Chris Craft Sportsman

With much regret, I am selling this beautiful 1976 Chris Craft Sportsman 20.5ft. Runabout. The beam is 7'9". The boat and interior are a true time capsule. Aside from normal wear and tear, the seats and cushions look remarkable for their age. The bimini top, side curtains and bow cover are all included and are in very nice condition for their age. There is also a small head in the bow of the boat. There are no soft places anywhere in the hull that I have found. It is rock solid. The gauges are all original except for the tach. The previous owner replaced it with an after market part. I do have the original tach and had plans to send it to North Hollywood Speedometer for repair. The brightwork all looks good. It appears that the boat has spent its entire life under a covered shelter. The outer hull was repainted at some point on the boat's life by the previous owner in its original color. Some brush strokes are apparent but it looks nice.

The trailer is the original heavy duty trailer built for this boat. It has rollers and brakes. However, the previous owner disconnected the brakes at the tongue. All of the hub components remain. It could be reconnected with a master cylinder and minimal parts. There is no spare tire so the new owner of the boat would need to purchase one.

The biggest problem that this craft had when I purchased it was the original 307 engine was tired and under powered from the factory. I was aware that this would need to be addressed so I did some research and built a 383 stroker motor for this boat. It was a complete motor from the block up using a 4 bolt main and all of the internal parts were new. I spent $3158 and have the receipt. I ordered grey hull paint for the inner hull from Jamestown Distributors and neatly painted the inner hull. I had an experienced certified Chevrolet mechanic assist me in carefully installing the engine. Before installation, it was run on a crank stand. Engine runs beautifully. After completing the installation I replaced the water pump impeller that pulls water from the lake. I removed the temperature sensor from the top of the intake and ran for 15-20 seconds and noted no water was coming through the pump. I tried to find some water pump routing diagrams with limited success. I then put the hose in the inlet and cranked the engine. The engine runs perfectly and stays cool and discharges water. PLEASE NOTE: This boat needs minor work to be water ready.I also have the manuals and records which are original to the boat.The primary reason for putting this boat up for sale is that I have three children and do not have the time to research and correct the water pumping and hose routing problems. My experience is with automobiles and someone with boat knowledge could correct this with very little effort. Again, this is a very beautiful example. It is almost impossible to find a 20 ft boat in any condition under $10k. For the right buyer, this would be a really remarkable find which will surely go up in value as time goes on. It is definitely an eye catcher on the water. Please let me know if you have any questions. I will be happy to answer them as quickly and honestly as I can.

This item is sold as is and is for pick up only in Birmingham, Alabama. A $200 deposit is due within two days for winning auction. Cash balance is due upon pick up within 7 days.

The trailer is the original heavy duty trailer built for this boat. It has rollers and brakes. However, the previous owner disconnected the brakes at the tongue. All of the hub components remain. It could be reconnected with a master cylinder and minimal parts. There is no spare tire so the new owner of the boat would need to purchase one.

The biggest problem that this craft had when I purchased it was the original 307 engine was tired and under powered from the factory. I was aware that this would need to be addressed so I did some research and built a 383 stroker motor for this boat. It was a complete motor from the block up using a 4 bolt main and all of the internal parts were new. I spent $3158 and have the receipt. I ordered grey hull paint for the inner hull from Jamestown Distributors and neatly painted the inner hull. I had an experienced certified Chevrolet mechanic assist me in carefully installing the engine. Before installation, it was run on a crank stand. Engine runs beautifully. After completing the installation I replaced the water pump impeller that pulls water from the lake. I removed the temperature sensor from the top of the intake and ran for 15-20 seconds and noted no water was coming through the pump. I tried to find some water pump routing diagrams with limited success. I then put the hose in the inlet and cranked the engine. The engine runs perfectly and stays cool and discharges water. PLEASE NOTE: This boat needs minor work to be water ready.I also have the manuals and records which are original to the boat.The primary reason for putting this boat up for sale is that I have three children and do not have the time to research and correct the water pumping and hose routing problems. My experience is with automobiles and someone with boat knowledge could correct this with very little effort. Again, this is a very beautiful example. It is almost impossible to find a 20 ft boat in any condition under $10k. For the right buyer, this would be a really remarkable find which will surely go up in value as time goes on. It is definitely an eye catcher on the water. Please let me know if you have any questions. I will be happy to answer them as quickly and honestly as I can.

The biggest problem that this craft had when I purchased it was the original 307 engine was tired and under powered from the factory. I was aware that this would need to be addressed so I did some research and built a 383 stroker motor for this boat. It was a complete motor from the block up using a 4 bolt main and all of the internal parts were new. I spent $3158 and have the receipt. I ordered grey hull paint for the inner hull from Jamestown Distributors and neatly painted the inner hull. I had an experienced certified Chevrolet mechanic assist me in carefully installing the engine. Before installation, it was run on a crank stand. Engine runs beautifully. After completing the installation I replaced the water pump impeller that pulls water from the lake. I removed the temperature sensor from the top of the intake and ran for 15-20 seconds and noted no water was coming through the pump. I tried to find some water pump routing diagrams with limited success. I then put the hose in the inlet and cranked the engine. The engine runs perfectly and stays cool and discharges water. PLEASE NOTE: This boat needs minor work to be water ready.I also have the manuals and records which are original to the boat.The primary reason for putting this boat up for sale is that I have three children and do not have the time to research and correct the water pumping and hose routing problems. My experience is with automobiles and someone with boat knowledge could correct this with very little effort. Again, this is a very beautiful example. It is almost impossible to find a 20 ft boat in any condition under $10k. For the right buyer, this would be a really remarkable find which will surely go up in value as time goes on. It is definitely an eye catcher on the water. Please let me know if you have any questions. I will be happy to answer them as quickly and honestly as I can.This item is sold as is and is for pick up only in Birmingham, Alabama. A $200 deposit is due within two days for winning auction. Cash balance is due upon pick up within 7 days.