Kingscraft owners and fans

We finally got it done! We are the proud new owners of a 1974 55' Kingscraft Houseboat. We are the 3rd owners, the second owner had it for 25 years and the first owner custon ordered it from the factory. It has 2 factory installed marine air units, central vacuum, and a flybridge. She's powered by twin Chrysler 318's through Paragon V-drives into bronze screws. The owner had a current survey (April 2012) and we did a 3 hour sea trial Sunday. Monday the marina hauled her out and power washed the bottom. The hull has a Devoe paint and anti-fouling finish. I am very pleased with the hull condition, a few very small areas with mild pitting, but overall excellent condition. The anodes (magnesium) are in good shape and will easily last another year or two. The downsides are that the genny (Kohler) is a little tired (uses a fair amount of gas and I believe needs at least a carb rebuild), the windows are stock (the plastic tracks need a LOT of cleaning and work) and starboard throttle cable is stiff. The engines start right up when cold & idle smoothly. The boat ran and steered very well, the genny didn't flicker for over three straight hours and the sea trial had zero issues.

It came with tons of documentation (brochures, blueprints, original pricing sheets, and more) and papers for all of the systems. As I get the opportunity (and figure out how to do it) I will post scans of the documents and pics of the boat.

I didn't even know they offered factory marine air, the roof is smooth and didn't have to have roof AC holes filled in. The neat thing about this we have the 1973 Basic price list with option pricing. Turns out the 55' came standard with 2 custom heating/cooling units ($1325/unit option on all other models)

We are planning on storing it on the hard (right terminology?) for the winter and do a few interior changes.

We are happy with this boat, I hope we feel that way a year from now (I don't think my smile will fade by then)

Gotta go,

KC55

That's great news KC55 (and you can continue to use your KC55 name!)
I'm curious to see the documents that came with your boat - mine came with zero! What condition is the inside? Has it been remodeled recently?

FWIW, I wouldn't worry much about the Kohler - they are bulletproof for the most part. Does yours have the stainless steel exhaust? Mine does not, and apparently Kohler isn't performing this recall anymore, at least according to my local Kohler dealer.

BTW, where are you located?

Fish

I think your Kohler dealer is full of ****. If you go to Kohler's website the recall and service bulletin info is still there. I can't believe that Kohler would take a chance on another wrongful death lawsuit by stopping the recall. You can call Kohler for info. 1-920-453-6309

Take a look at the "Cable oiler " sticky in the Maintenance Thread.

If the structure is good, everything else can be replaced! Glad you joined the KC family. I have relatives that go to Madison a couple times a year. Hopefully I get the boat finished this winter and we can make a trip down river.

What's funny is when I first contacted them about it, they acted as if the bulletin was still active. Later when they hadn't done anything and I contacted them again, they claimed there "was no open bulletin on it".

We have lined up storage for the winter that will allow us access, electric, and close proximity to our home. I plan on building a set of stairs for ease of access. I can pull my truck up close to bring supplies and get rid of trash.

I read the sticky on stuck cables, thanks, I think that is exactly what it needs.

I will post the documentation from Kingscraft as soon as I get the space. I really cant believe some of the stuff, for example, coastal cruisers up to 75'. Carpet and interior color scheme choices. Original sales brochures. It is like icing on the cake.

We are located in Madison, IN. It is a small, historic town on the Ohio River half way between Louisville, KY and Cincinnati, OH. We had debated taking the boat to a lake in Indiana or Kentucky but decided to stay right here on the river.

We had made offers on 3 boats, a 55', a 44', and the 55' we bought. We also went to see 2 other 55's, 3 44's, and 1 35'. Some of these were boats for sale but not advertised that I found by going to multiple marinas. I called probably 10 other KC's, most off of Craigslist and a few from diligent internet searching. We traveled to 5 different states and stopped at many back yards and storage lots. Every KC we saw was interesting and exciting for me. I have tried to save every picture of a KC I could find on the internet, this was to have ideas for different layouts (and decorating ideas for my wife). All of this doesn't count the scores of first, steel hulled houseboats, and then fiberglass (especially Gibson, Harbor Master, and Burnscraft). I loved seeing these boats (and there are some beautiful ones) but when I went into the first Kingscraft and crawled through the hatch and saw the aluminum joists/stringers and felt the aura of permanance and concern for quality I was not only sold but hooked. If you are considering a KC, wait for your boat. It will come. I appreciate all of the boats I saw during this search, but I know I made the right choice for me and my wife.

In two weeks the cleaning, repairing, and redecorating begins. I have not been excited about a home project for a few years, but I am on fire to get started on this. I hope you all will be free with advice, suggestions, and help.

If you can't tell, I'm on cloud 9. My wife is excited to pick out paint, curtains, furniture and etc.

Hopefully my next post will have info on where to see pics, docs, and info on our boat.

KC55 ;)

I was worried for a while my name wouldn't make sense....OH YEA

good for you kc. you will love doing the renovations, its a blast. take your time and do whatever you want, you have plenty of time...again, congrats

KC55,
We cruised to Madison last year and really enjoyed the town. I like the idea of being on "the river", as you can go anyway from here (in theory). Lots of interesting places to hang out. We are in Louisville and our favorite spot is at Charlestown State Park on the Indiana side of the river, just across from 12 Mile Island. Rose Island is another favorite hangout.

Let me know if there's anything I can help you with. I'd love to come check out your boat sometime.

We want pictures!