DelawareRiverRunner

Out of curiousity, what is the story with the Excalibur 31':

What was the first year that it was produced?
How did Chris Craft become involved?
Did they sell them as Chris Crafts and Excaliburs at the same time?
When was the last year of production?
Any rough production figures?
Did they come with single (port/starboard) bolster seats or side by side/double bolster seats like the Fountains?
How did Reggie Fountain wind up using their hull for his first offshore boats?

Any pics to post?

There is a red and white 79/80 Excalibur 31 in my area (once owned by a large local car dealer) and a dark blue and white EX 31 in MD off of 301 near Kent Island/Piney Narrows at "Chesapeake Outdoors"...not sure if that one is for sale or not? Both boats have peaked my curiousity/interest. I love their shape/style.

THANKS for all your time, help and info.

vertigo88

hello riverunner,i too like yourself wanted a excalibur 32, after my 1983 27 speedster, but they started getting too old, you start dumping lots of $$$ in and old boat,then you lose your ass ,beware of saltwater boats , then reggie put that silly beak on the 32 and called it 33 executioner, my buddy has a 1988 fountain 33= 10meter, if you or anyone you know is looking for old school looks, flat deck, my 1992 28 pantera sport is in the pantera section in the classifieds, freshwateronly28,lots of pics it has factory installed TRS drives, rare for that year, breakable bravos come out in 1988, my boat runs a honest 94mph on lake erie, a guy from baltimore area, wants my boat, says not many could beat him on chesapeak bay, are you there.my boat is a steal, i will take $50.000,it needs nothing

Zanie

I'll do some digging.
here's something.

DelawareRiverRunner

THANKS for the post Zanie!

Do you know what model year this is from? Is there a date somewhere on the spec sheet?

Is this from when Chris Craft was marketing them??
(Looks like it says Chris Craft in the port/left side windshield pic)

David Mowry

I have a 24 Excaliber hull from 1977,The info I have is that they were built in sarasota and that they are one hell of a nice design!I would like to get more info if anyone has any?my e-mail address is [email protected]

David Mowry

I have found out a little more about my little excalibur!They were built in sarasota by a gentleman by the name of bill farmer and somewhere around 1978 he sold the 31ft mold to reggie fountain of fountain boats!!!From what I gathered he then sold the rest of the company to wellcraft somewhere around 1983!If this is true we excalibur owners have the for-runners to really good boats!

TopSpin80

yes it is true.. a while ago I posted a few scans of old Excalibur borchures... one of them has Reggie as the driver of the Excalibur pictured

Ernie

DelawareRiverRunner

Where can I find those old Excalibur brochure scans? I love seeing this old stuff...I am a big fan of all the classic boats!

Mr. Excal

Gentlemen, I just found this site. I have most of the history about Excalibur Marine's life. I am the son of the man who became one of the first Excalibur Boat Dealer's. It was back in 1974. My father, Jerry Allen was the Excalibur Car Dealer in Ft Lauderdale Fl. and had been since 1965. I was 15 years old when a guy pulled up in our driveway in Key Biscayne Florida pulling an 18 ft cailfornina looking jet boat. It was a dual cockpit deck. A lift out hatch covered the two front seats and you drove it from the back. It had a 460 cu in. ford in it and a Berkley jet on the back. It had the T handle Jetavator with 8 positions. You could force the nose down or blow a 50 ft. rooster tail. The man who brought it was Bill Farmer. My Dad bought the boat and I had many a day and night running 75++ mph with that boat in the Miami Marine Stadium and around Key Biscayne. My dad and Bill became instant friends. The name of Bill's company was Lighting Boats of Sarasota Fl. Bill had a forman by the name of Don Able who was and is still the best Rigger in the business, I heard he was still with Wellcraft. My father introduced Bill Farmer to the Famos Design Enginer and creator of Excalibur Auitomobiles " Brooke Stevens ". Bill had just bought the 24' X 6'.5" hull. I cant remember if this hull was a Jean Clyde Simon design or a Don Arrownow. Don was a good friend of my father and Bill. Reggie can verify this, because he was hot on the scene at the boat show's with us. Stevens over cocktails agreeed that Bill should change the name of his boat company as my father pushed it so he could be the only Excalibur Car and Boat Dealer in the world. The first 24 had that 460 Berkley jet set up and it worked for a stable and safe 60 MPH boat. We sold several and then Bill got the 27' he called "THE RAKE" We put twin 200 Evinrudes on 2 or 3 of them but they would Chine walk badly about 75 MPH. By 1979 we were into the 31's. My father was the one with the old school love for teak speed boats so that's where all those teak decks were inspired and we never looked back. Those were fantastic times. We had some great boat stories. Bill sold Excalibur Marine to a guy by the name of Tony Nicallie out of Cherry Hill N.J. and he sold it to wellcraft in 1985. My Father passed in Ft Laud. 2002, and the last time I saw Bill was in 1995 in Hilton Head at my father's home. Bill owns a great store in Highlands, N.C. and probubly still does. You cant miss it. He has his car collection in the store. I now live in Richmond Va. and own a pristine 1980 24' that has been pictured in the back of POWERBOAT mag. most of last year for there I SOLD IT HERE claaified ads. I have a balanced 496 with aTRS ( nose cone) and she will walk the walk. A little scary over 75.. And so it is..... Grant Allen, Richmond Va.

batty

I have a Question that maybe you will be able to answer then.
Where or when did Chris Craft come into the picture in making Excalibur boats? I have a Excalibur but its titled as a Chris Craft, I checked through the C.C mariners museum to find out some info but they said my hull # was a Excalibur # so they had no info. the boat came stock with merc. 400 cyclone motors and the hull is laid up in Kevlar. there is a imprint in the floor of the cockpit with the Excalibur logo . the boat came with two captains chairs instead of the bench seat that most of them I have seen have. Hopefully you could have some input on my search, thanks Brad.