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57’ CC Constellation getting the axe…

Discussion in 'Chris Craft Connies, Commanders & Catalinas' started by cleanslate, Apr 22, 2022.

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  1. cleanslate, Apr 22, 2022
    #1
    cleanslate

    cleanslate Senior Member

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    Unfortunately this once beautiful Chris-Craft Connie is getting chopped up at my yard here in South Jersey, Wildwood NJ tomorrow.

    was taking on water off Cape May /Wildwood NJ .
    captain beached it on the rocks at Hereford Inlet.

    I’ve already claimed the “Badges” hands off !!

    DD 8v71s in running condition… salvage company wants to sell those.
    10F2EBA7-0DB4-4DDB-8EBB-354C0B82FA64.jpeg
  2. Pascal, Apr 22, 2022
    #2
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Actually he seems to have confused cape may with Hereford inlet according to an article I saw… Hereford isn’t a place you attempt without locknow
  3. cleanslate, Apr 22, 2022
    #3
    cleanslate

    cleanslate Senior Member

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    Is that right I read an article about it but it didn’t explain too much about what the captain was thinking or looking at.

    extremely hard to mistake Cape May inlet for Hereford Inlet.

    I Only run Hereford in my little boat.
    High tide and calm seas.
    It’s unmarked. You gotta read the water and shoot the opening between the breakers.
    Not a place to come in unless it’s dire emergency in a big boat.

    Lots of openings on the boat below the waterline where the transom meets the hull.
    Garboard planks are leaking water from with in and the small chine planks up forward are missing.

    oh boy..
  4. cleanslate, Apr 22, 2022
    #4
    cleanslate

    cleanslate Senior Member

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    Alpine green Detroit’s look good.
    Seems to be well-maintained no rust etc. really visible. Look to be in very good shape.

    Think I know this boat I believe it was on one of the upper Chesapeake Bay freshwater rivers for quite a while.
    No barnacles on the bottom.

    Worth a look if someone out there is looking for a pair of 8V 71Ns.
  5. Capt Ralph, Apr 22, 2022
    #5
    Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Blow up the picture. Last 10' of her stern is sagging. Shame for this ole gal.
    Two chain saws, forklift and two large chimerical dumpsters. Gone in two days.

    Is there a dink davit? Looking for a heavy-duty and cheap one. I know those words do not mix but always looking.
  6. cleanslate, Apr 23, 2022
    #6
    cleanslate

    cleanslate Senior Member

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    CR no davit sorry to say.

    Nothing gets by Olde CR.
    Like people , everything drops when you get old.

    pretty much every 57 constellation I’ve seen has that drop in the back haven’t seen a straight waterline on one of those boats in a long time.
  7. cleanslate, Apr 23, 2022
    #7
    cleanslate

    cleanslate Senior Member

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    2EB5E3E7-D858-46DF-9075-8CE8339A4614.jpeg Pascal , you are correct Sir…
    Boat heading south , came upon Hereford inlet and thought it was Cape May.
    Planks went to popping and he grounded it just before the bridge.

    they are GM diesels btw. Pre-DD diesels.
    The good ones!
  8. cleanslate, Apr 23, 2022
    #8
    cleanslate

    cleanslate Senior Member

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    Pascal , you are correct Sir…
    Boat heading south , came upon Hereford inlet and thought it was Cape May.
    Planks went to popping and he grounded it just before the bridge.
  9. cleanslate, Apr 23, 2022
    #9
    cleanslate

    cleanslate Senior Member

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    Forget what I said about the motors these guys were hacks and destroyed them pulling them out.
    Relatively new looking north pro generator might be worthwhile.

    they cracked both cast-iron coolant tanks on the front of the engines screwed up the exhaust riser and the air filter boxes on top of the engines are all out of whack now…

    I Sure was eyeing up the rectangle
    Sen-dure heat exchangers in the tanks , now exposed…they would fit my engines …..

    Oh well.
  10. classic, Apr 26, 2022
    #10
    classic

    classic Member

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    Thats a shame the old 871 engines would have been good to save they would have another 50 years to go on a tug.:(
  11. Capt Ralph, Apr 26, 2022
    #11
    Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    I would think so also.
    Although everytime someone re-powers, their ole Detroits are hard to get rid of.
    Then , it's hard the next week to find a part for your Detroit.
  12. Pascal, Apr 26, 2022
    #12
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    I got peanuts for mines 3 years ago. Nobody wanted them.
  13. Capt Ralph, Apr 26, 2022
    #13
    Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Now, Anybody see Some 12V71TIs or TAs getting pulled near me, please let me know.
  14. Capt Ralph, Apr 26, 2022
    #14
    Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Some confusion on the original brand name;
    Winton, Kettering, Cleavland and EMD were some of the original names and divisions involved.
    Then; In 1934, GM Diesel Engine Division of General Motors was established. William Crowe, an engineer, working for Kettering, was assigned to this project.
    Some space at the Cadillac Motor Company was set aside for this fledgling division.
    The first mass produced 71 was delivered in 1938, just 4 years later. Near 700 of them.

    During the war, many different names also; including Grey Marine.

    Excerpts from;
    https://www.dieselduck.info/historical/01 diesel engine/detroit diesel/index.html

    Except for the 2 and 4 valve heads, Most 71 parts are still the same and interchangeable since 1938.
    There were new & improved seals, gaskets, blower bearings and other little things improving serviceability but the old stuff bolts rite on.

    Amazing with paper, pencil and slide rule, prototypes and final designs were cast and delivered within 4 years, in mass quantity.
    rtrafford, cleanslate and chesapeake46 like this.
  15. classic, Apr 30, 2022
    #15
    classic

    classic Member

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    Never had issue in the parts side been lucky

    Great American made machines . :D
  16. classic, Apr 30, 2022
    #16
    classic

    classic Member

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    that's very interesting thanks for sharing.
  17. SeaEric, May 1, 2022
    #17
    SeaEric

    SeaEric YF Historian

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    This boat had been on LINY for sale. WAG: May have been headed South with a new owner?
  18. cleanslate, May 2, 2022
    #18
    cleanslate

    cleanslate Senior Member

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    SeaEric ! How’s it going ? And the Old Hatt?

    Yes was heading south in 8 footers , the Seatow folks told me( I ran into them on the demo) .
    Hull had extensive rot from stem to stern . Fresh paint covered a lot of what was really going on.
    Pretty much a miracle they made it in to the jetty on the southside and the bridge in the inlet.

    Maybe I’ll see you around the bay this Summer. Will you be at your usual spot in St Mike’s?
  19. Lorenzo Quinn, May 4, 2022
    #19
    Lorenzo Quinn

    Lorenzo Quinn New Member

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    I owned this boat for 20 years. Fresh water rots wood. The decks and cabin tops were either glass or glassed over. Most fresh water intrusion spots were addressed. The boat was due for a refastening. I was very clear with that when I sold it. I also told the new owners to avoid heavy seas with her until this was done. The boat was sold again, and perhaps this information was not relayed. The problem was taking a 54 year old boat into 6+ foot seas. That's contemptable.
    It seems the new owner changed his mind and bought a new boat, and didn't care if he beat her up on her way to be a BnB in Cape May.

    As for the "rot from stem to stern", that's just inaccurate. The boat didn't break up from planks above the water line as far as I know. I was told the chine trim boards came off in the heavy seas. It needed new screws, and no one wanted to spend the money to do it. All of the 57 Connies are hogging somewhat now. They've been this way for a long time. The upkeep for these old wooden boats is just too much unless they are berthed in a covered dock slip.

    I was told by the captain that she started taking on water and was listing on the latter part of the trip to Cape May. He realized that the the boat was handling strangely and sent someone down to look in the galley, which had water in it. They turned around and headed back North to the inlet they just passed because he new she was going down. He was looking to put her in shallow water to save her from sinking and not have his crew die from exposure in the frigid waters. The news articles were incorrect about making a wrong turn. The boat had a nice Furuno GPS/radar system that was working.
    I guess they all meet their demise at some point. Sad to see her go. A burial at sea would have been more humane!
    cleanslate, C team and bliss like this.
  20. C team, May 4, 2022
    #20
    C team

    C team Senior Member

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    Glad to see the rumors were cleared up on what had really happened that caused her demise. I'm sure you were sad to see your old girl go like this too.
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