Future Brown Water Cruiser: 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit

[Warby12]

Yeah those little cameras with small but real lenses are better! Phones are surprisingly good at some things and then rubbish at others. Your images are terrific.

I can understand how you feel about your suppliers. It's always a dilemma: should I get the gear and knowledge to do it myself or trust an expert??? There are fantastic people out there but also a lot of people who maybe should be doing a different trade to what they are stuck in. This would make themselves and their customers happy

Also with doing it yourself, someone on this forum (is it Mainsail) says "When you DYI, you're tools are free"

[q240z]

That's very true about the tools being free. Just in the last few months, I've done the math on a bandsaw and plasma cutter. At the time, I didn't buy them because on that particular job (the motor mounts) the machine shop worked out to be quite a bit less. But Then I had to do the second set of motor mounts, and it took 6 hours round trip to the machine shop and back. And now, I'm working on something else and could really use a plasma cutter...should have bought one several months ago!

I'm off to the boatyard.
Cheers,
Q

[q240z]

In other window news, I'm installing the bow seat windows. These are the ones that Motion made a couple years ago, and 2/3 of those were oversized, too. I had to adjust the paint a bit to get two of them to fit (that's after I sent them back Motion for being waaaay too big...now 2 of them are just slightly too big). But before the windows could go in, I had to install the interior panels that the windows clamp to. I gotta say...it's looking pretty good.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Installing the Bow Seat Window Mahogany Panels

Cheers,
Q

[q240z]

I got the last mahogany panel and bow seat window installed. We'll put a big ol' fat check on the punch list next to bow seat windows. For a rookie wood worker, I gotta say these complex mahogany panels fit pretty darned good. Next, I've got to get back into the tent-building business. I'm expecting lots of snow this winter, and Tent Model X took a big hit from the boat next to mine that exploded back in July. There's no way it'd hold up to a snow storm in its current condition. Anyway, I'm just real glad the bow seat windows are done. The sooner the exterior is waterproof, the sooner I can wash all the dust off!

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Completing the Bow Seat Window Installation

Cheers,
Q

[q240z]

I've been taking advantage of the great weather we're having to transform Tent Model X into Tent Model XXX. The best change for the new version is re-using old shrink wrap plastic as a vapor barrier. That should cut down on condensation drastically. I figure it'll take 4-5 days total to reconfigure it. Hopefully this will be the last tent I ever build.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Tent Model XXX

Cheers,
Q

[q240z]

I got the tent uprights moved out on the stbd side and hung the skirt/side plastic all the way around. I've got three sunrise-to-sunset days into the tent transformation, and I figure I've climbed the ladder equivalent of halfway up Everest so far. This would go so much faster with a 4wd articulating high lift or, since there's no room between the boats to the right and forward, maybe a magic carpet with a strong winch.

The vapor barrier is looking good--I can see big drops of water forming all over the under-side of the clear plastic. The skirt plastic is hung all the way around...I'm getting too old for this cr4p.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Tent Model XXX 2

Cheers,
Q

[q240z]

I finally wrapped up the tent remodel. I thought Tent Model X was pretty good, but XXX is a lot better. The vapor barrier made a huge difference, and using battens all the way around is keeping the shrink plastic film tight as a drum. I'm ready for winter. Time to get back to making progress on the boat.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Tent Model XXX 3

Cheers,
Q

[q240z]

BTW, it was eight years ago that we really started digging into the project. Here's my post documenting what the missus and me did on New Years Day 2008. While on the one hand it's pretty wild to see how far its come, I can't help but wonder what the heck I was thinking. lol

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Aft Deck Enclosure Demolition — Enter the Chainsaw

Cheers,
Q

[zeehag]

it is absolutely gorgeous.
what i wanna know is when ye gonna launch so you can concentrate on the 240????
happy new year my friend.. i hope all goes according to plan for ye...\
and, did ye make sure the back deck fits a 240, so you can go out and travel in style.......OR will ye have to go out and buy another project boat of grander size to acommodate that Z car.... <3

[EmilyClar]

It's a great job that looks fantastic. Happy New Year and enjoy your sailing!

[Warby12]

"I can't help but wonder what the heck I was thinking. lol"

What else you gonna do with your time

[q240z]

Happy New Year!

Good point, Warby. Shopping? Watching taxpayer-subsidized, incredibly overpaid team sports on the telly? Naw...

In keeping up with tradition, I'm headed to the boatyard today. At this point, I don't see anything that will stop me from splashing the boat this year. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there won't be any asteroid strikes or alien invasions to throw me off schedule...again. But first, I've got to get the exterior sealed up, so today I'm going to take measurements for all of the new tinted glass I need. I also customized a data inlet to seal up another hole on the bow.


1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Making a Data Inlet

Cheers,
Q

Before


After

[zeehag]

Q, when you done with chris craft, you have a 240 Z needing finished soit can travel on your back deck, my friend.. no boredom for you...!!!! best make very strong davits for the z car....

[q240z]

Hey zh!
No...the Z will sit in the garage. Old Japanese metal in a marine environment would leave me with only rubber parts in a few years.

[zeehag]

Q baby---ye gotta do the car next..want pix with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back... just like with boat....
btw--i am lovin what you are doing with boat. it is gorgeous.
the thought of a z on davits is kinda cool, tho....

ye will not ever be bored...