Now, THIS, Is A Cruiser Worth The Big Bucks!
If you are a cruiser fan, of which I am big time, you have no doubt seen this amazing.. A-MAZING Chris-Craft Corvette out there on the WWW. Well, here it is on Craigslist, and Yachtworld and some other sites, Maybe too many sites, but its out there for $99K and despite yesterdays story, this Cruiser is worth every penny of 100K, Its up there with the likes of Black Beauty and other jaw dropper cruisers that were very well restored for far far more than the sales price. On top of all that, when a boat is done to this level, all the maintenance costs are less dramatic, since you are not trying to dig out of neglect. Its all up keep, and that is fine with me.
Dang, those are some Sexy lines.
Think about it. There are small little boats that are over 100K that are not weekend homes, party barges, and yes.. serious chick magnets. OK, sure some of those chicks are hens, but have you looked in the mirror latley? Sorry.. The point is, pull up to any dock on the planet in this and its a party. And to top it all off, its a Corvette! The rare of rare classic cruisers. AHHHHHHH, this boat makes my head spin.
Interior redone in a classic way.
Modern helm with respect to her history. Note the gauges
Updated classic galley
Think, this spring you are the out on your river, bay and you OWN that water way! To feel those shifters, turn the wheel, smell the varnish and paint mixed with fresh air and the sounds of happy people on board. PRICELESS, all for $99,000… The price of a fancy Pontoon boat.. UGH.. I think I am going to be ill. WTF, $100K pontoon boats! And yes, there even $200K Pontoon boats. And yet, this cruiser is out there for 100K.. The world is insane.
OK, that looks very comfortable
Want to know a bit more about Chris-Craft Corvettes? We did a small story on them. HERE
And if you really want to see some cruiser love for sale, see the the Seattle Craigslist page. WOW, that place rocks.
Very nicely done refit. If your considering a cruiser, the important stuff is in the bilge and below the water line. If her mechanical systems, bottom condition and fasteners are as well cared for as her interior, I’d say she’s worth a look. Size wise, your better of to stay in the 30 to 38 foot range. Once they get bigger than that there are problems hauling and handling on the hard. Spend the money for a survey. If all good offer 75K. and “go yachting”. Stinky would be a sweet little tender. Hmmmmmmm!
Dan makes a good point. It would be better if these listings had about a dozen good pics of the inner bottom, including the corners of the transom, chine scarfs, frame floors, gussets, and so on. While this boat is likely sound, the bilge is what matters. A professional survey is a good idea, but I would not buy any wood hull without doing my own detailed inspection of every square inch of the bottom, inside and out. If the owner has a problem with that, it is time to walk away.
Boat heaven!! Even a 25′ R&W.
Seller even has a Fino listed.
A boat is only worth what someone is willing to pay, so I think you need to prove to us that it is worth every cent of $99k by making an offer. You know you want it!
Now that is a BEAUTIFUL boat!
I am so glad this Corvette is in Seattle, I would be too tempted to go look at it if it were on the Great Lakes or the East Coast.
I stopped at a marina in Boston a few years ago where a CC Corvette is sitting on the hard dying a slow painful death.
Most of the best kept cruisers seem to be in Seattle.
Beautiful! I’ve always loved the big old cruisers, but fortunately my brain is stronger than my heart right now. Found this one a few months and cant’t get it out of my head. These stories don’t help!!
Sunday Funday:
It would be great to save that old cruiser, but it would probably be cheaper to by the one in the story for the asking price and have it shipped to wherever you live. Sometimes I have being a realist.
If you are interested in one that isn’t such a project… Have a look at this 1940 Shaun Monk 53′ with a chrysler crown six.
Bruce: That is a very nice looking boat. Are you saying that she is powered by a single 6 cylinder Chrysler Crown?
FYI In your header this morning the word itself is spelled incorrectly…
That’s just the short version of “in and of itself”. Its in the woodyboater dicshunary. Look it up
LOL
And since you caught it, we have to leave it! HA! So much for doing banners at 3AM.. Hope you enjoyed the dictonary. Dictionary.
I have same urge. Ended up as old as could with aluminum hull. Early 60s CC Roamer. 36 Not as much wood and bling but do not have to deal with wood hull. We pulled hard top and are debating on express cruiser or replacing???
Again: Not to take away from a great project if you are in the market for a 36′ Roamer this one is all done and could probably be bought for less than what it will take to redo one. This one is steel though.
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1963/Completely-Re-fitted-Chris-Craft-Roamer-36-2963862/Portland/OR/United-States#.WHew01MrLDd
By the pics that is certainly an over the top restoration and perhaps the best I have ever seen. 99K though? There is so little market but perhaps there is a big man? The final sale price on this will be a benchmark comparable for some time.
We shall see.
Wonderful boat….
John in Va.
It’s a buyers market. These beauties are dissappearing every day. There was a 46′ Matthews FREE! (AND FLOATING) on Craigslist recently… there will be a balance between how much you want to spend now vs. How much you want to do. My personal philosophy is not to bite off more than you can chew so you can use the boat each season. It’s tough to step back from the desire for perfection, but waking up and having coffee on the aft deck while watching the summer rise behind Perry’s Monument makes it all worthwhile.
My 33′ 1939 Richardson Is in heated comfort getting 78 years of bottom paint scraped and a full inspection below waterline. Shaftlog, keel, and a garboard plank are on the list of things to fix… but if I didn’t, she would still float. BTW she has a sisters ship here in Toledo that may be up for sale soon…
Not to diverse…but came up from Florida to Hendersonville, NC yesterday for a funeral. They have funny rain up here…It is white and it stays on the ground
That isn’t rain Wilson! It has another name that is a four letter word.
I went out and found you can pick up the stuff and throw it. Easier than cracking coconuts on the pavement.
“Freedom” used to attend the Chris Craft Rendezvous in Port Orchard (PNW) for years and years, a truly excellent example wonderful restoration. And to those who are wondering, she looked this good in her bildges. I wouldn’t say that she would pass easily. I can easily arrange a survey for you if anyone’s interested.
What is sad, is our 35 foot Chris-Craft commander “ITCHIN” that Dick Dow and I restored, that I sold and went back to Lake Minnetonka. The new owners are really not The WoodyBoater type of people, did not understand much about cruising, did a bunch of updating which destroyed the restored award-winning originality of the boat. It is now listed at Freedom Boat Works for 180 K. It is a very sad, personal story for me.
And yes, we have lots of nice Chris Crafts out here, good surveyors, and skilled craftsman.
OOPS!
SHE WOULD PASS SURVET EASILY!!!
Lovely to the eyes. Simply, lovely to the eyes!
OOPS!
SHE WOULD PASS SURVET EASILY!!!
Cruiser talk two days in a row? Love it! Can you make it three?
Mike W
Troy is correct The Best kept cruisers are in Seattle where we can keep them in freshwater and use them in the Salt year-round. Here is a picture of Blue Jay that I have been the keeper of for 16 years and have been to 15 consecutive Chris Craft Rendezvous.
Here is another picture of Elude in Kingston, Ontario, at the confluence of Lake Ontario and the St.Lawrence River. 1937 35′. Posting pictures two days in a row on cruiser themes is cool.
Before I buy into any ” Expert Opinion ” as to the value of anything, I remind myself that on any special interest item, the value is in the mind of the person that wants it, and what he is able to pay. Car, Watch, Boat, Painting, Etc.
The Cruiser Boat owner experience in a big waterway or coastal environment is not comparable to the trailer boat experience in a winter climate. Opinions on value are often tied directly to resources and waterways available to the individual.
Discussion not complete w/out pix of STARLIGHT EXPRESS!
Randy, where are you?
Found it.
Don’t forget that “Mainstay” is still out and about on the Detroit River not far from her original home home at Gregory Boat Works.
One of the three largest cruiser ever built by Chris Craft and probably the only one left was (is?) sitting in a field here in northern CA. At least she was blocked, levelled, and covered when I saw her. You can see her pic in the blue bible. Would probably take a cool million to bring her back unless you did all the work then probably only 500k
OMG that’s a beautiful boat. If only my lake didn’t freeze solid for 5 months a year.
They are all beautiful!
Long Day, clicked on here, said I think I have a shirt just like the guy driving that boat in the header does!!! then the day got really long when I realized that was me:):):) I’m going to bed now and try agin Fridat TGIF!!!!!
How about …..Cassiar ? Now we’re talking about one big trailer.
Not to mention a pretty wide launch ramp. !!
Speaking of Cruiser boats ….. I like Miss Crii, a Stephens Flush Deck…… I’ll bet the bottom is pretty good…..
Ok, so I WENT BOATING…and can prove it…maybe…if there are not too many pixels or whatever. 70 degees on the Chesapeake today after a weekend that never got above freezing and featured 11 inches of snow at the Marina.
My Fairchild Scout 30, taken from the dink, hence the empty davits….trying for a sunset pic too…in which there is, though too far away to see….an Eagle in flight….gets no better than this boys!
John in Va.
so ok,…that was the sunset…here is the boat…I think.
John in Va.
Ironic – that appears to be a Lake Union Dreamboat – an iconic PNW design of the 1920’s. Nice to see!
Perfect eye Dick. Exactly the template…Lake Union Dream Boat…..this is a copy of a 1925 Blanchard…..somewhat smaller than the originals.
Designed by Ben Ostlund, built in San Diego…only built 13, this being number 13….molds later sold to Canadian firm that made about 20 more. Mine is a 1979…..Canadian versions were built in mid 80″s. Very well built fiber glassic…..the only thing that lured me away from a wooden boat.
Just had to add: Saturday am, just off San Juan Island in the PNW, this gorgeous Chris Craft, sliding past on a sunny 28º morning…..
Well I do believe he cruisers will go up in price in the future at some point the demand is going to be higher than the ones that are left out there. I can definitely say that restoration cost and effort i have had with my cruiser, that 99K is not bad compared to buy an unrestored one. Picture of my 1959 32ft Express