Hello!
I have acquired a 1962 Chris Craft and have a few questions. First off i think it may be a commander or something close; its hull # is VXB 26-OC64W...can someone help identify? Believe it or not i got the boat for free and with very little history. I do know that it was in the water last in 8/07 but has been sitting on a trailer and exposed to the elements since. She doesnt run but the hull looks good and i first want to see if she floats before i dump any money into her. I was told that i perhaps need to fill the inside of the boat with a small amount of water so that the wood hull can become conditioned to the water again before i put her in the water. Any validity to that? I have never had a wood boat so i know very little and am looking for advice on how to get started seeing if she is sea worthy? Any help will be appreciated!!
Christopher M

I can tell you now it's not a Commander, but it could be a Cavalier. Power options could be identical to some of the Commander models, and we'll know this evening.

Stay tuned.

Paul

Hello Paul,
I thank you for your help. I not too long ago owned a 17.5 foot CC Sport V Trandrive Corsair (Poor mans XK)and I owe almost all of my knowledge of it to you and your website. You have always been very helpful and i appreciate it!
CM

thank you Chris, for the kind words, the thanks really needs to be directed to all the guys and gals who contributed to the database here.

Regarding your VXB 26-OC64W, which you call a 1962 26' boat:

The VXB prefix is used on a lot of Cavalier boats, they were built of marine plywood and that is not a bad thing. The Sea Skiff boats of which I am so fond, and all the Lyman boats, use plywood planks, and that means there is a leak potential at about every 4" all along the entire bottom, at every plank. With the Cavalier, you only had a leak potential at seams, because the integrity of marine plywood Chris used was very good. They were light weight, nicely trimmed boats with the same power as any other Chris of the era.

Your boat would be a 1963-1964 26' Futura, as shown on page 473 of Jerry Conrad's ESSENTIAL GUIDE. 1035 hulls were built, keeping a lot of wood workers busy during those years. 184 of those hulls 19 1963 and 1964 were built in Fiumicino, Italy and shipped throughout Europe. I wonder if there are any left in Europe?

Here is the breakdown for 1963, it is the only year of this length using the VXB prefix.

VXB-26-001 to VXB-26-620 (1963)

Lentth 26'
beam 9'-4"
draft 22"
weight 4057 - 4117
fuel 48 gal
fresh water 14 gal
hull material plywood
bottom color copper bronze
water line color red
hullside color white and blue
cabin top white
deck white vinyl
upholstery exterior white, interior blue stripes
engine offered, 283

I would NOT think a Cavalier would need to be swelled like a mahogany planked boat needs, or a lapstrake hull. the plywood hulls are easily repaired, and they are light weight and fast. They can be sealed up with Lifecaulk polysulfide or equivalent, bad pieces cut out and new marine ply inserted with backer battens, and these boats can go and go. They look good too, lots of nice wood that if perfectly varnished, make the boat look much more expensive than they are.

Hope this gives you a shot in the arm, sounds like a fun boat to me.

regards,

Paul



(send photos) we want to see it

I'll bet that serial number is actually VXB-26-0064 W, being the 64th boat built in 1963, in a plant with the W designation. Not sure about the W right at the moment.


Also, Interlux Premium Yacht Enamel does a VERY NICE JOB on those hulls, it goes on sweet with a brush or roller, and it flashes out like it was sprayed on.

Regards,

Paul

Great information Paul thanks for taking the time. So i guess i drop her in, keeping the trailer close and watch for leaks? i will double check the serial number and send pics for sure. thanks again

You should be able to tell where the hull will leak by looking at it. If it is seamless, all joints sealed with polysulfide and painted, then there should be very little water in that bilge. If you see any open joints then all bets are off. If there are open joints they can and will get wet and when the wood swells up a bit then they have a tendency to seal themselves on occasion, however, you really don't want to rely on wet wood to do the job.

Lifecaulk, by Boatlife, is a really good one part polysulfice sealant, but you will need to wear a couple layers of the disposable gloves if you're going to use the stuff. It is nasty to get on your hands. When the glove gets all gooped up and you feel like a tar baby, peel off a layer and continue with the work.

Another thing to watch for is areas that need to be refastened. If there is any loose hull fasteners, they will cause the skin of the boat to work against the stem of the fastener while you are under way and this can cause a point of entry for water. Use the right kind of fastener from Jamestown Distributors (silicon bronze or stainless steel) plug the holes with a mahogany bung set with Lifecaulk and go boating!

The rudder log and shaft logs will leak just like any other boat if they are not properly fastened. On a wood boat you have a wood substrate and that has to be in solid condition so that bears inspection. Any rot will have to be sliced out like a surgeon and replaced with new wood, properly sealed and fastened. It's part of the work (and the fun, but more on the work side) of owning a wood boat. If you are lucky there won't be too much of that, but you can expect some.

Regards,

Paul

I agree with Paul, those were light weight and strong boats, looked good, and were great value for the dollars. We had one in the family many years ago, it served us and dozens of other families very well, and many people have great memories from that woodie.

James

Hello James, I hope that i get the opportunity to enjoy this one like your family has! Paul you were currect i had the Hull number wrong. I have taken some pictures for all to review. Again this is my first experience with a wood boat and i am wondering if these pictures show any red flags as far as the integrity of the hull. i also included a few pics of the cabin as i think it is in pretty good shape all things considered!

Paul i could not figure out how to download the pictures to photobucket so i sent them to the CCC@hotmail email below. Hopefully you can help me to post them. Sorry for the trouble

For reference, here is a thread that might be of help to anyone wanting to upload their own photos.
http://www.network54.com/Forum/424840/message/1149515306









But.........drumroll please.......now here are the long awaited Cavalier pics!

These boats did not cost a lot when they were new, they were easy and quick to build and as a result they are getting quite rare today. In a few years, there will be few left, except in the hands of responsible collectors who know how to care for a wood boat. Most of these were left to rot away, sadly.

I see some abraision, checking of plywood, peeling paint, some potentially inferior prep for stain, but otherwise a nice looking project with a lot of potential.` It's been so long since I worked on a wood hull, I have lost contact with some of the specialty products like the really nice fairing compound I used to use. Do some homework, there are some products that are intended for underwater and side-hull use, that work ever sooooo much better than bondo, which should never get near a marina, or boat.

It would be nice to see a varnished wood transom on this rig, but in the event it's gouged and needs repair, you can use the fairing compound to make it nice and smooth. Paul is ever so right, the Interlux paints are very good.

Tom

Here are a few pics of my 1968 35' Sea Skiff with the plywood planks CC used for their lapstrake boats. It had a solid mahogany transom, and some nice mahogany trim around the helm. Brightwork on a boat like this really makes a huge difference. Do NOT use an electric sander, it will erode so much wood you will be able to see it in the gloss finish. Doing it by hand is by far the best way to get a really slick looking finish.

Tom has some good points about the fairing compound, I have seen it for sale, although I don't recall ever using any.

Regards,

Paul