2005 Chris-Craft Roamer Heritage Edition express cruiser

Master stateroom forward with island queen and private head with shower, aft to salon with curved settee port side, aft starboard side guest stateroom and port side second head accessed by centerline companionway and U shaped galley starboard.

Up three steps to helm starboard with custom Pompanette seat and raised settee with varnished teak table across to port, down one stem and aft to cockpit with another table and built in seating, far aft to integral oversized swim platform.

Note that vessel has almost all new soft goods below including innerspring mattresses with custom linens (2015), custom holly & teak sole (2015, the teak is accent instead of predominant, this design looks lighter than traditional teak & holly), the interior cherry cabinetry was all refinished in 2014 (and again, along with the sole, in 2016/17), has been professionally maintained ever since and shows as new. 6'4 headroom below, Polar Bay central air/heat system.

Very nice galley with hand crafted cherry wood cabinets and black Corian countertop, hot/cold pressure water (10 gallons, AC and engine fired) with extra large sink molded in and designer one-touch faucet, twin Vitrifrigo under counter stainless steel refrigerator/ freezers, U-line ice maker/refrigerator (2018) at cockpit wet bar, Kenyon flush mounted two burner glass cooktop, built in Panasonic convection microwave oven.

SeaLand VacuFlush toilets in both heads.

Raymarine 12' color GPS chartplotter (2014), Raymarine C80 color chartplotter with radar overlay, Raymarine P70R autopilot ((2018), Raymarine ST-60 Tri-Data (depth/wind/water temp), Raymarine VHF radio, Plastimo magnetic compass.

Fusion MS-NRX 300 sound system at helm, Sony AM/FM/CD CDX-CA705M stereo with Bose speakers down below, 28" and 23" Samsung flat screen TVs with DVD and satellite (installed 2016 and Bluetooth enabled, salon and forward stateroom), Intellian Direct TV active tracking system with 15" dish (2021), 4G WiFi system (2019). Additional DVD player and flat screen in forward stateroom.

220V AC / 12V DC. Fifty amp shorepower service with galvanic isolator and Glendinning shorepower cord management system, Westerbeke 8 kW genset in soundshield (652 hours on genset, last serviced in 2020 with almost no time clocked since, soundshield gaskets replaced in 2014), KISAE 2000W inverter/charger (2018).

Three 8D deep cycle batteries in two banks with parallel switch (batteries replaced in 2018), two AGM batteries dedicated to bow thruster, additional battery added in 2018 to support inverter.

FRP modified-V planning hull with fiberglass hardtop with full isinglass surround  (replaced 2021) and Sunbrella delta canvas tonneau, a second mini "cockpit" seating area forward and integral oversized swim platform (refastened in 2022) with stainless steel swim ladder aft; this is the Heritage edition so there's well-turned teak EVERYWHERE: swim platform and cockpit, forward seating area, helm, cockpit table, coamings, etc etc etc., not to mention the custom installed underwater lights (2013).

35 lb Delta polished stainless steel anchor with Muir VR1250 electric winch and ample chain/line rode (with an estimated 25' of 5/16" chain and 100' 5/8" line rode), remote control spotlight, six 10" docking cleats (these were custom cast and are BEAUTIFUL!).

Last hauled and bottom painted 2021, hull buffed and waxed 2022, brightwork professionally maintained (last done September 2022) and the whole boat shows AS NEW!

Twin fresh water cooled Volvo-Penta six cylinder 480 hp diesel engines with approximately 520 total hours and less than 100 hours since major overhauls (2014)--both engines were over filled with oil which damaged a piston on the starboard side so both engines were totally rebuilt, to the tune of $70,000, by the Volvo Penta dealer in Seattle.

Hydraulic steering with tilting steering wheel, electronic engine controls (with the tachs pulled and facory rebuilt in 2016), 2" stainless steel Aquamet 22 shafts thru dripless packing glands and bronze struts to Nibral alloy props. Bronze rudders and thru-hulls, Bennett stainless steel  trim tabs, Side Power DC bow thruster (installed 2013).

Two spare props--these things cost about $3,500 EACH!

If you were to wander inland and ask the man on the street to name a builder of boats, it’s almost certain he would scratch his head, think for a moment and respond, “Chris-Craft”. It has been more than a century since Chris Smith built his first boat and later founded the company whose name seems synonymous with recreational watercraft. While recent years have been hard on the mark, Chris-Craft’s new owners, Stephen Julius and Stephen Heese, intend to set things straight.

The new 43 Roamer is a reflection of Chris-Craft’s past and its future, and is cause enough for even jaded dock duffers like me to pause and take a second look.

While in recent years, Chris-Craft’s designs followed the pack, the 43 is an abrupt starboard turn. She is easy on the eye, with a gentle sheer sweep, a tasteful tumblehome and a conservatively raked stem. Her foredeck trunk is not a swollen lump; its height is balanced and accented by a long window line. Even without the attractive exterior wood accents of the optional Heritage Package (about $20,000), the 43 stands out in a sea of puffy fiberglass.

“Our intention is not to compete on the basis of how many cubic feet we can pack into an interior”, Julius said. “Style and luxury are our primary focus. While some might be tempted to cast the 43 as a retro design, Julius insists the boat is nothing of the sort”. I agree. It’s almost as if the company has emerged from a 30-year bout with amnesia. My bet is the 43 would have been the by-product of evolution instead of inspiration, had Chris-Craft not turned the drawing board over to focus groups in the 1980s.

Those who compete in the express market often count berths and cup holders, but the 43 has features that are pleasing long after the boat show. Side decks are twice as wide as has become common, and they lead forward to a seating area at the bow. This traditional perch is wonderful while under way, as the water seems to pass by effortlessly. The anchor is mounted externally, out of the way, and is controlled by a discreet, low-profile windlass. The forepeak chain/rope locker is accessible from the deck and has a freshwater washdown tap.

The 43 can be boarded from the side deck or the transom platform. A stainless-steel transom gate etched with the Chris-Craft logo allows access to the cockpit, which has a lounge area with an adjustable table.

Her raised bridge area has a curved lounge and a wet bar with a refrigerator. An adjacent pedestal seat faces the helm. Sight lines are excellent, and the analog multi-instrument gauges are easy to eyeball. There is room on the dash for two 10-inch displays, and space nearby for a VHF radio and autopilot. 

Hull number one was fitted with the optional ($15,000) fiberglass arch/hardtop. An air-conditioning vent at the helm is standard.

Interior appointments are outstanding. The satin-finished, book-matched cherry joinery has a handcrafted feel often absent on production boats. The hatches and entryway are framed in cherry. Interior doors and the table in the main cabin are finished in the same and have the Chris-Craft logo inlaid in maple. 

The main cabin has a curved settee opposite a U-shape galley with a cooktop, microwave/convection oven and dual-voltage refrigeration. A dishwasher can be added, however, I would not sacrifice the stowage. Countertops are finished in Corian, and natural lighting is excellent thanks to the windows in the trunk.

Forward, the master stateroom has a queen island berth and a head with a separate cylindrical shower enclosure. A mid-stateroom abaft the main cabin has a private head and two single berths that can be joined with an optional filler section. While this stateroom is a bit small, it would be ideal for kids or weekend guests.

Chris-Craft history buffs know the company’s Roamer division first built boats in steel, then in aluminum. Today, the preferred medium is fiberglass, and the 43 is built in conventional tooling at Chris-Craft’s Sarasota, Florida, facility. The hull bottom and topsides are a solid woven roving and mat laminate. A fiberglass longitudinal stringer system and fiberglass-encapsulated marine plywood bulkheads provide support. A vinylester skin coat reduces the chance of blistering, and hull colors, including the boot stripe, are one with the gelcoat finish.

With a fine entry forward and a 20-degree transom deadrise, the 43 is well suited for coastal cruising or island hopping in the Bahamas. During our sea trial, I recorded a top speed of 26.2 knots at 3350 rpm. Chris-Craft’s data indicate a top speed of 30.5 knots at 3500 rpm. I suspect that with owner’s gear aboard and a clean bottom, she will balance out midpoint at Yanmar’s 3300 rpm rating.

The 43 is a pleasure to handle, both at speed and while loitering. She executes tight turns with dispatch and twists easily dockside. While a bow thruster is offered as an option, it should not be necessary for diesel-equipped 43s.

Considering her upscale interior and finish, the 43 seems appropriately priced at close to $600,000.

While not the man on the street, I have something in common with many experienced boaters. My family’s first ride was a Chris-Craft: a 1955, 35-foot Commander. In my view, the 43 Roamer proves Chris-Craft’s new owners have rediscovered a powerful asset-pedigree.

Jay Coyle, Yachting, October 4, 2007

Note: some items may vary from subject