# Crestliner 1650 Fish Hawk SC Restoration - In Progress



## thill (Jul 6, 2018)

About to start another boat restoration. I got this boat from a neighbor. He had two, and stripped this boat to put the best parts on his rig. So he took all the good parts - hatches, covers, seat bases, the galvanized trailer, etc. I got it cheap, so I'm not complaining.

Anyway, looking at the boat, I think I'll have to:

1. Gut anything screwed down out of the boat
2. Strip out the old carpet
3. Clean and vacuum everything out
4. Drain & clean the fuel tank, and replace all hoses
5. Fabricate or buy any missing parts and install before/after carpet
6. Wrap everything in new carpet
7. Install a 50-70 HP Johnson/Evinrude outboard, since controls are already there
8. Sand down flaking paint / corrosion spots and prime with aluminum primer
9. Either spot paint (if I can find factory paint) or fully paint the hull. 
10. Make sure everything works - Gauges, horn, livewell and bilge pumps, etc - replace as needed
11. Add options, such as stereo, fishfinder, GPS, lighting, etc.
12. Fabricate a windshield?

Fee free to comment or make suggestions. I will try to take pictures this time!

-Tony


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## thill (Jul 6, 2018)

Day 1 - Demo day!

Had a few minutes this morning, so decided to demo the Crestliner. Started unscrewing panels and hatches, and discovered that whoever replaced the carpet did not put nearly enough screws back. A huge panel would have maybe 2 screws in it, and nothing more. I bet the whole boat jumped when they hit a wake!

That being said, the demo went quickly, and I am pleased at what I have found beneath. Overall, the boat is in good condition. The floatation foam under the floor and in various compartments is clean and unbroken. No sign of being waterlogged, but judging by how light this boat is, I expected that. 




I had wondered why there were no livewells, but upon removing the upper decks, I found two hidden under the plywood! One, a smaller bait well in the back, that looks to be in good operational condition:




The other is a large fish livewell just forward of center. The rear well looks good, but the front livewell has a pretty damaged drain hose. Not sure what caused it, but the top of the hose has been cut or rubbed away, or maybe chewed out by mice, as there was a big mouse nest in the middle of the boat. That size hole would cause an enormous amount of water to end up in the hull, so I understand why they closed it off. Fortunately, I have some 2" overflow line, so I will soon have it back in action.




The upper deck wood is not rotten, but it is damp and starting to delaminate, so I plan to replace it. It was not cut properly anyway. The back deck wood is similar. A few of the panels and hatches, I can re-use. The floor plywood seems to be in decent shape. I plan to re-use it, as long as it doesn't warp up when I pull it out of the boat.

So far, everything is about par for the course, for a 20-year old boat. Should be a fairly simple restoration.


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## Scrapper (Jul 6, 2018)

Will this be a restoration to original, or will you be changing layout? Looks like a great base to do whatever you want with. Will be watching this one.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## thill (Jul 6, 2018)

I'm planning to bring it back to the original layout, including the livewells.


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## thill (Jul 19, 2018)

Work has been getting in the way, but got a little time to work on the Crestliner yesterday evening and this evening, and made some good progress.

Using 5/8" plywood, like the original, I decided to re-build the front deck. The last person to work on it had not done a good job. The previous hatches had been made from wood, and were severely warped and rotten. I had some hatches salvaged from boats of the past, and it turns out that two of them were about the right size, and would work with the judicious use of an angle grinder to "thin" them out to work with the 5/8" deck.

Once I got them to the size I wanted, I wrapped them in the new carpet, so I could determine the cutout sizes.

Because of the different size, I had to build aluminum supports for the hatches, so they would be fully supported. Sorry, I forgot to take pictures of this process, but it went wrllThen, I cut everything out and dry fit it. So far, so good...







-TH


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## thill (Jul 19, 2018)

You may notice that the "big" livewell doesn't have a cutout yet. The reason is because I'm planning to buy a factory hatch for that one. Will post that once I find one and get it ordered.

Today, I also carpeted and re-installed the main floor, using contact cement for the carpet, and then screwing the floor panel down. It went smoothly:






Of course, I treated the wood and let it dry before glue, carpet and installation.

Next, I'll I have to pull the little side decks and decide whether to re-use them or re-make them completely. From what I have seen, they are made from treated plywood and are in good condition. I just need to verify the quality of the cut and make sure they will fit properly with the carpet I'm installing

-TH


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## DaleH (Jul 20, 2018)

Very nice! How’s the transom wood, sound?


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## thill (Jul 20, 2018)

Yes, the transom is solid, fortunately, as was most of the wood in the boat.


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## thill (Jul 24, 2018)

Got a little bit done over the last few days. I discovered the probable reason they just covered the livewell. The 1-1/2" drain hose was badly damaged, so I imagine that every time they used the livewell, the boat filled up with water. Found a leftover piece and replaced it. 
Problem solved.

Then I soaked the new front deck in wood preserver, and got it screwed and glued down. 

We have had a lot of rain this past week, but one afternoon, there was a break in the rain, so I decided to pull the cover off the boat and get some more carpet installed. Got the front deck laid, glued and trimmed, and I'm happy with how it turned out:






In the pic, the hatches look darker because they were wet from a passing shower. But I may also need to flip them around, so the "grain" of the carpet is the same. Funny, how it doesn't look so different in person.

I decided to purchase a factory-made hatch cover for the livewell. Found a 9"x24" on Amazon for $34. You can see the cutout area through the carpet, bottom center. Can't even make a decent one that cheaply. It should be delivered by Friday, and then the front deck area will be 100%.

Now I need to start working on the side panels.

So far, so good...

-TH


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## Doc Arroyo (Jul 26, 2018)

Nice boat. I decided to go open floor tiller, and vinyl when it came time to refit mine.


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## LDUBS (Jul 26, 2018)

Hey, Doc: what lake is that? (if you don't mind saying of course).


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## Doc Arroyo (Jul 27, 2018)

LDUBS said:


> Hey, Doc: what lake is that? (if you don't mind saying of course).



Folsom Lake outside of Sacramento, CA. It is often overcrowded on weekends, and sometimes tough to fish, but it was perfect for a few shakedown cruises after my refit.


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## thill (Jul 27, 2018)

Is that the same boat? It really looks different! No front livewell, and console. 

I bet it's a lot lighter, and needs much less HP to push, besides all the extra room inside.


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## Doc Arroyo (Jul 28, 2018)

thill said:


> Is that the same boat? It really looks different! No front livewell, and console.
> 
> I bet it's a lot lighter, and needs much less HP to push, besides all the extra room inside.



Mine is a 1600 Fish Hawk SC than we bought new in '99. Not sure if it is officially a '98 or a '99. It is a bit shorter than yours. 
It also had a small plywood rod locker, and a weird shelf behind the drivers seat to the back deck. Removing all that cut weight, but I decided on 3/4 instead of the factory 5/8. Lighter, and the center of gravity is lower making it more stable.

I could have cut the HP and saved money, but a 50HP tiller is a gas...


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## thill (Jul 28, 2018)

Doc Arroyo said:


> I could have cut the HP and saved money, but a 50HP tiller is a gas...



I bet it is! I had a 40 tiller, and that thing was a beast. Almost too much power, especially if you hit it when turned hard right or left.

Very cool fishing machine!


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## thill (Aug 8, 2018)

It's been awhile, but finally got a break from the crazy, record-setting rains we have been getting all summer.

Got all the new wood cut, sealed and carpeted. Here is how she looks as of today:


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## gatorglenn (Aug 9, 2018)

Looks good but Iam wondering. How do you sit behind the console? Thanks 


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## thill (Aug 9, 2018)

:LOL2: :LOL2: 

I have to put the seats back in, but I suppose I could use a cooler, if I really wanted to maximize space and storage.

Driver's seat is definitely going back in, but I'm debating putting the other seats back in. You can sit very comfortably across the back and up the port side, so I might skip those, and keep the space. Not sure yet.

-Tony


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## thill (Oct 18, 2018)

Due to storms, rain, sick parents, the boat project stalled, but I got the new seats today, and got them installed. Really comfortable, very happy with them. Exactly like the OEM seats that they replace. Got them online for $79.99 each, shipped, and they are much nicer than the ones locally for double that.

Here are some current pics of the inside of the boat:










I'm now finishing up the details. I got all the switches, lights and gauges working, installed the sonar, am about to install the stereo.

If all goes well, I might even take the boat for it's maiden voyage under my ownership tomorrow afternoon. That will be exciting!

-TH


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## thill (Oct 23, 2018)

Got most everything done on the boat today. Took her out and ran her on the lake for a couple of hours. Ran beautifully.

Here are some pics:







Here is a video of me running her down the lake:

https://youtu.be/ySICPoVzSO8

I still have to install the stereo, and a few other odds and ends, but she is mostly done now.


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## Jake2250 (Oct 23, 2018)

Well, Congrats!! Nothing more satisfying that a completed job!! Video is great!! 
I hope to be there in the spring of next year!! 
Great looking boat!!


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## thill (Nov 9, 2018)

Jake2250 said:


> Well, Congrats!! Nothing more satisfying that a completed job!! Video is great!!
> I hope to be there in the spring of next year!!
> Great looking boat!!



Thanks!

You hope to come to Lake Anna in the spring, or do you hope to be finished with your project boat by the spring?


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## gpm (Nov 26, 2021)

I am considering purchasing an older 1650 fish hawk. Do you know what the deadrise is on your fish hawk?

Jerry


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