Chris-Craft Roamer 43

Brief Summary

The Roamer 43 offers the cruising couple luxurious features, plenty of room to entertain, and two private cabins with their own head.

Key Features

• Spacious saloon with luxurious features
• Two private cabins
• Large side decks
• Cockpit seating with table
• Entertainment center with wet bar and storage
• Maple and cherry wood flooring
• 15" LCD flat screen color TV
• Raised helm with extra seating
• Large sunpad forward
• Extra wide swim platform with transom storage

Test Results

Specifications

Length Overall	43' 6''
Beam	14' 0''
Dry Weight	27,000 lbs.
Draft	3' 2''
Deadrise/Transom	20 deg.
Max Headroom	6' 5''
Bridge Clearance	N/A
Fuel Capacity	400 gal.
Water Capacity	95 gal.

Acceleration Times & Conditions

Time to Plane	10.0 sec.
0 to 30	15.6 sec.
Ratio	1.76:1
Props	26 x 27 x 4 Nibral
Load	Persons: 3; Fuel: 1/4; Water : 90 gal; Gear: minimal
Climate	Temp: 81.5 deg. ; Humid: 73%; Wind: 4 knots; Seas: 1-2 ft.

Engine Options

Tested Engine	2 x 480-hp Volvo Penta TAMD 75P diesels
Std. Power	2x 440-hp Yanmar 6LYP-ST2A diesels
Opt. Power	2 x 430-hp Volvo Penta 8.1 GXI 2 x 480-hp Volvo Penta TAMD 74P-EDC 2x 440-hp Yanmar T - 6LY2ASTP diesels

Captain's Report

Tested by Capt. Bob Smith
Chris-Craft’s Roamer 43 is not only the flagship of their line it’s also popular. It has taken several months to get a chance to bring you this test because of weather delays and getting a boat with enough time to test it before it is shipped to a new owner! It seems as though this model is so popular that they are sold before they come off the line now. So with much anticipation, I took the 43 and her new sister, the 36, out for testing in Sarasota Bay in beautiful Florida.
Topside
This model had the Heritage package and looked classy. She had regal looks from the teak accents starting in the sit pit up front all the way to the spacious teak covered swim platform. The bow holds the anchor, roller and ground tackle handled by a low profile windlass. The windlass has foot switches with protective covers to prevent accidental cycling, and a remote spotlight is prepared to show the way for late night approaches. In the center of the bow is a healthy sized sun pad surrounded by a wood safety rail and wood cup holders. The stainless steel windshield had port and starboard windshield wipers so you and the navigator can see in the inclement weather. The long windows along the sides are accented with beautiful wood and the Chris-Craft signature. The hard T-top kept us from the sun and the two hatches allowed plenty of cool air into the cockpit.
Helm
The helmsman has a fully adjustable professional quality chair within easy reach of all controls. Moving about the cockpit was easy with plenty of seating under the T-top and a huge entertainment area aft, complete with a removable fold-over table. The day hatch to the power plant was under one of the rear benches at the stern, and when you need more room for working with the engine room, the aft section lifts on electric rams.
Cabin
The center companionway hatch leads down to a spacious cabin with a full galley to starboard and large settee to port. The galley includes all the comforts of home, a microwave, coffee maker, refrigerator, nested silverware drawer, nested china cabinet and much more. The countertop has covers for the sink, cook top and trash receptacle that give a clean top and large workspace for trays of food while entertaining. Just starboard and around from the galley is a flat panel TV with a wine and glass storage cabinet below. The settee to port has a nice fold-over wood table and storage behind.
Master Stateroom
The main stateroom is forward, complete with a full head. The shower is circular with a clear Plexiglas sliding door closure. Back in the stern stateroom, you have two single beds, a hanging closet and another full head. Chris-Craft has really taken advantage of space on this boat. The entertainment area is maximized while still making a comfortable stateroom for the master and the guest. Throughout the interior, they have used lots of contrasting dark woods for the walls, cabinets and doors while using a bright light maple for the sole.
Specs
This elegant cruiser is 43’6” long with a 14’ beam. She weighs in at 27,000 lbs and has a 20 degree deadrise. With a fuel capacity of 400 gallons and a fresh water capacity of 95 gallons, she can travel for quite a while without a fill up, and with a 38” draft, she can get you into some pretty nice areas close to the beach.
Handling
Although she barely fit between the fingers of slips in the Palmetto marina where we met, she maneuvered out of close quarters with relative ease. We could have used the bow thruster, but she did fine without it. Once we were out in the open, we quickly brought her up on plane and did some sharp turns and full circles. She ran like she was on a cushion of air. Turns were understandably wide, but she handled with ease and did not give any indication of being off balance or out of control, even at top speeds. I used very little trim and the only thing I had to get used to was the slight delay in response to the shift from neutral to in-gear. This is typical with this type of control and only becomes a problem when you’re not used to it and get in a tight situation, which is never a good thing to be in when running an unfamiliar vessel.
Performance
We ran the 43 through her paces and reached a top speed of over 34 mph which was burning nearly 52 gph in her twin Volvo diesels. She was up on plane in about ten seconds and was passing 30 mph in just under 16 seconds. At top speed, she reached 90 dBa for a maximum sound level. There was some of the typical whistle you get with a turbo-charged diesel, but much less than expected.
All-in-all, the Roamer 43 is correctly at the top of Chris-Craft’s line, carrying on the tradition of her founder, Chris Smith. I believe that anyone interested in cruising in style and entertaining in elegance will be proud to be seen driving in this boat.