Chris-Craft Boats for Sale
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Chris-Craft Buyer's Guides
(1 guide)Updated 1 January 2025 · By Hulls.io Editorial
About Chris-Craft
Chris-Craft is one of the most storied names in American boating — a brand whose history stretches back to 1874 and whose mahogany runabouts defined recreational boating in the United States for much of the 20th century. The modern Chris-Craft bears little structural resemblance to those varnished wooden classics, but the company has successfully leveraged its heritage to create a distinctive line of retro-modern sport boats, launches, and cruisers that occupy a unique position in the market.
The company's origins trace to Christopher Columbus Smith, who began building wooden duck boats and small watercraft in Algonac, Michigan in the 1870s. By the 1920s, Chris Smith & Sons (later Chris-Craft) was mass-producing mahogany runabouts and cruisers that became status symbols for wealthy Americans during the Prohibition and Golden Age eras. Chris-Craft pioneered assembly-line boat production, making recreational boating accessible to the upper-middle class at a time when yacht ownership was limited to the very wealthy. Through the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, Chris-Craft was the world's largest boat manufacturer by volume, with models like the Barrel Back, Sportsman, and Continental becoming cultural icons.
The transition from wood to fibreglass in the 1960s proved difficult for Chris-Craft, as it did for many traditional wooden boat builders. The company went through multiple ownership changes — including Murray Industries, Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC), and others — and by the early 2000s, the brand had been reduced to near-irrelevance. The revival came when new ownership acquired the rights and relaunched Chris-Craft as a premium sport boat brand, building modern fibreglass boats that deliberately echo the visual language of the classic wooden runabouts: tumblehome transom designs, teak accents, retro instrumentation, heritage colour schemes, and the distinctive Chris-Craft flag logo.
The current Chris-Craft range is built at a modern production facility in Sarasota, Florida, and comprises several model lines. The Launch series (22-35 feet) is the heart of the range — open-bow sport boats and centre-console models with classic Chris-Craft styling, teak swim platforms, and premium upholstery. The Calypso series adds more versatility with centre-console models designed for both cruising and fishing. The Catalina series (30-35+ feet) offers larger dual-console and express models with overnight accommodation. All models feature distinctive retro-modern styling that sets them apart visually from every other brand in the market.
Construction is conventional fibreglass with hand-laid hulls, stringer grid systems, and outboard power. Build quality is above average for the segment — the fit and finish, particularly in teak work, upholstery, and hardware, is a cut above mass-market brands. Chris-Craft uses premium components throughout: Yamaha outboards, Garmin electronics, JL Audio sound systems, and proprietary hardware and fittings.
The typical Chris-Craft buyer is purchasing as much for the aesthetics and brand story as for performance. These are not the fastest, most fuel-efficient, or most practical boats in their size classes — they are the best-looking, with a heritage narrative that no competitor can replicate. Chris-Craft competes less on specifications and more on emotional appeal, which makes the brand particularly strong in the day boat, lake boat, and coastal cruiser segments where style matters as much as function.
On the used market, Chris-Craft boats retain their value well, particularly the Launch and Catalina models in popular colours and well-maintained condition. The retro styling ages gracefully — a five-year-old Chris-Craft looks less dated than most competitors — which supports resale values. Classic wooden Chris-Craft boats from the 1940s-1960s have their own robust collector market, entirely separate from the modern fibreglass range.
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Retention curves are shown for models with sufficient year-over-year listing density in our dataset.
Chris-Craft Models: Year-by-Year Market Data
Median asking prices by model year, based on 28 tracked listings. Data from April 2026.
| Model Year | Median Price | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | £162,159 | 8 |
| 2022 | £141,169 | 5 |
| 2019 | £94,086 | 5 |
Frequently Asked Questions About Chris-Craft
Where are Chris-Craft boats built?
Modern Chris-Craft boats are built at a production facility in Sarasota, Florida, United States. The company relocated to Florida as part of the brand's revival in the 2000s. All current Chris-Craft models are manufactured at this facility. The original Chris-Craft factory was in Algonac, Michigan, where the company operated from its founding in 1874 through the mid-20th century.
Are Chris-Craft boats good quality?
Modern Chris-Craft boats are well-built with above-average fit and finish for the sport boat segment. The teak work, upholstery, hardware, and overall attention to detail are premium-grade. Construction is conventional fibreglass with hand-laid hulls and established building techniques. The boats are not designed for extreme offshore use but are excellent for their intended purpose as premium day boats, launches, and coastal cruisers.
How much does a new Chris-Craft cost?
New Chris-Craft boats range from approximately $80,000-$120,000 for smaller Launch models (22-25 feet) to $400,000-$700,000+ for larger Catalina models (34-35+ feet). Chris-Craft commands a significant premium over mainstream sport boat brands due to its heritage, styling, and premium fitout. Pricing is typically 20-40% above comparably sized boats from brands like Sea Ray, Monterey, or Chaparral.
Do Chris-Craft boats hold their value?
Chris-Craft boats hold their value well relative to the sport boat segment. The distinctive retro styling ages more gracefully than trend-driven designs, and the strong brand heritage supports secondhand demand. Well-maintained Launch and Catalina models typically retain 70-80% of value after three years. Classic wooden Chris-Craft boats from the 1940s-1960s have a separate collector market where exceptional examples can appreciate in value.
What happened to Chris-Craft?
Chris-Craft went through decades of corporate ownership changes after the wooden boat era ended. The transition from wood to fibreglass, combined with mismanagement under various corporate owners (Murray Industries, OMC), nearly killed the brand. New ownership acquired the Chris-Craft name and relaunched it in the 2000s as a premium sport boat brand building modern fibreglass boats with retro-inspired styling from a facility in Sarasota, Florida. The revival has been successful, and Chris-Craft is once again a respected name in recreational boating.