7/08
During the restoration of my '58 Explorer,
I've compiled a nice collection of sales literature, magazine ads,
(See 1958 crestliner catalog
pages) 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
