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1957 Chris Craft 30’ Express

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StarWatch was originally an upstate-New York boat, brought to California in 2001. It was always covered and stored winters, and shows a very low-use life. This is a fresh complete restoration ready for immediate enjoyment. With the top down and the split-chrome windshields folded open, it looks Very Hot.

Interior is all original cabinetry, with excellent original Coral-colored Formica tops and stainless sink. Bulkheads are finished in rubbed-effect varnish, interior trim details are gloss varnish. Exterior House-top is hand-fared triple 'glass mat, finished in original-color Gloss Aquamarine Sterling. The house top is water-tight, and has a perfect new perforated white headliner below, with varnished battens on each overhead stringer.

All fixed and operable glass was removed from the channels, and new green tinted commercial-grade 1/4 inch tempered panels were custom fit, bedded in Dolfinite. The original brass J-molding was carefully removed and flash-chromed, and re-installed- this is especially great looking as a combination with the Aquamarine house.

Original 175 HP MCL's and Transmissions are remanufactured by Harpurs Marine, the most reputable Chris Craft shop in So-Cal area, with electronic distributor conversion and custom closed cooling; under 50 hours. Exhaust is updated and all new, with new elbows, marine hose and clamps, in-line 'glass baffle mufflers, and custom stainless thru-transom ports. An all new three-battery system with switches and smart-charger are fitted, two in the forward bilge, and a group 27 House battery hidden below the head sink. Shore power is breaker-protected.

The decks are gloss-varnished; Mahogany foreward and Fir aft with a mahogany inset aft. I still have the original complete handrail system in perfect condition, along with the original mast, base, horns, and Iva-lite; all of which looked too bulky for my taste, but are easily installed for a fully-original hardware system. All other cabinetry and hardware are original and in place, re-chromed and present beautifully.

The boat is fully fitted with high-quality canvas all in Sunbrella. The top, curtains and aft drops are white. IsenGlass is tinted green. There is a cockpit cover in Toast, and a raincover for the aft deck in White. A cover for the housetop-only in Toast, also attaches below the cockpit cover, and has transparent mesh at the side windows ( great for over-niting ). Finally, there is a two-piece full cover that goes to 18 inches below the rub rail all around for open storage or mooring.

During the complete restoration, the hull and bottom were bare-wooded and treated with Smiths The bottom was partially re-fitted with 3-M 5200 and refastened extensively with Bronze, and the bilge stays dry. Fresh bottom paint applied in January-'07. The outside hull is primed and fared with Pro-line, and hand-finished in several coats of Sterling U-1001 White.

I have two complete helm-panel systems; one with vintage-style modern electric gauges, and another with freshly restored original mechanical tach and gauges by Clawson Instruments. These are interchangable.

All work for this effort is professional quality to 'show' standards.
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