Saw a Chris Craft Corvette today

[patmat2350]

Seen at Sarnia Bay Marina, just up the river a spell from Chris Craft's old home in Algonac. A little rough around the edges, but you try keeping up with 42 feet of wood boat!

Pat M

[papower]

Nice! :D :D :D :D

[Aerominded]

Rough around the edges? That is "patina", Pat! ;) :)

Looks like a nice boat that has not been messed with in terms of originality! Thanks for the pictures, some good details there! :)

[Ghost 2501]

trouble is when you start "restoring" boats, you can loose some of the original charm, as opposed to maintaining it from the start.

[Aerominded]

I totally agree, I would choose a nicely maintained 'original' with "patina" over a new, crisp, thorough restoration in most cases! :)

[patmat2350]

Here's a detail I didn't notice before- a wide king plank and a slightly joggled plank pattern on the foredeck. At first glance, it looks like a plain fore/aft pattern, but noooo...

[gpzy]

Sweet looking boat. I saw the same boat today on Balboa Lake here in S Ca.
Well I saw the Sterling version.
You can find some pics here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/93834819@N00/

Manny

[Kmot]

That's a nice CC, Manny. Who's was it?

[tim slocum]

Gosh, what I wouldnt do to retire aboard one of those. Very nice pictures Pat.

[gpzy]

Not sure who was runnign the Chris Craft, he was there for about half an hour than he had to leave.

[MILLERTIME]

Classic Wood!!!
Thanks Pat.

[jeepers1940]

Really nice pictures of the Corvette, Pat; thanks for them. They're a real help to those of us who are modeling or hope to someday model the Sterling model of this craft. Your photo of the bow and foredeck of the yacht reveals a slight error in Sterling's model version of the real boat. They made the three glass sections of the front windshield a little bit too short; your sharp photo clearly shows that the windshield needs to be slightly taller on the model, and the front edge of the cabin roof right over the windshield needs to be thinner.
I know that this is nitpicking about a fairly small detail on a large model boat, but it is one that serious modelers might want to correct on their boats as they build them. I'm going to make a note with a sketch about this on my boat for future reference.
Bill

[Aerominded]

Well, technically this boat is not a "Corvette"- it is more likely a "Conqueror" or "Corsair"... The front three windows on the "Corvette" are pretty accurate on the Sterling kit so build as drawn! :)

[jeepers1940]

I stand corrected; thanks, Aero-. I've gotta get that Chris-Craft reference book!

[Aerominded]

"The Essential Guide" by Jerry Conrad is, er, essential! :o

Very highly reccomended to C*C fans out there! It isn't a history book exactly- just 'file photos' and basic statistics on pretty much every type produced- 721 pages! :eek: Hours of fun to browse through and dream! :)

[P_J_Glor]

When I checked the Chris Craft "Bible" the two choices were not a perfect match, as the below-deck porthole pattern matched perfectly for the 1954 Conqueror but the forward cabin windows seemed a better match to the 1953 model. Then I found this picture in a 1954 ad that matches perfectly.

One of the distinguishing features of the Conqueror from the Catalina and Corvette is the straight deck, much like the 63' motor yacht. Having a straight deck should actually make the build a little easier for anyone wanting to do this model. You could probably also get drawings, including hull lines and sections from the Nieuport News Maritime Museum.

Pete G.

[P_J_Glor]

For some reason it did not upload on my last try.

Pete G.

[Aerominded]

So many boats to build... so little time... :(

[strapats]

I went to the Wooden Boat Show in Port Townsend WA last weekend and was able to board this Conqueror. More pictures at http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1728656/0 The photos do it justice- it was gorgeous. The owner indicated he spent 600K restoring it. I was ready to sell my house, or my soul...

[Aerominded]

Wow, nice boat! If I only had $179,500...

[patmat2350]

Wow, I'm saving those interior shots to my C*C collection! Never know when they might come in handy...

Thanks!

[norgale]

Boats like this arn't seen here in Florida much. They tend to rot out quickly and end up in the local landfill. The Great Lakes are very popular with peopl who own these beautiful yachts and thats where you have to go to see them anymore. Great pictures and will be useful if I ever get to build my Corvette. Pete