Boat House Find, Door Number One? Or Door Number Two?

Glad you are here!

Well? Carol Merrrill show them what’s behind those doors. but first let’s make this a longer story! Tell them what we have here Jay. SURRRRRE thing Monty.  What we have here is an old boat in the boathouse that’s been there for a while. The owner says its made of wood and a Chris Craft. Thanks Jay.

ROAD TRIP

This is the narrative banging around in my twisted mind as we approached the boat houses. Which one?

Door number 1?

It had been an hrs drive in 30 degree weather with Jimmy and Scarlet. Yes, Scarlet still is hanging out with us and LOVED a barn find. So why not bring her.

She takes up a little less space in the truck but not in our hearts. It was great to have her along

My back seat side kick!

Now that I have teased this enough. As we approached. We chose left. And….

Is it in here?

NOPE. But cool boat house

BAM! Thar she is. A 1955 Chris Craft 17 Sportsman

Dang? Well taken care of

CC-17-855 Sorry about the bad photo

This is always a good sign

OH! Wait one second. I know what that bump is for.

OH HELL YA! KBL!!!!!!

Green inside. Peach interior. Very cool looking

Oh ya.. Looking great

Lots of batteries.. Oh, that means one thing

OH! OH!!!OOOOOHHHHHH! Ya, thats not good. Which explains lots of stuff. But all we are talking is a bottom. And one very sweet little craft.

We’ll be back Daddy Rabbit when its warmer.

So what would you do? We don’t have a price yet, our mission was to help a pal of a pal ID the boat and asses what they are dealing with. Mrs Daddy Rabbit is in her 90’s and we want to make sure we do the right thing. The boat is actually in the right place rather than on a trailer in a barn. Her engine is claimed to have been rebuilt, but?

On the ride home. Hopefully this was not a message from above

20 replies
  1. Greg Lewandowski
    Greg Lewandowski says:

    Are you sure that’s not an 18 ft. I didn’t think any of the 17’s had the comings around the bow. Looks like no TLC in a very long time!

  2. RH in Indy
    RH in Indy says:

    Jimmy,
    As of December, my boat buddy of 14 years Jack Russel “Nipper” is with me as Scarlet is with you. Great friends who will be missed but remembered every day.

  3. Johnny V./John Vyverberg
    Johnny V./John Vyverberg says:

    ’55 or ’56 17′ Sportsman. Not a “custom sportsman” with no ceilings. If it’s a ’56 the windshield has been changed to the older style.

  4. Bilge Rat
    Bilge Rat says:

    First wood boat I owned and restored was a 1955 17 foot Sportsman. Except for the open cockpit sides (this one is not a “Special Sportsman” model with mahogany ceiling boards) it is very similar to my 55. Green bilge paint was common for some boats coming out of the Cadillac MI factory during this time. This one needs some love, depending on what the new owner wants to do with it. Engine is always suspect when it cannot be run, the obvious bottom work and the stain looks like the wrong color. These are fun boats and with a KBL on the right lake/river, it will get up on plane fast.

  5. m-fine
    m-fine says:

    What to do is a tough question. The restoration will probably cost more than it will be worth when done. Definitely if you hire it out. That puts the logical present value somewhere below $0 which is always hard to justify to the seller. You need to find someone who wants a project for a projects sake and who won’t mind that they will spend more time and money than it would cost to buy one that can be used this spring.

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

    Another cool story Matt! Keep em coming. Don’t worry about the worth, is any boat worth what you have in it. Someone restore it and enjoy it. I want to see the pictures and story of getting it out of the boathouse and on to a trailer,

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

    Another cool story Matt! Keep em coming. Don’t worry about the worth, is any boat worth what you have in it. Someone restore it and enjoy it. I want to see the pictures and story of getting it out of the boathouse and on to a trailer,

    • Brian
      Brian says:

      I agree with Mark (twice!). It’s not about what it’s worth. I see people taking out second mortgages to buy a $60,000 pontoon that in ten years will be worth a fraction of that and no one questions it. Why should we hold our most excellent hobby to a different standard? Now let’s get that boat into a workshop and start the restoration.

  8. Briant
    Briant says:

    Rebuilt engine?

    When? During the Nixon Administration?

    That lump hasn’t seen the light of day for decades….Dracula has seen more sunlight fer chrissakes….

  9. Capt. Slats
    Capt. Slats says:

    Am I the only one who wishes they had a boathouse like that? Imagine the shape the boat would be in if it was in the dilapidated barn instead of the boathouse… So the big question is how will it be moved? Wrapped in plastic and a couple of bilge bumps or give her a tune up and race her to the launch?

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