Chris Craft Constellation 36 bridge deck cruiser -- One Man's Boat

When the first US-built Chris Craft power boats started appearing in Australian waters in the 1950s they had local boaties standing around with their tongues hanging out as they admired the vessels.

With their curves and modern (well, for the 1950s) lines, the boats were a sensation. In those days all things American were regarded as being the best and most modern, and Chris Craft vied with Cadillac at the top of everyone's wish list.

Most Chris Craft boats that were shipped here were speedboats or luxury runabouts but a few cruisers also slipped across the Pacific. Back in those days, local cruisers were lucky to top 10 knots but the Chris Craft, with their twin Chrysler V8 petrol engines, would jump up onto the plane and top out at an unheard of 30 knots.

Peachy, a Chris Craft 36 Constellation bridge deck cruiser that is now sitting on the Queensland Gold Coast, is a perfect example of post-war American design and manufacture.

Built in 1961, the vessel was bought in 2005 by On Shore Marine’s George Mansell after he saw it advertised. It was being sold by its original owner, a retired New York doctor, who was getting too frail to go boating. Like most boats on the US north east coast it had only ever been in the water for few months each year -- being stored up on the hard over each winter.

When George got the boat back to Queensland he hired a shipwright and stripped it back to the bare wood. "We replaced all the compromised planks in the hull, about half a dozen each side, and stripped off everything else we could," George told us. "Anything metal was rechromed or polished and all the wiring and plumbing were replaced."

The biggest change was removing the old petrol V8s and replacing them with two new Yanmar 125hp diesel engines. The Yanmars, much safer and far more economical, drive the boat to a top speed of around 21 knots -- not too great a drop from the 34mph top speed advertised in Chris Crafts’ 1961 brochure.

The boat, which still bears its original name of Peachy, also had a complete interior rebuild that featured the fitting of an electric toilet and holding tank to meet today's environmental requirements.

The forward cabin was fitted with comfortable V-berths and a clever arrangement allowed two more folding berths in the saloon and a double by rearranging the dinette. The L-shaped galley was fitted with a new electric fridge that can run off the engine or shore power, a new stove and sink.

But it is the bridge deck design that still captivates admirers. Originally designed with a hardtop that covered only the steering position, Peachy is now fitted with a full set of covers and fly screens to make the large cockpit more user friendly in hot and humid conditions. 

While these covers may be practical, they rather ruin the beautiful lines of the boat. Happily it is only a few minutes work to pack them away and reveal Peachy in her full fifties glory.

The steering station is still all chrome and high gloss wood but modern navigation aids such as a GPS and plotter, a depth sounder and VHF radio have been discreetly fitted.

There is also a new powerful electric winch on the bow to handle the 25kg anchor. The winch has controls at the helm for ease of use.

The twin Yanmars have run for only 175 hours since they were installed four years ago. The boat also has three separate bilge pumps and a 2.8 metre inflatable dinghy with a 3.3hp Mercury outboard.

While the topsides are fibreglass, the hull is still wood and the transom -- which George originally finished with 17 coast of varnish -- remains deeply lustrous with an easily-maintained oil finish. It is a most inviting sight when being tendered up to the welcoming duckboard.

George loves Peachy but reckons that finding the time to use her is his biggest problem, so he has reluctantly put her on the market.