Direct from Chris Craft ( the Corsair / Commander connection )

In 1960 Chris Craft was sold to National Automotive Fibers, Inc. (NAFI). The new Chris Craft board of directors was working overtime with plans to transition from wood boat production to fiberglass. This strategic plan also included the acquisition of the Thompson Boat Company of New York, as a base of operations for their small boats, and the modification of the Roamer plant in Holland, Michigan, for Commander 38 production. In addition, NAFI set up a research and development facility in Pompano Beach, FL, to pursue fiberglass and resin technology. In 1962 they produced their first fiberglass boat, the 35’ sailboat. After researching the quality of gelcoat, understanding various resin qualities, and experimenting with various methods of hand laid fiberglass construction, the technology was able to be applied to a new twin engine cruiser called the 38’ Commander, first introduced at the 1964 New York Boat show.

Even though Chris Craft was actively marketing their fine wood fleet in 1960, plans were being made in earnest to make the transformation into fiberglass to remain competitive in the marketplace. The rest is history, as Chris Craft continued on to dominate the market, while firms like Trojan, who resisted the change, vanished into obscurity.

The following thread gives us a glimpse of how well and thorough Chris Craft research and development (as well as marketing) did their job. There are numerous scans associated with this thread, uncovering a fascinating piece of fiberglass boating history, and the Chris Craft Commander was in the middle of this.

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I've often thought this was the case but this is the first time I saw it spelled out in print like this, from none other than Chris Craft, itself:

" Corsairs have the same fiberglass reinforcing material that is used in Chris-Craft's famous seagoing Commanders (exclusive Duo-Glas). The same mold preparation techniques are used. The same high-quality gelcoats are used. And the new resin system which insures proper curing is used. All the materials used in Corsair boats are made to Commander specifications."

Source of information: Chris Craft Corporation.


Regards,
Paul