1980 Corsair Cruise-A-Home

[belladonna]

I want to remodel the interior/exterior and get the engines running.
I am a newbie who has never owned or been on a boat before.
I don't know anything about remodeling, engines, or anything boat related in general, but I'd love to learn.


Are there companies in the Oregon/Washington area that will come out and remodel the inside if I can't figure it out? Or companies that can get her up and running for cruising?


Thanks in advance.

[vaporware]

Originally Posted by belladonna

I want to remodel the interior/exterior and get the engines running.
I am a newbie who has never owned or been on a boat before.
I don't know anything about remodeling, engines, or anything boat related in general, but I'd love to learn.


Are there companies in the Oregon/Washington area that will come out and remodel the inside if I can't figure it out? Or companies that can get her up and running for cruising?


Thanks in advance.

You can find people. Unless you do it yourself, it's going to be expensive and you're starting with something that may not be very good when you're. Where in the Northwest are you located?

[belladonna]

Near the Portland area. Do you know people/companies that remodel CAH?

[vaporware]

A CAH is essentially a motorhome on floats. Is it on the Columbia?

[belladonna]

Yes it is.

[vaporware]

Do you plan mainly to live on it or do you want to travel? I don't think it would be good on the Columbia. The current can be three knots in the Spring and the CAH could be a real handful to handle.

[belladonna]

I mainly want to live on it. It's livable now but I'd like to update everything. I'm more focused on that than getting it out on the water for now.

[vaporware]

I live in a floating home on the Columbia. It is built more like a conventional house.



I don't think the CAH has the necessary "bones" to put much money into. Are you talking about cosmetic upgrading or going deeper? Have you bought it?

[belladonna]

I bought it and have been living in it since April. I think I'd need both. The fridge is broken, there's leaks, water damage, and wood rot. The sliding glass door and all the windows leak. The v-berth has evident water damage. I'd like to update the kitchen, bathroom, v-berth and walls. Old owner installed new carpeting a year or two ago. I think most of it is original and just old. I really want to fix her up but I don't know how I'd learn or where to start.

[vaporware]

I'd start with local boatyards. You might also talk to people who work in motorhomes and mobile homes. Not many sliding doors on other kinds of boats. A good handyman could probably do what you need.

[vaporware]

Which marina are you moored at?

[goguygo]

Many folks jump to the conclusion that the Cruise-A-Home isn't much more than a typical lake style houseboat due to their similar look and cabin layout, but they are a capable boat built on a proven fishing boat hull design. They were designed for use in in the Puget Sound and Salish Sea, and are solid when properly maintained.
They are not as described in this thread as essentially a motorhome on floats.
An original sales brochure shows a CAH traveling with a car loaded on it's upper deck- doing that with a pontoon houseboat would make for a very short and hilarious Boat Fail video. (I wouldn't consider doing it with my CAH either, but it does point out the robust nature of the cabin build.)



My Cruise-A-Home Corsair spent most of it's life cruising up into Canada and all around the San Juans. I motored it down the coast to Portland about 10 years ago, stopping at Neah Bay, La Push, Grays Harbor and crossed the Columbia River bar. It was berthed at Rocky Point Marina and from there made numerous trips on the Slough, Willamette and Columbia.


I had a trailer built so I can haul and launch myself and it's currently on my property, ready for me to start in on a major refit and remodel. The boat is easy to work on and there isn't anything really tricky.

Based on the description you have provided it's going to be a lot of hours of labor.

The windows, doors and cabin seams are a definite weak point for water intrusion. I'm going to replace my windows and doors with different type.

The above waterline stuff can be taken care of with lots of labor, but I recommend you hire someone knowledgeable to determine the condition of the transom, bulkhead and stringers before starting in on any major work.

Most of the CAHs are dock queens nowadays but there are a number of helpful enthusiasts around and a lot of info on the web including remodel and refit.

The Cruise-A-Home owner's site has a lot of helpful info and links.

Cruise·A·Home Owners Page

I contacted the webmaster a few months ago to see if I could add info on my refit and he got right back to me, so it's still active.
You may want to send a PM to user - Newhaul on this site. He posted a couple years ago that he had done a fair amount of work on a CAH for a customer.
Feel free to contact me as well, I'm in Southern Oregon but I do still get up that way.

[belladonna]

Thanks so much, goguygo! I contacted the webmaster as well and he said he had excellent work done by a modification facility on the Lake Washington Ship Canal called Canal Boat Yard. I think that might be too far for me though. As much as I'd like to do it myself I don't know anything about refits and the like. I want to learn if I can, but I'm not opposed to hiring someone either. I just don't know where to learn or who to call. A handyman? A carpenter? Anyways, I really appreciate the information and I'm open to any other advice you have!

[evm1024]

+1 on goguygo's post. A very capable boat that would do great on the Columbia and on up to the San Juans, Canada and on to SE Alaska.

Windage can be a problem in close quarters but that is offset in the models that have twin engines.

Hey Belladonna, Do you have a single or twin engine? I'm assuming 2 engines based on what you wrote. Are they gas (OMC) engines or diesels (Volvo)? Or what?

If the boat is not "lost" (and even then with the right budget) you can do it. Don't give up hope. Others have fully gutted their projects down to the bare hull and built up from there.

[belladonna]

I have two 350 chevy engines. Needs an oil change and one of the belts broke. The neutral switch needs a looking at, but I think other than that she has the ability to cruise. The CAH is actually in decent condition, just needs to be updated/maintain better. I want to be able to do that but I've never done this before. I think with COVID-19 going on and the expenses that come with the goals I have in mind, I'm starting to think this isn't going to be a realistic endeavor, at least for me. Maybe one day