Someone – Please, Buy This Cruiser! I Am Sick Of Seeing It On eBay!
For gods sake. Someone help this cruiser...
If you are like me… and I hope you are not. But if you are and you cruise eBay like a lonely guy in a white van in front of schools. Ok, that’s just sick, but you get my drift. If you cruise eBay in the classic boat, Vintage Boat, Chris Craft area, you have no doubt come across this cruiser. Either that or the image is burned into my screen.. Anyway. It’s been at $2,500 for over a year.. And now.. In a bold move.. They increased the price to $8,100.. Either way. It is a cool boat, and it’s clear that the seller is trying to do the right thing. Find a home for the boat. And not the horrible other option.. So, we are going to help find a home. Click here. Send it around. These are about the coolest of all the cruisers out there. And if you have about 3 years and 300,000 bucks. You will have the coolest boat on the wata!
I’ve watched that boat for as long as you have, never been able to figure it out. First off, its price seems to have been all over the board. It seemed to always have a statement to the effect “we have promised the original owner to find a home…..” along with other verbage to the tune of “if it sells at at the BUY IT NOW price a portion of the price goes to restoration” and usually with some estimate of what total restoration would cost. The $2,500-8,100 price always seemed to fluctuate. I think it’s been advertised several places at several price points.
I’m actually looking for a bullnose cruiser to satiate my adolescent love affair with a 1954 CC 36′ Commander. It had a black hull and was named “Seahorse” and was docked at our local state park when I’d take our ski boat to get gas. Hell with Playboy. That boat had me l@@king every time I’d see her. Then she disappeared. I saw her once in the parking lot of a marina with her transom torn out. I nearly ran off the road. Haven’t seen her since. In subsequent years, I realize the configurations in a 36′ hull are not large enough for what I really want. Likewise I am aware that the cost of bringing back and maintaining such a hull would be financial suicide, and any hull larger than the 36′ girl of my dreams would only be a deeper money pit. Hey Al, there’s a 42 footer in your club?
I think the $300,000 number is right but I think the 3 year number is a bit low.
A cruiser is such a hard sell. There is no right price. Unless someone has an emotional desire to own that boat, The seller should be paying someone to take it off their hands.
Given the waters they are used in and operator proximity to the bilge, the safety issues of having an old hull and frame are much more serious concerns. Same with fuel tanks, wiring etc. I would not take my family out in deep water in that boat before some major restoration, the price of which would be way beyond what makes economic sense. I would much rather have a Chris Craft U-22 or a Century Raven for use in calmer waters closer to shore.
I too have seen this cruiser for the last couple years on the bay, to rich for my blood, how bout a land based getaway?
Here’s some fun ideas:
They make great chicken coops, flower planters, cocktail bars, or a tree house for the kids.
Or, invite the friends over for a part-stripping party. Followed by a very cool bonfire/weenie roast. Some prefer the bonfire first, then you can sift through the ashes for all the metal bits. Give them away as party favors. “Ooh, I got the bow light”.
The possibilities are endless…
Good ideas Chad. Maybe I could put it on blocks in my pond so it can only sink an inch or two and then turn it into and inlaw apartment.
I would have thought all would have figured this ploy out by now. This is a clever marketing ploy by a restorer to bring in work. If it worked, boy would he have a cash cow. Bonfire/ cow I want the hard top and the tenderloin. Matt look at this and say THANK GOD Phil saved me alot of MOOOOOOHLAAAA.:):):)
Does it come with a ACE Hardware Bucket……..I’ll take it
Thinking it is currently a multi bucket boat…
Ive put it up as my screen saver so lets see what happens.
Ha!
Phil
In this case, the Ace Hardware bucket would be used in reverse, to pour money into the boat. Bail as fast as you can for 3 years… Invite your friends to help you bail… Your wife…
Hey guys, like you I’m also frankly sick of seeing that boat on eBay for more than a year and confused by the whole pricing strategy. Last summer, at the “encouragement” of my wife, we bought a 1960 36-ft Chris Craft Constellation that was boat house kept and surveyed very,very well. I am now going through painting the canvas decks, cabin and general things to make her look fresh and correct. But, I started with an excellent boat. There’s another story about our cruiser, but I’ll save that for another day!
All things considered, a good cruiser is really fantastic, but a “bad” one can be frightening. Still, all things considered these big boats cannot be duplicated for the money and soon the majority will be gone which will be a true bummer. I know that this has been a topic here in Woodyboaterland fairly recently, but the restoration or renovation of an old wooden boat rarely if ever “makes sense” and that includes our smaller runabouts, utilities and the like. My 1947 U-18 Sportsman is a great boat and I spent much money and time that would NEVER be recovered and I am more than okay with that. And yes, I am more than aware that there are likely exceptions, but then if we were in this purely for investment purposes, we should play the stock market or invest in real estate. Oh, wait…maybe not.
It’s also the experience that counts and how many of us have intangible hobbies such as skiing or golf that are certainly not inexpensive and derive most of their value through the experience of “doing it?” I’ve put my money and time where my mouth is in regards to the old boat (big old boat) topic and yes I’ve been frustrated along the way but here I am recruiting more to take the plunge. About a month ago, I encouraged a good buddy of mine to take on a full restoration of a 1928 36-foot Bridgedeck Cruiser that was built for the Everett, WA Yacht Club. It’s a daunting project to say the least, but he is having a blast doing it and seeing the progress is very cool. C’mon, who’s in?
I contacted the owner of this boat before I purchased mine to what the story was. I quickly ascertained that he was in fact interested only in using it for advertising unless he could find a buyer who would also have him restore it.