We're going bigger.

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FLSunfish

Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Messages
23
Location
US
Vessel Make
1966, 47 ft, Chris Craft Commander
We owned the Sea Ray 300 db when we decided to move onto the boat, so even though it was small by liveaboard standards, we were ok with the Sea Ray as our liveaboard trial boat. We figured if we could get on living that tiny, it should work out for us -- we always had the flying bridge if one of us need our "space". :peace:
Almost two years later, we're still on the boat and really do love it 99% of the time. Just that people running like crazy in our "no wake" zone thing. The only problem is that we don't have enough room to properly stow all of our stuff necessary to actually live on the boat, so we don't get to cruise like we'd like.
Fortunately some things have come together, and we're the new owners of a !966, 47ft, Chris Craft Commander. :smitten:
We are very excited, and somewhat overwhelmed too as we set to getting the Commander ready to move onto. Thank goodness we have a good and patient mechanic and friend to help us get familiar with all of these new systems we have to learn. We have a few hick ups. We've been sorting out the AC over the last two days. That has to work to be comfortable in this part of the country, but it looks like a portable for the salon area will augment the aft cabin and crew quarter's unit for the time being.
It's a great looking boat with desired upgrades, and it runs great. It will be nice to be able to have a place for everything so that we can do the cruising we want to do.
Here's a few pictures of the Commander along with one looking down at the Sea Ray from the flying bridge of the Commander. To put it in perspective, the Sea Ray's bimini canvas is 15 feet above the waterline.
 

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L O V E that covered aft deck... the King and Queen will issue decrees as appropriate from that level - perhaps as I am attempting to anchor completely wrong.
 
CC Commander is a favorite of ours and you now definitely have some room to roam. Congratulations
 
Love those old Chris Crafts! I had a 27' Constellation mahogany boat. Is yours wood or fiberglass? I know they were dabbling in both at the time yours was built.

Kevin
 
This is hull 4 out of 10 double cabins that were made in 1966 using fiberglass for the first time for 47 ft Commanders. Not brave enough to attempt to maintain wood of this size in this climate and waters.
 
Congrats!!

CC Com is great boat. 1966 with early stage FRP hull will be stronger than needed. Super structure and decks should be checked carefully for leaks that can cause rot etc.

Chris Craft classics have always been some of my favorites!
 
NICE!!

Congratulations

New rule, if anything new comes aboard something must leave. Hey it sounds good in theory. People are like a gas, we expand to fill our container.

Enjoy and smooth seas to you and yours.
 
This is hull 4 out of 10 double cabins that were made in 1966 using fiberglass for the first time for 47 ft Commanders. Not brave enough to attempt to maintain wood of this size in this climate and waters.


FLS - What motors and trany and gen set are aboard? :popcorn:
 
Love that vintage of CC's and love that particular layout. You're gonna have a large time on that thing! Congrats!
 
FLS - What motors and trany and gen set are aboard? :popcorn:

The engines are DD 8V53, and the genny's a Northern Lights 8 KW inside a sound shield. i'm not sure about the trannies.
 
Thanks to all of you for your kind words. We had a 1975 CC Catalina 251 before the Sea Ray, and really liked that boat! It was our first inboard and we learned a lot from it.
 
Now that you have all that extra storage, has your Admiral decided when she needs to go shopping to get all of the things she did without on your last boat?


Just kidding. You're going to really enjoy that covered cockpit area. Ours is covered to much the same degree. It's nice on a hot day to be under the bimini.
 
Moving Aboard

Congratulations on your new boat and the extra room. It is amazing how much live-aboard space a few feet in Beam and LOA adds. Enjoy.

John
 
Congratulations on your new boat and the extra room. It is amazing how much live-aboard space a few feet in Beam and LOA adds. Enjoy.

John

And he learned he could do it in less space and enjoy it, but would prefer more.
 
Now that you have all that extra storage, has your Admiral decided when she needs to go shopping to get all of the things she did without on your last boat?

Actually I am the Admiral. :hello:
I'm the computer nerd in the family and the one who does most of the researching. And actually, moving onto the boat was my idea in the first place. :blush: The Captain wasn't sure he would be able to adjust to living and sleeping on something that could rock and roll, but he's doing well. :thumb:
When we decided to go bigger, moving back to dirt wasn't even a consideration in his book either.
As far as the shopping part, :dance::smitten::dance: because the main salon area isn't finished with builtins, we get to shop for a more "normal" type sofa. We'll be sleeping on a queen bed rather inside a "tuna can" Vberth, and we'll even have room to put some pictures up that we've had in storage.
We do subscribe to the "item in - item out" theory to keep the clutter down. The whole idea is to keep everything easily stowable so that it's not a big deal to do our checks, take off the dock lines, and get going for overnight or longer cruises.
 
Who usually pilots the boat... Ye or he??
 
Who usually pilots the boat... Ye or he??
Usually he -- but I'm also comfortable with it and was the first to learn the art of docking with just the shifters on the Sea Ray. :)
I'm sure he'll be more often at the helm as we get used to the Commander, but I'll take over to at times just to know that I can if I ever have to.
 
Usually he -- but I'm also comfortable with it and was the first to learn the art of docking with just the shifters on the Sea Ray. :)
I'm sure he'll be more often at the helm as we get used to the Commander, but I'll take over to at times just to know that I can if I ever have to.

Cool, and, Thanks! BTW - you'll find you have much maneuverability with the twins and a wide spread betwixt props and rudders. Enjoy!
 
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