I am looking at buying a 1965 Chris Craft Commander 38' to liveaboard. The inside is rough and old, but live-able. The decks need refinishing (fiberglass mostly some wood) It smells ok. Engines are Crusader 350's I am not an engine guy. The engines start and run, however one engine needs a new manifold ( $1500 ???). This is according to the owner. We like the boat for us to start our liveaboard adventure. It has been 30 years since I owned my own boat and that was sailing. So, I am considering us new to the power boat club. Asking price seems fair if the survey does not turn up anything major. I am here to connect with other Chris Craft Commander folks who may know of common problems I may run into with this boat. Any advice good or bad is greatly appreciated.
The surveyor says he will do a compression check on each engine. The Boat Yard has the mechanic that worked on the boat to get it running for current owner. The current owner is the son of the last owner who died. Who bought it to fix up. It in fact has been sitting for years. We have scheduled a survey. I will definitely talk to surveyor to verify all he plans to check. Hoses, electrical, hull and throughs, plumbing...
We plan on having the bottom painted and the throughs replaced if nothing else comes up. I am nervous about after all that,,, suddenly needing another 10 or 20k, that would be scary and drain us. We need to get on the boat enjoy it and settle in for 6-8 months before we can even consider spending that kind of money. Are we crazy? Crazy in love with the idea of liveaboard boating!
I think a reasonable rule might be age plus 15 feet for liveaboard. Our 35 became small nearing 2 weeks. If you're not planning on regular touring consider a 410, lots of space, a very comfortable boat and many were produced.
In regards to hoses , while they are capable of funcioning for decades, it is very good safey practice to replace them every 10 years or so.
Be sure your surveyor carefully inspects the cast iron original mufflers and exhaust collectors (also referred to as F-pipes) for thin spots and holes.
Leaks in the exhaust will quickly fill your bilge with water and also carbon monoxide.
Make sure all of your sea cocks operate as they should and that their wooden backer blocks are secure and not decayed.
In my own opinion, installing all new sea cocks is a very worth while saftey investment!
When replacing the prop shaft packing hoses , be sure to inspect engine alignment .
It's very important to be sure the shafts are also not rubbing or too close to the inside diameter of your shaft logs .
If mis aligned enough ,
the shafts will wear thru the logs . This will sink a boat at the dock.
Being a liveabord ,Inspect the operation of the air conditioning pump, it's plumbing ,and thru hulls as they are also capable of filling your bilge with endless water.
Inspect and service the boats fire suppression and warning systems?
Check for frayed, damaged, improperly fused circuts,
Check for signs leaks at all thru hull fastenings like trim tabs , swim platform brackets, and transducer.
Also beware that old plastic transducers do get brittle over time and do need to be replaced periodically.
On the bottom ,
Contrary to popular belief these boats can and do get blisters .
While small ones can be addressed in time , larger ones at least should be repaired when found.
Pay close attention to the bores in the hull where the shafts come thru. This is a known trouble spot that sometimes let's water enter the hull laminate.
If that boat has not been barrier coated in a long time or ever ,
It's a very worth while step.
On the port side bottom starting fwd of the shaft and I between inboard and outboard stringers , there is an imbeded copper mesh within the frp which was intended as a SSB ground from the factory.
If your surveyor isn't aware of it,
he may mistake it as an area of abnormally high moisture. While it is possible for water to work is way in this area , it's more than likely fine but will give a moisture meter a false high reading.
While theres plenty of other items to look at these are some of the more immediate ones to look at .
Hope this helps.
-Jeremy
You say “we”. Personally, I think the 38 is too small for a liveaboard couple. I’m single and lived on my 38 for three months last year and found it too cramped. Especially the VBerth. Mine is a sedan model with a large open salon, so I put a sleeper sofa in. It’s good but now you’re sleeping in the open. Also, the fridge is tiny. I plan on swapping for a 41 or 410 at some point.