First-Class Finish
When a '67 Chris-Craft Ski Boat arrived in Scott Donahue's shop, it was love at first sight — but getting it water-ready required lots of TLC.
by Lee Wangstad
Like so many other boats that came in for repairs at Scott Donahue’s fiberglass repair shop, the
1969 Chris-Craft 17-foot Ski Boat had seemingly passed its prime. When the boat came to his shop in
2005, the smooth sheen of fresh gelcoat had deteriorated into a hazy-red, oxidized surface.
The owner had invested more than $4,000 into the engine and running gear, but Scott sensed
that he had an indifferent attitude toward actually finishing the restoration. The owner had bought
the boat from his uncle, who had originally been presented the boat brand-new as a high school
graduation gift. The nephew was now looking for a new jet boat, something that would require less
maintenance and provide a fresher image.
Scott Donahue has been repairing boats for 20 years, but he's never seen one quitet like
the 17-foot Chris-Craft.
After 20 years of fiberglass repair, Scott thought he had seen it all, but he had never seen
a boat like this Chris-Craft. Impressed with the sleek styling, and more importantly, an engine
with all the work complete, he made an offer and the boat was his.
The Ski Boat played a pivotal role in Chris-Craft history. Chris-Craft had started building
and marketing its Corsair line of fiberglass boats in January 1962 at its plant in Cortland, N.Y. —
which it had purchased from Thompson Boats of New York.
Chris-Craft focused production on a line of large lapstrake boats powered by the emerging
inboard-outdrive units, along with a couple of small outboard boats. By the mid ’60s, it had
contracted Jim Wynne and Walt Walters to design a deep-V hull that would evolve into its Lancer
line from the Corsair Division.
The 17-foot Ski Boat didn’t signal the industry’s transition into fiberglass production so
much as it announced the end of the mahogany sport boat era. Like the mahogany sport boats it
replaced, the 17-foot Ski Boat was a straight inboard. This model wasn’t associated with the
Corsair Division, but instead came from the Cavalier Division in Pompano Beach, Fla. It was
designed specifically for the ski enthusiast who wanted performance and sporty good looks.
It came standard with a 200-hp V8, and it was also available with an optional 230-hp engine.
Other standard equipment included an electric horn, fire extinguisher, lifting rings, navigational
lights, and even life preservers and dock lines. The rear of the passenger seat was cut out so an
observer could face aft, and there was also an optional ski tow bar.
“Mechanically, it was perfect, but cosmetically, it was a disaster,” says Scott. “You really
had to look closely to see it was worth saving. Most of all, I was impressed with the uniqueness of
the boat.”
The interior’s condition was testimony to years of baking under the harsh sun. Scott had the
interior completely stripped and redone using the original as a pattern. A new windshield was also
made using the original as a template.
“The hardware was in nice, usable condition,” says Scott, “and it was all there. I refinished
the hull and deck in Awlgrip in the original red color. It really holds up, even with hard,
everyday use.”
Scott keeps the Chris-Craft on a lift at Lake Minnetonka. “It gets a lot of use,” Scott says.
“It has the ability to get me where I want to go really fast, up to around 45 to 48 mph. The
interior is a little cramped, but you get used to that.”
Scott’s other boat, a 35-foot Chris-Craft Commander with twin 454s, has space to spare. By
comparison, though, the 17-foot Ski Boat is a breeze to handle. “This boat is a rock,” says Scott, “
and I mean solid. It just handles so nice and gets up on plane instantly. There’s almost no wake
at all, which is perfect for skiing.”
