1947 Chris Craft Cedar U22 Albino Update

Please have a safe and sane July 4 weekend!

Yes, she is the U22 who encountered the gnarly rocks, and, yes, she has survived to run her home waters for many a decade to come.

She’s also the centerpiece of the film, On Golden Pond.

Her engine is back from Robert Henkel, Peter Henkel Inc., Marine City, MI, where he executed a complete rebuild. That work included the short and long blocks, transmission and everything bolted onto the engine.

She received a True 5200 Bottom, repaired keel, new landings for the strut and rudder mountings. Her topsides, decks, covering boards and transom were stripped to bare wood.

Her bottom is now painted in the correct blue, with a double boot stripe and Interlux Semi-gloss White Premium Yacht Enamel (six coats to date).

After sanding all bright-finished surfaces fair, Anthony applied Daly’s A & B Wood Bleach – 3:1 B:A ratio – throughout the day yesterday. The result, perhaps the first albino U22 you have seen!

Once the wood tests ten percent moisture or less, maybe this afternoon, but more likely next Monday, we will stain it using Lake Oswego Boat Company’s Post War Chris Craft Gel’d stain.

After we scuff-sand using medium Scotch Brite pads, we will apply Smith’s CPES – four coats – followed by scuffing once again.

Finally, we will begin applying Pettit Flagship High-Build varnish.

It won’t be long before the engine “drops” in and we are in assembly!

Rather than type out all the materials’ names and source links correctly each time, you can find a comprehensive roster in one place.