[acellist]

Before we beat up too much on Mister q240z, we should take a closer look at his 'before' starboard picture. Even if they paid you to take this old belle your heart sinks at what 'whoever' did when they sawed off the aft points, starboard and port, of her Roamer signature hexagonal salon design. I don't think it would be worth the outlay to restore that to its former glory. Someone else has already carved out their niche.
Make her beautiful and revel in it!

[q240z]

Thanks, acellist. You posted while I was writing. lol

Perhaps I wasn't perfectly clear before, so let me try one more time: this boat is not worthy of restoration. It has been "duded out," as the old timers sometimes say, and the parts that are missing are made of unobtainium. Unless acellist is willing to part his old tub out, there are no sources of parts, and these 46 Roamers don't have the inherent value anyway to justify having parts cast, custom made, or otherwised created from scratch. Absolutely NOBODY who is looking for a 46 Roamer (as if such a person actually exists lol) would be interested in this particular vessel unless somewhere in the neighborhood of US$300,000 was spent to restore it (and probably closer to a cool half-mil). For a boat that, even in a boom market, might be worth $250k in pristine condition? You gotta be kidding. I mean, I'm all about doing my part for the economy, but...

Soooooo, if you traditionalists really, really want to see this tub restored, pony up some dough and let's get to it. Alternatively, you could trust that I know more about what would be involved in restoring this thing than you do from a couple of pix online.

I find it interesting that two people from this forum who I've had personal interaction with both think the idea isn't too shabby. Conversely, people I don't know from a donut ask not even one question but then offer all sorts of advice that makes little sense, all things considered. Could it be that the people who know something about this particular boat have a certain amount of understanding the others don't? When so much of the originality has already been swapped out, what value is there in trying to keep it original? At some point doesn't pragmatism enter the picture, or are the traditionalists that hardcore? lol

Seafarer, it's not that I don't care to hear about your Huckins, but that threadjacking is considered bad form. In this case, you aren't threadjacking because somebody else already nudged the thing in this silly "it'll hurt your resale" direction. In any case, I wonder if you're not mixing up correlation with causation. I mean, is your old Huckins in the same condition as when you sold it 15 years ago? Has it been maintained exactly as well as you took care of it? Were the fittings you replaced of high quality or did they subsequently degrade over time?

[NYCAP123]

Q240Z,
Didn't mean to beat up on ya, just figured that going for a roamer and all that work it'd be worth restoring clasic. Your sweat, your money and your boat though. You've got more ambition than me my friend no matter which way you go, and no matter which way you go I'm sure we're all interested to watch the results unfold.

[q240z]

NYCAP123, there's more than a little too much "figuring" going on. lol

What I was "going for" was a ~50' aluminum hulled boat. The Roamer was free and in pretty good condition but, as acellist wisely observed, it's not original by any stretch. I'm partial to the Chris Craft layout, so this boat works for our purposes. Resale doesn't matter at all. Originality doesn't matter much. The steam shower in the aft stateroom will matter. The hydraulic steering will matter less. The 120hp Ford Lehmans will be perfect for what we do. And the aft deck enclosure, whatever final shape it takes, will make it a much more comfortable liveaboard vessel. THAT's what matters.

So, now that we're hopefully past all of that...what do you think of the proposed aft deck enclosure? Does extending the wood accent pieces do anything for you? How about radiused aft windows instead of angular (keeping in mind that the Roamers are angular boats, especially in the superstructure)? Slider doors...thumbs up or down?

[NYCAP123]

Enclosure-aces, wood accents aft, probably not worth the extra maintenance work, windows-angular, door-slider if doesn't interfere with interior steps.
P.S.- I like the price you paid (except for the sweat equity).

[AMG]

Originally Posted by q240z

And the aft deck enclosure, whatever final shape it takes, will make it a much more comfortable liveaboard vessel. THAT's what matters.

OK , you started out with saying you are restoring a Roamer. This is why I took the liberty to say your investment will (at least over here) have a negative outcome if you intend to sell her, but fine if you want to keep her. This is from my experience as a yacht broker.

If you are asking for comments on a Chris Craft forum, why be upset for an honest reply..?

[Ken Bracewell]

Originally Posted by q240z

So, now that we're hopefully past all of that...what do you think of the proposed aft deck enclosure?

Since we're past the point of being polite and just getting down to honesty- I think it's ugly.

There are very few boats that I have ever seen that look better after a structural change from the original lines. The rare exception to this rule is when the design is done by the original architect. There are other notable exceptions to this rule, but as a whole it stands true.

That's my $0.02

[Laurence]

I think your designs look good. Will you have some issues with installation with sliding doors as opposed to hinged.

[hat4349]

Q240z you get upset when someone mentions something you don't think applies to the topic you want and accuse them of "hijacking" your topic, yet on "Questions on a liveaboard Roamer " by Chamberlain41 you hijacked that topic to start an argument of weight of an aluminum Roamer versus a steel Roamer. It seems to me if you are going to be so adamant about your topics being hijacked you should respect others topics and not hijack their topics.

I get the sense you don't really care for people that disagree with your point of view, you should not be so sensitive on this forum. It is a Chris Craft Roamer forum and most of the people on this are true to a restoration and don't care for *******izations. Mine has been modified from it original state and I get comments on it all the time but it is the way I like it and I don't have a problem with people that disagree with what I did and will do it, that is their right and they do have a right to voice their opinions on this forum.

I say restore or remodel your boat for the purpose you have in mine, I did mine to retire on and cruise slowly. The purist won’t like my engines anymore than they do the Lehmans you are planning to use but you have to accept that and by posting here you are inviting comments about what you are doing negative and positive. So get a little thicker skinned and enjoy the “advice” you’ll get from posting here.

[Seafarer]

Originally Posted by q240z

Soooooo, if you traditionalists really, really want to see this tub restored, pony up some dough and let's get to it. Alternatively, you could trust that I know more about what would be involved in restoring this thing than you do from a couple of pix online.

As someone else has said, you had originally posited that you're "restoring" a Roamer. You probably shouldn't have expected a universal gung-ho thumbs up response once you've planted the restoration seed. As I said originally, if it's what suits you, then by all means more power to you. Enjoy it as you want it. But when you ask for opinions (everyone has one), don't get all cheesed off when you get opinions. Very simple.

Originally Posted by q240z

Seafarer, it's not that I don't care to hear about your Huckins, but that threadjacking is considered bad form. In this case, you aren't threadjacking because somebody else already nudged the thing in this silly "it'll hurt your resale" direction. In any case, I wonder if you're not mixing up correlation with causation. I mean, is your old Huckins in the same condition as when you sold it 15 years ago? Has it been maintained exactly as well as you took care of it? Were the fittings you replaced of high quality or did they subsequently degrade over time?

Threadjacking is poor form, but so is talking through your hat. I don't have experience with Roamers, I only have experience with the boats that have been in my family. Therefore, I can only talk with any meaningful knowledge about the things I've experienced or researched, and for me to talk about Roamers as though I have personal experience would be deceitful on my part. If you want to call a different perspective threadjacking, when you've solicited perspectives, well then you're not looking for a conversation you're looking for a monologue. That's not what boards are for.

As for causation vs. correlation, the boat has had a lot of work done to it, and done well, by the yard where we kept it for 30 or so years and where it has remained since. The last buyer, about 8 years ago, got all the original drawings from the builder, and ended up saying essentially what you did with your boat - this thing is not quite FUBAR, but at the least pretty FU. Three owners after us had each left their different marks, none of which really was an improvement over original, but it suited them at the time and all work was done to the highest standards. Once he realized how much had changed, and the cost of refitting to original, the offering price dropped significantly and the seller ended up bailing out because he had managed to really gut the value by gutting the originality belowdecks. All the extra weight added in the name of "modernizing" had left her handling and speed compromised, and now she spends most of her time in the water as a floating cottage. I would say that's a pretty direct causal argument.

We maintained the yacht as near-perfect as was possible, considering it was used 40+ weeks/weekends a year as a business entertainment and family use yacht, and with the exception of repowering it was maintained as original.

[Laurence]

Let's not forget that q240z has saved a Roamer from the scrap heap.

[Seafarer]

Originally Posted by Laurence

Let's not forget that q240z has saved a Roamer from the scrap heap.

Yes, and he's another boat owner who's engaging in a labor of love, with the goal of enjoying his time on the water.

All of which are noble.