Chris-Craft Commander

Chris-Craft Commander

Chris-Craft Commanders are a range of cruisers built by Chris-Craft Industries.

The 1964 38’ Commander Express was the first fiberglass cruiser built by the company.

"The 38’ Commander Express cruiser was the pivotal boat in the development of fiberglass technology by Chris-Craft Industries. It was the first all-fiberglass cruiser made by Chris-Craft. Its production bridged the past to the future as it was the last design by "Mac" Mackerer who had worked for Chris-Craft as far back as 1925. The 38’ Commander Express proved to be a tremendous success for Chris-Craft resulting in the production of subsequent sedan and sport fisherman models." (Classic Boating, Jan/Feb 1998) The 38'Commander debuted at the 1964 New York Boat Show, where it caused a sensation. At the time, none of the large main line motor yacht builders (Matthews, Owens, C.P. Leeks (Pacemaker), etc) were building in fiberglass. Hatteras Yachts, which had started as a partnership between two North Carolina furniture makers, was only one of two companies making fibreglass boats over 30' in length. Pearson, generally noted for their fiberglass auxiliary sailboat cruisers was the other.

The following information is from the book: The Legacy of the Fiberglass Chris Craft Commander, ISBN 978-0-615-33459-2, published 2009, reprinted 2010, by Paul Pletcher, provided here with permission from the author and publisher:

"The Chris Craft Commander line represents the first fiberglass cruiser series built by Chris Craft, commencing with the first 38’ Express designed and built in secret, and shipped to the 1964 New York Boat Show under wraps for what was a truly stunning unveiling. Fred Hudson, working in conjunction with Chris Craft’s Senior Vice President, A.W. “Bill” MacKerer, designed the first 38’ Commander Express. In subsequent years there were many more models of the Commander penned by Dick Avery, all of which have nearly flawless proportion and great attention to detail. The Commanders created a boating style of their own, flawless proportions, logical function, and the feeling of solid value. When you saw one (and see one today) you immediately think “Chris Craft”. They are known by marine surveyors, collectors, and boating enthusiast’s world-wide as “the standard” for fiberglass boat construction." It is noted that in order to enhance the accuracy of this publication, the author involved Herb Pocklington during review and who also directly contributed to the content, who served as former Chris Craft Public Relations Director, Advertizing Manager, Director of Product Planning & Styling director of product planning and styling at Chris Craft, also serving as CEO of Chris-Craft S.A. (Switzerland) and Chris-Craft Italia, during the time the Commanders listed in the lineup below were planned and manufactured:

The following information is from the book: 'Restoration of the Fiberglass Chris Craft Commander, Also Featuring Classic Fiberglass Lancer and Corsair Runabouts', ISBN 978-0-615-44519-9, published 2011, by Paul Pletcher, provided here with permission from the author and publisher:

"It became apparent that A.W. “Bill” MacKerer, who had a lifetime history at Chris Craft being responsible for so many wonderful wood hulls, and all other executives at Chris Craft were concerned about the design and structural integrity of the new 38, as well they should have been. They really did not know how strong to build the big cruiser hulls with fiberglass, as there wasn’t really any precedence within the company, and although there were other fiberglass boats being built at the time (Hatteras, for instance), nobody really knew how long the various combinations of resin and glass would endure, because the products just had not been around long enough. So in short, the company had to move into fiberglass to stay competitive, they defaulted on the side of conservatism, and the boats ended up being over-engineered, which is a good thing for owners today. Chris Craft designed the first Commanders to withstand 3 times the stress of running at wide open throttle in a six foot sea. One wonders if the hulls were not really engineered beyond that." It is noted that in order to enhance the accuracy of this publication, the author involved Herb Pocklington during review and who also directly contributed to the content (see brief bio in paragraphs above); and also involved Chris Smith, former Chris Craft employee and grandson of Christopher Columbus Smith (founder of Chris Craft) who was in charge of the actual building of the first Commander wood plug, from which the first molds were made, and who personally water tested many of these boats.