As most of you already know, the 22’ Sportsman is the model Chris-Craft used in the movie ‘On Golden Pond’, which can take much of the credit for re-igniting the interest in these classic mahogany powerboats. I can still remember the scene where Henry Fonda takes his future grandson for his first ride in the U-22. The grandson, sitting on the engine cover, made some sarcastic comment like ‘can you get this tub of lard to even move?’ That’s when Henry hit the throttle and nearly threw the boy to the floor with its acceleration. After that little initiation the boy wanted nothing more than to take Thayer IV out for a spin. I just loved that part of the movie and have probably seen it at least five or six times.

This quintessential Chris-Craft came to us from Chattanooga and was used on the Tennessee River as a family boat. It’s perfect for that…large, beamy, and keeps passengers dry. Like most boats of this vintage, however, the bottom was taking on a lot of water…to the point where two bilge pumps were working overtime to keep up. The rest of the boat is actually in very sound shape, a testament to the diligent care of her owners. The only rot was a very small section about the size of a banana in the stem underneath the cutwater. She also needs some attention in the area of chrome, engine, upholstery, windshield repair, and overall finish. A new custom trailer is also on order and should be in any time. The client has some specific requests, as a custom color for the bottom to match his new towing vehicle, and more convenient and utilitarian flooring (i.e. Marmoleum). We’re also going to repair the Temp gauge, install electronic ignition and do a 12v conversion to the original 6v MBL.

Again, we start with the bottom. After stripping the interior, pulling the engine, making sure the hull is straight, and bracing her up, we rolled her over to begin removing the million (ok, probably not that many) brass screws. We immediately noticed the seams exceeded 1/8” and approached 1/4” in many spots…which had then been caulked with some type of silicone sealer. After some urging, it mostly pulled off like rope. Once the bottom was removed it was standard procedure. No broken frames, but we did replace some worn bolts and tightened all the others. It’s always amazing how loose some of those become. We also replaced the two aft chine planks and bottom transom plank due to severe cracks.

Ninety percent of the stem was perfectly sound. So, as that particular part of the stem was hidden by the cutwater, we cut out the rot and shaped a new piece of mahogany and WESTed it in. After fairing it was a perfect match and as it’s hidden by the cutwater there will be no visible seams. After fairing the bottom it was two coats of CPES, two coats of 2000e sealer, and then two coats of the custom color bottom paint. She turned out beautiful and will give the bilge pump a vacation. (We still recommend a bilge pump just in case you hit something or get caught in a downpour in the middle of the lake or while towing.) Next, we’ll do the hullside fairing forward while upside down…then roll her back over to finish sanding in preparation for staining.

Meanwhile…the gauges, upholstery, and chrome are out being done. Stay tuned…

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I’m sure you can tell from the photos this poor lady had a run-in with a bad fire. As I understand it, this Resorter was stored in a building where a fellow was working with a torch on his car when things got a little out of control. Much was lost in the fire, and nearly this Century as well. Fortunately she was saved…depending on your perspective. She’s to receive the full makeover with new 5200 bottom, all new decks and hullsides, interior, chrome, and replacement power…going with a similar vintage V8 over the smaller six cylinder she had originally. Centurys are known for speed, so she’ll definitely have it with V8 power.

As always, we are starting with the bottom. After we made sure the hull was straight she was braced up and rolled over to begin the messy job of removing the old planks. We immediately noticed the keel was...well, a little ‘hogged’. It was also cracked in several areas and rotted in others. So, we removed that as well for replacement. It was no surprise that the triple-piece bottom transom frame was also completely shot. Our Century record is intact…every triple-piece bottom frame we’ve seen has been bad. There were minor cracks in several other frames, but to our pleasant surprise nearly all were in very good condition, escaping the fire’s wrath. A small section of the stem was soft, but not enough to warrant a complete replacement so we did a small repair with WEST and she’s as good as new. The cutwater also covers that particular section, so it will not only be strong but also invisible. Century had a single planked, batten-seam bottom but we always do the double-planked bottoms like Chris-Craft. It makes a stronger, more watertight bottom. As all the seams are over frames and battens it has the appearance of an original-type Century bottom.

********* UPDATE 10-16-08 *********

Things are progressing quite nicely on this Resorter. Now we’re ready to roll her back over and begin what in my opinion is one of the most fun tasks on doing a total project like this…planking the hullsides and decks. Many amateurs are scared to death of doing this, but if you take your time and make small adjustments anyone can do it. But I digress. We dry fitted all the bottom planking before attaching with 5200. For some pleasant reason these planks laid down nearly perfect the first time I cut each plank…a first for me. Many emails asking me how tight the planks should fit. I’ve included a photo with a ‘penny’ snuggly fit between two of the planks, or about 1/16” of an inch. Too tight and not enough 5200 will ooze out; too loose and it will allow some degradation in the overall support of the wood. So, allow about a penny’s width as a good measure for the gaps. A smidge over or under is not the end of the world, but get it as close as you can.

You’ll also notice a LOT of washers near the bow. I’ve learned from experience (lots of cracked boards) that it’s better to use too many washers than not enough. There is a lot of stress on these boards as they bend and conform to the bow, so it’s not worth taking a chance to come in the next morning and see that that board you spent an hour shaping is now infected with numerous cracks at the screw holes. Better safe than sorry. Next we did our normal treatment of CPES, 2000e, and just one coat of bottom paint at this time. Our next task was fabricating two new splash rails, as the others were just plain toast (it was in a fire after all). We cut two pieces of white oak to length and width before cutting the fifteen degree angle and the gradual taper as it ends towards the cutwater. White oak does not want to bend without a fight, so we soaked and then steamed the two pieces for two hours. It’s amazing how easily they conformed to the chine. We used 2 ½” dry-wall screws with washers on the outside of the rails to attach them; otherwise the screws in the pre-drilled holes would have pulled through the soft wood. After letting it sit attached to the chine for a few days we removed the splash rails (which retained the curved shape), sealed with CPES then attached with 5200 and screws in the counter-sinked holes. It worked perfect and turned out beautiful. We fabricated the bottom transom plank, attached that with 5200, faired, and then applied several more coats of bottom paint.

As we put a new keel in her we had to drill a new shaft hole. Several of you have asked the best way to do this. Well, we used to have a small jig with an old shaft log that worked ‘ok’, but a friend of mine came up with a new device that makes it as easy as pie…and quick. He took an old 1” driveshaft, drilled a hole in one end large enough to accept a 1/2” Forstner bit tightened with a small allen screw on both sides of the shaft. On the drill end it’s machined down to fit in the end of a drill. You temporarily attach the strut and a block to help guide the bit as it enters the keel. We had the shaft hole cut in about ten minutes. It works like a champ. Any machine shop can make one of these for you. I hope this helps.

Now, she’s ready to roll over and start that fun (yes, I really do mean fun) job of re-planking.

********* UPDATE 11-10-08 *********

As I mentioned in the previous update, re-planking can be one of the most enjoyable parts of the restoration. New wood always looks great, and it’s really not that hard if you take your time, make small adjustments…and don’t hesitate to pull the plank off just one more time to get that really nice fit. The only drawback on this particular project is the wood the owner provided was nearly thirty years old and proved to be a little brittle, requiring more steaming than normal. If you have to steam to get the curve at the bow without cracking or breaking, first get the basic shape by steaming then fitting to the boat with drywall screws and washers to securely hold the soft plank without pulling through the fasteners and then give it a day or two to retain the desired shape. Once it has the shape you need then you can begin hand planning to get the tight seam fit. Another challenge was this boat was in a pretty bad fire and the original planks made marginal patterns at best, so we had do take a little more time to get them just right.

We start the initial fairing with 40 grit to get the shape correct, and then move to 60, 80, and finally 100 grit, being sure to exert less pressure on each subsequent grade to make sure we leave no swirl marks. Some will go up to 150 girt, but I don’t believe the wood accepts the stain as well and can result in a blotchy appearance. Long boards are lightly used with 100 grit before bleaching and staining. If you discover any cracked bungs during the final sanding…remove them now and replace. You’ll be sorry later if you don’t.

Every restorer has a different method, but I like to stain the dark first, let dry for a couple of days, then tape that off and do the blond. After letting that dry for at least two more days, we apply two coats of sealer. We’ll take her to our upholsterer to do some final fitting and then make sure the new V8 engine fits correctly before applying the dozen coats of varnish. Still not done, but at least she’s starting to look like the beautiful boat she once was. Don’t think anyone would know now that she was in a fire. I swear the boat whispered to us the other day, ‘Whew, thanks…now I feel better!’

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A 1956 Century Arabian, of which less than fifty were built that year.  This boat was ‘restored’ by someone that replaced the battens with intermediate frames, used a fiberglass covering for the bottom which has begun to de-laminate, numerous short planks, inconsistent bung sizes, inadequate frame repairs, incorrect splash rails, and multiple types of lumber.  We will start with pulling off the bottom and replacing with a traditional Century bottom bedded in 3M 5200, re-skinning with all new African Mahogany, multiple frame repairs and/or replacement, re-upholstery and engine re-manufacture.

********* UPDATE 2-26-07 *********

Removing the WEST bottom on this particular boat was by far the most difficult removal we’ve ever encountered. The bottom consisted of 1/4” plywood epoxied and screwed to the frames followed by another 3/8” plywood also epoxied and screwed to the inner layer and frames, then covered with fiberglass cloth…which had begun to delaminate. It was essentially like removing two bottoms…a real challenge…and a pain. Removing the fiberglass was not just time consuming, but we quickly learned you had to wear long sleeve shirts and gloves (not to mention respirators), otherwise the glass slivers would leave you itching for days. Several frames had to be replaced and many repaired.

Next came the tedious yet important task of cutting out the batten notches. We had no original patterns to work with, so we measured as best we could to get the battens lined up properly. Fortunately for us the keel, stem, and gripe were in good shape and only needed cleaning up. Once the battens were attached finishing the bottom was not unlike any other bottom we do. We began by dry-fitting the outer planks using the battens to help clamp into place for sizing and shaping. Then we fitted and attached the inner bottom with 4m Okume 1088 sealed in CPES, a bead of 5200, and stainless staples. After sealing the outside of the inner ply we sealed the inside of the planks, attached with a liberal layer of 5200. Fairing, filling the screw holes with putty, final sanding, sealing with CPES, two coats of 2-part epoxy primer paint followed with two coats of bronze bottom paint. It turned out beautiful and will give many, many years of trustworthy service. (We all breathed a sigh of relief when the bottom was finally completed.) It took us nearly three times a long to do this bottom as it normally would have. A properly done WEST bottom would have sufficed and lasted had the original restorer not removed the standard Century battens and done a better job sealing the wood.

You can also see from some of the photos that the hullsides (much to the surprise of the owner and us) had also been WESTed on. We would have left those alone, but the gaps between planks, multiple bung sizes, different types of lumber, and multiple short planks necessitated hullside plank replacement. After spending hours carefully removing a couple of planks only to have them come apart in the end, we decided it would just be quicker to cut them off and re-shape.

Stay tuned, we are making good progress and still plan to have her completed by Memorial Day.

********* UPDATE 4-21-07 *********

Well, we surely had more than a few occasions when we wondered if this project would ever make it this far. Several times we were tempted to head to the nearest gas station, fill our small can with 92 Octane and head back to the shop to set this Arabian on fire and have a pleasant marshmallow roast. As you look at some of the photos I’m sure you don’t blame us.

The hullside and deck planks were all WESTed on. As the wood had to be replaced for many reasons, we ended up cutting them off…leaving no patterns for either. The decks are no problem as they are pretty much straight boards. The hullsides, however, are a completely different matter. We made patterns from scratch starting with the chine plank, then using 6”-8” wide strips of 4m plywood to trace the exact shape of the previous plank onto the plywood. We’d cut that out then use that as a pattern for the mahogany. Much time was involved, but it worked beautifully resulting in tight seams. We had to steam the forward sheer plank due to the extreme compound bends. We cracked a plank the first time we attempted to clamp into place without steaming. Didn’t make that mistake again. To retain some of the original lumber we kept the covering boards. They’re not perfect but should blend in nicely when she’s all finished.

The decks were no problem, but rebuilding the framework for the rear with its multi-level scoop indentation was a little tricky. That took time but went OK too. The engine hatch had blown off during its trip from Florida and is still laying of the side of the road somewhere in Georgia. So…we had to fabricate a new engine hatch. A lot of fun with no pattern, especially to get the seams just right. We fabricated the frame then clamed it into place, attached one strake of lumber from the cockpit all the way across the hatch to the transom. While still clamped in place we scribed a line and cut the opening with a guide and saw to give us a perfect 1/8” seam all the way around. If there’s an easier way I’d like to know what it is.

Much bunging, fairing, then bleach, stain, and now we just applied two coats of sealer. Just ten more coats of varnish to go before we install the engine and start putting her back together. We’re waiting on the interior from A&A.

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One of the most desirable, collectable, and attractive models ever produced by Chris-Craft. This boat was recently purchased in Oklahoma from Don Ayers (Chris-Craft historian) by a local gentleman and brought to our shop for a complete makeover. We spent some time poking around the inside and found most of the structure in excellent (and clean) condition. Also a very strait and true boat, a great find. That being said, we will begin by documenting everything carefully with photos, then rolling her over where we’ll replace a few bad frames and then it’s a new 5200 bottom. She’s getting all new hullside and transom planking, and we’ll do most of that while she’s upside down. Also on order are new decks, covering boards (very tricky on the barrel sterns) and interior. All the chrome and gauges have been done. Some of the best mahogany I’ve seen in awhile also came with the boat, some pieces four inches thick and twenty inches wide. Try finding that now days. The Fireball power is already done and was restored to original specs. A new custom tandem trailer is already on order as well. This is a long term project and is doubtful it will make it into the water by Memorial Day…no need to rush these things. Better to take your time and do it right, after all…you only want to do this once.

********* UPDATE 6-13-07 *********

Well, the more we get into this boat the more attention we find it needs. Most of the frames are shot and the entire transom needed to be rebuilt. The chines, keel, and stem/gripe area also need some serious work before we can begin reinstalling the new bottom. It’s slow and tedious work, but again…you only want to do this once so why not take your time and do it right. Then you won’t have to worry about shortcuts later when you hit the big waves with a boat full of guests. The owner is in no hurry to have her completed, allowing us important time to make sure all trouble areas are addressed.

As that beautiful transom has so many curves we've had to steam bend many of the frames, especially as many were of white oak…more difficult to work with than mahogany. All frames are coated in CPES prior to their attachment, increasing their resistance to any water penetration and prolonging their life. The one deviation we’re taking liberty with is the use of stainless bolts and fasteners. Our experience is they have the same longevity, more strength, and are just more easier to work with. Stay tuned for later updates.

********* UPDATE 8-22-07 *********

Now that the frames, stem, and gripe have been replaced and the keel repaired…it’s time to do the fun (fun?) white oak chines. Many Chris-Crafts used mahogany during the postwar years, but these were white oak. The bend near the bow is fairly severe, so long steam tubes were fabricated where the lumber could be inserted and steamed for nearly an hour before attempting to bend. They were soaked in the lake for two weeks before that to build up the moisture level. They bent fairly easy and held their shape after being clamped into place overnight. Cutting the rabbets can also be a little tricky as the angle changes near the bow. A jig was made right onto the frames and a rabbet bit with a good router made a perfect cut to accept the planks that will follow. Sealing in CPES then a thinned coat of bilge paint now make this bottom structure complete and ready for the first layer of the 5200 bottom.

********* UPDATE 10-25-07 *********

Even though this boat is still upside down much has been accomplished. The bottom is now complete and turned out just beautiful with the factory original CC green bottom color. Next is rolling her over to begin the all important hullside planks, then onto the decks.

********* UPDATE 8-4-08 *********

This Custom is a long term project and it will still be awhile before she’s completed. That being said she’s still coming along quite nicely. All the hullside planking is now finished…with much steaming on the dramatically curved planking near the ‘barrel’ transom. The mahogany is absolutely beautiful and she will stain up as nice as any boat we’ve ever done. She’s now sitting aside for the summer, we’ll move her back in later this fall to start on the decks.

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Coming Soon….  

• 1952 20' Century Resorter (Complete Restoration)
• 1963 17' Century Resorter (Complete Restoration)
• 1957 16' Century Palomino (Complete Restoration)