7/08
During
the restoration of my '58 Explorer, I've compiled a nice collection
of sales literature, magazine ads, catalogs & such (plus a little
insight) from all the research I've done. As my collection grew,
so did my fascination with this boat. She turns 50 years old this
year and is due to hit the water after a long, arduous restoration.
A parade is in order for such an event! ...but will she be the only
one in it?
Seven years ago, I bought an old boat. It was a mess. But even with
the hardtop in pieces & bilge full of bricks, I had a feeling
it was MORE than just an old boat. All I knew was "1958 Crestliner"
was printed on the registration & "Explorer " was
on the name plate. So, like most of you, I started my research with
the internet. A couple of google searches and I found this site.
(I was only the 265th visitor.) I eagerly browsed through the '58
catalog and to my surprise, the Explorer was Crestliner's full line
"hardtop cruiser". I was stoked!!! I decided this boat
deserved a FULL restoration. No cost too big. But there was some
unanswered questions... Why is my hardtop different from the one
in the catalog??? My transom is white but the Explorer's in the
catalog is red. The model/serial number on my boat indicates that
I have a Flying Crest NOT an Explorer... what gives???
While eBaying for parts, I stumbled across a Crestliner two-sided
sales spec sheet. (I uploaded it to the site years ago.) It was
most likely the give away you received at the dealership. It features
the Explorer as the main photo (with a great campy lakeside scene,
I might add!) and it seemed that it was the flagship model for that
year. Sweet!!! All the more reason to dump more money into my restoration,
but more important it sparked my curiosity. Soon, after a little
more digging, I found the "History of Larson Watercraft"
written by Andreas Jordahl Rhude and it states Crestliner introduced
a line of fiberglass boats in 1958. Fiberglass in 1958??? My hardtop
is fiberglass, but fiberglass boats didn't appear in any sales literature
until 1959. And what about the elusive Explorer & Flying Crest
19'??? It seemed that 1958 & 1959 production were starting to
blur together. Puzzling.
The spec sheet was just a fraction of what I've found. I bought
my first 1958 catalog within months of the boat, it had the prices
hand written on each page. Then purchased a couple of magazine ad's
featuring the campsite Explorer photo... Daring Design. Years later,
I found the dealership mail-away sales packet with an included postcard,
postmarked April 1958. (One of my more rare finds.) I love how you
can see George doing some financial figuring on the back of the
postcard. It looks as if he was comparing prices with a StarCraft.
I wonder what he ended up buying??? The packet came with the '58
catalog, a form letter from Crestliner and a price list. The price
list has the new "gull" logo and the year "1958"
printed on the cover. Fiberglass models are listed but not the Explorer
& Flying Crest 19'. Recently, I bought my third catalog, but
more for the price list that was included. It has the older "wave"
logo and the 1958 year printed on the cover. It's exclusive to only
aluminum boats and mentions the Explorer & Flying Crest 19'
but "LATER" listed instead of price. I love all the little
differences from piece to piece. Is it because of dealership regions???
Is one newer than the other??? A shift in the marine industry???
I'm not sure.
The catalog still has been the best reference for my restoration
so far, but not always the most accurate. Why is my boat different???
Was a prototype in the catalog??? I work as a photographer in the
advertising industry and working with prototypes is not uncommon.
Presently I work for a LARGE American appliance company & changes
happen well after the product has been photographed. (...sometimes
on set during the shoot.) Today, digital retouching fixes everything
in print advertising. Back then... you lived with it or re-shot.
I'm sure all the photography for the catalog was shot in late summer
of 1957. That allows plenty of time for design changes.
For some time, I thought MY Explorer was the prototype with the
mislabeled serial number and slight aesthetic differences but I
found (and bought) a hardtop in lower Minnesota that matches mine.
(No boat... just the hardtop.) Strangely, a Flying Crest dash plate
was included in the sale. Could it be that the Explorer model was
assembled out of a pre-existing Fly Crest??? How many Explorers
could have been produced in only one year of production? Or... how
many hardtops were fabricated in one year of production??? This
being the only difference between the Explorer & Flying Crest.
To date, I have only come across three '58 Explorers... and one
is mine. Are there only three 1958 Explorers left out there???
I always wondered if the Explorer's fiberglass top was Crestliner's
first attempt working with a new material. Maybe they wanted to
jump on the "fiberglass band wagon" before they were truly
ready. It makes sense. You can't just start laying glass hulls,
it takes research & practice. But start with something simple
like a hardtop, place it on a pre-existing model under a different
name and done... Crestliner is a cutting-edge fiberglass boat works.
Plus, In 1957-58, fiberglass application was still new to the marine
industry & I doubt Crestliner had many experts on staff. Marketing
101: Get it out to market before the other guy & address the
details later. I bet they were figuring it all out during the 1958
production year & by the end of the year the hull designs were
probably perfected and in 1959 were truly ready for fiberglass production...
photography too. Out with the old & in with the new.
The most exciting thing I found wasn't even a Crestliner publication.
In 1959, Evinrude used a '58 Crestliner Explorer for a cover shot
on one of their 50th Anniversary Jubilee Catalogs!!! Evinrude issued
two Jubilee catalogs that year... Full & limited. I'm guessing
the limited one was for mail-away and the full one was given out
at the showroom. Both sizes have Crestliners featured in them but
the Explorer is featured on the cover of the limited. Evinrude also
used the Explorer photo as part of their magazine ad campaign. (The
hardtop & transom match mine too.) Why Evinrude would use the
Explorer in their advertising campaign... why not? Of course, at
the time there were many "higher end" boat manufactures
that would have probably complimented Evinrude's motors just as
nicely. I doubt there was any kind of relationship (that I could
find) between the 2 companies but I bet a dollar someone greased
the wheels over a golf game or martini. Crestliner was coming off
a strike that year and probably needed the positive exposure &
sales boost. Evinrude's photography was shot in mid 1958 (BEFORE
Crestliner had a perfected fiberglass hull design) but Crestliner
still wanted to represent as a fiberglass boat works... so, the
Explorer with the fiberglass top takes stage. But for Evinrude to
use a Crestliner for their 50th Anniversary ANYTHING, in my opinion,
is still a great compliment to Crestliner from a long time leader
in the marine industry.
Of course, having said all that, I've been in advertising long enough
to know, sometimes it's just about what photo is going to the fit
the page. In any case, It shows how truly special these boats are
AND justifies the exorbitant amount of money & time I've put
into this old tub. But it's curious to me this one boat, which led
the aluminum fleet & helped explore (sorry) a new fiberglass
medium PLUS receive so much public exposure, is almost no where
to be found 50 years later.
I still want a parade.
Dave Hammar
1958 Crestliner Explorer
