Cresta 65, “Whodeane”

Australian-made game boats with a timeless quality include the original, Cresta.  A lot of classic battlewagons and sports fishers are given a new lease of life.

Avid big-boater, Ronald Deane from Foster was a boat renovator who has a passion for making old classics new again.  Ronald had long admired the Cresta 65 and bought one in June 2000 with refurbishment in mind 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 it might look a little dated outside, inside is another world again. The big Cresta underwent an on-water refit.

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

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.  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 handles by just two people.

Extract from David Lockwood article in Blue Water Magazine.