BoatUS Boat Groups/Manufacturer Forums

Goodsign, Jiminfla,

Enjoyed you posts on lettering- good stuff. I'm getting lazy in my old age or I would, like you, pay special attention the these logos. This detail puts that extra pizaz into the boats overall look. That said, my take on the subject was to prep and paint the model number area the same color as the boat stripe and leave blank- (plaque border painted silver though) lo/no maintenance. With the logo: as you know, the graphics fade/chip with time. There are reproductions availible from Chris Craft Parts, although the ones I bought were slightly oversize. The OEM logo plaques are removable. I installed replacments using RTV on preped, bare surface and painted the leftover surfaces with the boatstripe color.

Regarding the blowers, we had an excellent dialog on this recently although the issue of electrical grounding was not really covered.

Generally speaking and in particular with the blowers, all grounding on Cats (and for that matter on most boats) are centralized- meaning there are always a wired pair (returning ground wire is the second wire) for electrical devices aboard. The grounding return wires are all terminated at one of several locations. Besides the ground post(s) on the engine, grounding terminal strips are located under the pilot's console, behind the main breaker panel and behind the head's aft bulkhead wall where the steering cables and most of the boat's wiring congrigate. CC did a good job of number-labeling their electrical harnesses so with a schematic, it's easy to check circuit continuity. One note about the schematics and wiring- Steurt Warner, the OEM for CC's engine electricals, which is basically the pilot's console and the engine harnesses. This is color coded wiring as opposed to CC's schematics which are numbered. This means there is a certain amount of dovetailing involved in the electrical labeling schemes aboard. Having both Steurt Warner drawings and CC schematics is good to have.

As I've mentioned before, my two cents on canvus investment is it's always money well spent. With all the work in varnish, upholstery, rails, cockpit carpeting, cockpit furnishings, the added protection of canvas is worthy of serous consideration.

Also, overboard safety, better shade and isolation from the elements are improved. Protection for the pilot in particular as it allows for sustained operation by minimizing exposure.

All canvus is custom. With a concerted investment in out-of-the-box thinking on how the boat is used, canvus will greatly amplify the Cats inherent roominess, livability and utility. Features like removable, all-around tinted window panels, bahoma shades, canvas for the boats glass windows amplify comfort. As much as engines and hull detail is important, I think canvas should be top of the list for investment. Lorelei's canvas is probably the single most maintenance intensive item aboard- it's fifteem years old. It still positively affects everything aboard- especially overnight accomidations. We are currently working on replacment specification. It is key to the enjoyment we get aboard.

Rick, The Cat site is exciting! What is the best way to link in?

best all, Roy (Diver)