1960 Chris Craft Continental
ACBS designated Classic: built between 1943 and 1968
I belong to the WBA (Wooden Boat Association), our work shop is located north of Dallas TX, a bit east of Interstate 75.
The Purposes of our Club are:
To provide a means of sharing a common interest in antique and classic boating
To promote the restoration and preservation of wooden boats.
To educate and inform the public about the historic significance of our antique and classic boats.
About three weeks ago, one of the members spotted an old Chris Craft for sale in the yard of a rural boat repair shop. He stopped by, took a few pictures, asked a few questions and sent the information to the club. The club president disseminated this information to all members and noted that the asking price was $3000.
I suspect I was not alone in thinking, what's wrong with it?
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, so Dave and I drove 2 1/2 hours east of Dallas and checked it out, as you can see below, it looks good and includes a single axle trailer. I heard the engine fire up and Dave found a big hole surrounding the engine hull-thru (cooling water uptake), we concurred a “5200” hull repair will cure the issue. So I wrote the guy check and we towed it home to the WBA workshop.
5200 is a marine glue manufactured by 3M, it retains its flexibility and adhesion through its entire life, unlike epoxy & fiberglass, a hard adhesive will crack and/or tear away from the wood.
Wooden boats flex and absorb the impacts of riding over water, especially at speeds nearing 40 MPH. It’s not a myth, that wooden boats ride smoother than fiberglass and other hard hull vessels.
This restoration process requires removing everything from the boat, exterior and interior. Disconnect & remove the engine, gas tank, etc., then flip the boat over so you can work on the now accessible hull.
As of 6/22/2024, I am 10 hours into this project, since we brought her home. I have discovered, that in its past someone attempted to do a 5200 restoration on this 18 foot Chris Craft. Unfortunately, I found significant wood rot in the pervious repair, so I’ll keep digging till I find solid wood.
The Next update & repost will be when I get that Chevy 283 V8 (185 HP) lifted out at the engine shop.
Here are a few progression pictures,
Enjoy the ride!
Posts 2 & 3 are up, here’s a link to #2