Crestliner 1600 Super Hawk

This is the first of three new plate-aluminium bowrider/tournament fishing boats, marketed through Berowra Waters Wholesales (Avante Marine), now available in Australia. They come with a lifetime hull warranty and a three-year bow-to-stern coverage for the original owner.

Crestliner has been building boats in the US for more than 65 years. It started building timber boats in 1946, then progressed to fibreglass, before taking on plate boats in 1965. And it was in plate-aluminium boats that the company found its niche.

It’s also a credit to the company that it has never been content with the status quo and continues to strive to improve its products, service and ultimately the consumer experience.

The Crestline 1600 Super Hawk is an extremely versatile boat, in fact, I’d call it a 'Transformer', because at first glance it’s a beamy family bowrider, but on closer inspection it’s a well-decked out tournament fishing boat that has all the features needed by pro anglers at a price that will even keep the bank manager happy.

These boats also feature structurally-engineered extruded gunnels, which add strength and functionality to the hull and free up interior space. But the biggest plus is the hull’s excellent freeboard. This gives parents peace of mind when the kids are onboard during tight turns and anglers something to brace against when fighting big fish. Below the floor is an intricate welded stringer system, which also increases the strength and rigidity of the hull.

Ride quality and time to plane are greatly enhanced by the hull’s reverse-chine design, which deflects spray down and away from the boat in choppy conditions. 

The boat also features a variable-deadrise hull, 17 degrees at the stern and 35 degrees at the bow, which delivers an excellent soft ride over choppy water and helps the hull plane quickly.

All surfaces are either carpeted, or finished with a non-slip, spray-on coating, even those not clearly visible inside lockers and under hatches – the overall finish of these boats is excellent.  The hull was finished with a super-smooth blue paint job, which gave it another “tick in the box” in the looks department.

The split, walk-thru windscreen also warrants a mention, because it’s unique in the market place. Supplied by renowned glass maker Taylor Glass, the opening screen is quite high, so it offers good protection from the slipstream, its frame is strong enough to be used as a grab rail and the glass is curved at the sides, so there’s no joins to inhibit the driver’s field of view.

The bowrider cockpit features two fold-down seats, which, when folded, create the forward casting platform.  The US version of the 1600 Super Hawk has provision for a bow-mounted electric motor, while the Australian model features an anchor locker, bowsprit and roller.

Like all American imports, the Super Hawk 1600 has plenty of cup holders and while we Aussies joke about this quirk, they do come in handy as a place to quickly store sinkers and lures.

The driving position also gets a tick in the box, because all-around visibility is excellent, the gauges behind the helm are clearly visible and the high, curved screen is a real winner. The 1600 also comes with a Lowrance mono sounder as standard.

With a fuel capacity of 75 litres, the 60hp Merc gives this rig long legs, and even when fitted with a maximum 90hp outboard, she’s still no slouch in the fuel consumption stakes.

Performance-wise, she delivered an excellent soft ride and her wide beam ensured good stability at rest. With one person onboard, and trimmed well out, the 1600 Super Hawk effortlessly topped 38mph -- I’d love to see what she’d do with a 90hp on her tail.

Anyone in the market for a top-of-the-line barra/bream/bass boat should take a look at the new Crestliner range. They represent excellent value for money, have all the options fitted as standard and their performance is extremely good. I maybe a great lover of the 'Aussie tinnie', but when I looked at the Crestliner 1600 Super Hawk, I had to give her the credit she deserves. With a price tag of only $30,990, I am sure this boat will soon on top of the Aussie bestseller list!