I need some help to make up my mind to buy this boat? Ican buy it for 11,000$ Of course it needs some work she has 454 mer crus. 6.5 kw. onan it has some rotten wood around 1 window and under the cabin door. Iam having it hauled and bottom looked at I will motor it back to jax, fl from miami fl. Can anyone give me an idea how much fuel these 454s burn? Thanks By the way I am new to this forum.
The 36 is a great boat, built more robust than some of the previous models, and intended to be out busting waves. It's strictly heavy duty all the way, and unless they hit something like a container that fell off a container ship, that hull will be solid. You can almost bank on it. If it has blisters I will be surprised, and it would be a signal the boat has been ill maintained. Those hulls are awesome!
Also, from our archives..............................the fuel burn you requested...........
For the big block GM, from the Chris Craft owners manual:
2400 RPM 8.7 GPH x 2 = 17.4 GPH
2800 RPM 11.4 GPH X 2 = 22.8 GPH
3200 RPM 14.7 GPH X 2 = 29.4 GPH
3600 RPM 18.6 GPH X 2 = 37.2 GPH
4000 RPM 22.8 GPH X 2 = 45.6 GPH
4200 RPM 25.2 GPH X 2 = 50.4 GPH
Note: Chart based on engine loaded for max RPM of 4200
Rochester Quads,
Hope that helps, send photos of the boat. As for the rot under the window, ahh, that will buff out, lol. Be real thankful the entire hull is not made of wood!
Well after giving alot of thought on the 36ft. Idesided to pass to many issues. So I went looking and found a 42 ccc with ford 427 the owner has passed away and the estate wants it gone. there asking 29,000 I offered 11,000 they countered@12,000. Its at a marina in SC. hull is in good shape engines are cranked every wk. the owner of the marina says the engines are in good shape.Needs the useuel stuff hoses clamps etc. Would like some feed back I will send pics ASAP I just want to get the skinny on this model.Thanks.DAVID
After reviewing your photos and Paul's comments, I can only say "there goes all your lunch money". My 45 was not in the shape of yours but basically required new or refinishing of all exposed surfaces. This included all wood exterior and interior, all new fabric including headliner, major hull damage repair, new rub rail, well I could go on and on.
What I am saying is these boats get what I call "Scope Creep". You begin with a plan and a budget. Then lo and behold, while repairing one thing something else pops up that was unexpected or you just decide to add it to your list. A boat like your contemplating will require a tremendous amount of energy, time and believe it or not emotion. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, CASH, lots and lots of CASH. Better have all family members buy in. Read Chris Wade's posts about restoring Feelgood.
I don't mean this to sound discouraging, because the 42's are beautiful boats and that boat could certainly be restored nicely. Just follow the Boy Scout Moto "Be Prepared".
Here are the photos David sent in. Any comments anyone can offer will help him in his decision making process, because he is considering buying this boat.
More photos..............next post......................
My comments based only upon what I can see and what I understand was a cruising history of cruising the Florida Keys.
First of all, this boat has seen some action. It has been around. I would check to see if it has ever been grounded or damaged in a storm. Photos just suggest it's seen a lot of wear over the years.
What I see can all be fixed. The door to the interior cabin needs to be replaced or very carefully restored. The side panels look like they have been repaired with putty of some sort and they need to be replaced. That whole section could (and maybe should) be rebuilt as a stunning showpiece, because it is the front door to the boat and it will establish future value and the total provenance of the boat.
Interior looks like it could use a very light sanding of the varnish only, do not go to the wood. Use a very fine sandpaper and then top coat it with about six coats of wipe on polyurethane furniture finish, and you will be stunned at what it looks like then. I would most certainly use a satin finish, as it tends to hide blemishes better.
That chrome control on the bridge, looks bad, it's potmetal and would cost you $200 to restore. I'd just buy new ones and be done with that, at less cost. Upholstery will need work, naturally, and the entire hull will most likely need to be unchalked, buffed and waxed.
All of this seems to be the norm, nothing out of the ordinary from an avid Commander guy who has seen a lot of projects. The real unknown is the motor and transmission situation. Since the boat has been on long distance cruises, as I understand it, you may be buying the hull. If they run and run well, so much the better.
Twelve or 15 years ago I got hooked bad by the Commander bug and I bought one on the Ohio River that I honestly thought would have to be repowered. So many people think that when they see the old motors, but in reality, many of the motors are still good due to the fact that they have been on picnic runs. Yours may be different if they have been doing the long haul. Of course, there is one way to find out, and that is run the boat, do a compression check, check that oil to see if it has been changed recently or if it has motor honey in it to help with the sale, etc.
For $11,000 that could be the foundation of a nice project. If the motors run and run decently, and I think they should at the asking price, then you can dodge the repowering or rebuilding bullet for a while, maybe long term, who knows? In the meantime, you will have to invest some serious time and/or cash in rebuilding the aft deck doors and entryway. Since I am so terribly biased, and since I have seen so many horrible looking boats brought back into "as new condition", I would not run from this boat, but I will tell you it's going to take a lot of work. If you are like me and many others here, who love hanging out at the marina and love working on boats, this could be a lot of fun with great rewards in the end.
Not sure how the motors come out of this model, I think you might have to remove the aft deck door and side panels to do a removal and replacement, so keep this in mind. If you rebuild the doors, maybe it would be smart to assemble them so they can be removed easily in the future, as a precaution.
If the motors and transmissions are in good shape, sheesh, I'm a Commander nut and I'd probably be on this boat. The cost is low, perhaps you can go lower, because even though the cost is reasonably low (remember, Jerry Namken got a 38' flybridge express for $2500, but motors and transmissions were toast, er rust), you're still going to see some major expenses (and this will be the case no matter what boat you buy). Risers, for instance, may need to be replaced right off the bat.
So take a look at that bottom, run the boat, budget properly, and maybe this is another project that will reap major rewards some day in the future. In the meantime, I would also be checking other Commanders in the area too, to be sure you are not missing a boat in better conditiion. My boat was in needy condition, and I often wondered after I did all the work, why I didn't just go to a better boat and avoid some of the work I did. Since I love being at the marina, it wasnt so bad. Lots of beers, lots of friends, and some decent work accomplished too.
Here is a link to show some of the work we've done on TRADITION over the last ten years. It's been a lot of work, but I absolutely love working on boats and it has been a lifestyle for me, and one I really enjoyed. http://www.network54.com/Forum/424840/message/1159273680
Don't let the listing scare you off! There are many people here who have done a lot more work than I did, and in a shorter amount of time too. Jerry Namken, for instance, is transforming a 38 very quickly, but is on a mission to Iraq right now so his progress is a little slower at the moment, but I'm sure he's planning all his next moves.
Here is the boat Dave and Lily Varnadore restored, after the previous owner allowed it to sink at the docks.
You ought to see it now! Dave and Lily's restoration thread can be found here.
Famous words................use with caution.................
August 15 2008, 8:46 AM
A few years ago, actually the better part of twenty now, my good friend and yacht broker, Butch, gave me a few words of encouragement.
At the time we had just spotted a 35' lapstrake (wood) Sea Skiff Clipper for sale, and the asking price was $13,000. I knew the boat was in fairly good condition by looking at it, and after a ride I knew the motors were good too. The next day we bought it.
The evening before the acquisition I was discussing it with a fellow ACBS Charter Member, and he said the following words that have been ringing in my ears ever since.........................
"Paul, for THAT MONEY, you could run it a couple years, burn it, and it would still be worth it"
Well we ended up selling the boat for $25,000 several years later after it had been restored and published in Classic Boating Magazine (1996 Jan/Feb edition). Only problem, it was a wood hull and needed constant attention. The fiberglass Commander we bought before we sold the CLIPPER, has been bullet-proof, never any issue with the hull, and a joy to own (when comparing hulls with the lapstrake wood Sea Skiff, which was a great boat in it's own right).
I pass those words on to you with the disclaimer, "if you buy the boat and have problems, please don't hold me accountable" Problems, by the way, come with the territory. If "boating" didn't come with problems, they would have to change the name to something else. People who own classic boats are generally the ones who are able to deal with and resolve problems, they're generally mroe savvy about how to fix things, many times they are able to do it themselves, and they're also the ones who get to enjoy the classic boats. Those who can't deal with these issues are generally the ones out there driving the new tupperware with the very large monthly notes
Dave:
I go along with what is said above. If the motors run for that distance, you have a winner. Can you buy the boat with the condition that it must run the whole trip or else you pay 5,000 less or something like that? All the things in the photos are surperficial or cosmetic. You can save thousands of dollars repairing them yourself. If you can not sand, fiberglass, grind and polish and paint (or think you can not learn) or don't have time to do this and must have it done for you, reconsider. It is a hard job to get someone to do it for you at low cost. I would suggest that, that price is a little high, but maybe not if the engines run. Try 8,000. You are looking at 7,000 just for short blocks and getting them put in. You may be better off to spend the same money on a down payment and do monthly payments on a new boat. You will certainly be doing monthly payments if you buy and restore yourself but the payments will be on parts, paints, tools, etc. An older Chris Craft Commander that is that used, will require a lot of updates to it. Hence you will end up tearing out whole systems and replacing them. But, the hull is solid and you cannot get something new, built that strong, for that price.
That said, the boat looks remarkably fixable and if it runs, you will have a jewel that you will soon fall in love with.
Jerry - Once in the same shoes, and bought the boat. Best thing I ever did next to marrying my wife.
Hey Jerry, good to hear from you, thanks for your service, BE SAFE!!!!!
Hello David,
Welcome aboard! My first thoughts when I saw the pics were
we need more info. Do you have some pics of the engine room? How much do you know how to do yourself? Anything can be done but are you really to spend the time and CASH to do it. It is a saltwater boat that hasn't been maintained, so look out! Corrosion galore in the engines, wiring, plumbing, hardware, genset, and the list goes on and on. I think the bottom line is how nice do you want the boat to be. If you are looking to just spruce it up a little, get it running, and not get to anal about perfection, go for it and ENJOY. But if you want perfection get ready for 2-4 years of blood, sweat, tears, time and money because that is what it will take, HONESTLY. The problem is once you buy you're hooked and you will either fall in love with her and spare no expense or the project will overwhelm you and you might abandon the project or sell for a loss. It is hard to find someone these days these days to sell a project boat to. Most people want to take an easier road, to the tune of a $20k down payment and a 20 year loan payment. If you have to pay someone to do everything, especially in South Florida, RUN LIKE THE WIND, away. Look for a fresh water boat in better shape, IMHO.
Go ahead, buy it, love it, and prove me wrong. That would be cool. I can see that boat in mint condition, cruising to the Bahamas, with a full tilt electronics package and outriggers, dragging lures across the Gulf Stream. SAVE ANOTHER COMMANDER!
Get a good survey!!!! Make sure the surveyor is working for YOU.
Greg
Find an experienced boat mechanic. I'll take a good mechanic over most surveyors every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Find one with a moisture meter if possible. Check the cabintop, foredeck, and catwalks real good. The hull is bulletproof, but check it anyway.
Looking at a 42' Commander with 427 power for $12,000 ??
August 20 2008, 3:57 PM
Hi David,
I'm posting your comments below, and this thread at the end of the string to make it easier for people to find it.
First of all, there are several 42' models, including the 42' Aft Cabin, 42' Sports Cruiser, and 42' Tournament Fisherman. The first two came with Ford 427 motors, and the last one only came with 8VA29s.
Since you were looking at a Sport Fisherman, or Tournament Fisherman model, I think that is what you may be referring to now. So with limited info, it appears you are looking at one of these?
In short, it's a great boat. It is still with vintage feel, classic feel, somewhat modernized beyond the original 38 but still with a little older look, which I find to be very cool. It is the same hull as the 38, lengthened, with higher freeboard, with the 13' beam of the 38. Personally, I think they are some of the more desirable open Express type design from Chris Craft during the Commander era.
They feature the same lower aft deck, step down from helm station to aft deck, as the 38 Sport Fisherman has. This is because this is in essence, a 42' Sport Fisherman. It is an elongation of the rather rare 38' SF, with modernized lines from Dick Avery. I love the boat, would love to have one, and if I could get one with running 427 motors for $12,000 I would have jumped on it. The price is certainly right if the boat is in decent condition with nicely maintained motors. Send details.
The "other 42" with 427 power is the 42' Aft Cabin, as they are called, and they're great boats too, also built on an elongated 38 commander hull with 13' beam, but they are into yacht territory, and the one in the photo above is into the SF or TF territory, two totally different uses of the 42' hull.
regards,
Paul
changed my mind on the 36 ccc found another
August 20 2008 at 5:32 PM David (Login kwartler)
Well after giving alot of thought on the 36ft. Idesided to pass to many issues. So I went looking and found a 42 ccc with ford 427 the owner has passed away and the estate wants it gone. there asking 29,000 I offered 11,000 they countered@12,000. Its at a marina in SC. hull is in good shape engines are cranked every wk. the owner of the marina says the engines are in good shape.Needs the useuel stuff hoses clamps etc. Would like some feed back I will send pics ASAP I just want to get the skinny on this model.Thanks.DAVID
