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Barrelback, Roamer,
Sea Skiff. These names conjure images of a classic craft slicing through
equally venerable waters such as New Hampshire’s Lake Winnapausaukee,
New York’s Lake George, and the Chesapeake. It is certainly no exaggeration
to say that the Chris-Craft name falls into the slim category of American
boatbuilding icons. And although the days of varnished mahogany hulls
are long gone, with its new 308, Chris-Craft is once again aspiring to
be one of the country’s premier production boatbuilders.
When I met marketing
director Frank Longino to test the new 308, I was fortunate to have last
year’s version on a nearby cradle. Although the hulls are essentially
the same, the similarities end there, and Longino was pretty up front
about why so much had been changed. "The old boat simply wasn’t
selling the way it should," he told me. "So we brought in new
people to re-examine the design and pay more attention to what the boat
was being used for."
Based on a quick analysis
of last year’s interior, it was apparent that Chris-Craft had tried
to be too many things to too many people. For example, a hanging locker
forward of the saloon settee added stowage but cut seating capacity to
barely three. The cherry trim liberally lacing the interior was undoubtedly
attractive but added $3,000 to the price, and then there’s the issue
of it needing maintenance to keep it looking just as good as new. One
of the quirkiest features was the placement of the refrigerator under
the island berth–hardly conducive to sleeping with the motor going
on and off.
The new model seemed
better designed from the moment I stepped aboard. I was impressed by the
room in the cockpit. Sacrificing the previous side-deck configuration
added more than 20 sorely needed inches to the area, which now comfortably
accommodates seven to eight people on 16 feet of cushioned seating (with
stowage beneath) that wraps around the cockpit. Forward, the single passenger
and double-wide helm seats allow for three more guests.
In a concession to sun-crazed
customers, there’s a six-foot sunpad on the foredeck with full-length
grabrails on either side. The bow area is otherwise uncluttered except
for an optional spotlight and windlass with adjacent foot control. I especially
liked the way the anchor was protected under the pulpit, an approach that
prevents those all too common crunches that happen when anchors protrude
beyond bows.
Abaft the cockpit, I
found a swim platform with integral fold-out
swim ladder and handholds on the port side, close to a
saltwater washdown and handheld shower. A 2'6" transom
"trunk," with a hatch that opens easily on gas-assisted struts,
offers a place to put fenders and other stuff and also contains
shorepower fittings with cords that can be run out with the hatch down,
a feature appreciated by anyone who has fought–and lost–battles
with stubborn power cords.
A seemingly trivial
item but one that strikes close to my heart is the plethora of drink holders.
I counted eight in the cockpit alone. Having so many close by frees up
hands for unexpected line or fender handling. Grabrails are also in abundance–one
always seemed to be in reach.
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Chris-Craft 308 continued > Page 1, 2,
3, 4, 5
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