A Small Ad On Ebay, Opens Up A Little Rabbit Hole, I Love Me a Good Rabbit Hole.
I have always thought that some of these boats look so much cooler sans windshield. Mitout windshield. Anyway, they look sleek and racy. So not know anything about this boat in this ad, I dug deeper. And with’n seconds on the interwebulator, I discovered that its a 1933 boat.
By the way that is a suck up to the big guy headline. 1933 15 1/2 ft boat. Stripped clean! Model 300
Clearly this was a way to introduce a very low cost entry. With little bling as noted yesterday, thats a huge cost cutter and weight saver. All this while really pushing Level Riding
Here is the page out of the bible. But this one has the hardware, note BLACK waterline.
The question is? Could you purchase these without/sans/ the hardware, cause these are cool as hell. and yes that logo is way up there near the bow!
And not sure whats going on here but thats Chris Smith at the helm. I think. Was this a 16 racer at the factory without hardware?
Even a 25 Sportsman looks bad ass without the windshield
The sweeping line sure looks bad ass without any vertical break.
Gad Zooks. Looks perfect just like this. Model 302
So here is a shout out, anyone have one of these? Without the hardware? I found this 18 footer at Wooden Runabout Company,Model 302
And here is a video of a bottom job being done at Snake Mountain
I believe the 300 was a standard runabout (cheapo) the deLuxe got the hardware for an extra $200. The painted runabout is a GarWood with her namesake riding portside,
correction…not sure 300 is correct model designation for the stripped down version.
The funny thing about that GarWood.. its on an article about Winnabego buying Chris Craft.
Oh boy
I think the boat looks unfinished without a windshield and hardware, but I also know I’m just an old engineer with no artistic eye.
The photo of Chris smith and Gar Wood in the racing runabout is great! I wonder who the girl is.
Did you watch the video?
I find it ironic that you attached a video that basically states that fiberglassing the bottom of a wood boat will rot it out in about 5 years.
Hopefully with B’s limited use it will well outlast that.
I did, and thats why I picked it. Ironic? Not wrong,
The other interesting question is within that model production they moved the steering wheel from one side to the other.
That’s Gar Wood jr. at the helm
All I know about running without a windshield at speed comes from when I first put my partially restored sportsman in the water for a season minus the windshield. I was still waiting to find somewhere that had the brackets but the boat was otherwise restored. Windburn sums it up.
Wow, watched the video, with all, with tremendous, respect to the Snake Mountain guys…that screw removal job leaves me in wonder?
OK, so the frames can mostly be saved and you don’t want to damage them…I get that. But the whole bottom being trash, and the screw removal daunting, why not circular saw to proper depth and cut across the bottom close to each rib and split off what little piece remain and then fight the screws however? Call me a butch if you will…but with all that mess I would lose what little mind I have left picking screws slots on that firewood. Just sayin…..John in VA
Gotta disagree here, Boss. To me, boats look cheap & incomplete without a windshield.
I don’t remember seeing the term “level-riding” in any discussion of Chris-Crafts before. Did they actually modify the hull in the 1930’s or is that term just for new ads?
Note the sign, this sold at auction for 15K
Here she is emerging from a full preservation on the following November: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZEXXKKaP98&list=PLU9jswQZjSK0GzXt_DIuRDYOfHqT4M2wD&index=5.
And, here is the link to her prese3rvation’s video playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU9jswQZjSK0GzXt_DIuRDYOfHqT4M2wD
Saving her still has a special place in our memories.
Michael
If you wanted an even cheaper Chris Craft, it’s Tiller Time.
I LOVE IT! SO WANT
Thanks Jimmy!
I have always wondered if there are any of these still out there?!
At least 2, one was at the Mariner’s museum but doesn’t show up on their website as being there anymore. One was on Woodyboater classifieds, but got chopped up, it had a steering column installed.