Crestliner 1850 Canadian

By Capt. Bob Smith

Crestliner released several new models at the company’s rally on Table Rock Lake in Branson, MO this year. This versatile boat is just as happy as a camp boat up on a frozen lake in Canada as it is chasing crappie and catfish on a sultry lake in south Georgia. Complete with deep interiors and high protective windshield, she has quickly become a popular boat in many fishing crowds.

Bow Features

The entire interior of the Canadian 1850 is coated with Crestliner’s special vinyl-coating that helps to insulate the boat and dampen noise. This coating also makes clean-up fast and simple. Our test boat came equipped with the optional bow and cockpit railings that are popular with families and crabbing crews. Under the gunwales in front, this model has cargo netting to keep the rain gear and life jackets handy. Over on the port side, the 1850 has a folding stern light stored behind the cargo netting in clips so you know exactly where to find it. The bow light stores in clips in a bow storage space located behind a snap cover in the peak. The large platform offers good working space with four large lockers for gear and batteries for the trolling motor. The center locker has two lids separated by a powder-coated seat base for one of the custom Concept DX casting pedestal chairs. A handy flip-down cup holder is mounted on the front of the companion dash for the person fishing from the front deck.

In the Cockpit

Moving to from the bow to the cockpit the high, protective framed windshield has a large center walk-through. The cockpit is another great place to work fish, nets and pots from the cockpit with its high 27” depth walls. The vinyl flooring has aggressive grip, so you don’t have to walk around gingerly when the floor gets wet. In fact, when it gets sloppy, flip on the raw water wash-down mounted at the back of the cockpit and give her a quick rinse. Rods up to 10’ feel long can fit into the six rod rack on the port side of the cockpit. The companion dash has a large divided glove box in the top and cargo netting underneath for added storage.

At the Wheel

The raised helm allows the driver plenty of leg room. The standard Crestliner dash has a three-spoke wheel with a cup holder over on the left side and analog gauges above the wheel for a clear view, while some of the smaller gauges are mounted behind the wheel and a little harder to see, and to the right is a standard Lowrance X50-DS depth finder. The rocker switches are at your fingertips along with a 12volt socket for portable equipment or to charge you cell phone. You can store you phone and your wallet in the slash pocket on the front of the dash located just below the switches. Crestliner has taken advantage of the space below the helm with more cargo netting storage.

The aft deck has dry storage on either side with toe kick space under the lip which gives you leverage when working with nets or hauling back on a big fish. The cranking battery is behind a snap cover in the center and just over this cover is a small tray with a drinkholder on either side.

Specifications

The 1850 Canadian measures 18’2” length overall with a beam width of 95”. She weighs 1500 lbs without engine and can carry up to 7 people or 1,625 lbs of people and gear. She has a fuel capacity of 39 gallons and can handle up to 175-hp outboard engines.

Performance & Handling

Our test boat was powered with a 115-hp Mercury EFI four-stroke engine that delivered excellent performance and handling. We pounded through the rough waves without taking a bath. In fact, I rarely got sprayed even in the worst of the chop. She was on plane in 3.8 seconds and up to 30 mph in 10.2 seconds. Turning 3000 rpm at an 18.1 mph cruise speed the Canadian 1850 can cruise a range of 259 miles on a full tank of fuel. Her maximum speed was 38.1 mph still delivering an economical 144 miles on a full tank.

The 1850 Canadian is a versatile rig with the power and features you can use for just almost any kind of boating.

• Top speed for the Crestliner Canadian 1850 (2007-) is 38.1 mph (61.3 kph), burning 9.3 gallons per hour (gph) or 35.2 liters per hour (lph).


• Best cruise for the Crestliner Canadian 1850 (2007-) is 18.1 mph (29.1 kph), and the boat gets 7.37 miles per gallon (mpg) or 3.13 kilometers per liter (kpl), giving the boat a cruising range of 259 miles (416.82 kilometers).


• Tested power is 1 x 115-hp Mercury EFI.