My best early memories are of spending time with my grandparents (see avatar, left) on their Chris-Craft, in the Chesapeake Bay in the early fifties. She was, of course, all mahogany. After more than a half century my mother still complains about the work of stripping and re-varnishing each year.
I was interested in the "new" Chris-Craft, and took a close look at one of their smaller models. At the Miami boat show one year, I went out of my way to get down to the docks for a quick ride to see how the shaftless drive works. I guess I didn't look wealthy enough, since they kept us waiting for an hour and a half on the dock and then shut down for the day while we were standing in the cockpit. Oddly, I actually had the money and was actually thinking of upgrading.
Now that I have owned a Marinette for some years I think it would have been downgrading.
1975 32' Flybridge Sedan, twin Perkins 6-354 diesels, 1:1.53 velvetdrives, 16 X 19 props. Merritt Island, Florida
