Member Projects

Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club member Chad Durren recently completed the restoration of Lily, a 1952 18-foot Sportsman, hull number U-18-1013. The restoration spanned a 5 year period of time. Chad managed the project, turning bottom reconstruction over to Jeff Funk at the Antique Boat Shop, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Restoration above the waterline was handled by Wooden Runabout Company, Holland, Michigan. Wooden Runabout Company's master woodworkers, Kirk Wingard and Mike Teusink replanked the transom and restacked the hull sides, saving all original wood. Decks were also restored using original wood. Engine restoration was handled by CD's Engine Service, Hudsonville, Michigan. See a detailed record of Lily's makeover here.

3 years worth of pictures document the rebuild of Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club member Asa Godbold's 1948 17' Deluxe Runabout R-17-1524 Wooden It Be Nice. Great job Asa, on the restoration and outstanding documentation.
See the restoration photos here.

Member Ken Miller is in the process of restoring his 1951 U-22 22-foot Sportsman with the help of Jeff Funk at The Antique Boat Shop in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Jeff, also a Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club member, will be posting updates about the project on his web site as progress is made. We are seeing more restorations documented this way. It is a great way for a restorer to communicate with the owner, and we can all learn from watching the progress.
Check out the progress on this great boat here.

Take a moment to check out member Craig Wilson's 1957 18-foot Chris-Craft Sea Skiff Open Utility on our Online Hull Registry. What a great job Craig has done on this boat. Craig even went above and beyond by fabricating his own trailer. Even more impressive is that the majority of this restoration took place outdoors, not in a purpose-built shop. The only thing more ambitious than the project itself is Craig's documentation on our Online Hull Registry. There are almost 100 photos for all of us to learn from and to enjoy. Great job Craig

Tom Kenny's 1961 55-foot Constellation, Independence, is a wonderful example of one of Chris-Craft's biggest and most beautiful boats. He has an excellent website outlining the restoration, maintenance and other details of this magnificent vessel. The details of his repair plan show that it was truly a massive undertaking but the end result seems well worth it. www.ftkltd.com

Mike Siegel, sought the help of master woodworker Jim Blake of The Woodshop Ltd, Edmond, Oklahoma, on the extensive restoration of his 1939 19-foot Custom Runabout (barrelback). The project started in May 2003 and was crowned with an "Overall Best of Show" award, "Best Professional Restoration Award," and "First Place in its Class" at the 2005 Lake Tahoe Concours d'Elegance. Little Lady as she is now known, was also presented the ACBS International 2005 "Boat of the Year" award. Click here for a recap of this magnificent restoration

Bill Basler has an extensive and beautifully detailed account of the restoration of his 1942 Chris-Craft 17-foot Deluxe. You can view it here.

If you would like to submit your project, please email bbasler@chris-craft.org .