I Surveyed this American Classic today. The Chris Craft 28 Catalina. A boat which once housed V8 petrol engines… now has two smaller diesels fitted and is quite suitable for the inland waters of the Broads.
Located in Sarasota, Florida, Chris-Craft has a rich heritage and an intriguing recent history. Founded over a century ago, the company earned a reputation for building quality, high-end products that last. The heyday of the firm was between the 1920s and the 1950s, when Chris-Craft became famous for its powerboats with beautiful mahogany hulls. The craftsmanship of the company is evident by the fact that antique Chris-Craft boats are available and valuable still today.
The latest chapter in the firm’s history began in 2000 when it was purchased by Stephen Julius. The company had fallen on hard times; its employees had lost their jobs and the factory sat idle. Julius cautiously began rebuilding both the product line and the firm’s reputation.
Since that time, the company has rebuilt the line around three categories of boat: Consoles, Cruisers and Runabouts. It has maintained its reputation for high-end quality craftsmanship, great designs and quality materials that include generous use of woods such as teak, oak, mahogany, maple and cherry.
Located in Sarasota, Florida, Chris-Craft has a rich heritage and an intriguing recent history. Founded over a century ago, the company earned a reputation for building quality, high-end products that last. The heyday of the firm was between the 1920s and the 1950s, when Chris-Craft became famous for its powerboats with beautiful mahogany hulls. The craftsmanship of the company is evident by the fact that antique Chris-Craft boats are available and valuable still today.
The latest chapter in the firm’s history began in 2000 when it was purchased by Stephen Julius. The company had fallen on hard times; its employees had lost their jobs and the factory sat idle. Julius cautiously began rebuilding both the product line and the firm’s reputation.
Since that time, the company has rebuilt the line around three categories of boat: Consoles, Cruisers and Runabouts. It has maintained its reputation for high-end quality craftsmanship, great designs and quality materials that include generous use of woods such as teak, oak, mahogany, maple and cherry.
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| 1941 Classic |
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| Chris Craft Riviera 31 |
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Its a shame they have a 4mph speed limit on the Broads!! The Cobra was a single seat speedster with a shark's dorsal fin and Corvette automotive style windscreen. A marriage of fiberglass and mahogany, she marked the beginning of the end for wooden Chris-Crafts. Produced for one year only 108 were built, about half of those were 18 footers, the others 21 foot. Power was supplied by a 158-hp six or if you purchased the 21 foot model you could chose a 200-hp Chrysler Hemi or 285-hp Cadillac V-8.This artwork is based on a Cobra owned by Terry Fiest's, it was the second 18 footer produced by Chris-Craft. |
