Mystery Solve

[Tom_C]

I had posted in the "intruduction" area with a picture of my new classic boat that I got for free.

Well we got her home and was cleaning her out. Well we found Paper work for her. she is a 16' Marine plywood 5/16" Hull outboard cabin cruiser Built in 1958 Accourding to Chris-Craft marine plans modifeid to raised foredeck creating a forward cabin covered with canvas decking.

[Marty Loken (Norseboater)]

Chris-Craft Kit

Tom -

As you know, Chris-Craft produced a lot of boat kits in the 1950's, in the middle of the do-it-yourself boom of the period. The company also realized it needed to do more for folks who couldn't afford the expensive and larger Chris-Craft cruisers and mahogany runabouts, so the kits filled a real niche.

Back East, a company is now offering perfect copies of some of the original Chris-Craft kit-boat designs...but they haven't yet gotten into the small cruisers like yours--just the plywood runabouts, so far.

- Marty

[trsexton]

Tom,

I purchased the motor of of your boat just a few weeks ago it was a mercury mark 78

Tom

Tom- Your kit boat will be a great winter project, please keep us posted with your progress and needs. There are many here that would love to see her floating again. I have a few Evinrude Lark 40's that you can have if that would help git ur done!

Greg

[Tom_C]

Tom,

I purchased the motor of of your boat just a few weeks ago it was a mercury mark 78

Tom

oh maaaan.....(as my 5 year old would say)

[Tom_C]

Tom- Your kit boat will be a great winter project, please keep us posted with your progress and needs. There are many here that would love to see her floating again. I have a few Evinrude Lark 40's that you can have if that would help git ur done!

Greg

Right on!Thanks!

[Tom_C]

So as a bit of an update, We (the whole family is helping, even the teenager)
got all the garbage and cobwebs out, gave her a good scrubbing. I did manage to get the bilge pump working and got all the staning water out of her.
We found that the people that built her set up a porta potty of sorts... A washing station, even a cooking station.

The list of what needs to be done (so far).
The helm is definatly on the priority list.
The cracked Fiberglass on the Bow
Wiring (seems pretty straight forward)
A good coat of paint, don't get me wrong the yellow is nice, just not what we are looking for really.
Interior seating
Extrior seating
Windows need new seals.
Cabin need stripped and revarnished.

I am sure more will be added to the list as we get further into restoring her.

I will also get some more pictures up, right now she looks pretty much the same and when we brought her home

[Tom_C]

Progress is limited, mostly started re-wiring , but I have a question, the top of the bow and Cabin and the top side rails are all covered with painted canvas. Does any one know why? We are thinking of tearing it off and just staining the wood underneth and then coating it so it is more water tight. Was the canvas just, a personal preference or maybe one of those "things" they did back then?

[Lootas1]

I built a sailboat about 40 years ago with the help of someone who knew how to build boats. We put canvas over the fiberglas deck and had sprinkled sand over the fresh paint to give a nonskid deck. I'm just guessing that was something they did when your boat was built. Don't recall any more details.

[Tom_C]

I built a sailboat about 40 years ago with the help of someone who knew how to build boats. We put canvas over the fiberglas deck and had sprinkled sand over the fresh paint to give a nonskid deck. I'm just guessing that was something they did when your boat was built. Don't recall any more details.

Thank you, thats what we were kind of suspecting, also were toying with doing it again, not sure how much canvas is or anything like that, ,but I know we want to be able to somewhat use the area on the bow and cabin top.

[Bflaherty]

I know my parents Pacemaker cruiser had non-skid decks and cabin top. When we repainted it this summer we re-applied the non-skid to the decks and cabin top without canvas, just sprinkled the sand stuff directly onto the first coat of paint on the wood. Then painted a second and third coats of paint over the top. It worked great and looks beautiful.

[Tom_C]

I know my parents Pacemaker cruiser had non-skid decks and cabin top. When we repainted it this summer we re-applied the non-skid to the decks and cabin top without canvas, just sprinkled the sand stuff directly onto the first coat of paint on the wood. Then painted a second and third coats of paint over the top. It worked great and looks beautiful.

I think this is the route we are going to take, I think the canvas held up pretty good, but then again we are not sure when and if the canvas was replaced.

[mikekronick]

That's how they waterproofed the decks before fiberglass. You bed the canvas in a coat of paint then paint the canvas and you have a nice waterproof cabin top. Kind of a nice low tec way of doing a deck.

[Tom_C]

Did some Cleaning over the last few days.











No more Water, the sump pump worked.

[Lootas1]

Ah, do recall we tacked the canvas down tightly with copper tacks about 2-3 inches apart all the way around the edge and several rows maybe a foot or two apart. The paint and sand hid them and we stretched the canvas very tight. Ended up with a deck that still looked good several years later.