The sun smiled one last time for us up here in Seattle so I wanted to make it count and invited some friends out for a cruise out the locks to patrol the Seattle waterfront from the saltwater side (called Elliott Bay).
Seattle also has a freshwater waterfront called Lake Union.
Fortunately my boat sits in the canal on the freshwater side right between both of them. Seattle has tremendous cruising waters and as a transplanted Texan I try to make the best use I can of these waters. Its amazing to me to see almost no one else out there except during the absolute peak of the summer July - Aug.
Sunset on the Puget Sound about 30 miles north of Seattle near the port of Everett.
Jim, Awesome photos, Seattle has an impressive waterfront, and it is much more so with a very classy 36' Commander Tournament Fisherman in the foreground! You should send that photo to the Chamber of Commerce!
Mark and Deb, take friends out for the last cruise on Sandusky Bay, September 20. They got some similar sunset photos to yours, only theirs is over fresh water and yours is over salt! A beautiful time of year to be on the water, but sad because cold weather is on the way.
The following week Mark hauled It's FIVE OCLOCK SOMEWHERE, getting a jump on the inevtible last minute rush up on the Great Lakes.
This message has been edited by FEfinaticP on Oct 14, 2008 5:32 AM
Wes Stinson takes his brother and grandfather for a late season spin, aboard their 23’ Commander. Hopefully this won't be the last cruise of the season for these guys!
Pletcher's last cruise of the season? ( No way ! )
October 14 2008, 5:15 AM
Here we are aboard TRADITION – II, our f1966 glass Sea Skiff, last Sunday afternoon on the Cumberland, Dave and Cindy, and Janet, with yours truly at the helm in the chauffer position. Last cruise? No way……but just a beautiful early fall day in the mid south!
I am sure we'll be out on the water later this season aboard TRADITION, with full enclosure, while temps are in the high 30s. It happens every year around here! For now, we're savoring those early fall days that are so pretty.
Don Hancock's last cruise of the season? ( We hope not ! )
October 14 2008, 5:39 AM
Here’s Don Hancock aboard DUCKTALES, after completing a total rebuild of the power train and associated gear, and a complete exterior refinishing with a fabulous paint job. These photos were sent in on September 29, and we’re pleased to see Don aboard and having fun even though it is late in the season. Lets hope there are more cruises like this left in CT!
Sunday we took our trusted 1963 21' Lyman out for the last cruise of the season. We would have been on Changing Channels but my port motor has some issues that need to be dealt with. Here are a few pictures from our day.
Michaela and I coming up on the Marblehead Light House
A good shot of the light house
Holly the dog, Jenni, Brendan, and the mother in law (in the mother in law seat) LOL
We even managed to catch a Lake Erie Yellow Perch
It was a great day and we all had fun. From this point on I will be looking forward to next season when we can do it again.
Matt O'Donnell
Changing Channels
1967 38' Express
with one broken 427
I am looking at 36 CCC's and noticed that you have one powered with the 427's. I was curious of your overall impression with the ride, accomodations, etc. Also, it seems that this model burned a bit more fuel then the 38, do you have fuel burn and cruise figures?
The last item is that the 36 was made in 1973 with just two being built (FDA) and the rest of the time till 1977, there were 131 built (FFA). What is the difference?
I believe that FDA stands for "sedan" but really don't know what that means.If anyone knows the difference between a Sports Cruiser and a Tournament Fisherman then please let me know.
I love the ride, its a fast boat... and the overall layout with everything up top in the salon except berths and the head/shower couldn't be a better design. This arrangement works out great by providing a large area inside around the helm which is great for Seattle's rainy days and everyone has a vantage point with excellent visibility while cruising. It also allows for a rather large flybridge above.
I really can't find fault with the overall design of this boat except for 1 thing... on mine the galley basically took up the entire port side of the salon. An area for a couch is provided behind the helm but that means everyone sitting there sits low and cannot see out the windows very well. As a result they would just be looking at my "behind" while underway which is unfortunate...believe me and I would need to turn around to be part of the conversation. Silly really... So I ripped everything out of the salon and am refitting as we speak beginning (Teak and Holly floors are now installed.) The convertible dinette will be up on port across from the helm and the galley will be aft on port. The fridge and a countertop with cabinets underneath will span the starboard side behind the helm and the TV will be mounted to the side panel so it can pivot out the rear window for summertime viewing from the cockpit.
Next year I will remodel the v-berth to convert to a double. When I finally finish I will have the absolute perfect boat for me... I am not really interested in a brand spankin new boat even if I had the $500-$750k to blow. I like the vintage Chris Crafts and the 36 Commander is indeed the perfect boat for me. Its got vintage appeal, damn good looking, well designed, solid, tough as nails, and as Paul pointed out in the following thread, the 427 big dogs represent true "royalty" from the musclecar era:
As far as performance... I haven't done much assessment of the gas mileage yet but I have installed fuel flow meters (I have no gas gauges) but I would bet I get about a gallon per mile at a slow cruise and don't really want to know what I get at speed . Most of my cruising is in Lake Union near downtown Seattle with a speed limit of 7 knots anyway so fuel economy is not a big deal to me.
A final note: BUY THE FREAKIN BOAT! You may have to sink some money into it but you probably won't regret it because you will get a heck of a lot of boat for your money... especially if its the one in Tennessee.
You will become possessed like the rest of us. Your browser homepage will be this site and you will learn a lot about your boat quickly thanks to dedicated people like Paul, Bill, Tom, James, John Even etc. When some strikes up smalltalk about any random topic you might even catch yourself saying "So what does that have to do with my boat?" then just walk away...
Obviously 1 foot bigger and the 36 has a deeper V hull for a better ride in rough water. The cockpit also has more room, wells and the ladder is usually off to the side. Layouts are close in both. I don't know what year, but eventually they expanded the bridge for a forward seat. The TF is also heavier due to the bottom and length. They also look to be a bit lower in the back than the 35 SC but that is hard to tell without having them side by side. When talking with Dick Avery at the Dubuque rendezvous his opinion was that the 35 was a wet ride compared to the 36 and one of the reasons for the change. Given that it is not uncommon for us to get a face full of water on the bridge in Lake MI waters he was likely right.
The 69 35SC was also FDA and started with production Aug 9,1968 with FDA350001H. Original interiors were Teak laminate and as I mentioned much the same as the one of the 36. Our galley was moved to the extra berth area by a PO and we like it because it adds much more room in the salon.
Looking at the 36 got me thinking about the other boats out their of similar quality, so I looked at Hatteras and Egg Harbor. The Eggs, in my opinion, are some of the best looking boats built. The interior woodwork is fantastic and one feels like one is on a very expesnive boat. I spent many hours on the owners web site and read the posts back to 2005. Interesting.
In our forum, we speak about engines, electrical, and upgrading cosmetics. On their forum, it is mostly about rotted wood, sturctual issues, soft decks, leaks, etc. The build quality of these boats does not seem to be that great, and much is expended in the pursuit of structure. In addition, it seems, that they burn a good about of fuel to move a given speed...
I have not yet been to the Hatteras forum yet, they are also beautiful boats.
Interestingly enough, I would have to keep one CC, I like our community so much!
Good points about the amount of time the Egg Harbor group spends on issues of structure, etc. That is THE one huge advantage people like Warren Pateman recognized when he decided to spend the better part of a half million dollars on an old 38 hull. Everything he did was to add mecnanical and electrical components, creature comforts, and nice interior woodwork, etc., and I don't believe he spent one thin dime on the actual structural integrity of the hull.
The resins selected by NAFI, and the Owens Corning fiberglass, along with the manner these products were combined and used structurally, is second to none in the boating industry. Hatteras beat Chris Craft to the marketplace with a glass boat, and there are some very attractive Hatteras boats out there that are upmarket from Chris, but you will find very few people willing to say Hatteras built a stronger boat than a Commander. In addition, you compare many of the Hatteras boats to the Commander line, and they look like boxes compared to something like a 38, that was impossible to pull out of a single mold!
That is the big thing that won me (Matt O'Donnell) and many others over to the Commander line in the first place. I was a dyed in the wool wood boat guy, as Matt is still. I am also still a wood boat guy owning two now. However, when it comes to cruisers, glass is the way to go and an older model Commander is really "the gold standard" as far as structural integrity and value goes. Quite a testament that Warren spent that kind of money on a 30+ year old hull that had gone through a complete history allready, and didn't spend a dime on the structure Yes, I am sure he had to do some work to accommodate the new Iveco power, but that is not dealing with a structural deficiency, it's dealing with a change of machinery.
After spending time with a wonderful 35' wood Chris Craft Sea Skiff, replacing planks, caulking, and still getting seepage, I moved up to a fiberglass boat that had the very same overall style, and the 38 actually has "as much wood" at the helm and in the interior as that wood boat did. The interior of the Commander was also very similar. It was a natural for me, and in talking to Matt, he experienced the same "wow" factor when seeing the interior on his.
Back to the 36. The style on the 36 is very nice, I've always admired that hull. It is a game of inches when it comes to tight efficiency and functional utilization of space. Dick Avery did one masterful job. The tall glass cabin, overall shape of the hull, everything about the boat is first class. I wouldn't hesitate to dock that boat anywhere, next to anything, including anything at Monaco. Yes, the little Chris would be eclipsed with gobs of money spent on other boats, but the lines are as good as anything you'll find at any price. In addition, today the lines actually look so much better than the "jelly beans that have been sucked on" being offered for so much money.
If someone likes the shape of the hull, as Warren did, you can always repower and dump a ton of money into one (being a solid foundation, not built on sand) and end up with a boat that is still less cost than buying many of the newer boats offering the same general utility and performance.
Nothing like a Commander. As Sir Henry Royce said, "the quality lives on long after the price is forgotten">
A beautiful time of year to be on the water, but sad because cold weather is on the way.
. Most of my cruising is in Lake Union near downtown Seattle with a speed limit of 7 knots anyway so fuel economy is not a big deal to me.