We Aint Giving Up That Easy! Help Us Find The Lost Sportsman!
Up on a rack deep in the over 200 boats in stock at Katz’s marina ..A 1953 Sportsman! Nope, not it. That would have been insane!
Great, just great, I have spent the last week looking Lost Sportsman parts like rebuilt KLC’s engine numbers, steering wheels, thinking , Maybe if I just find a part, one part would tell me a story. A sad story, but at least we would know more. Crazy. Every Special Sportsman could be it with a simple wheel change.
Is this the KLC, all alone, on Ebay? Ahhhhhhh!
So if you have one, or know of one, let us know, we will check with the hull number. Sadly it may be in someones garage under a pile of old books and decapitated barbie dolls. So we are asking you to dig. dig deep.
Oh god, was it this classified add back in 200? NEW RULE, always list the boats hull number on your ads! And what the heck? A new engine? A lot can change in 40 years
Check with your local ACBS chapter. Anyone you may know that has a box of parts of a 17 sportsman. We are guessing its in the Mid Atlantic, PA, Ohio Virginia , Maryland area? maybe…
Is this the one? maybe worn out and wrong year? Thanks to Classicboats.com for this image
The owner may not even know what it is. So we are going to show others so you can compare. Here is some basic info on the Special Sportsman from the ACBS By the numbers web site. Link here.
Here is a factory picture.
By extending the bow and front deck of the 16′ SPORTSMAN, Chris-Craft created the new for 1950 17′ SPORTSMAN which was produced through 1952. Again, powered by only a “B,” this 17′ SPORTSMAN represented the last evolution of Chris-Craft’s original 15-½’ utility first offered in 1933. 260 were built from 1950 through 1952, with an all-new 17′ SPECIAL SPORTSMAN introduced for 1953.
Here is a 1954 Special Sportsman from Yourclassicboat.com
So dig deep, look harder, we would love to help Jeremy find his family boat!
Matt: Do not be so sure of it’s location. The boat I was looking for when you started this escapade from central Maine I found out (Thanks to Brian Robinson) is in California.
Unfortunately she is WAY out of my price range.
Sorry that should say adventure not escapade.
I thought you meant Escalade?
Agree with Troy…My first boat delivered to Lake Hopatcong, NJ was found in North Florida.
Ya! One could wish that it would be sitting in a garage covered just like a time capsule just down the street still in Newcastle were it was sold. But reality may be in a yard grey in Montana? It is a needle in a hay stack. But dam it, if its out there we need to be able to find it.
Hmmm…that calls to mind this picture…how the heck did this Sportsman wind up out here??
Sounds like its going to be easier to find Noah’s Arc, but I hope that’s not the case. Just to give you an example of what could be encountered – a friend of a boating friend that I worked with to restore his boat got a “down the street” neighbor interested in woodies. He bought a 17′ CC early 50’s Sportsman just like the one you’re looking for. He asked us how to proceed with resto which we advised him on. His resto was as good as I’ve ever seen and the Model B that was in it was taken down to the bare block WHICH HE SMOOTHED entirely. It was indescribable – he was a former machinist in sales with a major engine machining manufacturer . He’s since moved and I think the boat hit the water once, it was just too pretty to use. Obviously, he is the poster child for OCD. He never joined any clubs, he was just happy in his own little world (this was about 15-18 yrs ago).
Matt,
Problem solved! Take a look at my Sportsman in the barn could it be?? It is getting ready to be my next project. KLC engine ready along with hardware.
Pete
The Sportsman! Named the Half Boat for a reason
The 17′ Sportsman “Half Boat”
Pete
Is that the hull number?
As we all sit and wait in anticipation
Ooooo listen to the crickets.
HA, add in wind sound.. BRRRRRR..
I am working on this as well from our end….stay tuned!
I just went through an extensive search with pennsylvania fish & boat commission that unfortunately turned up nothing.
Did Pete die?