31 Hatteras - Fly Bridge

[bostonhatteras]

The plywood Cavalier rode nothing like a good lap strake boat.

Still see CC sea skiffs occasionally. Cavaliers, not so much. As a young boy and entering the bilges of a 40' or so sea skiff for the first time I was fascinated with the construction. still am.

[Captain Ralph]

Still see CC sea skiffs occasionally. Cavaliers, not so much. As a young boy and entering the bilges of a 40' or so sea skiff for the first time I was fascinated with the construction. still am.

My 1959 Chris was my first real boat during the late 70s. Twin 283s installed bass ackwards.
Side plates in the cast oil pan allowed me to fix a bad piston with out pulling the pan.
Oh, You drilled a port into the Chevy cast head for a water passage on the forward end of the head. A mechanical tach drive from where the distributor used to be. The C C distributor mounted in the clutch adapter.
Oh, the clutch used the common engine oil as the engine.
1/2" pipe was the push/pull to shift the clutch.
This was real high tech.

Drop those engine hatch covers and all was as quiet as in church.

Not the fanciest boat in Pottsburg, but my first.

I also found out why all (ALL) the varnished exterior wood was painted over.
After stripping the paint, contemplated painting it back over.
All that varnish was pretty though. Every 6 months, Start sanding and varnish the other side of the boat.
That is how she sold, Pretty as a jewel.
Best boat I ever owned. After 4 years, I broke even.

[bostonhatteras]

Ralph What model was your cavalier? I want to look it up in Chris Craft The Essential Guide. Every significant brand of boat should have its own essential guide. I’m surprised Hatteras doesn’t. Powerboat guide isn’t a worthy replacement for a dedicated book. I can list three: huckins, CC and rybovich.

[Captain Ralph]

1959, 28 cabin. Helm on port side.
Big levers that locked the clutches in/out of gear.
Whole helm and upper inner facing panels varnished.
Two wood framed windshields.
Not the bull nose but nice fat toe rails (varnished) to the transom.
Mahogany everywhere.
Center entrance to the saloon, head quick to stb, quick port locker under helm.
I can not remember what side the galley/dinnet was on.. Half bulkhead and then the V bunk.
Big clam shell vents following the saloon windows on the outside.
Now, the kicker. Not a plywood bottom, Not klinker or lap-streak, not double plank, single planks over normal ribs.

I fear wife #1, who was romanced onboard, destroyed all my pictures of this boat and all of my life of that time, when she was EX'd.
I recall something in my folks albums that I need to check into for any remaining pictures.

Sorry I do not have more details.

Update;
Found a pic.
The funny looking helm seat was bolted the the port engine hatch. So here, the hatch was moved astern to access the port main engine. The stb helm seat was the original big/bulky/PIA seat bolted the the side panel.

[Captain Ralph]

Found another picture. I forgot I had a 31 Commander for a short time. Twin 327s.
I flipped this boat quickly late 80s. No idea what year model it was.

[Timeless72]

Found another picture. I forgot I had a 31 Commander for a short time. Twin 327s.
I flipped this boat quickly late 80s. No idea what year model it was.

Forget the Commander. How about that Bayliner Trophy?!?!?

[Captain Ralph]

Forget the Commander. How about that Bayliner Trophy?!?!?

1985 model. Not twin inboards, single Volvo Penta I/O. Originally 350ci/260hp SBC and 280 drive.

Got into diving. Tanks, Weights, Equipment and more people started weighing down on that single 350ci.
Updated the drive to a 290 dual prop.
Then 400ci/325hp Chevy with custom cam shaft. This ran and worked great.

More scuba equipment.
Updated loran and bottom scope. Can now find a garbage can on the bottom at 80 feet,, first pass..

Then 454ci/400hp Chevy. Can now power over a tall swell, while full of divers and equipment and not slow down.

Somewhere thru this I made a heavy duty back porch.

[Captain Ralph]

I miss that boat.
Wish I could find another one.

[Timeless72]

I admit to a love for Bayliners. They were and still are bashed regularly but afforded a ton of people the opportunity to affordably boat. Their motoryacht series was so popular back in the day, especially growing up out in the northwest. The 4588? Forget about it! Everyone wanted that boat.
This Trophy in your pic sat by the dozens in some marinas for many years. Great layout.

[UNIQUE_NAME]

1959, 28 cabin. Helm on port side.
Big levers that locked the clutches in/out of gear.
Whole helm and upper inner facing panels varnished.
Two wood framed windshields.
Not the bull nose but nice fat toe rails (varnished) to the transom.
Mahogany everywhere.
Center entrance to the saloon, head quick to stb, quick port locker under helm.
I can not remember what side the galley/dinnet was on.. Half bulkhead and then the V bunk.
Big clam shell vents following the saloon windows on the outside.
Now, the kicker. Not a plywood bottom, Not klinker or lap-streak, not double plank, single planks over normal ribs.

I fear wife #1, who was romanced onboard, destroyed all my pictures of this boat and all of my life of that time, when she was EX'd.
I recall something in my folks albums that I need to check into for any remaining pictures.

Sorry I do not have more details.

Update;
Found a pic.
The funny looking helm seat was bolted the the port engine hatch. So here, the hatch was moved astern to access the port main engine. The stb helm seat was the original big/bulky/PIA seat bolted the the side panel.

had a 28' 1961 cc constellation for about 15 years, very similar look and layout.
it had round portholes in front of the side slider windows. mine only had a single 283, woefully underpowered.
kept all the cockpit, transom and cabin wood in varnish, caved and painted the toe rails when i glassed the deck.
the woodies just rode different.