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The Crestliner Rally 1650 is a compact bowrider built in welded and pressed marine-grade aluminium by Crestliner of United States, a builder trading since 1946. On our measurements it works out at roughly 16 ft 6 in (5.03 m) of hull with a beam near 7 ft 2 in (2.19 m), which places it squarely in the trailerable family bowrider class: one vehicle, one trailer, one afternoon of prep, and the boat is in the water. Heavy-gauge welded aluminium runabouts and bowriders built for hard freshwater use.
Layout is classic bowrider and that is the whole point of the boat. Twin lounges run forward of the windscreen with a walk-through to the anchor well, the helm and companion seats sit amidships behind a wrap screen, and a full-width lounge spans the transom for sunbathing and socialising. Around 8 people fit aboard comfortably in sheltered water. Cushions lift out, backrests fold and filler pads convert the cockpit from a conversation pit into one long sun bed in a couple of minutes.
The ride is what most owners talk about first. Deadrise through the forward sections knocks the top off bay chop, the running surface aft keeps the boat stable at rest, and the hull sits level when six people crowd one side to watch a skier. Inside the bay it feels planted and predictable, which is exactly what a family boat needs.
Power is a 90-135 hp four-stroke outboard package, and that suits both the hull and the way these boats are used. Keeping the machinery outside the hull frees up stern storage, simplifies servicing and removes the bellows and gimbal wear items that punish neglected stern drive boats. It also lifts the swim platform clear of the exhaust.
Watersports are well covered. A tow point is standard on almost every boat in this class, and Crestliner owners regularly add a pylon or a folding tower for wakeboarding. A modest outboard package pulls a slalom skier out of the water cleanly and tows children on an inflatable biscuit all day without protest. Skis, ropes and vests live in the under-floor and under-seat lockers so nothing sits underfoot while the boat is loaded.
Fishing is the quiet strength of this hull. Pull the bow cushions and the forward lounge becomes an open casting platform with clear access all the way around the bow, and the rear lounge lifts out to open up the transom and side gunwales. Ten minutes of work turns the family boat into a genuinely capable fishing boat, and ten minutes the other way turns it back again before anyone gets home.
Build and finish sit where you would expect for a mid range boat from United States. Crestliner builds some of the heaviest-gauge aluminium hulls in the American market, using a one-piece welded design with a full-length extruded keel that resists the oil-canning and flex of lighter pressed alloy boats. The result is a bowrider that feels solid underfoot and takes rocky ramps, log strikes and winter storage without complaint. The Vision and Rally series carry conventional bowrider layouts — padded bow seating with removable cushions for casting, walk-through screen, swivel helm chairs and a rear bench over dry storage — while retaining the fishing utility that Crestliner's freshwater buyers demand, including livewells and rod storage on some models. Mercury outboard power is standard, keeping weight aft manageable and maintenance simple. Crestliner's strength is durability rather than luxury: interiors are practical, and the boats are designed to be hosed out. For families who fish as much as they cruise and want a hull that will still be sound in twenty-five years, Crestliner is a compelling aluminium option.
Options worth having on the Rally 1650 are the practical ones: a bimini for shade, a decent bow and cockpit cover so the upholstery survives being stored outside, an upgraded sounder if you fish, and a stereo package that can be heard over the engine. Aluminium hulls also reward a good trailer with proper skids, because the plating marks more easily than fibreglass on a poorly set-up trailer.
As a used buy, check the same things you would on any bowrider in this size band: transom firmness, stringer and floor soundness, hours and service history on the engine, steering and trim function, and the state of the upholstery seams, which are the first thing to fail on a boat that lives uncovered. Boats from this builder hold their money well, so a tidy example will not be cheap, and that is usually a sign you are buying the right one.
Our price guide for the Rally 1650 is US$33,000 - US$43,000 new, which moves with engine choice, trailer, tower and how recently the boat was refreshed. Judged as a whole, it does what people buy a bowrider for: cruise, tow, swim, fish and entertain in one boat, without asking the family to compromise on any of them. Crestliner has been refining that formula since 1946, and the Rally 1650 is a straightforward, well-judged expression of it.
The world's best selling bowrider size, Light, simple and easy to tow.
US$38,000 - US$52,000 new
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Featured Boat of the Week
This week we are putting the Bayliner Bayliner DX2000 in the spotlight, and it earns the spot. At 20 ft 2 in (6.16 m) long on a 8 ft (2.44 m) beam, this is a bowrider that reads the water well and still feels roomy enough for a full day out. A 20-foot deck-boat-width bowrider with outboard power and a huge social cockpit. Power comes from 115-150 hp mercury fourstroke outboard through a outboard package, and the fibreglass hull keeps the ride settled when the afternoon breeze puts a chop on the surface.
Seating is rated for 8 people, so there is space for family, friends, towels, eskies and the tow rope without anyone climbing over gear. Owners tend to buy it for family, water ski, leisure — which is exactly where it shines. Fuel is 30 us gal (114 l), and on the second-hand and new market you should expect to land somewhere around US$42,000 - US$58,000 new depending on hours, trailer and options.
Our full deep dive covers the layout in detail: bow lounge comfort, helm ergonomics, the rear entertaining area, storage that actually swallows a weekend, plus standard features, popular options and honest notes on where the boat compromises. If the Bayliner DX2000 is on your shortlist, start there — and check back next week, because the featured boat changes every week as we complete more full model reviews.
Featured Bowrider Article
Engines & Drives
Fuel is usually the biggest running cost of a bowrider, and it is also the one you control most directly. Two identical boats can differ by forty per cent in consumption depending on how they are propped, trimmed, loaded and driven. A 4.8-5.2 m bowrider with a 90-115 hp four-stroke uses roughly 10-18 litres per hour at cruise. A 5.5-6.2 m boat with 150-200 hp uses about 18-30 litres per hour. A 7 m-plus boat with 250-350 hp typically uses 30-55 litres per hour, and twin-engine boats more again. The useful measure is litres per nautical mile rather than per hour, because it accounts for speed. Most bowriders find their best efficiency just above planing speed, commonly in the 18-25 knot range at 3,500-4,000 rpm, where the hull is fully supported but not fighting drag. Below planing speed a hull drags a large wake behind it and burns fuel inefficiently. Once on the plane, consumption per mile drops sharply, then rises again as speed climbs because drag increases rapidly. Wide-open throttle can easily double consumption for a twenty per cent speed gain. Finding your boat's efficiency window is a fifteen-minute exercise. Run at increasing rpm, note speed and fuel flow, and calculate litres per mile…
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