Hi All,

I'm a complete newbie to boating.

Physically unable to sail a boat (Quad Bypass some years a go - no upper
body strength)

I am looking at a 33' Chris Craft, 1969. Have the survey which says the
boat looks 'little used' and in good condition all round.

Except for one passage which says (in the 'Construction' paragraph):

" The laminated battens are supported by mahogany transverse framings
which (underlined) DO NOT make contact with the bottom planking."

Is this a general comment on the original construct, or is this
something I should be scared of?

Molesworth

On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 12:51:47 -0500, Molesworth
wrote:

I am looking at a 33' Chris Craft, 1969. Have the survey which says the
boat looks 'little used' and in good condition all round.

Except for one passage which says (in the 'Construction' paragraph):

" The laminated battens are supported by mahogany transverse framings
which (underlined) DO NOT make contact with the bottom planking."

Is this a general comment on the original construct, or is this
something I should be scared of?

It sounds like a red flag item to me.

Are you looking at a survey commissioned by someone else? If so, I'd
highly recommend getting your own survey done, and feel free to ask
exactly that kind of question. The original surveyor may also be
willing to answer questions for you but they are not obligated if you
didn't pay for it.

Most wooden boats of that age are money pits in one way or another.

Molesworth wrote:
I am looking at a 33' Chris Craft, 1969. Have the survey which says the
boat looks 'little used' and in good condition all round.

Except for one passage which says (in the 'Construction' paragraph):

" The laminated battens are supported by mahogany transverse framings
which (underlined) DO NOT make contact with the bottom planking."

Is this a general comment on the original construct, or is this
something I should be scared of?


I'm pretty sure that the original construction would have
had contact between the frames & the planks. One way to tell
is to look carefully at the joint between the frames & the
battens... are the frames notched to a depth of the batten
thickness? Are the planks fair on the inside, or scalloped?

It may be an issue that the boat has been out of the water
for a really long time, and the structure is slightly
distorted from being supported on stands instead of by water
(as well as the shrinking from planks drying out).

Another issue to consider is that boat carpentry is a fine
art, and a boat this age is going to need some of it no
matter what. If you have to hire it done, the boat & your
wallet are both going to suffer.

Fair Skies- Doug King

In article ,
DSK wrote:

Molesworth wrote:
I am looking at a 33' Chris Craft, 1969. Have the survey which says the
boat looks 'little used' and in good condition all round.

Except for one passage which says (in the 'Construction' paragraph):

" The laminated battens are supported by mahogany transverse framings
which (underlined) DO NOT make contact with the bottom planking."

Is this a general comment on the original construct, or is this
something I should be scared of?


I'm pretty sure that the original construction would have
had contact between the frames & the planks. One way to tell
is to look carefully at the joint between the frames & the
battens... are the frames notched to a depth of the batten
thickness? Are the planks fair on the inside, or scalloped?

It may be an issue that the boat has been out of the water
for a really long time, and the structure is slightly
distorted from being supported on stands instead of by water
(as well as the shrinking from planks drying out).

Another issue to consider is that boat carpentry is a fine
art, and a boat this age is going to need some of it no
matter what. If you have to hire it done, the boat & your
wallet are both going to suffer.

Fair Skies- Doug King

Hmm. Thank you all for your input, I really appreciate it.

I understand the expenses involved in a money-pit, errr, boat.. but love
the look of the older wooden ones.

see:
http://tinyurl.com/yerdnz

The boat is in the water since 2005 when it had new bottom paint.

Trouble is, I'm in New Orleans and the boat is in upper peninsular
Michigan (We want to sail down the Miss.)

How much are surveys? I think this is the route to go, even if it will
need repair in one way or another. At least I'll know to what degree
it'll need work.

Thanks again

Molesworth

On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 15:11:21 -0500, Molesworth
wrote:

How much are surveys? I think this is the route to go, even if it will
need repair in one way or another. At least I'll know to what degree
it'll need work.

Somewhere in the $200 to $400 range plus haulout expenses. It is
money well spent. It will give you some idea of what you are getting
into, and you will likely pick up some bargaining leverage if you
still want to do the deal.

Also go to www.woodenboats.com and ask your quesiton in the Forum. If
you own a wooden boat, or are thinking of getting one, this forum is a
great resource.

-al-

On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 12:51:47 -0500, Molesworth
wrote:

Hi All,

I'm a complete newbie to boating.

Physically unable to sail a boat (Quad Bypass some years a go - no upper
body strength)

I am looking at a 33' Chris Craft, 1969. Have the survey which says the
boat looks 'little used' and in good condition all round.

Except for one passage which says (in the 'Construction' paragraph):

" The laminated battens are supported by mahogany transverse framings
which (underlined) DO NOT make contact with the bottom planking."

Is this a general comment on the original construct, or is this
something I should be scared of?

Molesworth

Al Thomason wrote:
Also go to www.woodenboats.com and ask your quesiton in the Forum. If
you own a wooden boat, or are thinking of getting one, this forum is a
great resource.

-al-

On Mon, 16 Oct 2006 12:51:47 -0500, Molesworth
wrote:

Hi All,

I'm a complete newbie to boating.

Physically unable to sail a boat (Quad Bypass some years a go - no upper
body strength)

I am looking at a 33' Chris Craft, 1969. Have the survey which says the
boat looks 'little used' and in good condition all round.

Except for one passage which says (in the 'Construction' paragraph):

" The laminated battens are supported by mahogany transverse framings
which (underlined) DO NOT make contact with the bottom planking."

Is this a general comment on the original construct, or is this
something I should be scared of?

Molesworth

If I were you, in you condition, I would suggest a fairly new
fiberglass boat. Yes, wood boats look great, but they require lots of
effort, or cash, or both. Boats require some amount of work to keep
them running and looking good, newer boats generally require less work,
older ones simply require more, and it's only natural to want to do
some of that work yourself. In your case, an older wood boat might have
you meeting St. Peter a lot quicker than you'd like to. Just my two
cents.

John