1961 17' Ski Boat configuration questions
Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2020 12:31 am
My father used to own a 1961 17' Chris Craft Ski Boat that he bought from a friend of his who purchased it new in 1961. I'd like to restore a similar 1961 and give it to him as a gift. With that in mind- I have a ton of questions about trim and other bits on the boat that seem to vary wildly among the pictures I have seen.
1. A lot of the examples I have found seem to be lacking the three angled chrome strips in the white stripe on the side of the hull.
You can see them in the original ad for the boat here: https://www.woodyboater.com/wp-content/ ... kiboat.jpg
And in this example: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/76/f8/4c ... e30bea.jpg
But not on this boat for example: https://www.ladyben.com/media/com_mtree ... _lg_03.jpg
Did Chris Craft make them with and without those strips as the production run changed? Were they optional and some people chose not to get them? Or did people simply lose them over time?
2. In the picture I have of my father's boat- it has a bow eye for pulling it onto a trailer and for securing it while it is being trailered. Many of the examples I've seen lack this bow eye- but I know this boat had one when it was delivered.
Was this a standard feature, an optional feature added to boats that were sold with a trailer, or an aftermarket piece added by dealers?
3. Rope Guides/Cleats on the bow and stern. In the photos I have of my father's boat- it has an open top rope guide identical to the one you can see in the following picture: https://www.ultramotors.net/wp-content/ ... d9_640.jpg
That boat also has small cleats just aft of the rope guides. Numerous other examples I have seen have one or the other, or lack them entirely.
Again- does anyone know if this was a standard feature, an optional feature, or something dealers just added?
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide- I'd like to restore this boat to original condition and I don't want to make any mistakes if possible.
1. A lot of the examples I have found seem to be lacking the three angled chrome strips in the white stripe on the side of the hull.
You can see them in the original ad for the boat here: https://www.woodyboater.com/wp-content/ ... kiboat.jpg
And in this example: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/76/f8/4c ... e30bea.jpg
But not on this boat for example: https://www.ladyben.com/media/com_mtree ... _lg_03.jpg
Did Chris Craft make them with and without those strips as the production run changed? Were they optional and some people chose not to get them? Or did people simply lose them over time?
2. In the picture I have of my father's boat- it has a bow eye for pulling it onto a trailer and for securing it while it is being trailered. Many of the examples I've seen lack this bow eye- but I know this boat had one when it was delivered.
Was this a standard feature, an optional feature added to boats that were sold with a trailer, or an aftermarket piece added by dealers?
3. Rope Guides/Cleats on the bow and stern. In the photos I have of my father's boat- it has an open top rope guide identical to the one you can see in the following picture: https://www.ultramotors.net/wp-content/ ... d9_640.jpg
That boat also has small cleats just aft of the rope guides. Numerous other examples I have seen have one or the other, or lack them entirely.
Again- does anyone know if this was a standard feature, an optional feature, or something dealers just added?
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide- I'd like to restore this boat to original condition and I don't want to make any mistakes if possible.