New Boat

[vintagesailor]

Ah ha, I just got a new boat. A little bit of an upgrade 25 foot Chris Craft Catalina with a nice cabin as well as pleanty of space aft on the INBOARD V8 for whatever I might desire. I am in the Keys so this has been a good day for me

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

How to Research for Treasure Hunting and Metal Detecting From Lead Generation to Vetting - Grab it through Amazon!

[rgecy]

Congrats! Nothing like a new boat! Or even a new used boat! Show us some picts!

Robert

 

[FISHEYE]

Isnt a catalina a sail boat?

 

[hipmount]

Cool .... congrats, dude.
Aye ...... thar's nothin better than a new boat ..... bought my 'baby' 3 years ago.
Hewes Craft Alaskan Sea-runner ..... 24' .... Yamaha 150 four-stroke ..... trim tabs ..... garmin sounder/fishfinder .... scotty 'down-riggers' ..... I get her 'wet' every season for King salmon, Sockeye, Coho & Halibut in the Prince William Sound (yes, thats were the EXXON Valdez made the 'mess') ...... haven't caught any '3 eyed' fish .... yet.
"Eat ....... Sleep ...... Fish"

tight lines ....
Hip~

 

[tac512ltd]

Good Luck with it.

 

[Ascholten]

congrats on the boat, yep I recently made the plunge myself with mine, and i have been putting it to good use every chance I get.... Please post pics of her so we can see it!!

Eventually I am going to be getting a 'seagoing' boat myself. The one I have is super sweeeet but it's a flats boat really, and yes while I can take it out on the ocean and go a few miles out on a calm day, those days are rare and it's best inland or right on the coast or ICW or rivers.

I used to be stationed in Key West and can attest there are plenty of fishing areas AND metal detecting / diving areas around there.... sugarloaf key is one in particular, I had one area i was pulling all kinds of stuff out of, found a small cache of silver dollars, among other things, but alas, got transferred...baah!!

Watch out for the state parks and other certain areas but it's prime pickins down there. I wish you the best of luck and hope that very soon you can post pictures of the treasures you are finding.

Aaron

 

[vintagesailor]

The bot is a 1980 Chris Craft Catalina. She is 25 feet with an inboard small block chevy. There is a fair amount of room in the cockpit as well as enough space to place some equipment aft of the engine below the deck.

This is not a picture of mine, mine has been sitting for a long time in salt water and is very "ugly" inclding scratches etc. I also dont have the hard top but I do have a full bimimi which I haven't unfolded or tried to set up yet.

By the way since I know have this boat is there anyone interested in buying my old boat? (22 foot center console with a foreward v-berth and 235 hp outboard)?

 

[Jimi D Pirate]

A diamond in the rough ... Enjoy

 

[Salvor6]

My buddy has a 28' Catalina that we use for treasure hunting. Here is a picture of it.

 

[sandman67]

It's a lot nicer treasure boat then the piece of crap fisheye has...

 

[FISHEYE]

phil,

My boat may look like crap.but every time i go down to my boat,it starts right up an both turbo diesels are mechanically sound and seaworthy.and since i have had it for over 2 years,i have never bought any fuel for it an as long as i own it i never will.(its veggie oil powered)Ill be sure to wave at all the gas guzzler treasure boats sitting at the fuel docks spending $300 or more a day to treasure hunt.my boat is 1 out of 60 striker sportfish built in holland in 1968.all 60 are still operational and floating to this day.name a boat manufacturer that has a better track record than this.I have less than 10k invested.when im done painting it in 3 months it will be worth around 200k

http://strikerboats.nl/

http://strikeryachts.net/

http://strikeryachts.net/files/YACHTS_-_MQ.wmv

 

[rgecy]

It's a lot nicer treasure boat then the piece of crap fisheye has...

Oh, I know you didn't! Be nice to Fisheye! Its a work in progress!

 

[FISHEYE]

ALL boats are a work in progress!Doesnt even matter if its new off the showroom floor or a old boat.It will break.Cant let em sit,have to run them at least once a week.Those Catalina's are sturdy boats.Hull is at least 1 inch thick below the water line.I had a hell of a time screwing boards on the bottom of one to refloat it.It got sunk from a few rain storms due to no bilge pumps an someone took cut the rudders off.Its new home in the brevard dump.

 

[stevemc]

Those are good basic cabin cruisers. No frills. Chris-Craft 251 and 281. I used to work at Florida Gulf Chris-Craft, and it was the worlds largest dealer for 3 years running. I was a rigger/mechanic. I worked there in the early -middle 80s. They had that same model then, until about 1985 or so. I met Chris Smith the grandson of Christopher Columbus Smith-the guy who started the company. Good memories! Like Fisheye said, take it out and use it, or things will go bad. keep on top of things, charge the batteries, stop problems before it can cost you money. Make sure the stuffing boxes on the rudder and prop shaft has new packing, and tightened just enough to just drip every 10 seconds or so. Rudders maybe less. And check them often. I suggest a pretty big solar battery charger, and leave it hooked up when you are not in it. That is if you keep it in the water. Replace the zincs when they get corroded away-that is what they are for. Keep the bottom clean, scrape it every month and paint it every 2 years or less. If you keep it in the water again. Good luck-enjoy it! Steve.

 

[vintagesailor]

Good advice alhough I figure I will try to do the bottom eery year. When Im diving I naturally check the bottom and zincs. the only poblem so far is getting it out of the water, I have access to some davits but no lifting points.

 

[wreckdiver1715]

Chris Craft does indeed make a a sound boat, I am running a 1977, 33 foot Cris Craft Corinthian.

Tom

 

[billinstuart]

I'm restoring a 31' CC Commander, and agree that the early fiberglass Chris's are very durable, well built boats. The same hull was sold as an open fisherman, with twin engines. Good choice!

 

[vintagesailor]

Beggers cant be choosers, this was free but needs a good bit of work

 

[Dirt Fishin Dale]

Free?

You cant beat that.

 

[shipwreckhunter101]

Aye, seaworthy craft indeed! 8)
TJ