Re: 1961 chris craft restore feedback
Well- It certainly looks like a project
As to it being a WORTHWHILE project, that depends a lot on the condition of things. It looks pretty rough in the photos... And it's tough to tell some of the details. First- Is it a plywood hull, or 'traditional' batten seam plank on frame? It APPEARS to be ply. This is good and bad- Plywood is a lot easier to repair, especially with 'modern' methods, than plank on frame. But, they aren't as desirable to collectors, therefore usually not as valuable.
You are going to want to really go over the boat WELL. Here's what to look for-
1) The 'Bones' of the boat need to be in good shape to make it worthwhile. In this case, that means the frames and stringers... You'll really want to get a good look at them- It appears that the interior of the boat has some covering boards installed, you'll want to get them off to take a look. Odds are the floor is removable, too- Take it out and get a good look at whats underneath them. You are going to find rot- it's just a question of how much. Check the stringers, especially around the motor mounts, etc, for rot & cracking. Some rot here and there won't be too bad, but if a lot of the frames have issues, you might want to pass.
2) The 'skin', which appears to be plywood, should be inspected. I'm sure you'll find some rot here and there- But if it's delaminated or has a lot of rot in it, you may need to replace it all. It's doable, but it'll cost some pretty big bucks. Poke it, Prod it- Take an icepick/awl with you... Dont be shy. If the seller has a problem with you being really thorough, walk away.
3) The decks are shot- But check how much of the structure is intact.
4) Mechanical- The engine is an 'unknown', so ASSUME it is a non-runner until you find otherwise. Try to turn it over by hand if you can- So you can find out if its seized up or not. Also see if you can drain some oil from the pan, you want to find OIL and no WATER... Is the running gear (drive shaft, skeg, prop, etc) intact? What about steering gear?
5) Trim- It looks like a lot of the trim is in place, but the more the better. This stuff can get expensive! I've spent many times the original purchase price of a boat on trim & hardware!
A few other things to consider- Do you have a good space to restore it in? You say that you are OK with it taking 'till 2015 ti fix her- It's good to see someone realistic about timeframes- but do you have a place you can keep the boat where it can be worked on and not in the way? You'll NEED it to be inside, or at the very least sheltered from the weather.
The woodworking skills required can be learned, even while working on a project like this... If you've never done any woodworking, you might want to do a small project first just to become more familiar with the tools, etc.
One excellent resource on the subject of wooden boat restoration with modern materials is the west systems guide to wooden boat repair, you can get it at west systems dealers, or download a copy here-
http://209.20.76.247/ss/assets/howto-pub2/Wooden Boat Restoration and Repair.pdf
It deals with the use of modern materials, which make the life of a wooden boat restorer a LOT easier these days!!
I don't want to discourage you from a project like this- But really take a good look at things. It is fixable- any boat is- you just need to figure out how bad the current condition is, and how much time and money you are willing to put in to a project like this... I've seen a lot of people dive in to a boat like this, get frustrated, and give up on it! I've come close myself!!
-Andrew
