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Guide to used Cruise Craft boats

Cruise Craft boats are among the best-loved and most recognised fibreglass boats in Australia. The company has been making fibreglass boats since the 1960s and over the decades, dozens of boats have come and gone. Here are some of the most sought after classic (i.e. used) Cruise Craft boats that appear on the market.

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8 CLASSIC / USED CRUISE CRAFT BOATS

Cruise craft ­reef finder 533.

One of Australia’s favorites, the Cruise Craft Reef Finder 533 was a revolution in cuddy-cabin design and construction. It’s fair to say there were softer-riding boats on the market at the time, but the Reef Finder hit the mark with its combination of freeboard, deck room, cuddy layout and general fishability. It was easily towed by a family vehicle and it had enough room for the whole family. This was one of the first smooth-sided Cruise Craft hulls, and it provided a terrific combination of features. Cruise Craft Reef Finder boats are still highly sought after on the used boat market, and there are some magnificent specimens both in original and restored condition.

Whilst the recommended horsepower range was specified at 70-150hp, the greater majority were fitted with 115 or 120hp OMC V4s or 135hp Mercury V6s outboard motors. Hulls were produced from 1987 to 1994.

Cruise Craft Rogue

Cruise Craft made no less than 1534 examples of the Rogue. When introduced in 1970, the Cruise Craft Rogue 14 was the boat for every man in the emerging fibreglass market. It sounds silly now, but back then you could buy a complete Rogue 14 fitted with a Johnson / Evinrude high compression 55hp outboard (commonly known as a “hand grenade”) as a complete tow-away package for under $4000. This was a booming time where everyone wanted one of the new “plastic fantastic” boats, and the Rogue fitted the bill. It was considered a family fish / ski runabout; plenty of people learnt to waterski behind one.

Today there are still countless Cruise Craft Rogue boats fishing every day around the country. The Rogue was one of the first clinker-sided, flared-bow, wide-beamed fibreglass Cruise Crafts and it was considered a “bluewater” hull in its day. Most old salts around Australia would agree the Cruise Craft Rogue is an Aussie boating icon.

The Recommended horsepower range was from 33-75hp. They were commonly fitted with Johnson / Evinrude 40, 50, 55 and 70hp outboards. Production started in 1970 and ceased in 1978.

Cruise Craft ­Reef Raider 166

The Cruise Craft Reef Raider 166 is a no-nonsense, fishing cuddy-cabin with a tough-as-nails hull. Its sistership, the Cruise Craft Raider 166 runabout, uses the same hull. Both earned a strong reputation in the Australian boating market. We know of a Cruise Craft 166 Reef Raider that was rammed amidships by a 35ft yacht and was then involved in a tail-end road accident, and it still performed day after day. They offer plenty of room, a ton of stability and very good seakeeping abilities for their size. The anchoring setup for the runabout was primitive compared to today’s standards.

The Cruise Craft Reef Raider was one of the first fish-and-dive-oriented cuddy-cabs and it was commonly doing battle with the other Queensland-built cuddy-cabs from rival Seafarer, namely the V-Sea and Viking.

The recommended outboard motor horsepower range was from 70-115hp and they carried the weight of the big old straight-six Mercury engines quite well. Hulls were produced from 1972 to 1980 (Raider) and 1974 to 1984 (Reef Raider).

Cruise Craft 580D

The Cruise Craft 580D was a 5.8m (19ft) displacement half-cabin fitted with a fuel-efficient diesel engine. They’re still popular on the big estuaries of the Georges River, Sydney Harbour and Pittwater, as well as on the estuaries of south-east Queensland. They were particularly popular during the fuel crises of the early ’80s. The Cruise Craft 580Ds were true overnighters with an enclosed cabin with galley, head and folding tables. They typically had a massive top speed of around 13kmh, and were commonly fitted with the 13hp twin-cylinder Volvo Penta diesel and shaftdrive.

Cruise Craft built 84 of the 850D packages between 1980 and 1987 and was presented with the ABIA Boat Of The Year Award by Sir James Hardy in 1980. We found Kevin’s thoughts on the 580D quite fitting: “The 580D owners spent very little on fuel but plenty on alcohol, so the overall economy wasn’t great!”

• Check out the definitive Cruise Craft 580D buyer's guide .

Cruise Craft Stinger 506

When it comes to 5m runabouts, the Cruise Craft 506 Stinger really hit the spot. You just can’t miss its distinctive styling, with crisp clear lines and the traditional Cruise Craft beamy hull with flared bow. The 506 hull was also used for the Tiara low-profile half-cabin, the Regal half-cabin, and the Charger bowrider. The Cruise Craft 506 Stinger is one of the early smooth-sided hulls and it carries “teak” trim on the bow and stern acting as non-skid. The Stingers were one of the first Cruise Craft runabouts to feature a walkthrough section in the screen and bow, and hence they were quite user friendly. They had a big interior, deluxe back-to-back seating, and they were beautifully trimmed. Used boat dealers still love them as they have such appealing lines and an extremely high quality construction.

Cruise Craft Stinger boats were a very popular family boat as they were easily towed on a single-axle trailer behind an average six-cylinder family vehicle. Stingers were great all-rounders, and rated to a maximum of 150hp they were very desirable watersports packages.

Most were fitted with 90-115hp outboard engines and the hull was manufactured from 1985 to 1990.

Cruise Craft Outsider 580

Whilst later-model Outsiders were much better packages, the Cruise Craft Outsider 580 was one of the first walkaround cabin configurations in the country. We plebs were all envious of the Cruise Craft Fishing Team boats that graced nearly every fishing competition on the east coast in the early ’90s, manned by some great fishing personalities. The Cruise Craft Outsider range turned the corner into fully dedicated sportsfishing packages with a walkaround allowing you to fish 360 degrees around the cabin, or fight that fast-moving pelagic all around the boat. These superb boats were fitted with deluxe stainless-steel-framed seating and toughened glass windscreens, and they came with a huge non-skid deck area, wide coamings with plenty of storage, a moulded livebait tank and bait boxes, built-in tackle boxes and high freeboard. The Outsider 580 was also one of the first models to feature 25in extra-long transoms, a huge improvement for deep-vee boats. This lifted the powerhead a further 5in out of the water compared to the previous 20in long-shaft models, a big advantage when fishing in sloppy conditions with the weight of a few anglers at the stern.

The specified power rating was from 120-185hp and most were fitted with 150hp outboard motors. The hull was manufactured from 1990 to 1995 and was superseded by the Cruise Craft Outsider 550.

Cruise Craft Explorer 570

This author (of which a younger version is shown here) has a real soft spot for the Cruise Craft Explorer 570. I landed my first IGFA gold medal striped marlin in an Explorer 570 in horrendous seas and with an inexperienced crew at Bermagui, NSW, back in 1996. The Explorer was built like the proverbial brick outhouse. Its stylish half-cabin created not only a terrific sea boat, but also a versatile cruiser or family boat that still performed well with as little as a 115hp outboard. As with most half-cabin boats of the day, there was little thought given to the anchoring setup through the cabin hatch. Otherwise, however, the layout was excellent, the ride reasonably soft and smooth. Explorers fill you with confidence, with a big hull footprint for a 5.7m boat.

Their specified horsepower range was from 90-175hp, although most were commonly fitted with OMC’s 140hp V4 engine. A relatively large 150lt fuel tank fed these thirsty carbureted beasts, which were available with a sterndrive option in the deep 22° hull. Hulls were produced from 1980 to 1994.

Cruise Craft ­Hustler 570

When Cruise Craft released the Hustler MkI in 1981 the market exploded for bowriders. Finally, here was a family sports boat that used all of the available hull space. You could accommodate a party of friends or just spread out with the array of seating and lounge options. These were comfortable boats, with thickly-upholstered seats and drop-down back-to-back seats that became sunlounges. However, there was more to the Hustler than just watersports. Being based on the strong and efficient deep-vee 570 hull, she easily converted to a serious rough-water contender. They’ve even been fitted with towers and outriggers for offshore gamefishing action!

Kevin Nichols tells an interesting tale about the Cruise Craft Hustler. It was at the 1981 Adelaide Boat Show where he spotted a pair of feet in brown shoes on the opposite side of his Hustler. It turned out to be Barry Spooner from International Marine / Caribbean, measuring the hull with the palm of his hand. Kevin offered him a tape measure and they both had a good laugh. The Caribbean Calais was born not long after.

Cruise Craft Hustlers were built in MkI and MkII models between 1981 and 1990 and they had a specified horsepower range of between 90-185hp. They went really well with 175hp Johnson Faststrike outbaords motors and Mercury engines. However, they still did okay with the 135hp Mercury or 140hp Johnson / Evinrude outboard motors.

Originally published in TrailerBoat #281, April / May 2012. Why not subscribe today?  

Cruise Craft Explorer 550

Cruise Craft Explorer in great condition new batteries serviced regularly. Great boat only selling due to buying a house. Live bait tank all new safety equipment including flares and eperb heaps of extras. Cruise Craft are one of the best hulls on the market and is in great condition, Motor runs perfect. (Some info on this boat as listed on the web)CRUISE CRAFT EXPLORER 550Factory options fittedWindscreen rail; bait board; cockpit carpet side and transom coamings; Lowrance X85 sounder, GME radio; EPIRB; bilge pump; rocket launcher; canopy Base price (w/115hp) not given HullMaterial: fibreglassType: monoDeadrise (at transom): 20°Length: 5.50mBeam: 2.37mWeight (hull only): 680kgFuel capacity: 160ltMax rated hp: 150hp Engine (as tested)Make/model: Johnson OceanRunnerRated hp: 115hpType: 60° V-four two-strokeDisplacement: 1726ccWeight: 152kg (this one has 130hp) One of the most successful rigs produced by Cruise Craft in Brisbane is its Outsider.

Available in a number of sizes, this centre cab is particularly popular with offshore sportsfishermen. Cruise Craft's new Explorer 500 and 550 are very close cousins, built on the well-proven Outsider's hull. The major difference is the new boats feature a full cuddy cab format thus providing a spacious and comfortable family-friendly layout that nonetheless remains more than suitable for bluewater sportsfishing. The 5.5m-long 550 Explorer falls right at the lower end of the most popular size for 'small' boat gamefishing Down Under. This class of boat and fishing is almost unique to Australia (and New Zealand) and, as an added bonus, yields boats seaworthy yet still a size suitable for one-person launching.

The other benefits these 5.0-6.0m boats offer are reasonable towing weights and relatively economical operation. As an aside, one of the things that I always enjoy about testing Cruise Craft boats is that the whole rig is always ready to go - the engine pre-delivered, the boat fits the trailer properly and the maker has made sure that the whole outfit works right before the boat leaves the yard. With this attention to detail, it should come as no surprise that Cruise Craft boasts a number of Boat of the Year category and overall awards. Though the 550 is rated to 150hp, the testboat's V-four 115hp Johnson was certainly a good match, moving the rig easily onto the plane and accelerating briskly to a top speed of around 70kmh. Bigger engines will no doubt deliver a higher top speed, though there are not too many occasions where you will need it.

Not offshore anyway! Use the motor's midrange and you'll get speeds of around 40kmh - a more comfortable and economical speed at which to travel. With an underfloor fuel capacity of 160lt, your average offshore fishing trip should see you home with adequate fuel still in reserve. However, if you choose to bump the horsepower level, also think of increasing the fuel capacity. The Explorer's deep 20° deadrise (at the transom) delivers a smooth ride.

It's a competent hull, proven (as noted above) in the Outsider range. It's worth noting that even in the uncomfortable chop we encountered during testing, the Explorer could happily maintain 35-40kmh speeds without being thrown about. On 08-May-17 at 08:37:27 AEST, seller added the following information: payment must be made within 3 days of auction ending. Advertised elsewhere i reserve the right to end auction at any time if you wish to view the boat this can be arranged please call phone

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• Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Best of Moscow by high speed train

By shuguley , February 15, 2014 in Regent Seven Seas Cruises

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Sure would appreciate someone who has taken "Best of Moscow by high speed train" from St. Petersburg could please share their impressions of this shore excursion. From the description this sounds like a very long day.

Wondering how the 4 hour train trip was in terms of accommodations, etc. Also what time did you leave the ship and what time at night did you return? Were both legs of the trip on the high speed rail (I read that slower trains also travel the same tracks)?

My wife and I are considering this excursion. We thought that if we are making all the effort to go to Russia then how could we pass up going to Moscow, walking in Red Square, seeing St. Basil, etc.

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If you are considering this on the 2015 June Baltic cruise on Voyager; my suggestion is don't. There is so much to do in St. Petersburg and although a train is one of my favorite ways to travel the time would be far better spent in St. P.

Thanks for the advice. Yes, this would be on the Voyager during the 2015 season but not yet sure exactly which cruise.

We did the Moscow excursion "on a different luxury line", but from your brief description it sounds very much like the same trip, so I will operate on that assumption. It is a VERY long day! We left the ship at 5:30 AM and returned at 12:30 AM. The highspeed train trip is comfortable, and while they call it "Business Class" it does not compare well to the equivalent class on say Rail Europe. When we did it in 2011, we did have highspeed both ways, and the trip back seemed much longer as the adrenaline and excitement had worn off!:D

Moscow itself is not that terribly different from any other big city in the world, but this Cold War kid never thought he would ever stand in Red Square, never mind walk the grounds of The Kremlin, or tour The Kremlin Palace, or see (but not visit) Lenin's Tomb, or visit The Armoury. But he did, and he loved every minute of it! Yes, it is a long day, and you barely scratch a scratch on the surface, but it is worth it. There is a tremendous amount to see in St. Petersburg, but every Baltic cruise goes to St. Petersburg, so you can go back if you choose to. Not every cruiseline offers you the chance to see Moscow.

I have not personally done this tour, but our last time in St Petersburg, the private guide that we hired for a day was leading the regent tour to Moscow on the high speed train the next day. He said it was way better than the previous alternative, which was flying to Moscow and back. He said that you actually got to Moscow faster because you didn't have to deal with airline checkin etc. it did seem like a very long day to me, and there is so much to see and do in st. Petersburg that I didn't consider doing it.

countflorida

We toured to Moscow from St. Petersburg via the hi-speed SAPSAN train last September, from a Baltic cruise on the Oceania Marina. You need to have a two-night, three day port call in St. Petersburg to take this tour because the tour typically leaves the ship around 5:00 - 5:30 AM and doesn't return until after midnight the next day. We didn't take the ship's tour; we made private arrangements with TravelAllRussia for three days of touring, the first and third days in St. Petersburg and the second day the tour to Moscow by train. Our cost for the private tour for three days was about the same as what the ship charged for the excursion to Moscow alone. There are a number of private tour agencies that operate in St. Petersburg and offer the Moscow train tours; we would strongly recommend them over the ship's tours.

All three days had private guides with car and driver. The second day, the driver picked us up at the ship and took us to the train, but we were alone on the train, and met in Moscow by the guide on the station platform. After our tour and dinner, we were brought back to the train and after the return train trip met by the driver and taken back to the ship. Because you are alone on the train you must have your own Russian visas.

If this is your first visit to St. Petersburg, I would agree there is much more to see there. We found Moscow somewhat a disappointment, particularly Red Square. The Kremlin and the cathedral in Red Square were also worth seeing. But the best thing we saw was the Moscow subway! I worked for the Washington Metro system back in the 1980s as it grew from 40 to 80 miles and although I was in the computer area, I learned a lot about the challenges of running a subway system. We used the Moscow system to get across the city from where we had dinner to the train station, and I was amazed at the cleanliness', speed of operation, the short headways maintained, and the courtesy of everyone involved. A very impressive experience!

We had been to St. Petersburg before, and so had the time to take a day and go to Moscow. Also, I really like trains, and the SAPSAN is a German train set running on Russian rails. Seats are like first class domestic air, spacious but not too plush or comfortable, but with enough room. Not too much recline, and almost 8 hours on the train in two shots is a lot for an old man. They come through and sell drinks, candy, etc. but the sellers don't speak English and no one around us helped, so we had just poor coffee once coming, and brought stuff with us for the trip back. Not too much to see from the train either, particularly on the return when it is night the whole way.

If you decide to go, take a private tour and avoid the overly expensive ship's tour. I'm glad we did it, but wouldn't bother to repeat the tour; we've seen Moscow.

Thanks so much to all of you for the thorough and thought insight. Yhe information you have provided is most helpful.

countflorida: Your detailed post is very helpful. We are not quite ready for a Baltic cruise but should do so within a year. Time enough to do our pre travel research, bookings and visa gathering.:) Thank you!

Emperor Norton

Sure would appreciate someone who has taken "Best of Moscow by high speed train" from St. Petersburg could please share their impressions of this shore excursion. From the description this sounds like a very long day.   Wondering how the 4 hour train trip was in terms of accommodations, etc. Also what time did you leave the ship and what time at night did you return? Were both legs of the trip on the high speed rail (I read that slower trains also travel the same tracks)?   My wife and I are considering this excursion. We thought that if we are making all the effort to go to Russia then how could we pass up going to Moscow, walking in Red Square, seeing St. Basil, etc.

I did this on Seabourn. IMO DONT. Take Aeroflop (er Aeroflot). The train has non folding seats where you are literally knee to knee with your fellow passenger (facing each other). Further they don't believe in air conditioning. It's also the worlds slowed bullet train. I think I would have found more enjoyment wandering around the St. Petersburg and Moscow airports.

Countflorida,

This is a little off topic,, however we had planned a river cruise in Russia but decided we would rather stay on land and have booked about two weeks with Travel-All-Russia using the private guide and driver. I'm curious as to how you found them as a tour company.

The guides they provided were fine. We had a different guide each of the days in St. Petersburg, but both were flexible, pleasant, knowledgeable and spoke English very well, as did the guide in Moscow, incidentally. She was a bit aloof, distant, not too friendly, but otherwise fine. In fact, she was the one who suggested taking the Metro, which unexpectedly became one of the highlights of the Moscow excursion. If I have a complaint with AllTravelRussia, it is with their plan and its execution (more later).

I had requested emphasis on World War II (in Russia, the Great Patriotic War) sites and info. In scheduling us, they weren't careful about dates and a couple of the sites we wanted to see were scheduled on the third day, after we'd been to Moscow. But both sites were closed that day of the week, and that info was readily available, right on web sites describing them. Also, the included meals (lunches in St. Pete, dinner in Moscow) were not what we asked for: light meals with some choices, so we could avoid things we didn't like and choose things we did like. My request was ignored; we were given full Russian meals with a fixed menu, no choice. On the first day, a fish dish was the entre, but I am allergic to fish. Fortunately, I had the e-mail I'd sent with me and showed it to the guide, and she was able to change my entre to chicken, which was very good actually. But we didn't want a 3-4 course lunches or dinner (in Moscow). We had the guide drop the lunch the third day, although we never got any credit or refund. But, particularly in contrast to the ship's tours, the prices were so reasonable we didn't worry too much about it.

The people who were on the ship's tour to Moscow saw us boarding the same train for which they were forced to queue up and wait on the way back, and asked us what we had done. I was candid and open so they were not happy when I explained what we had arranged and particularly what it had cost. Also, when we returned to the ship, we found they had laid on a late supper for those who had gone to Moscow, so up we went and had something. Well, it turns out the late supper was supposed to be just for those on the ship's tour, but we and others on 'independent' tours, there were a dozen or more of us, crashed the party, actually got there first, and they didn't realize it until the larger group arrived and there weren't enough tables/places set. By that time, the 'independents' had all gotten served and were eating; what could they do?

A couple from the larger group sat down with us and asked us about our tour, and they were the ones I told about our arrangement and its cost. They turned to others who’d been with them and announced the details, loudly enough so the whole room heard, which started a lot of bitching and complaining. I gathered they weren't very happy with the ship's tour to begin with, and this was the straw that broke the camel's back. We finished up and beat it out of there, but overheard later that one of the excursion staff came to check on something and ran into a real mess. I caught a cold on the trip, which forced me to bed the second day following in Tallinn, so by the time we reappeared we heard about the contretemps' but apparently no one recalled who started it, thankfully.

Because of what happened to us, I would probably not use AllTravelRussia if I were to go again, or if I did, I would be sure to get confirmation of every detail of the tour. They do have good reviews generally, and we were certainly helped by their visa department and liked the guides and drivers. Their weakness, I say now with full 20:20 hindsight, is that once the sales person who plans the tour, sells it to you and collects your money, he (or she) transfers the plan to their Russia office for implementation; there is no follow-up to make sure it gets done right. And that is where our problems arose; we paid for a custom tour but got a standard package with a few destinations switched, and no one checked them out, even to see when they were open the day we were scheduled to go. If you check every detail that’s important to you, it should be OK, but that’s a hell of a way to have to do business, in my opinion.

Thank you for the 20/20 hindsight observation on your Russian tour operator, and better priced than the ship's excursion cost.

Thanks very much for the feedback.

We had the same experience as you so far as price. We originally booked a Viking Cruise but, hearing some things about the river cruises that made us unhappy, looked into other options. T-A-R cost the same or less than a cruise and had us in hotels for 11 days. We opted for the private tour. They have three tour levels, based on hotels. We originally opted for the four star as it did not cost much more than the three star hotels. Finally we decided to throw it all in and upgraded to five star. In Moscow we will be at the newly opened Kempinsky which is two blocks from Red Square. In St. Petersburg it is the Grand Hotel Europe, one of the most vaunted luxury hotels in Russia. Location is important for us as the tours use up only part of the day so being in the center of everything for our independent touring is important. As with many other cities, the less you pay, the farther out of the center of town you are.

We have been working with our salesman in D.C. and he seems to get back to us with the changes we want. He recently returned from Russia so is up on everything. When I asked they said they paid the full TA commission if I wanted so I got my usual TA on board so he is watching our back and giving us that extra level of comfort. He also set up our air, which I know pays him little or nothing, and got us business class for much less than T-A-R wanted for economy, though it took working for a while with a consolidator. He's happy to get his 10 percent on this trip without having booked it. He also took care of the trip insurance. We've been doing a lot of research on the CC sister site Trip Advisor and will write a report there. We will, I guess, become a source of info for CC members after having spent 5 days in Moscow and 6 in SP.

• 4 months later...

scubacruiserx2

Anybody considering a day trip to Moscow from St. Petersburg on the Sapsan may want to look at our travelogue filled with pictures.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1927687

Very informative. Thanks dor sharing. Jeff

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