Chris-Craft, recreational boating’s most iconic name

by Bob Wonders on 11 Aug 2009 While I was in Sydney, my home town, last week for the 2009 Sydney International Boat Show, I somehow found time to reminisce, to remember all the places on that fabulous harbour that was my playground for so many years.

You see, I was one of those very fortunate people to grow up on the shores of that great harbour, initially at Drummoyne, near the old Gladesville Bridge, long gone now and replaced by that soaring concrete arch, and later on picturesque Sailor’s Bay, at Northbridge.

My late father was a keen yachtsman, a member of the Middle Harbour Yacht Club and carried the sail number MH44.

I acted as for’ard hand aboard by father’s yacht, ‘Brilliant’, a 36’ sloop whose origins or builder I cannot recall.

Anyway, one sunny morning I was rowing out to ‘Brilliant’ in the yacht’s tender when I spotted something I had never seen before – a stunning, absolutely beautiful motor yacht.

'Wow, what is that?' I asked dad.

'That’s a Chris-Craft, son, they’re a pretty big name in the United States, but you don’t see many of them here.'

I guess this would have been about 1950, and Chris-Craft were in fact fairly rare sightings in Australia, due no doubt to the lack of international freight opportunities following World War II and the import restrictions imposed on US goods.

Chris-Craft, was established by the unusually-named American Christopher Columbus Smith somewhere around 1874, 135-years ago.

In the big picture, 135-years could be regarded as the ‘blink of an eye’, but in the relatively short life span of recreational boating it really does position Chris-Craft as a legendary name.

As a matter of fact, it has been said that Chris-Craft is one of a mere handful of product names or brands universally recognised worldwide and some European dictionaries have even used the term Chris-Craft as a synonym for pleasure boats.

Chris Smith began building boats with his brother Henry, known as Hank, as is the American term, and they were based in Algonac, about 70 kilometres north east of Detroit, Michigan, on the shores of the St.Clair River.

After tasting success as a boat builder, parting company (as a partner) with brother Hank, Chris Smith formed a partnership with an ostentatious gambler and ‘playboy’, Johnny Ryan and the pair formed the Smith-Ryan Boat Company.

Ryan was a racer, a speed ‘nut’ who simply believed Chris Smith built the fastest boats then available.

In 1910 a Smith designed and built boat named ‘Reliance III’ ad powered by a 75hp Ven Blerck engine was clocked at a then astonishing 34.7mph (55.5km/hr). This single-step, hydroplane design hull would later top out at 37mph (59.5km/hr) and it was to see Chris Smith firmly established as the pre eminent designer of quick boats.

Later, partner Johnny Ryan, the playboy gambler lost his fortune and the Smith-Ryan Boat Company became the C.C. Smith Boat and Engine Company and Chris was destined to be known as ‘the speedboat king.’

The fabled Detroit Gold Cup was won three years in a row by Chris Smith designs and around 1913 he was to meet with a man who was to write his name in boating folk lore as prominently as that of C.C. Smith.

He was Garfield Arthur Wood, known simply as Gar Wood and the only man, along with the larger than life Don Aronow, late founder of Cigarette and king of thunderboat row, to receive the UIM Gold Medal.

Gar Wood would win the Detroit Gold Cup so often that it became monotonous, taking the chequered flag in 1916, ’17, ’18 and ’19 before turning his attention to the British Harmsworth Trophy.

Smith and Wood rightly presumed that winning the Harmsworth would make the winning boat unchallenged as the world’s fastest.

In 1920 Gar Wood, the driver and Chris Smith, the designer-builder, returned home to the US with the Harmsworth Trophy and the title of world champions. The boat that achieved it was Miss America I and with two Liberty engines it would also claim an international speed record of 76.77mph (123.5km/hr).

Smith and Wood had a bit of a falling out and became competitors rather than colleagues.

One year, probably about 1922, 19 of the starters in the Detroit Gold Cup race were Chris Smith designed and built and the story goes that Chris’ son, Jay, coined the name ‘Chriscraft’, minus the hyphen that would come much later.

Although racing boats remained his first love, Chris Smith was an industry leader in the design, production and sale of what were then termed ‘commuter vessels.’

Smith was to pioneer on board toilets, roll up (and down) windows and fully enclosed ‘all weather’ cruisers.

Chris-Craft, instead of C.C. Smith and Co Boats, became the company’s name and America’s best-known and most influential people were among customers for the boat.

Thomas Edison, Vincent Astor, Charlie Chaplin, Walter Chrysler, Phillip Wrigley, Harvey Firestone and F.V.DuPont were among those who did their boating ‘the Chris-Craft way.’

Like every other company (and individual!) in the US, Chris-Craft took a beating when the great depression stuck in 1929. The Smith family was able to retain control of the company, then the Chris-Craft Corporation, and by 1938 boasted a 105 model range, more than any other boat manufacturer in marine industry history.

However, the family was devastated just 12 months later when the main man, Christopher Columbus Smith met his maker; as one prominent journalist was to write, 'Of his contributions to the motor boat industry, no one shall ever forget.'

When the US entered World War II after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbour, Chris-Craft, like many US manufacturers, turned its attention to the war effort. It produced patrol boats, landing craft, command boats and picket boats until peace reigned again in 1945.

Around 1960, the ‘unthinkable’ happened and Chris-Craft was sold to a group with the parent company named NAFI. This led to expansion of the model range, the number of manufacturing plants and the worldwide dealer network.

By 1966 the Chris-Craft fleet was all fibreglass and yet again the company was destined to be sold, this time to a group assembled by powerful boating identity Dick Genth. Not long after, the ‘sale yard’ was again occupied by Chris-Craft and this time the buyer was the Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC).

Models to suit Johnson and Evinrude outboard engines and Cobra stern drives were the order of the day for Chris-Craft and the revered name was well on the way back to its former glory.

What Chris-Craft did not know was that OMC was destined for bankruptcy in 2000.

The famous marque was to have a couple of owners prior to being purchased by a British-backed investment firm, Stellican Ltd, headed by Stephen Julius.

He was to appoint Steve Heese as president of Chris-Craft, a Harvard graduate who lived in Australia and took back to the US an Australian wife. Under the two men, Chris-Craft has managed better than most as the global financial crisis took its toll; it lost its Australian dealership, the Chapman Marine Group, but has quickly moved to ‘pick up the pieces’ with the appointment of East Coast Marine, of Melbourne and Sanctuary Cove and Premier Marine, of Rose Bay, Sydney.

Someone in the US reportedly once said, 'There will always be a Chris-Craft.' I hope so, otherwise that beautiful ‘portrait’ I can still see when that magnificent motor cruiser made its way into Sailor’s Bay will be just another memory.

If you’re really interested in the history of Chris-Craft, I can recommend a superb publication simply titled ‘The Legend of Chris-Craft.’ It can be obtained through Write Stuff Syndicate, Inc., suite 120, 1001 South Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316.