That is a great post Paul, I appreciate the information. Scott

Thanks for all the info on the hull construction. It looks as tho the boatyard stories on these older hulls are true. Scott.

I am looking, really, I'm just looking, at some of the older fiberglass Chris cruisers & constantly hear people say the earlier glass hulls were the best because "no one know what they were doing so they make the hulls extra thick" as if this were a good thing. Was this a good thing? What about the ...

Thanks for the help Jim. Those are all points to seriously consider. I am not planning on using the a/c with my generator, & I am concerned about the noise of a single large unit, & the elect.system capacity to handle it w/o putting in a separate line. I won't be making any final decisions until thi...

I am seriously considering putting a/c in my boat (sure did'nt need it this summer) & I keep reading about the 2 main systems: 1st,the traditional "central system" sometimes called the "split system" where the condensor is separate from the unit; and a relatively new system, the "self contained" sys...

Gord. I was just reading the March/April issue of WoodenBoat & in an article on pp. 47, the author uses Epoxy thickened with low-density filler for shallow screw holes. You may want to check the article. I have just started reading WoodenBoat & find it a great research source for working with wood o...

Al: I hope you can get there. You are about 100 miles further than I am, not a lot on the grand scale of things. Scott

My wife & I recently had the chance to visit the Mariners Museum & I thought a brief report for those who have not seen it may be of interest. The museum is very easy to get to, is shown on a Virginia map & is in a beautiful park setting. The building is very impressive & much larger than I had thou...

Thanks for the info. I had the name & phone ## to call, but it looks like the boat is in good hands!

Apparently not! Anyway, I have the phone ## of Dave Scola in Martinez CA, & will contact him & let everyone know.

Has anyone heard what happened to the "Joltin Joe" a 1949 C/C Sportsman that was given to Joe DiMaggio & was in a sad state of disrepair? The artice appeared in the summer 08 Brass Bell.

Thanks for the help! This is a thin brass plate about 4 X 4 in. partially painted black with the hull number & where boat was built. Mine ( 1965 52' Connie) was screwed into the engine room hatch.

Help! I want to get my brass hull plate refinished & I am positive I saw an add in one of my Brass Bells, but I can't find it. It is in basic good shape, just needs to be cleaned up & polished. Anyone out there who can help?

I did miss the earlier post on the mirror, that is a great idea. Since my last post, a very good friend & fisherman who launches his boat solo, got a back-up camera for his car & it works great!

I was just re-reading the Nov.09 Brass Bell, the article on "Boat Ramp Jitters" p.48 & saw the question about an aid for finding your trailor hitch. I just a bought a Ford Flex with the camera in the back that kicks in when you are in reverse gear, & it would be perfect for backing up to your hitch....

I love going back & reading old posts & this one by campjer has given me a lot to think about. I have a 1965 C/C/C & asked myself, how would I put an emergency patch in the bottom, say up to 8 to 10 in.? Or better yet, how would anyone out there do it, & what would be a good emergency kit to carry f...

Wow! Undersee! You must be used to posting on other much more combative sites. I visit a lot of sites for posting covering a wide range of topics from sports to current news and I am totally amazed at the vitriol that is spewed out by people from all points of view. That is why I love this site, and...

A belated thanks for the info on my sons project replacing the shear trim molding. We used 1 1/2 in. size, & 3 of us put it on, & filled the holes with famowood in about 1/2 day. It was a good project & looks very nice on his 1962 36 Connie. He is painting everything above it with C/C blue, & on a s...

Thanks for all the help regarding the size of the "true shear" or as I have seen it called since, the "trim shear" or "shear trim" I have concluded no question on "The Buzz" is too detailed for a good response, & although this is a relatively detailed issue, it has a large appearance factor on a boa...

I am looking for the size of the belly-band ( that half round molding that goes fore & aft on the hull) for a 1962 Constellation 36 ft. The band, which goes just below the hull portholes, was taken off by a prior owner & I want to replace it. I was told that the same size was used for all of the lar...

I was just reading an boating article that recommended the use of synthetic oil, not just in newer engines, but older ones as well. I am sure this topic has been discussed before, but any comments for or against?

Anthony: Hve you contacted the Maritime Museum in Newport News, VA? They have duplicates of most of the old C/C's owners manuals and specs. Good luck, Scott.

Thanks for all the help!! I have contacted the recommended parties & a few others. I think I am going with the teak & will let you know how it comes out this winter. thanks again.

Thanks for the note Graig! Wow, making one does sound like a job to me. I am interested in the synthetic area as I am not anxious to add more wood than I have. I have checked some sites, but not much luck with a platform. I suspect that a synthetic one will be more $$ than I want to spend.

I have a 1965 Chris Craft Connie 52' with a 14 ft. beam & am looking to add a swim platform either actual wood from a parts boat, or a synthetic material that looks like teak. Anyone have any suggestions where to start? My preference would be a platform from a parts boat. Any ideas would be apprecia...

My wife & I have removed caulk from our Chris & there is no clean way to do it. We finally each used screwdrivers that fit the width of the seam, & that worked as well as anything. I will be curious to see how the tool mentioned earlier works. This is one of the nasty slow jobs with no easy way to c...

Evans: when you say sikkens clear, are you talking about the gloss?

Thanks for the note Don, you have a great looking boat! We have used the Sikkens gloss & it also is a great product & shines as much as the glossiest varnish. The manufacturer recommends you use it over the Sikkens lite, or regular (or teak ) as a base. I am getting ready to apply the new teak color...

Thanks for the note! I am curious how many other members use Sikkens over varnish? :

My wife & I do all of the britework & teak decks on our 1965 52' Connie. We use Sikkens because of the easy application & have been very happy with the results. The question has come up on the use of a sealer with it. The directions on the cans, particularly the new teak color, do not specify a seal...