me and my siblings) of the original owner. Thanks Matt for taking care of her for a couple years!

    • Matt

      Thats were she always belonged. She is still the most perfect whaler I have ever seen. Amazing time capsule.

  25. jim g

    Here are some pictures of my 22 dory. I believe this is the sportsman model they only made 12 of.

      • jim g

        needs a new home. If someone is interested in it let me know.

  27. Alex

    Does no one else here have young kiss?

    Dory, people Dory!

    Talk about a softball.

    • m-fine

      Young KISS? This is not the place to discuss pedophilia!

      If you ment kids, they would be more in the teen range now as that movie was out about 12 years ago!

  28. Alex

    Ya got me. However, I said young kiss, not pedo kiss. As I’m age 52, young to me goes up to about 45.

  29. Mario

    This is Chris Craft Cutlass 20. I have no information that any other like this one is still in original condition. Produced in Fiumicino about 1971.