This boat started its life after completion on March 5, 1948 in the Chris Craft factory in Algonac, MI with a delivery to the Kenneth E. Wilson company in Newport Beach, CA. Its refurbishment began in California in early 2003, it was “quick claimed” as an abandoned boat in the LA area outskirts by a retired Doctor George Sweeney. He brought it home and with a few friends, they replanked the bottom and sides (triple planking on bottom, double planking on sides). I believe he worked on it for about 5-6 years out in California and got the hull back into ship-shape applying the West no soak on the hull. Then I believe the boat was purchased by another doctor in Arkansas, moved there and little progress was made thru about 2012 on the boat. In about 2013, the boat was purchased again and moved to Hague, New York area where the restoration was completed. The boat work was done by Chad Dunklee and Walt Peterson (Chad was the manager of boat rebuilding at the Hacker Boat Company at that time). The engine and transmission was rebuilt to a 12V system and unleaded gas operation by Fish Brothers in the Hague New York area while the wood and chrome was refinished. The boat was completed in about 2015 and even entered into the Adirondack Chapter’s 40th Annual Lake George Rondezvous where it received an award.
In May of 2016, I purchased the boat and returned it to its birthplace of Michigan, where it was enjoyed by many cruising the Big Crooked Lake in Brighton, MI. Regular service was done, a bilge blower was carefully installed to match existing dash switches, and the boat was re-varnished in early 2019 in the Algonac area by the old craftsmen of the Chris Craft factory there. The seams are tight, the varnish is shiny and the boat is a beautiful piece of art. Overall, it is in immaculate shape and ready for the next owner to care for it long into the future.
I have a binder of original documents such as the “build sheet” from 1948, catalogs, and maintenance booklets to pass to the new owner, along with about 200 photographs of the original work done in California in the early 2000’s.
Fully restored and Recently refinished, no soak hull, immaculate with trailer