First introduced to the boating public at the 1964 Chicago and New York boat shows, this dramatic new design with  immediately captured the imagination of the boating public.

Boat FXA-38-0021 (21st hull out of the mould) was trucked out of the Holland Michigan plant on the 5th of June 1964 for delivery to the Chris-Craft marine dealer - Long Island Boat & Motor of Langville New York.  A copy of the original shipping record can be viewed here and one of the early brochures here.

From here the boat was shipped halfway around the world and imported into Perth Western Australia by a wealthy Perth Car dealer and well known playboy - James Clay.

She was named Bambi by her first owner (as a play on words) as it was a 'little dear' to purchase at the time.  Wild parties aboard whilst on moorings at the popular holiday island of Rottnest 11 miles off the coast of Perth were legendary and Bambi was often mentioned in the scandal press.

Following the death of the original owner when he disappeared in his airplane in Queensland Australia, Bambi was purchased by a well known supermarket chain proprietor (Tom Wardle AKA 'Tom the Cheap Grocer') who would later become the Lord Mayor of Perth.

During this time more sedate functions were the order of the day and many distinguished visitors to Perth were taken on cruise around the beautiful Swan River.

Following were a succession of owners, the last of whom enlarged Bambi's accommodations with the addition of a makeshift aft cabin achieved by raising the aft deck and building a couch house under.

Since 1998, Bambi had languished in a berth on the Mandurah waterways, a popular holiday and retirement community an hour south of the capital city of Perth and Port of Fremantle, Western Australia.  Here she had little use due to a number of terminal mechanical and steering problems.

In May 2003, after passing the disused boat on many occasions and commenting "they don't make boats like that anymore"), Warren Pateman was motoring around the canals near Mandurah in his two year old Noosa Cat and struck up a conversation with Bambi's owner.  After a short discussion on liking each others boat the deal was struck "I'll do you a swap".  It was only a few days and Warren's lifelong mate Graham Robertson got involved with the project and they decided to set about bringing her back to her former glory (with some licensed allowing for the availability of modern materials and engines).  Two years later in 2005 the extensive rebuild was completed and full details can be found by following the 'Rebuild' link above.