Chris-Craft Constellation

Hey George,

Sounds like you have a fun boat project ahead of you. A "big" project. What part of the country are you in? Great Lakes area?

When I was a teen, the Skipper of my Sea Scout Ship had a 65' Chris-Craft Constellation. It was named "Six Pack" because his family of six lived aboard year round. It's actually an interesting story if my memory serves me well.

He purchased the boat for $12,000. It was sunk and sitting on the bottom when he took ownership. It had gone under do to a bad plank near the stuffing box or something like that. He was familiar with the boat and had been aboard her on several occations. After raising her they repaired the bottom. Recottoned, caulked, bottom painted and interior dried out and cleaned. He also repowered her with two Catapillar diesel engines and a new or rebuilt gen set. That in itself is no easy task as the Salon top had to be removed in order for the swamped engines to be removed and the new set installed. Mr. Evans was a resourcefull individual and completed all most all of the work himself with the help of his sons.

Mr. Evans owned a land moving business with a large equipment asset of which he sold in order to afford him the time to work on this project. He managed to hold on to two spare engine sets which he converted for marine use. The two that ended up powering the Six Pack.

They spent the next 10 or twelve years living aboard while under restoration. By the time I met them the boat was complete. Absolutely immaculate. The boat was better than showroom condition. The varnish and paint throughout was flawless with the finish of a fine piano. It really was more beautiful than I can possibly describe.

The next tragic event was when the driver of a hemi powered jet boat rammed her on the port side while docked in her covered slip. The drivers reaction to avoid the accident was to cut the engines at which time he lost all possability of stiring away. The bow of the jet boat had punctured a large hole into the galley area and completely destroyed the settee. Fortunately, all the damage was above the water line. She was hauled and meticulously repaired and again better than new.

A few years later, Mr. Evans sold the Six Pack. I don't know the exact figure but the rumor was approximately $250,000. He hated to do it but I suppose he wanted the full service marina he purchased enough to do so. The marina was situated on an inlet of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. I had only made it out to see them once or twice after that. However, I will never forget the Six Pack.

An old boat is like an old truck. It does not have to be perfect in order to be enjoyed. Charactor is a good thing.

Kruez