2002 Chris-Craft Launch 22 FEATURES:
- Engine – Mercury V-8 6.2 Liter 350 hp Gas Inboard
- Trailer – Chris-Craft Prestige Tandem Axle (Not Titled)
- 60 MPH
- Depth Finder
- Bilge Pump
- Shower
- USCG and Sea Trial Equipment
The American-built Chris Craft Launch 22 is not your stereotypical bowrider. Unlike its cheaper competitors, it is not a boat barely longer than it is wide – often filled with more people than life jackets. Its beautiful retrospective lines are reminiscent of the days when fast, sleek boats like this were called launches in earnest. Built on a deep-vee hull with a respectable transom deadrise of 20 degrees, this boat has a beam of 8ft 3in and an overall length of 23ft 5in. Consequently it is wide enough to accommodate, yet rakish enough to perform when things get rough. The bow enjoys a considerable amount of flare, which not only enhances its period looks, but actually keeps a lot of the sea out of the boat, especially the forward seating area.
This boat has the optional blue hull, which has proven a popular option on pretty much every Chris Craft I have seen, as these retro boats simply do not look right with a white hull. The standard of finish to the gelcoat is outstanding, and when you lift the engine hatch you find that this quality is more than just skin-deep. The interior of the engine bay has a smooth gelcoat finish, and looking round the fittings the construction is no less impressive. All fuel hoses are double clamped, and the custom-built wiring harness runs through corrugated flexible conduits, with high-quality waterproof connections between all components. This is unusual as most boatbuilders simply use a wiring harness made by the engine manufacturer rather than producing their own.
If you look behind the scenes you will find that all external skin fittings bolt through thick aluminium backing plates – no bonded pieces of ply here. Digging deeper will reveal why this boat makes light work of heavy seas. The stringer matrix is a substantial affair, built to keep this sharp hull in shape if the sea gets rough.
