In Jerry Seinfeld's stand-up act, he makes the observation that when
your name is Jeeves, your life is pretty well mapped out for you. And by that same rationale, if
your name happens to be Christopher Columbus Smith, then chances are pretty good that you're
pre-destined to being an explorer of new horizons in the field of boating. Well, exactly 130 years
ago, the Chris in Chris-Craft built his first boat and started a tradition of innovation,
functionality and style that has been often imitated, but seldom equaled. Mr. Smith would be proud
to learn that this tradition is alive and well in 2004 in a 20-footer called the Speedster.
Your first glance at this boat will involuntarily cause your head to start nodding in an
up-and-down motion as your eye/brain connection automatically approves of its lines. There's not an
angle from which this boat doesn't look good. Although it has a retro thing going with its
barrel-back/curved foredeck/stainless-steel trumpet horn/tapered toward the stern/flag-flying look,
there's an ultra-modern thing going on at the same time. It's like an upscale South Beach Miami
boutique hotel: kind of small, tastefully decorated in trendy contemporary furnishings, but without
losing its art deco charm.
This boat is
equipped with most of the Heritage Package items, which gives you teak on the swim platform that
also has a hidden boarding ladder, teak covering boards on top of the gunwale walkarounds ' and
although this boat doesn't have them ' there's also a teak bow rail and teak flagpole instead of
this boat's stainless-steel versions. Although this option runs $4,729, it really makes this boat
pop. If that's a little rich for your blood, then you can get just the teak platform by itself for
$1,370.
You settle into the driver's swivel bucket seat and notice that it has the kind of great
lateral support that hugs you when you generate some G-forces. Once you grip the custom mahogany
wheel, you get an attitude going not unlike hopping into a convertible sports car without using the
door. And when you turn the key, the optional 260-hp, 5.0L Mercury MPI V8 comes to life with a
satisfying deep rumble out of the through-hull, side-exiting exhaust. It's a bit disconcerting at
first to look in front of you and not see any gauges, but a slight glance to the left finds them
set in the middle of the dash. It seems a little curious until you look at the low dash and realize
that if they were in the normal spot, you couldn't see them very well. Besides, setting them on
centerline amidst the three dashboard humps gives it a quirky 1959 Corvette look that isn't as
dysfunctional as you'd think. After all, to look at the gauges, you have to take your eyes off the
road for a second anyway, and it really doesn't matter if you're glancing to the side instead of
down. It takes about 10 minutes to get acclimated. Another eye-catcher is the anodized aluminum
perforated plate inset into the face of the dash, above the coach leather-like vinyl accent.
After a brief warmup, the cleanly installed flush-mounted throttle is advanced, and the
260-hp MerCruiser ' spinning the one-prop Alpha I drive ' angrily puts the Speedster on plane in
just 4.6 seconds. It continues to accelerate strongly to 30 mph in eight seconds, when the throttle
is eased back. A good cruise speed seems to be in the 35- to 40-mph range, and at that speed it
loafs along nicely and runs very level. It's choppy in Sarasota Bay on the west coast of Florida,
but the Speedster does a good job of eating up the chop, thanks to the 20-degree deadrise on its
deep-V hull. Running in all directions in the small, but steep waves, the four occupants stay dry
because of the generous bow flare that helps bat the spray down. The only uncomfortable moment
comes when the driver takes a large cruiser wake a little too hot, and the result is a pretty good
thump ' exacerbated by the fact that you can't stand up to absorb the shock when you're running,
owing to its traditional runabout design. But like the doctor says in the venerable joke, 'Don't do
that,' so future wakes are taken a little more slowly, and the Speedster rewards the crew with a
very comfortable ride. Unlike a 1959 Corvette, the Speedster really handles hard corners well, and
only by trimming it up pretty high will it not bite when you turn the wheel hard over.
Heading south, the water gets calmer, and it's time to let the big dog eat, so the driver
guns it while the co-pilot keeps his eyes on the GPS. After trimming up the outdrive as far as
possible without ventilation, the Speedster hits 54 mph, which seems a lot faster when you're in a
20-foot runabout. Chris-Craft drivers have had this same boat up to 56 mph when fewer than four
people were in it. Curiously, the six-cylinder 225-hp, 4.3L engine is only about 2 mph slower
because it weighs less, but you can only get the through-hull exhaust (and that great performance
sound) when you get the 5.0L V8, which is only around $1,500 more for the engine and another $2,121
for the Captain's Choice exhaust system, which allows you to toggle to a quieter sound when you
don't want to disturb the neighbors or want to carry on a conversation. At idle, the sound
difference is pretty substantial: 68 decibels vs. 73 decibels. At 30 mph the difference is 83
decibels vs. 88 decibels, and at wide-open throttle it's a bit closer at 92 decibels and 94
decibels respectively. Before hitting top speed, you'll want to remove your hat before the wind
does, because the low-profile windshield, with its stylish look and classy stainless-steel header,
isn't designed for total protection (it's a sports car on water, for gosh sakes, your hair is
supposed to get messed up).
After a grouper sandwich at the Boathouse Restaurant at the Sarasota Hyatt, where the
Speedster draws more than its share of attention at the dockside, the Speedster is pointed to the
afternoon's destination: Lido Key. Turning over the driving duties gives you a chance to check out
the stern bench seat that has the same fabulous upholstery as the buckets, and also features French
triple stitching that gives it a really tidy look. The bench is comfortable and features
stainless-steel grab rails that are well-positioned. After a brisk run south, the beach comes into
view, and the crew prepares for landing. After gently scrunching the hull onto the beach, the
anchorman walks around the teak covering boards to the bow and opens the anchor locker and tosses
out a small Danforth onto the sand. The diamond-pattern non-skid stripes on the foredeck and
afterdeck, which resemble vertical wood planking strips like the old Chris-Craft runabouts used to
sport, are a nice feature.
The sun is blazing, and you reach into the cooler that's set into the deck between the crew
seats to grab an ice-cold water before getting out. Heading to the stern, you take off your shoes
and sit on the swim platform to dangle your feet in the waters of Big Pass for a few minutes before
easing into the waist-deep water and onto shore for a little exploration. During the weekend, this
is one of the most popular hangouts for the boating crowd, and there's plenty of room for everybody
to grab a section of beach for landing. Exploring the Key reveals a well-appointed recreation area
complete with nature trails, covered pavilion, rest rooms, picnic tables and grills. During a
weekday like this, the crew practically has its own private island.
After looking at the Speedster resting gently on the beach, you realize that you'd rather be
in it, and besides, dark clouds on the horizon give notice of an approaching Florida afternoon
thunderstorm. So after a quick skedaddle back to the marina, the Speedster is lashed to the dock,
and there's a few minutes before the storm arrives, so you pop the rear hatch and lift open the
engine compartment. Inside, you see there's plenty of room to perform boat-maintenance chores, and
a nice touch is the two milk carton storage bins for holding odds and ends like oil, spare parts
and tools. Although they didn't have time this go-round, the Speedster is well-equipped for skiing
with a pop-up, stainless-steel ski pylon, a large, lockable ski locker set between the pilot and
co-pilots seats that runs forward, and even more board storage along the side of the starboard
gunwale. A Bimini top comes standard, and there's storage under the closed front deck with cargo
netting to keep items from sliding backwards. Other nice touches include stainless-steel cupholders
and a standard two-speaker stereo that can be locked for security.
Base price for the Chris-Craft Speedster with the 4.3L, V6 engine is $32,989, and for only
about $1,500 more, you can upgrade to a MerCruiser 5.0L MPI V8 ($1,045 for the 5.0L Volvo Penta).
Fully loaded with the Heritage Package, larger engine and through-hull Captain's Choice exhaust
brings the cost of the Speedster up to $41,320. And while that's a lot to spend for a 20-footer,
the Speedster is a floating work of art that'll turn heads and provide lots of fun for some lucky
owner. Besides, if you get one of these, you're not just a boat buyer, but, rather, you'll be
elevated to the status of a collector who has good taste in boats.