“ 1949 CC Custom Completely Original – Unrestored. Bring A Chainsaw As A Wind Storm Toppled A Tree With A Direct Hug. Don’t Worry The Tree Is Fine And Growing Throughout The Boat , So Again Bring Chainsaw.

RIPPING !

Fellow Woody Boater Mark McCarthy sent us in this fun photo of him with the caption Sometimes You Just Gotta Let It Rip” . Ya, I know.. Nothing beats a good old fart joke. Anyhoo,

 

Just hang’n out

I asked Mark for more info. I do that stuff since Mark clearly has fun with his amazing 1949 Chris Craft Custom. BTW, Hull number 364 who count this sort of thing. This was photographed at the Buckeye Lake Rendezvous Saturday 28, September.

Out and a Runabout

My 5 year search for “The Grand Petunia” concluded with a timely contact when the original owner placed an add that read :
“ 1949 CC Custom completely original – unrestored. Bring a chainsaw as a wind storm toppled a tree with a direct hug. Don’t worry the tree is fine and growing throughout the boat , so again bring chainsaw.

-The boat of my Dreams.

No photo of the boat with the tree. Sigh. So here is a old T Shirt we made years ago

I made the quick trip from Cincinnati, Ohio to Williamsport to see a beautiful oak tree cradling my soon to be ‘49 – She was delivered in June of 1949 to Williamsport , Pa.
We signed the papers on that day June of 1999.

Thats alotta work

I took the boat to Zimmerman Boat Works in Columbus, Ohio Buckeye Lake for restoration in December of 1999.

Restoration began right away

After work was complete And having made the rounds at Lake Dora , Clayton, NY , The Niagra Frontier Chapter, and of course Buckeye Lake ACBS Shows , I knew that 1 last item remained to be finished.

Awards are fun

My smoking , choking , head gasket blowing engine was trying to get my attention for about 17 years.
The picture in the story is worth a thousand words as to how the MBL Hercules is running now thanks to Dave VanNess for the partrs and Gary Kosiba was the mechanic regarding the engine rebuild.

-It’s not always easy

“All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the First one thousand days, nor even perhaps in our lifetime.
But let us begin.” -John F. Kennedy
Referring to the boat Sequoia

Original Chris Craft 20 Custom ad

We think in terms of the finish, but it’s the start that builds the dream.
Your keen eye probably picked it up, I contacted the division of water craft in Columbus Ohio and in a short 18 months was able to procure my registration: OH 1949 CC

Wow

Very cool Mark, stuff like this is what the fun part of our passion is all about. We are going to try and feature more Woody Boaters boats through out the winter. So if your boat has an interesting story, send it in.

16 replies
    • Troy in ANE
      Troy in ANE says:

      Those are not usually the words I am looking for when buying a boat, but what a GREAT story!

      m-fine I have a spokes person for you.

  1. Matt
    Matt says:

    Ha! Troy I used to work on the Stihl account. These calendars are still a thing I suppose in men’s rooms at chainsaw repair shops.

  2. Mark McCarthy
    Mark McCarthy says:

    Thanks Matt for posting a great article.
    Credit for the engine rebuild goes to Gary Kosiba of North Lawrence, Ohio . Gil Maringer who introduced me to Gary at Turkey Foot Lake , Portage Lake Show in 2012.
    The engine thanks again to Gary Kosiba .

  3. RJTIPPLE
    RJTIPPLE says:

    I can’t say enough about Matt Zimmerman of Zimmerman Boatworks who is now located near Buckeye Lake. His work on my ’63 Chris Craft Sea Skiff was truly inspiring. He’s a perfectionist and his work shows it. However, no chainsaws were used during the salvage or restoration.

  4. Floyd r turbo
    Floyd r turbo says:

    I love flannel and orange chain saws, not to mention arguably the best post war boat Chris Craft ever built, the 20’ Custom. Some may miss your obscure reference to bringatrailer.com mfine but not me

  5. Mark in Ohio (sometimes da U P)
    Mark in Ohio (sometimes da U P) says:

    I don’t know if I would even let her cut up a wooden boat. Good story, cool boat. I have been on Buckeye Lake. It is nice. Went to a boat show there. I hope they got the water level back up. A good waterfront Restaurant/Bar is “Papa Boo’s”.

  6. Mike K
    Mike K says:

    im mesmerized by todays header
    it reminds me of the find 5 things different in the photo
    1 bilge discharge
    2 rear facing vents
    3 small cleats on rear deck
    4 different size deck plank seams
    5 black step pads

  7. Mark McCarthy
    Mark McCarthy says:

    The hull card typically credentials these incredible boats; however I direct your attention to the article Neal Satterly researched regarding the CHRIS~CRAFT Custom Line with only 2 more produced after my R20-364. You will be enlightened to read the improvements over the life of the production run vs. the 1946 sales brochure.

Comments are closed.