Rare Chris Craft Silver Arrow On Ebay, Raises A Quesion About Trailers.
OK, first I heard you all regarding doing ebay listings on Woody Boater. Someone didn’t like them. But from time to time a listing points out an interesting question. This is the case on this Silver Arrow on ebay this week. Its the usual horrible photos from inside a building so you really cant take it all in.
And it clearly needs a restoration of sorts, but I noticed a small issue, which may not be an issue at all. So i ask, is it an issue?
Bottom looks OK from a small photo on ebay?
Rollers! Sure we all know that using rollers on a wood bottom is a major NO NO! They leave dents and can warm the wood. Your bottom needs even support so things ‘ get isolated pressure. BUT? On a fiberglassed Silver Arrow? Yes they are fiberglass… But over wood. Note the seams on the bottom. So is it OK? Here is the listing on ebay. Cool stuff for sure.
No ,not ok. Bad. No wood boat should ever be on rollers. As you can see in the stunning photography there are already dimples forming. I don’t like rollers even for the stem. The only thing on a trailer that should roll on a trailer is the wheels. I like the ebay bullitens on everything listed I gotta have.
Rollers very bad, they are like high heels on a wood floor!
Annnnnnnnnnd cue Troy.
The Ebay listing says that all the boat needs is “light” restoration. As a newbie, one skill I haven’t developed yet it estimating what a used boat would take to restore. As an exercise, could someone breakdown what this would take to reasonably restore (not a concourse restoration, but a head-turning user boat)?
Only the sides are fiberglassed. The boat is built just like any other Chris Craft of the day. They laid fiberglass over the planking on the sides to make it smooth. The bottom is a regular planked bottom. The deck inside of the covering boards is a fiberglass unit.
As far as sitting on a trailer with rollers. It probably needs a bottom anyways. So if you want a silver arrow don’t let the rollers turn you off on it.
don danenberg has a siver arrow on his site, i dont think a silver arrow is an easy restoration. though saying that this one looks like it may need only cosmetic touches. but the devil is in the details.
i used to have a sea skiff on rollers , the bottom was very bumpy!!
don talks about proper trailer sizing in his book. a must read for any amateur restorer.
mike
From a support perspective I don’t like roller trailers for any application (hull material). Calculate the total actual sq in of support provided at the contact area of the rollers and compare to the area of support provided by bunks and it becomes clear. We have experienced hull deformation of very high quality fiberglass boats as a result of long term storage on a roller trailer.
Forgot to comment that the trailer in listing is a high quality trailer and could be converted to a bunk style with minimal fuss for anyone not wanting to step up to a new full custom.
The roller bunks can easily convert with a carpeted4x4 running lengthwise that is dadoed across where the roller mounts. I saw a Greavette Streamliner sitting on a set up like this, not ideal but a simple, quick, cheap fix.
I like the Ebay notifications on here….I don’t have time to fool with searching ebay for tempting project boats….maybe we could have a separate section for that? and are we still working toward having a for sale or marketplace section on here? Woodyboater is my one stop site….I navigate to CC ant. boat club site from here….. simple.
John in Va.
Looking for hauler–Speaking of one stop sites, I understand the Chris Craft Club is looking for someone to haul a truck load of files from Tallahassee to Dallas ASAP.
If I’m out of order posting this here, I apologize.
No to roller trailers. Yes to eBay stories!
yes to those e bay finds, if they are of significant design, historical, or of interest like in todays story. Like most of us, we do not have time to surf for this kind of stuff, and if someone does, and finds something of interest, better for all of us, and the seller.
Remember all the action that seller had on that Classic glass boat a month ago? Paul H. and I were all over that listing, and I think the exposure on this site helped the buyer in so many ways.
As for stories of e bay stuff, Just because one or two people do not like e bay stories, to bad, tried of the majority having to bow to a couple of people who do not like something. Whether here on this site, or in general social issues.
Rant off, sorry, guys, I got carried away…
“Just needs a strip and stain” or wait, its fiberglass…”just needs buffing out”. Actually, doesn’t look that bad and the pictures are a whole lot better than 95% of evilbay boat offerings. Keep ’em coming, they are all interesting. “If you don’t like what you’re watching, turn the channel”. Rollers are only good for guides on the side. I wouldn’t feel comfortable using them on a fiberglass boat either. I remember watching a brand new f/g boat doing a slow roll off the trailer as the owner yanked it out of the water at the local ramp tied on with a piece of light braided nylon line I wouldn’t use to hang a fender with.
Yes to eBay stories, yes to Dennis’ rants (very entertaining) but no to rollers. Had rollers do a number on a thin fiberglass hull in the 70’s.
As of 12:40 still no bids. These are neat boats. To Mike’s question about cost for “restoration”, it really depends on what you are looking for. Do you just want a serviceable boat or do you want it pretty too? It looks like you’d need to budget for an engine rebuild and an interior to get it back on the water. Maybe you get lucky and the engine just needs new hoses and a tune-up. And then if you want it “concours correct” so that it looks better than when it rolled out of the factory, that’s an entirely different level of money.
$25,000-30,000 minimum to restore to acceptable levels for such a rare boat, $8,000 of that for a good paint job. Unless you’re crazy about having something rare, I’d stay away from Silver Arrows. They’re heavy as hell and not fast at all. There are reasons why they only made 92 of them. Considering the cost of acquisition and restoration of that Silver Arrow, I’d put my money into a 1940’s barrel-back triple.
Definitely, no rollers.
Very bad trailer for a wood boat, This particular roolers are the worst.. they have a steel washer in the center… If the roller fails and breaks it only has the washer against the hull …It will cut a hole through is seconds…
Those rollers can unload a boat in a big hurry if something goes wrong with the winch or strap. Street launches are not a good thing!
YES! To e-Bay pics & stories.
This is the original 1958 Holsclaw trailer with 50+ rollers my Capri was sitting on when I found it. It sat on this trailer under cover for many years and did not hurt the bottom but it was not bouncing down the road. I would never ever use a roller trailer for all the reasons mentioned. I know my Capri felt like she just got a new life when I pulled her up on her new trailer.
wow that was the new trailer not the ole rotten Holsclaw…..