Cresta 65

A lot of resourceful, inventive, creative characters pervade gamefishing circles. This is especially the case when classic fishing boats are discussed and those versed in the art of separating wheat from chaff gather. Where all you or I might see is used-by date and a maintenance nightmare, the fortunate few can look with foresight and make something as good-as-new, reliable and romantic from an old boat.

The secret to a good gameboat refurbishment is having the right resources and skilled hands, some bucks and a good buy to begin with, as well as knowledge of what models are worth preserving and which ones are better left dead in the water.

Do these things and you can create a born-again gamefisher, one that catches the eye of new-wave anglers, that can hunt trophy fish and get you home - often due to being over-built to begin with. The best classic gameboats have rides that are coveted by top captains and crews.

Australian-made gameboats with a timeless quality include the original Savage 26, Bertram 28, the US-designed Bertram 31, Cresta and Steber 32s, HMGs and Mariner 43s. Overseas, classic boats like the Hatteras and Bertrams come in for regular refurbs.

BlueWater's US Field Editor, Capt Rick Gaffney, says a lot of classic battlewagons and sportsfishers are given a new lease of life by enthusiasts looking to save money and head out in style.

In America, the 31 Bertram is the single-most popular classic currently being restored. So many Bertam 31s are restored that there are whole companies that make restoration parts - everything from Bertram emblems to complete cockpits - or specialise in 31 restoration.

Gaffney says other popular restoration models include vintage 41 and 53 Hatteras, 35 and 46 Bertrams, 37 Merritts, and any vintage Rybovich you can get your hands on.

Why renovate when you can buy new? For some people, a sweetly-proportioned classic boat is something that gets the creative juices flowing. There is an emotional or sentimental attachment not unlike that you see in classic car buffs.

But for most classic gameboat owners, refurbishing represents an opportunity to get afloat on a limited budget. If done properly, if you have bought wisely, and if you can contribute to the refit yourself, it is possible to make money from a renovation.

However, the advice of most people who have been down the refurbishing road is don't do it to make money. After all, marine mechanics and shipwrights charge around $70/hr and materials such as teak aren't getting cheaper. New engines have jumped through the roof and by the end of a repowering job you might find you were better off buying new.

Avid big-boater, Ronald Deane from Foster is a boat renovator who has a passion for making old classics new again. Along with his father, Ron, the Deanes have resurrected an impressive flotilla of boats over the years. Only two have been new.

The list includes a Bertram 25, two Cresta 32s, four Cresta 46s, two Mariner 34s, a Mariner 38, one Riviera 38, a Riviera 48, and a Hatteras 52! Phew... His father has owned motorcruisers, including his current boat, Isis II, a 115ft corporate charter yacht. Even this boat was extended.

But of all the classics resurrected by the Deanes, the current Cresta 65 Whodeane is arguably the best. This is a story about this classic boat, originally launched in 1988 and the one and only Cresta 65. But some of the lessons - such as the job taking twice as long and costing twice as much - should be heeded by anyone thinking of doing a refurb and/or repower.

RIDING A CRESTA
Ronald had long admired the Cresta 65 and it jogged his memory when he was ready to move up from his last boat, a Riviera 48. The decision came after several weeks of live-aboarding off Cairns chasing black marlin, during which he discovered he needed more space, bigger fridges, extra range, fuel, and water.

Had Riviera had its new 58-foot flagship ready, Ronald would have taken that. But at the time they hadn't even set a price, so he went searching for an oldie but a goodie. He looked at a Bertram 50, a Hatteras 65 and then he remembered the old Cresta 65. If he could cut the rear awning off the boat and add a tower, he would have quite some gameboat.

He bought the Cresta 65 in June 2000 for around $A850,000 and set about planning a refit. He now has a 65-footer built to exactly his specification and with the things that he wants aboard. The custom fit-out on the 14-year-old production hull is impressive. While the twin 1271 Detroit 652kW engines have 1400 hours on them, they run like a bus.

"I have made a lot of money out of boats, doing them up. It is how I got started in boating, but it is harder these days because good secondhand boats are expensive. And while I used to do all the work myself, this project was too big," says Ronald.

"It wasn't too painful an exercise, but it did cost double what I expected. Then again, I did twice the work. I got halfway into the project and couldn't stop. The refit took six months and maybe, at the end of the day, the boat owes me $1.7m - under $US1m. That's just maybe half the price of a new 65-footer," he says.

Ronald, who runs a bus company and is a qualified diesel mechanic, says the motors needed some work. But for good measure, he replaced all the hoses, pumps, rebuilt the turbos, and delivered the boat himself on June 30 last year to the central NSW coast sportsfishing port of Port Stephens. Needless to say, it helps being a diesel mechanic or a shipwright, carpenter or some other tradesperson when doing a refit.

A NEW LIVEABOARD
While it might look a little dated outside, inside is another world again. The big Cresta underwent an on-water refit at Soldiers Point Marina, Port Stephens. They started with gutting the interior and tossed the wiring and instruments. Mud maps were made and modules for the new interior were positioned inside the boat to make sure the ergonomics were right.

Ronald says he had a pile of production boatbuilders' brochures from the States and that the interior on his Cresta is remarkably similar to a Bertie 60. Steve Stewart, from Soldiers Point Marina, was appointed project manager and he, in-turn, employed three local shipwrights to get on with the job.

Deane always had teak interiors in his previous boats, but decided it was time for a change. With input from his firstmate, he decided on a light timber fit-out. He tested joinery and had timber samples lacquered so he knew what the final product would look like. African ash was the eventual choice; a timeless blonde timber which lays-up nicely with a darker border.

Most of the time and money spent refurbishing the boat was taken up with the joinery. The other big jobs were filling in the forward windscreen with fibreglass panelling and reshaping the cabinetry in the master cabin so it had contemporary curves.

Inside, the boat shines now with its African ash fit-out, coffee-coloured leather lounges, and clean white headliners.

A new entertainment centre was created on the starboard side of the saloon, complete with wetbar and icemaker, while 100 percent wool carpet was laid down last of all.

Ronald is amazed, to say the least, that his refurbished boat has absolutely no creaks when travelling at sea. All the joinery, in other words, is set firm and the boat doesn't feel like it has been fabricated or put back together. In fact, at sea it feels more like a steel ship.

As the owner of a long list of boats, Ronald has some firm ideas about what works and what doesn't. Many of the smart touches on the big Cresta you won't find standard or even on the options list of production boatbuilders.

The new galley highlights some of the smart thinking, with hard-wearing Amtico vinyl flooring, black granite benchtops, huge recessed twin sinks and amenities ranging from a massive amount of storage for holding long-range stores to a Miele dishwasher, four-burner hob, convection microwave and fan-forced oven.

Yet the biggest giveaway that this is a serious liveaboard fishing boat comes via the refrigeration. There is a top-loading freezer in the granite benchtop, a giant eutectic fridge set in the blanked out windscreen, a separate 240V fridge for fruit and vegies - they live longer out of the eutectic - and a second day-freezer near the companionway leading down to the accommodation.

LEASE PAYMENTS
The interior fit-out swallowed 80 percent of the money - time and effort which has gone into giving the Cresta a new lease on life. Inside, the boat is contemporary, light, cheerful; not at all like a 65-footer fitted out 12 years ago in teak.

A big African ash-handrail leads down to a guest or crew cabin to starboard, with a three-quarter double and a bunk over the top. There is the master guest's cabin to port, with a queen-sized bed, and a forepeak owner's cabin with a king bed.

All the cabins are lined with ash and feature ash-veneered cupboards, plus separate air-conditioning controls. The owners also have a flat-screen television and the ensuite mirrors the second bathroom. The original Travertine vanities were kept, but a new stone floor laid down.

The Headhunter loos from the US are the best money can buy, says Deane, and the shower stalls are homelike, with original extractor fans and opening portholes.

But the piece de resistance is this boat's engineering. A walk-in plant room, complete with work bench, grinder, vice, separate Miele washer and dryer and a giant toolbox on the wall, is Ronald's second home. On the wall is a whiteboard calender with jobs-to-do scrawled down one side.

The diesel mechanic says he did a lot of the re-engineering himself and that he knew exactly what he wanted. He admits he may have gone overboard, though, when he replaced every skin fitting, all the strainers, hoses and pumps, adding five new Crusair AC units, a 160lt/h Dolphin watermaker, water and air-cooled eutectic units, plus rewiring the boat.

Amazingly, the twin Detroits were resprayed in-situ. The two 16kVa Onan gensets needed major overhauls, but the hull - as with all Crestas - was rock solid and completely overbuilt. When you walk between the engines in the stand-up engine room, the deck feels like rock. The boat displaces 38,000kg and, like all classics suitable for refurbishment, it has been built to last.

FISHING EXTRAS
Ronald added electronic ZF gearshifts and auto oil change and fire suppression systems. There is also a Gerni high-pressure water jet unit for easy and thorough at-anchor cleaning of the boat.

Up top, the bridge was equipped with Raymarine electronics, a CDMA cellphone, leather-clad Tailored Marine Navigator all-stainless helm chairs, new walnut wheel and a skipper's centre comprising sink, cutlery drawers and 240V power to run a toaster.

The hardtop, with sliding windows and no clears, is something you soon get used to, he says. The dash, with reverse-cycle air-conditioning inside, was re-upholstered in black vinyl. Inside, there are twin lounges that convert to double beds for sleeping the skipper at-anchor, plus rod storage underneath.

Once hooked up, the skipper switches control to the new aft station on the bridge overhang, overlooking the cockpit, where he maintains control via gearshifts and autopilot steering. The bridge overhang is big enough for four people and has an icebox for refreshments.

The stainless tower was fashioned by local fabricators in Taree, with the assistance of professional gameboat skipper, George Williams. It harbours a Furuno sounder, Navman GPS, HF, VHF, autopilot and Twin Disc controls.

From the tower or bridge, or even down at waterlevel, this boat's cockpit looks huge. Unlike a lot of boats, the cockpit is low to the water, making for easier tag and release. New teak coamings add to wireman and angler comfort.

Come test day, the gamechair was disassembled and kept under the owner's bed. In its place was a cockpit table, which points to the ease with which this boat can be converted from fishing to cruising wagon.

There is a bait freezer that is adequate, but Ronald plans to ad another freezer in the bridge. Tailored Marine rodholders and downrigger spigots were fitted to the coamings. The boat has tackle drawers, a new deckwash system, gaff and tagpole storage and lots of room in the lazarette, with a hydraulic lift hatch.

You pass big Reelax outriggers on the way to the foredeck, which is equipped with a Whaler-type tender with 30hp outboard - perfect for popping into Lizard Island from the anchorage. The stainless bowrail has been altered to give it more rake back aft and improve the Cresta's profile. Still, the boat travels like a mini ship rather than a flighty sportfisher.

DRIVE TIME
After the six-month refit, Ronald took his Cresta 65 to Cairns and the Kennedy River at Princess Charlotte Bay this past heavy tackle season. Fully-laden, the boat carries 6000lt of fuel and 1500lt of water, plus the output of the desalinator.

The twin 652kW Detroits are proving very reliable.

The big Cresta uses around 200lt/h at cruise speeds of 19-20kt at 1800-1850rpm, which equates to 27 hours safe running. Flat-strap, it will do 26kt fully laden.

The Cresta is a real battlewagon at sea - a little ship that goes through anything and feels rock solid. The boat's big keel keeps it even and well-trimmed. With so much boat sitting in the water, it is easy to berth. Ronald doesn't need a bowthruster - just his wife or one deckie to throw the sternline.

It backs up like... Well, a big 65-footer. But the Whodeane crew has already tagged an 800-pounder off Number 10 Ribbon and let three blacks go in one day last season.

"It's been an interesting exercise and a lot of fun. At the end of the day, I have something I want; something with which I know where everything is, a big comfortable boat that can be handled by just two people," says Ronald, who is making plans to take his classic Cresta 65 a little further afield this year. How much further? The Solomon Islands look nice...

Classics Reborn

You don't need to spend a whole inheritance to get the basis for a great gamefishing boat. Classics are available from 26ft and can cost under $A50,000. Battle-ready, repowered, and with the latest electronics, you can hit the tournament circuit after spending less than $A100,000.

Here are a few examples of some of the classic gameboats that have been, or are in the throes of being refurbished. They range from 26-40ft.

Savage spender
One of my favourite reborn classics is the Savage 26 Gambit, a Sydney boat put back into service by Sydney GFC stalwart, Bob Danckert. Only 13 Savage 26s were built with single diesel motors, predominantly Perkins, which gave around 16kt top-end speed.

A neat little flybridge boat, Gambit was bought for around $30,000 and repowered with a Caterpillar 3116TA. The 26-footer now runs to 31kt. The new motor, new electrical systems and transom door cost around $40,000.

All-up, it owed Danckert around $80,000. But he had a reliable 26-footer that could fish miles out to sea.

The Savage 26 was heavily built in fibreglass and remains a solid platform on which to stage a refurb. While they may be old, they are strong.

In this size range also think about a Bertram 25 (costing as little as $25,000), a Caribbean 26 (around $60,000) or Blackfin 26, which sell for around $50,000. The Randell 26, a nice, high-sided, deep-vee boat, sells for around $40,000 and there are certainly some tidy renovated examples about.

A rose by any name
One of the most popular gameboats, and still high on today's wishlist, Bertram or Caribbean 28s can be bought for as little as $60,000 second-hand. Utilising a deep-vee Raymond C Hunt hull, the 28 is a great boat into a headsea, though not the most stable hull at rest or while trolling beam-on.

There were both shaft-driven and sterndrive models of the 28.

A shaft-driven Bertram 28 lends itself to repowering using Yanmar's compact 230hp turbodiesel four-cylinder. A lot of 28 owners have gone down this track.

A repower and refurb may cost in excess of $100,000. While rebuilt boats can sell for up to $150,000, don't expect to come out ahead dollar-wise. But you will end with a cracking sportsfisher.

Other 28s to consider include the Savage 28 Sportsfisherman or Flybridge cruiser, fitted with either twin Chrysler petrol motors or a single Cat diesel, if you're lucky. They are strong boats and well-priced at around $60,000.

Thirty something
Perhaps the most enduring, practical and potential-filled Aussie classic, the Cresta 32 (also branded a Steber 32) has carried gameboat skippers and their crews to sea and back home again for decades. Fitted with Caterpillar V-eights, the Cresta 32 will cruise all day at 19kt.

You can buy the Cresta/Steber 32s for well under $100,000 with twin petrol Chrysler motors or Perkins diesels. A good Cresta 32 with diesels might cost $80,000 and just under $100,000 in survey.

A skipper/owner working on a refurb, Perry James from Lake Macquarie GFC, bought a Cresta 32 in April and plans to refurbish it in time for next season. He spent just $43,000 for the basic boat with Perkins diesels, plans to rewire for $5000-$6000, and might two-pack paint the interior, while leaving the teak intact.

"The beauty of this boat is that for a full day fishing on the Canyons it cost me just $200. It's an excellent seaboat; not fast, but extremely comfortable. And it's a good family boat, especially after we redo the galley and bathroom, which might cost another $10,000," says Perry.

Other classic 30-something footers that lend themselves to offshore work include the Randell 32 and 34 (around $50,000-$75,000), Vindex 34 (around $50,000), Griffin 30, Masters or Aquarius 35 (around $100,000), and the 33-foot Savage flybridge.

Of course, the Caribbean or Bertram 35 is an all-time classic. Early models can be bought for as low as $130,000 with twin 235hp Volvos or even as low as $80,000 with petrol motors. The 35-footer lends itself to repowering with a set of 330hp Cummins or 350hp Yanmars. Count on spending up to $120,000-$140,000 on a repower and comprehensive refurb. Again the end result will be a gem.