Chris-Craft announces big expansion plans

That most famous of American boating brands is back in fashion. Not that it ever went out of style, mind you, but demand for Chris-Craft boats in on the rise again. This has prompted a multi-million-dollar investment in new plant and facilities to ramp-up production. More racy runabouts, luxury launches, and on-trend outboard-powered dayboats will be heading Down Under. Here’s the first of our reports from Chris-Craft’s 2018 Summer Showcase dealer event, after a behind-the-scene’s tour of the Sarasota yard, and breakfast of huevos rancheros with the company owners.

Chris-Craft was once the world's largest builder of mahogany boats. In the post-war golden era in Detroit, the thronging business stood side-by-side with the auto giants in a production frenzy. Men with handtools crafted thousands of ‘stick built’ boats. The 50s were the glory days of powerboating. At one point, Chris-Craft offered 139 different models.

Rising demand is now sparking increased production of these racy runabouts and luxury launches, but also the latest classically styled outboard-powered Catalina centre consoles and Calypso dual-console crossovers. Day-boating is driving demand and Chris-Craft is the sights of discerning buyers who want a runabout for their waterfront, a boat to go in a dry stack, and a seamless helming experience from their luxury car to the waterways.

With cachet and cool lines, sporty petrol power and spare time, Chris-Craft has always brought joie de vivre to the world. The company was established 143 years ago. But in its heyday, from the 1920s-1950s, everyone from Hnry Ford to  Hollywood stars and President Roosevelt had to have one. A Chris-Craft was a symbol of success and fine nautical style, but also a ticket to pleasure boating as it was meant to be. Pure and simple.

In 1971, Chris-Craft went fibreglass. In 1989, it was acquired by now defunct Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC). The big public parent company seemed more interested in creating platforms for its engines than honouring the spirit of the brand. But with the collapse of that OMC empire, an opportunity arose.

Under the current private ownership of Steve Heese and Stephen Julius, Chris-Craft has gained not only two respectful masters but also its mojo. The soul of today's Chris-Craft remains firmly rooted in the past. All class in fibreglass, with teak trim and brightwork, these cool boats tilt the hat in recognition of those halcyon years.

The flared bow, tumblehome, timber accents, brightwork and retro windscreen provide poise and polish. Add the roar of a V8 engine and you're up and away. Take a photo, select a black and white filter on Instagram, and seemingly nothing has changed. Chris-Craft boats still look great, command attention and — take our word for it — stir emotion.

Such is their pull, we packed the bags and driving gloves to make tracks for the 2018 Chris-Craft Summer Showcase in Sarasota, Florida. The Fedora and Havana party added to the occasion. As Steve Callahan from Chris-Craft enthused on the dock: "it's all about styling' and profilin'."

With three days of drives and rides, plus a factory tour, one-on-ones with the company owners, and chats with Chris-Craft dealers from Russia to New York, we now have the scoop. In this article we share the key news. The next installment covers the new 2018 models.

Meantime, here's one of the cool Chris-Craft boats we drove at the 2018 Summer Showcase event...

FRESH INVESTMENT
The big news is that Chris-Craft is embarking on a US$8.4m plant extension, incrementally, to meet forecast continuing growth and facilitate an extensive new model roll-out. There are new purpose-built sheds, an expanding workforce, and plans for a customer design centre. Today’s internet retailing and marketing environment has re-ignited passion for the brand. Online build-a-boat tools are popular.

Things are certainly upbeat when we arrive. It's not back to the 1950s and 1960s, nor the heady Gordon Gecko pre-GFC excess, but the Sarasota-based company is on a growth trajectory in today's dayboat-to-go pleasure-boat market.

While US marine stats show the sterndrive market is flat in the 21-36ft segment, the outboard segment is up 13 per cent in this same category YOY (2016 v 2017).

This trend is shaping new boat design at Chris-Craft and three to four new models will be launched each year. Count on plenty of them being outboard and with dual and triple engine racks with joystick docking and driving.

While the Chris-Craft boats up to 40ft are all built in Sarasota, Florida (at the old Donzi plant with a water-test track), the bigger Commanders hail from a joint venture with Austin Parker in Italy. If you know Chris-Craft's history, it built boats to 60ft in the 1960s. So bigger is on the cards from the Austin Parker plant.

Steve Heese, Chris-Craft President and CEO (married to an Australian from Sydney's Northern Beaches), explains how good fortune led him to Chris-Craft.  

"I was looking for an investment opportunity. Just before Christmas 2000, I read OMC was bankrupt. I grew up around here and the local boat-building industry. After reading the news in December, I closed on the deal in March 2001.

"We've grown steadily, with 08, 09 and 10 down, but it's been up since then. We cater for the premium end of market, which is back. We always sold to a more mature clientele," Heese says over breakfast.

THE 2018 CHRIS-CRAFT SHOWCASE
The 2018 Chris-Craft Summer Showcase has attracted 90 representatives from the 125 locations selling Chris-Craft boats around the world today. I get to talk with Russian, Italian, Dutch, English, Dubai-based expats and American Chris-Craft dealers. Our very own Premier Marine has been in the award-winning circle at these dealer events before.

Nowadays, Chris-Craft builds some 350 boats at the Sarasota yard, we’re told. In other words, each dealer (some have multiple outlets) sells an average of around four or five boats a year. By necessity, they offer other brands. But the 2018 Dealer of the Year for Marketing, who is from New York, has gone 100 per cent Chris-Craft. He even sent a bus around Times Square with a Chris-Craft wrap to build brand awareness. Not that Chris-Craft needs it.

"The average sale is for a 30 footer," Heese says. We will add that in Australia, a Launch 28 typically commands a $300k ticket. "But the average invoice has doubled in last five years," he says.

Automation is the big driver of development and today's boat-buyers want all the extras from painted hulls to joystick docking devices, Mercury push-button start to Active Trim (the auto trim system), and Volvo Penta trim, joystick and power alternatives, including diesel engine options.

C-Zone FOB switching for batteries and lights, more USB charging ports for devices, and flush-mounted MFD screens integrate seamlessly in the race-car-inspired mesh-metal dash. None of this detracts from the carefully orchestrated Chris-Craft elegance and style.

Docking lights, woven seagrass floor matting, and packages from Heritage teak to those catering for fishing and even wakesurfing are now on offer.

Surfing behind a Chris-Craft — you bet — can you get any cooler?

We see the new Surf Package with Volvo Penta Forward Drive and Zero Off GPS Speed Control in action. Then the pro surfer rides the wake of the flagship Commander 44.

ENGINES DRIVING TRENDS
Chris-Craft uses only V8s, usually big blocks, for its petrol boats — "we tried V6 but it didn’t work," one staffer quips — and it offers serious horsepower upgrades for hot performance. Everything cracks 50mph, as you crack a smile on your dial.

Yet there are more and more outboard boats in centre-console and dual-console configurations on the water at the 2018 Chris-Craft Summer Showcase.

"Half of all our boats are now sold with outboards… it's a growth area and partly model driven… but also customer driven… such as with our Launch 38 [on show with triple 300hp outboards)," Heese says. The three outboards on the transom were painted to match the boat and thereby retain the classic-craft look.

From my room overlooking the marina, these 2018 outboard-model Chris-Crafts seem to be the busiest. The new Catalina 30 centre console and the Calypso dual-console crossover variant team form with function, fishing with family fun, and show with go. The combo drink holders with rod holders, dive door, and double bed with head signal these boats' intent. They are pleasure boats foremost.

HANDCRAFTED FOR WORLD MARKETS
When we tour the Sarasota plant, it's a staff day allowing families to experience the boats on the water that they built back in the sheds. But even without folk on the ground, we see plenty of dreams being crafted.

Nautical style and heritage is on show from the moment I climb in the pickup and notice the Chris-Craft logo near the door handles. A huge retro sign stands tall out the front of the yard, while a vintage 1939 mahogany Chris-Craft 'Scarlet' greets you in the foyer along with evocative images on every wall.

There are thousands of archival photos and a new coffee-table book is now in the making. Everyone has a Chris-Craft boating experience to share, it seems, and there used to be 1930's models staging joy rides from Manly Wharf on Sydney Harbour in the good old days.

Unlike mass-produced automated assembly lines, Chris-Crafts are still hand built by local people. While CNC routers cut the fabric and backing boards for the seating, the in-house stitched upholstery is something you expect to find in a luxury car built in the 1950s.

Some 90 per cent of all boats leaving the yard are also painted. This preserves their good looks where coloured gelcoat would fade. Repainting the cowls and legs of outboard engines to match the hulls is another thing. These boats look as great as they perform.

To cater for today’s global market, Chris-Craft offers a diverse line-up. The traditional closed-bow Corsair is big in Europe, and you see them zooming around Sydney Harbour, while the open-bow bowriders called Launches are even bigger in the US and locally.

There will four Launches on show at the 50th Sydney International Boat Show, as we announced in Chris-Craft Launch 38 arrives in Australia.

MORE OUTBOARD BOATS
Doubtless, Chris-Craft will be offering more outboard-powered rigs in the near future, perhaps via a whole new range of boats. Heese also hinted at plans for bigger luxury Commander cruisers to cater for the top end of town.

The biggest Chris-Craft right now is that Commander 44 (nee 42) built in the joint venture with Austin Parker in Italy. Chris-Craft partner Stephen Julius knows the Italian boating business intimately, after all, he owned and sold iconic Riva in a previous life. He has looked at trawler-style motor yachts, but is playing his cards close to his chest when I quiz him at the Havana-themed night with Cuban cigars, local rum and spice-rubbed mahi mahi. Let’s just say something big is in the pipeline.

Right now, the sweet spot for Chris-Craft is in the 25-42ft market where, ironically, other brands have exited and those that do exists tend to be price-point production boats of generic design. Then again, few boat brands have the heritage, authenticity and styling of Chris-Craft in this segment.

Joining the classic runabouts and launches is a whole new genre of outboard-powered Chris-Craft. The Catalina centre consoles and Calypso dual consoles have taken hold.

Chris-Craft introduced its first centre console 10 years ago and had a new Calypso 30 with pilothouse on show that we rate as its best ever outboard model.

More to come on the 2018 line-up. For local information and availability see Premier Marine.