Chris-Craft:1954 to 1969, Sea Skiff Division
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[edit] In the Beginning…
Lapstrake construction has been used in boat building history since before Christopher Columbus Smith was born. However, Chris-Craft’s founder elected to use his own tried and true method for building fast boats when he and his sons began their company in 1922. Their first production boats were built using carvel-hull construction, hard chine, double planked bottoms and battened single-planked sides. This was their specialty which proved to be very successful in creating dominance in the boat-building industry for the next few decades.
The lapstrake, round bottom boats began gaining popularity following WWII. They were readily available by other manufacturers but Chris-Craft may have thought of this as a passing fad. Word began to spread in 1949 that Chris-Craft dealers were beginning to lose customers to other boat builders. Many would-be Chris-Craft buyers were interested in purchasing a boat that was tried and proven to perform very well in the choppy off-shore waters and other places such as Lake Erie.
[edit] Chris-Craft Reacts
Chris-Craft’s AW McKerrer and Harson Smith reacted to these reports and began extensive research on methods of building a better lapstrake boat than their competition. In 1953 the first prototype models were built in the Algonac and Cadillac facilities and advertising went out to dealers announcing the introduction of the new Sea Skiff. Soon, the 22’ open model was being delivered to dealers and being advertised in Motor Boating magazine. In 1954 construction began in Salisbury, Maryland to house a large new facility for the exclusive production of the new Chris-Craft Sea Skiff Division fleet.
In their first year, 1954, Sea Skiff began delivering open models in 18’, 22’ and 26’ lengths. Sales escalated quickly and surpassed their expectations very quickly, flooding the new facility with orders. In 1955 the fleet of Sea Skiff models included 30’ and 35’ Semi-Enclosed twin-screw cruisers. By 1958 the Sea Skiff Division offered an incredible 73 models in lengths from their 18’ Open to the 40’ Convertible Sedan powered by twin Chrysler engines, a very sea worthy luxury workhorse.
In 1958 the economic climate began showing signs of worldwide recession which especially affected our nation. The 1959 offerings were slimmed down to only 37 Sea Skiff models but were still available in most previous lengths from 18 to 40 feet. The last year of the decade began with a downturn in models and sales, however, the Sea Skiff Division had earned its place in boating industry and with Chris-Craft. With good times once again on the horizon by the end of the decade, Sea Skiff was poised for success.
[edit] The 60s Bring Big Changes
The 60’s began with the sale of Chris-Craft and all of its holdings by the Smith family, including the Sea Skiff Division, to NAFI. National Automobile Fibers, Inc (NAFI) realized that Chris-Craft was now in its prime, recovering nicely from the downturn of the earlier decade. They wisely agreed to allow the former Corporation to continue their ongoing operations with very few changes in the organizational structure. Sea Skiff was no exception to this and added models to their Division fleet during the early 60’s. The year 1962 marked the introduction of the Custom Corinthian cruisers, including the 42’ model with a pair of diesel engines. Also that year NAFI changed their corporate name to Chris-Craft Industries, Inc.
In 1962 Thompson Boat Company of Cortland, New York became a wholly owned subsidiary of Chris-Craft and was named Thompson by Chris-Craft. Thompson/Chris-Craft continued building and selling high quality lapstrake wooden boats through their expanded chain of dealerships. Chris-Craft was once again able to enter the outboard boat market with a quality product that extended the Sea Skiff line of lapstrake boats. The additions included 16’, 17’ and 19’ open outboard models and a 19’ Cruisette outboard model.
In late 1965 Sea Skiff introduced the 35' and 38’ Corinthians, a new line of skiffs with smooth mahogany topsides but still maintaining the traditional round plywood lapstrake bottom design. In 1966 Sea Skiff officially introduced these new models to their fleet with a catalog dedicated to the new Corinthians in 32', 35', 38', 43' and the 38' Corinthian Sports Fisherman, all with carvel planked smooth sides. All but one had the skiff bottom. The 43’ Corinthian had solid mahogany outer planking over sheet plywood inner planking. The plywood seams received gaskets bedded into polysulfide compound. The bottom of the 43' model was flattened toward the aft to reduce roll.
Also in 1966 Sea Skiff entered into fiberglass production with the introduction of the 18 and 20 foot Sportsman models. The molded fiberglass hulls took on the same traditional appearance of their lapstrake sisters but received a green gel-coat bottom and sides with a white waterline stripe in the molding process.
[edit] Corporate Changes
In 1968 Chris-Craft Industries (CCI) elected to separate their major holdings into Divisions under the direction of Herb Siegel, the new Corporate President and CEO. Thus, Chris-Craft and all of its divisions were now the Boat Division of CCI. The results were that former Divisions of Chris-Craft were changed to Fleets. Sea Skiff was now one of those Fleets.
In 1968 and again in 1969 the Sea Skiff Fleet was slimmed down. It was becoming clear that customers were favoring the new fiberglass designs over traditional building materials. In 1968 Sea Skiff only offered 4 lengths each of Corinthian and Clipper models. All other models were dropped, including the new fiberglass Sportsman. In 1969 the Corinthian line was reduced further to only 2 lengths, 35’ and 40’. Other offerings were 27’ and 31’ Cruisers, a 35’ Sedan and the 36’ Yacht. The Canadian Chris-Craft facility in Stratford, Ontario built 30’ and 33’ Sea Skiff models in 1969 and into 1970 before the facility was eventually closed.
It was nearing the end of the wood boat construction era by the time the decade of the 70’s rolled around. In 1970 Chris-Craft grouped all wooden cruisers into a single catalog that included the 2 remaining Sea Skiffs, 3 Cavalier Futura models (all built in Canada) and the 3 Constellation models that were still being produced in 31’, 38’ and 57’ models.
[edit] All Said and Done...
The Chris-Craft, Sea Skiff Division/Fleet over their 15 year history produced well over 13,000 boats. Of these, 130 were fiberglass, over 7.300 lapstrake open designs, more than 5,000 lapstrake cruisers and 580 carvel/strake Corinthian cruisers were built before the Division was closed in late 1969. In addition, 75 lapstrake cruisers were produced in Canada, some of these in early 1970. The Sea Skiff Division/Fleet provided Chris-Craft customers the opportunity to stay loyal to their preferred boat builder by offering them a choice that included these quality-built lapstrake round bottom boats that had been tried and proven performers in choppy off-shore and Great Lakes waters.
[edit] References:
- Chris Craft, The Essential Guide, by Jerry Conrad; Mariners' Museum
- Type: Book; English
- Publisher: Newport News, VA : Mariners' Museum, ©2002.
- OCLC: 49780180
- Chris-Craft Boats, by Anthony S Mollica; Jack Savage
- Type: Book : Biography; English
- Publisher: St. Paul, MN : MBI Pub. Co., ©2001.
- ISBN: 0760309205 9780760309209
- OCLC: 48086949
- The Legend of Chris-Craft, by Jeffrey L Rodengen
- Type: Book; English
- Publisher: Fort Lauderdale, FL : Write Stuff Syndicate, ©1998.
- Edition: 3rd ed | 3 Editions
- ISBN: 0945903200 9780945903208
- OCLC: 40002035
