It's still a 25' Chris Craft. You do beautiful work. I owned a 23' Chris Craft Continental in Delavan, Wisc. I sold her but still in use in Lake Geneva,Wisc. I now own a 2004 Chris Craft Launch.
The discussion on values and authenticity could go on forever without resolution, but if the customer is willing to build what might be called a duplicate, then it's most definitely a Restoration and not a new build without history. Either way, having a shop such as yours build or rebuild any boat to that quality and that detail, then puts that craft in a class all it's own..... I only hope to at some point find a hull and have that process done for me.
Back in 1976 we bought a 1940 hacker triple from a farmer off the burn pile. We got there just in time as he was gonna burn it. This is outside Detroit. At that time there were used CC everywhere for sale. It was rough but complete. We paid him $300 for it, with all fittings and straight eight twin carbs. very rare. Once we tore into it we ended up with just part of the keel and a few ribs of good wood. We restored it to like new etc. and sold it to a collector back east. My grandfather worked for chris craft till 1960, he taught my dad , uncles and me how to restore these boats. So I know what you mean when u rebuilt the sportsman to new. You saved a very rare model and should have no worries about it. The naysayers don't have a clue what is involved in restoring one of these. So ignore them. You do great work.
We bought around 20 or so CC back then . They were everywhere for sale. I had a 21ft Cobra, so did my uncle. They both came out of indiana. Mine had the cad. my uncles had the hemi. Mine was faster. Mine also had the recalled rudder and plate installed. My uncles didnt. My dad had a 21 ft Capri with the original big 6. A 1955 I think. A very rare boat as around 6 were ever made. We also got a 32 CC triple from a guy in Detroit for a bottle of jack! believe it or not. Lots of stories. . lol.
imo, the 25 ft sportsman is a beautiful replica. really amazing you can take that pile of sticks and build that. i found a 25ft dual engine sportsman and a single enging sportsman sitting side by side in middle tennesse over thirty years ago, ive tried to find them a couple times but haven't been suscessful. Ruby is unreal.
HI, as far as the brand of the boat (like Tally HO which is a little bit of a stretch but built from original plans) after all the wood replacement it's still a Chris Craft in my mind because it's follows all the original design specs and the same hardware. I feel if the boat is changed in some way even to improve it is not. In your case the scrap boat actually becomes the pattern for the replacement parts, that is about as good as it gets. most old wood boats have replacement wood parts and still are true to the maker. Rich
Yes, hull number gets put on all the parts that originally had it. And since it's all copied from the original parts, it has the same shape as the original. (Vs. A replica which would have a different shape due to building from a lofting)
Replica or Restored? The definition for aircraft and boats is typically at least one part must be shared with the original boat - how about a screw / fastener? Perhaps a graving piece? In a stretch you could argue that an original hull plate would count, but I suspect you either don't have it or it's no longer useable. I remember the story of a classic and historically important "Golden Era" TravelAir that was "restored" from a single 1 sq ft piece of fabric.
Camera work fails to appreciate the subject. Great shots and expansive time showing a Grey haired man. Zero time on the keel and was any shot taken of the flair? Similarly, the running gear is ignored. Oh well, maybe I’m tired of viewing an old guy, something I can do in the mirror at will.
