2004 36' Chris Craft Roamer      Ted Rankine: Well this week on Power Profiles, we are going to test a Chris Craft 36-foot Roamer, a boat that was built nearly 130 years after Chris' first craft.      The look of the new 36 Roamer is certainly reminiscent of the original lines of the almost countless different Roamers that Chris Craft built since the mid '50s, from the flared bow to the sumptuous tumble-home-aft design.      Throughout, the styling and wood pays tribute to Christopher Columbus Smith's love and natural gift of working with wood.But just because it has the traditional Chris Craft styling, does not mean that it lacks for any modern amenities.

 Just off the transom is what can be best called a trunk, self-draining and cavernous. The entertainment centre features a fridge, icemaker and wet bar.
     At the aft of the boat a bench provides comfortable seating for four around the cockpit table. There is even room for two more on the lounger to port, at the centre line helm, as well as the raised bridge helm. The helm combines contemporary styling with some nice touches, like the signature wood wheel, and classic looking Roamer style gauges.
     Did I mention wood? Well the foredeck certainly has it, with gorgeous hand laid teak planks, properly spaced and well caulked. Forward of the helm is an enormous tinted skylight which brings loads of light below into the main cabin and head compartment.
     When you first head below decks on the Roamer, it may appear that something is missing. But in fact, it's Chris Craft's clever design that proves that things are not always as they appear. For example, the forward berth quickly converts into a dinette, and this attractive sideboard reveals a complete galley with: a two burner electric stove, a deep stainless sink, built in refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, and a complete complement of dishes.
     In addition to the berth forward, the main salon also features a comfortable couch to increase seating for the dinette. Off to port, the head compartment features a separate centre line shower stall with Flexi-door and custom teak grate. The aft stateroom has a privacy curtain, opening port light, and storage under the berths. 
    Before heading out on the water, I hit the power hatch to take alook at the engines. This Roamer was equipped with a pair of Yanmar 6-cylinder turbo charged diesels, each delivering 370hp. In spite of the space the engines needed, there was still ample room in the compartment for the Westerbeke diesel generator and plenty of battery power.
     With diesel power, you can expect a dignified time to plane. In our case, we were up and running in just under 10 seconds. A comfortable cruise of 25.6 mph was found with the engines turning over at 2,800 rpm. Pushing the throttles all the way to the stops, at 3,050 rpm, we saw 31 mph.
      It is a dream to drive, and with its modified deep v, combined with a deep entry and flared bow, the Roamer easily calmed the chop and kept the spray generated at a speed where it should be, away from the boat. The turns were predictable, and in spite of the prop pockets, there were no cavitations, even with the wheel hard over.
     There is no disputing that the Roamer 36 is an unusual boat and might not be for everyone. But if you are the type of person who likes to own something special, and does not mind attracting lots of attention from your fellow boaters, then, indeed, this Chris might be the Craft for you.

* taken from a transcript of our Power Profile on PowerBoat TV 2004 Episode 11 - Order a Copy of the Show