New member w/ Craig Craft!

crashedakota · Newbie Joined: 14 Jul 2015 Posts: 4 City: Exeter

So I'm a new member from New Hampshire with a fairly rare Craig Craft ski boat. It's a 96 with a big block Crusader engine and velvet drive. It came from California back in 09 is all I know bout the history of its where abouts. The engine meter shows just 83 hrs, the person I got it from only used it a few times from 09 and has been sitting for 2 years.

mcdye · Newbie Joined: 20 Oct 2008 Posts: 32 City: Central, AR

interesting, never saw one before.

Brit Rider · Posted: Jul 17, 2015 6:38 am Post subject:

Craig Craft was a British boat brand, they also made the Dominator and Eliminator. Never seen a Mystique though... The Dominator and Eliminator were direct drives boats to compete with the old pro comps and 2001's etc.

My guess would be someone shipped it in back in the day, perhaps bringing it with when emigrating as it's a weird move to ship one over there.

They generally had mercruisers in them so it's likely been re-engined... if not several times!

crashedakota · Newbie Joined: 14 Jul 2015 Posts: 4 City: Exeter

Thanks for some info on this Brit Rider! So you're saying the boat IS a Mystique and just not named Mystique by someone? The sides of the boat once were lettered with Mystique. To me the engine looks original and actually the hull hin plate has the engine serial number and that matches the number on the engine. It's saying it has 83 hrs on it. I'll be launching it this weekend so I'll post back how the big block does!

Brit Rider · Posted: Aug 06, 2015 5:14 am Post subject:

Something like this would be it's little brother...

Mystique is the model I believe, same as the above boat is a Dominator.

Sounds like you picked up a boat that has done no hours. Almost a barn find? Cool boats and most all parts are 'off the shelf' so easy to keep going.

Never seen a craig craft with a 454 in... she should haul ass!!!

Brit Rider · Posted: Aug 06, 2015 5:18 am Post subject:

FYI, I think the boat is a splash mould of a Mastercraft TriStar 190.

crashedakota · Newbie Joined: 14 Jul 2015 Posts: 4 City: Exeter

The boat is in great condition! You could eat off the engine its that clean. The boat will need a good buff to bring back the gel coat shine and the carpet is a little discolored other then that I think I did find a barn find!
Having all off the shelf parts like a Crusader and velvet drive definitely helps getting cheap parts for it.
I launched the boat and unfortunately it didn't go well :-/. It starting losing forward momentum I opened the doghouse and saw transmission fluid all in the hull. Towed it back, though it was a blown line replaced that took it back out and it hauled ass...for about 2 mins then transmissions fluid again everywhere!! Took it out of the water and determined it was leaking out the transmission input seal. I've pulled the 72c velvet drive out and decided to replace forward/reverse clutches, luckily I did because all the forward clutch were warped from running it low/empty on fluid. It should be back in the water this weekend hopefully error free.
The boat had sat outta water for 3 years with that owner and who knows with the others esp with the low hrs, so a dry seal was inevitable. I've gone through and checked everything else and it's all checked out good so after this one mixup I should be blasting though the waves with my 454!!

crashedakota · Newbie Joined: 14 Jul 2015 Posts: 4 City: Exeter

The boat is in great condition! You could eat off the engine its that clean. The boat will need a good buff to bring back the gel coat shine and the carpet is a little discolored other then that I think I did find a barn find!
Having all off the shelf parts like a Crusader and velvet drive definitely helps getting cheap parts for it.
I launched the boat and unfortunately it didn't go well :-/. It starting losing forward momentum I opened the doghouse and saw transmission fluid all in the hull. Towed it back, though it was a blown line replaced that took it back out and it hauled ass...for about 2 mins then transmissions fluid again everywhere!! Took it out of the water and determined it was leaking out the transmission input seal. I've pulled the 72c velvet drive out and decided to replace forward/reverse clutches, luckily I did because all the forward clutch were warped from running it low/empty on fluid. It should be back in the water this weekend hopefully error free.
The boat had sat outta water for 3 years with that owner and who knows with the others esp with the low hrs, so a dry seal was inevitable. I've gone through and checked everything else and it's all checked out good so after this one mixup I should be blasting though the waves with my 454!!