Up for sale is my beloved Cruisers C202. I bought her in2008and have had so much fun on the water and taking care of her. I thought I would never sell the boat but things have changed and she now can go to someone else to enjoy.
Built in 1961 and purchased by a guy in Wisconsin with a Johnson V4 75HP Super Seahorse and Tee Nee Trailer. He used her for that Spring and Summer but unfortunately died that winter. The family put her away in storage till the mid 1990s. The second owner purchased her in 95 or 96 and restored the hull which had some deterioration. The original vinyl coverings had disintegrated on the bow and replaced with the beautiful mahogany. Also, some transom repair was necessary. I am the 4th owner. The guy I purchased the boat from only had it for a short time but also put a lot of time and $ into her, having the hull stripped to the bare wood and re finished. I found her on a Classic Wooden Boat site and knew she was perfect for me. I love vintage anything and grew up on speed boats as a child with my family so decided to make the purchase.
I have used her on lakes here in Southern California. It is a huge list of improvements I have completed. It is an even bigger list of materials and spare parts and equipment I have accumulated over the years, from fenders and life jackets to carburetor kits and fuel pump service kits for the motor, spare impellers to name just a few. I have even sourced things like spare Baby Moon Hub Caps for the Tee Nee trailer which you just cant find any more. I even purchased a spare one in new condition if you were to loose one. One of the first jobs I did was to re finish the underside of the hull. Fresh anti fouling and a fresh coat of hull paint. I found only NOS vintage dials for the dash. Had them re-chromed and I installed them. I found some old advertising pictures of Cruisers catalogues and Thompson Boats as they are very closely related, and had new seat cushions made which were inspired by original designs. They look fantastic and as good as new. I have fitted a new builge pump and last season a new deepcycle marine battery. The list goes on.
As you can see from the pictures she shows well. She is not a Show Boat, although I think she could win some prizes if you did, but a user. She does show signs of ware but this boat has been loved all its life and you can tell. The Johnson is in amazing shape and is a real power house. You take off the cover and the engine looks fantastic. I have as I said all sorts of service items and a list of part numbers from an original parts catalogue I found on classifieds board. Parts are still available if you know what to look for. I drove to Lake Havasu a few years ago to go see the lake and a mechanic, Al. I had been getting advice from Al as he used to have a workshop here in So Cal but moved to Havasu some years ago. His father built these very motors up in Michigan and he taught Al all he knew. He looked over the Johnson and said I had an unbelievable Time Capsule of a motor. Al was so good at his job that he remembered a recal on the motor back in the mid 60s and wondered if it had been done. The boat was in storage for years so I figured it had not. It was a disc of plastic which was placed on a spring onside the fuel pump to stop the spring eventually piercing the diaphragm. He checked and it was not there so off he went to his fathers old parts drawers and found the exact piece. It had been in the drawers for 50 years. Just to let you know that this guy has been a great help and knows what hes talking about. He also suggested I change the prop to a better pitch so the boat would be quicker from start and get up to plane easier. I found a NOS one on line with the spinner and he was right. He also serviced the Lower Unit replacing all the seals etc for me 3 years ago and loaned me the official mechanics manual so I could scan it and print it out. It is not complete but has all the relevant info you would need to diagnose and follow the guide to do any servicing yourself. He also checked the timing. Al gave me a flushing device his father made himself which fixes to the water intake on the engine. Back in the day they had some really poor ones you could buy but didn't do the job so he made them himself and he gave one to me. I did not like the original 6 gallon metal Johnson fuel tanks on the original salmon pink floor because of damage they might cause so I bought two plastic6 gallon ones. I have not put a huge amount of hours on the motor myself to be honest. I would go to Lake Casitas in Ojai and find a cove, anchor up and drop a line in the water and pretty much stay there all day. Good times.
I had the Tee Nee Trailer re-painted about five years ago so the whole package of hull, engine and trailer shows well. I also had a tailor made Sunbrella full cover made. She comes with the original Camper Cover and Side Windows from 1961. They are also in great shape. A little faded now but you have the template if you decide to have new ones made.
I have some original documentation from previous owners of work done and receipts.
I will be very sad to see her go but knowing she will be enjoyed by someone else makes it a little easier. After all with pieces of art like she is we are only custodians for a while.
There are plenty of websites to find out about the history of Cruisers Inc, coming from Thompson Boats if you are inclined to have a read.
She is priced to sell and the sale includes all the extras of course.
I have a clear title for both hull and trailer in hand.
Good luck bidding and please contact me with any questions.
Many thanks.
Add new question to the seller