Some support would be great

[oldshore]

I just picked up a 1977 Lancer for $400, to restore. The boat hauler - very experienced- says all old Chris Crafts are soft and he politely said I probable have significant rot/delamination regarding the stringers. As far as I could see, the transom and the stringers under the motor and in the gas tank area are solid.when I mentioned many are still going strong today he commented these are lake boats and never took the pounding the salt water bay boats take. He got me thinking maybe I should just dispose of it. Maybe I should at least pull the motor for a more careful inspection. Thanks

[Ocean Scout]

Oldshore- Cheer up! You've just picked up one of the best off-shore sport boats ever built.

I also own a 1977 that has spent about half its life in fresh water and the rest in salt. We've had her in some pretty big water without a problem, always safe and comfortable.

Still running the original 350 GLV engine with 280 drive. I've removed the engine several times and I am quite certain that the stringers are foam cored fiberglass with wood inserts placed in the area of the motor mounts. You'll notice along the inboard side of the stringers round foil like stickers. Peal one back and you should see foam. The hull and decks are solid glass, no coring to soften there. There is plywood in the transom where the outdrive bolts on. I've replaced the plywood in mine, not a big job.

We've had the boat so long its a member of the family. It does many things well. I'm sure you'll agree once youre on the water.

Good Luck

[Wood Commander]

I don't have any experience with Lancers in salt water, but I have owned two and I can tell you that they are great boats and very seaworthy. I would expect that they are at least equal to and most probably better built than any other boat from their era and many modern boats as well.
Salt water itself actually preserves wood but deteriorates metal. I have found no evidence of soft wood in either of my two Lancers.

Jim Winn, designer of the Lancer and XK hulls, was a noted ocean racer who knew how to build a hull rugged enough for salt water use.

[57 chris]

I've owned two Lancers, 1968 23' and 1972 19' and both were great boats. I did replace the floor in the 19 but there was no issues with rot in the stringers of either boat.
If you're going to get rid of that beautiful boat I'll gladly take it off your hands.

Craig

[oldshore]

Well, we are gonna keep it. The only thing that my wife might find annoying is that the previous owner says you head stick through the hatch when on the porta potty!. He has picture of his sister with her head sticking out through the deck, on the potty, with everyone laughing at her! I will have to make up some sort of tent-like fabrication to cover over that area for when it is being used

[Paul P]

First of all congratulations on the Lancer, they have direct ties to Jim Wynne's offshore racing experience. I don't have any hands-on experience with the Lancer, per se, but I do have some experience with a Cortland-built 20' Sea Skiff, and that boat gives every indication to have been built in the same manner as the Chris Craft Commander (and all the other Corsair/Lancer products.....to a degree).

My main structural frames are hollow fiberglass box beams, juts like the Commander. They did use a piece of wood at the top of the frame, and I think this was done to hold the shape in place or was used as a form of sorts. I do not believe there is ANY structural wood inside those main hollow box beams. As far as foam filled, not sure about it, bad idea, will absorb water and hold it, therefore it may have been done for a while, perhaps done by a prev owner, but mine are hollow in the 1966 fiberglass Skiff. Motor stringers were "draped" between fiberglass pedestals, held out of the water zone. I had one badly cracked, looks like the boat took a tremendous hit one day, they may have even dropped the motor on it. In any case, I fixed it and also did some reinforcing with fiberglass roving and epoxy, which made a very nice fix.

Here is one of my favorite photos of the restoration, it shows things about as totally torn up as possible. You can see the longitudinal hollow main structural beams, and the hint of a piece of possibly encapsulated wood at the top (for screw attachments, not structure). It looks bad in the photo, but when it went back together, it looked like new. After a year of running it hard and jumping a few wakes, still solid as a rock. Repair included adding high strength aluminum plates to each side of each stringer and through-bolting with stainless steel bolts.

[Wilson Wright]

Paul:

When I read the opening, I thought you were searching for info on Jim Wynne. He was a high school class mate and college fraternity brother plus his family lived on my paper route. I could really tell you more about how Jimmy hopped his father's ole Dodge to out race all the Ford V-8s but more of the group kept up with his boating adventures after we got out of college. He and I and went our separate ways for a while until I got involved with the Chris Craft group and then our paths crossed again.

[Paul P]

Wilson,

Hey first of all good hearing from you! I recall our last meeting at Mt. Dora and it was a very enjoyable event.

That is "too cool" about Jim Wynne being a fraternity brother with you. Also fun to hear about his adventures with dad's Dodge, ha.

That reminds me of a buddy I have, who took his dad's Chrysler Imperial to the drag strip one evening, revved up the motor and dropped it in gear and twisted the drive shaft. When the car arrived at the shop, the dealer was puzzled, called Chrysler about a warranty issue, and the engineers at Chrysler asked to have the drive shaft sent to them.......because they had never SEEN one twisted like that. Knowing of Chrysler's drag racing history I'm sure they had plenty of destructive testing going on, but probably not with the Imperial line, ha ha.

Ole Mike grew up to be a respectable businessman too, imagine that! Hmmmm, now I'm thinking of a few blown up transmissions my dad had to deal with......family sedans just couldn't take the punishment. I should have had a toploader!

Regards,

Paul