1958 Crestliner Voyager
Bob Severson's 1958 Crestliner Voyager combines nostalgia and beauty to create new memories in an old family tradition.
September 1, 2005
It was so simple. Each cabin at the lake's edge had its own cedar strip fishing boat carefully
lined up at the beach. The mom-and-pop resorts that were so prevalent during the '50s and '60s had
a concept that was easy to follow. You came for the lake, and with the lake came boating. Vacations
were a family affair.
For Bob Severson, the stay at the resort didn't come just one week at a time. His father Bud
had bought the Minnesota resort in 1961. For Bob the resort was just another part of everyday life.
' We had a couple of outboard motors,' he says, 'a 1947 Champion Blue Streak that had come
with the resort, and Grandpa's classic green 1948 Johnson 5 hp. I still have them both. In fact, it
was when I came across the Champion and decided to get it running that I started collecting old
outboards in earnest.'
While doing the usual
parts search for the Champion, Bob came in contact with the Antique Outboard Motor Club. There he
found hundreds of others with the same interest. They not only helped him find the parts that he
needed, but spurred his interest in collecting the rare and obscure outboard motors that are now a
part of his vast collection.
He was on a trip to Iowa and, as usual, had looked in his AOMC directory and found another
member in Waterloo. Always ready to talk motors, Bob made a visit to this Iowa garage. The stop
produced more than just shoptalk. While in conversation discussing the relative merits of Elto
Quads and Evinrude Zephyrs, Bob looked out the window and spotted a small silver and red boat in
the yard. He went out and found that it was a Crestliner.
'It was a 1958 Crestliner Voyager 14,' states Bob. 'It had a 1958 Johnson electric start 35
hp on it, and its original Gator trailer. The whole package was there, just like it was when it was
bought new. We put it in the water for a quick demo run, and I made an offer on the spot.'
Bob's newest acquisition was built at the Crestliner plant in Little Falls, Minnesota.
Crestliner was formed in 1946 through a collaboration of Paul Larson and a group of Little Falls
businessmen. They built aluminum versions of the wood boats that Paul Larson had become famous for.
This new venture was kept completely separate from Larson Boat Works. Although Paul Larson
designed the boats and was a director of this new project, the two companies shared little else.
The company was called Larson Watercraft Inc., and a new factory was built on the banks of the
Mississippi River.
Controlling interest in the new company was sold to Loiel Ryan Sr. in the early '50s. The
Crestliner name first appeared in 1954 as the new owners began to separate the identity of the new
company from Larson Boat Works. In 1955 Crestliner added the Voyager line of runabouts in 15- and
18-foot lengths that were available in either convertible or hardtop mode. The Voyager 14 was added
in 1958, bringing a smaller, sportier package to the line.
'What I really love about this boat,' says Bob, 'is that it's so light. It's easy to load and
launch, and I can handle it by myself. I also like the ride. It's only a 14-footer though; it's not
a rough-water boat. On smooth water it handles like a dream.'
'I have about a dozen motors that I can run on the Crestliner,' says Bob. 'My favorite is a
1958 Evinrude Starflite V-4 50 hp. It's got a tremendous amount of power, and the colors match the
boat perfectly. This OMC engine is super-dependable, and best of all, it's the same year as the
boat.'
'The Crestliner has become a part of the family,' adds Bob. 'Other boats come and go, but the
Voyager stays. It really gets a lot of use.'
It all goes back to his days at the resort, being on the water and enjoying every minute of
it.