The Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club was formed to be of assistance to our more than 3,000 members throughout the world. Most of our members own Chris-Crafts, but that is not a prerequisite to membership. We welcome anyone with an interest in classic and antique Chris-Crafts or classic boats in general.

The Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)3 organization, which authorizes our club to extend tax-exemption credit to persons making contributions or gifts—in the same manner as other educational institutions, churches and charities. We are happy to accept catalogs, archival information and/or monetary donations. The club would also consider gifts and contributions of boats and larger items depending upon their location and their potential for club projects.

Application Process
The membership application process is very simple. An online application can be found here. Use this form to sign up for the Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club and send payment online! Your transaction will be handled securely through Paypal, which allows you to pay with a credit card. Electronic application and payment will allow you to access all member features immediately.

If you would like to sign up through traditional postal mail or pay with a check, please use our printable PDF application. You can use this application one of two ways. Save the PDF to your hard drive and fill in the live fields electronically. After filling in the fields, save the PDF and return via E-mail. Returning the PDF application via E-mail will start the application process, though your status will remain “pending” until payment is received. As an alternate method, you can download and print the form, fill in the fields by hand, and send with payment by regular mail. Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club membership is $35.00 USD per year, for U.S. residents. Annual membership for non-U.S. members is $50.00 USD.

Mail your traditional paper application and payment to:

Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club
112 14th Street S.E.
Cedar Rapids, IA 52403

Member Benefits
As a part of the Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club family, you are extended benefits that are reserved for members only. Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club members are part of an international network that work together to gather information, solve problems, and share hints relative to classic boats.

The Brass Bell Quarterly Magazine
Members receive an annual subscription to our club magazine, The Brass Bell, a high-quality color magazine that is published quarterly. Each issue features stories, photographs, and historical documentation targeted specifically to the classic boat enthusiast. The Brass Bell includes a section titled, The Trading Dock, where buyers and sellers of classic and antique boats, parts, and related items are brought together. Trading Dock listings are free to members (up to 40 words). There is also an online version of The Trading Dock that is updated regularly. Trading Dock ads can be submitted via e-mail at TradingDock@chris-craft.org

Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club Web Site
The Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club also maintains a Club Web site. The current site features helpful information on frequently asked questions and also has links to Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club partners who can help with many aspects of restoration. This site is undergoing a total redesign and the new site will be live before long. The refreshed site will make available a substantial archive of information, such as original showroom catalogs and engine manuals—available without charge to club members.

Boat Buzz Online Discussion Forum
The online discussion forum of The Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club is Boat Buzz. Boat Buzz has grown to more than 700 online members and is growing by 6 to 10 new “Buzzers” per week. Boat Buzz participants hail from 37 U.S. states, Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, Germany, Mexico, Spain, and Sweden. As our membership continues to grow and as our numbers increase outside of the United States, this online forum will continue to play a very important role in Club communication. Boat Buzz topics can be reviewed by non-members, but participation in the discussion is reserved for members. As well, Boat Buzz is optional to members and requires a very simple registration process. Once you have registered, you will be able to take part in the discussion. Detailed instructions on how to register on Boat Buzz are online, or available as a downloadable PDF file.

Boat Insurance Through Ski-Safe
The Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club has partnered with insurance company, Ski-Safe, to develop an insurance program specifically for classic and antique boats. The Ski-Safe Antique and Classic boat Program covers wooden runabouts built in the 1960s and earlier. See Ski-Safe’s web site for more details about this program.

Warmest regards,

Bill Basler
Director of Marketing and Membership
Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club
bbasler@chris-craft.org