Crestliner 1850 Sportfish
The Crestliner 1850 Sportfish is a 18-foot boat, with model years from 1996 to 2011 in the listings we track. Across 27 listings we have observed (model years 1996–2011), the median asking price is $14,000, with most boats asking $10,500 to $17,000. The engine we see most often on this model is Carbureted 2-stroke outboard (legacy) and MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L).
BoatVerdict market snapshot
These are asking prices. No free or public source publishes US used-boat transaction prices, so nobody — us included — can honestly show you what these boats sold for. What we can show you is what 27 sellers are asking, which is the number you are actually negotiating against.
26 priced listings across 10 states. Enough for a range, not enough to be precise about any single year.
Method: Asking prices from active listings, de-duplicated so a re-posted boat counts once (67 raw listings collapsed to 27 distinct boats). Quartiles, not averages, so one outlier cannot move the band. Rounded to $500.
Coverage: Model years 1996–2011, 10 states, 16 metro areas. New-boat listings excluded.
Sources: BoatVerdict market observations (craigslist + rightboat) · US state vessel registries (6,024 registered Crestliner hulls)
Looking at a Crestliner 1850 Sportfish for sale?
Paste the listing and we will score that specific boat against everything on this page: asking price versus our observed range, engine and hours risk, the known issues for its model year, and a negotiation position. The verdict is free.
Get the free verdict →No account needed. The paid Deal Report is optional and comes after.
The BoatVerdict take
- BoatVerdict listing data
Between the 1997 ($8,000 median) and the 2004 ($15,000 median) asking prices fall about 9% a year. The steepest part of that curve is behind any boat more than five years old, which is where the value sits.
- Recall (USCG/CPSC)
23 federal recall campaigns on file touch this builder. Check the specific hull against the recall list below before you put money down; remedies are free but only if the work was actually done.
Each point is tagged with the evidence behind it. Nothing here is a claim we cannot trace back to a counted listing, a federal record, or a named analyst judgement.
Crestliner 1850 Sportfish prices by model year
| Model year | Listings | Typical asking range | Median asking | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 2 | 2 priced — too few to publish a range | — | |
| 2004 | 4 | $11,500 – $17,000 | $15,000 | |
| 2003 | 4 | $14,000 – $25,000 | $15,000 | |
| 2002 | 3 | $9,500 – $14,500 | $10,500 | |
| 2001 | 2 | 2 priced — too few to publish a range | — | |
| 2000 | 3 | $11,000 – $18,000 | $14,500 | |
| 1997 | 4 | $7,000 – $14,000 | $8,000 |
Asking prices from active listings we observed, not sold prices. No public source publishes US used-boat transaction prices; anyone showing you "sold" data for this market is estimating it. Years with fewer than 3 priced listings show the count only.
Method: Median and quartiles per model year, computed only where at least 3 priced listings exist for that year.
Sources: BoatVerdict market observations
Recalls affecting Crestliner
23 federal recall campaigns on file. Recalls are issued against hull-identification ranges, so a campaign listed here may or may not cover the specific boat you are looking at — check the HIN. Remedies are free from the builder, but only if the work was actually performed, and there is no central database that proves it was.
- ⚠ Recall
090041S9/7/2009LEVEL FLOTATION
- ⚠ Recall
090034S9/7/2009LEVEL FLOTATION
- ⚠ Recall
090039S9/7/2009LEVEL FLOTATION
- ⚠ Recall
090040S9/7/2009LEVEL FLOTATION
- ⚠ Recall
090038S9/7/2009LEVEL FLOTATION
- ⚠ Recall
090030S9/7/2009LEVEL FLOTATION
- ⚠ Recall
090043S9/7/2009LEVEL FLOTATION
- ⚠ Recall
090033S9/7/2009LEVEL FLOTATION
- ⚠ Recall
090028S9/7/2009LEVEL FLOTATION
- ⚠ Recall
090042S9/7/2009LEVEL FLOTATION
- ⚠ Recall
090029S9/7/2009LEVEL FLOTATION
- ⚠ Recall
090032S9/7/2009LEVEL FLOTATION
Method: Matched to the builder by normalized company name and MIC. A campaign is shown when it touches this builder; the model and year columns say how narrowly it applies.
Sources: US Coast Guard recall database · CPSC recalls
Engines we actually see on the 1850 Sportfish
- Carbureted 2-stroke outboard (legacy)
Pre-DI carbureted 2-strokes (and Evinrude/Johnson, now an orphaned brand for parts/service). Simple and cheap to buy, but thirsty, smoky, and a resale anchor. An older 2-stroke is the single biggest reason a hull sits unsold.
Service reality: Compression-test every cylinder; expect carb work. On any Evinrude/Johnson, confirm local parts and service availability before buying.
Full Carbureted 2-stroke outboard (legacy) reliability profile →
- MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L)
The most common inboard/outboard in US bowriders and cruisers. The engine itself (GM-based) is reliable; the maintenance burden is the drive and exhaust. Bellows, gimbal bearing, U-joints, and — in any saltwater service — exhaust manifolds and risers are the recurring costs.
Service reality: Bellows/gimbal every ~5 years; manifolds/risers every ~6–8 years (or 3–4 in salt) at $2.5–4K. Pull the drive on inspection — deferred drive service is the classic hidden cost.
Full MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L) reliability profile →
Method: Engine family matched from the listing's engine fields and title text against BoatVerdict's engine-family profiles. Prevalence is share of our sample, not factory fitment rates.
Sources: BoatVerdict market observations · BoatVerdict engine-family profiles
Crestliner 1850 Sportfish specifications
| Length (median listed) | 18.0 ft | Our listing data |
|---|---|---|
| Model years traded | 1996–2011 | Our listing data |
| Crestliner hulls in US registries | 6,024 | TX + NY open data |
Rows marked "our listing data" are measured from listings, not published by the builder, and will differ from a brochure. Rows without a source we can name are not shown at all.
What to inspect on a used Crestliner 1850 Sportfish
- Carbureted 2-stroke outboard (legacy): Compression-test every cylinder; expect carb work. On any Evinrude/Johnson, confirm local parts and service availability before buying. Seen on 4 of the 27 1850 Sportfish listings we track.
- Get the hour meter reading and divide by the boat's age. Above 100 hours a year is heavy use for a Carbureted 2-stroke outboard (legacy). Threshold from BoatVerdict's engine-family profile for Carbureted 2-stroke outboard (legacy).
- MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L): Bellows/gimbal every ~5 years; manifolds/risers every ~6–8 years (or 3–4 in salt) at $2.5–4K. Pull the drive on inspection — deferred drive service is the classic hidden cost. Seen on 1 of the 27 1850 Sportfish listings we track.
- Get the hour meter reading and divide by the boat's age. Above 100 hours a year is heavy use for a MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L). Threshold from BoatVerdict's engine-family profile for MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L).
- On the older hulls, core moisture is the deal-breaker: sound the transom and the deck with a plastic mallet, and treat any soft or dull-sounding area as a survey-stopper rather than a bargaining chip. We observe listings back to 1997, so boats over 29 years old are actively traded in this model.
This list is specific to this model: analyst items for the hull, plus items driven by the engines and the regions we actually observe on 1850 Sportfish listings. It is not a generic pre-purchase checklist, and it does not replace a surveyor.
What a 1850 Sportfish costs to own
$1,500 – $4,000 per year
- 18 ft hull, the median observed length for this model
- Freshwater berth, based on where most listings we see are located (MN)
- Includes insurance, storage, routine service, fuel at moderate seasonal use, and a reserve for wear items
- Excludes loan payments, major engine replacement, and refit work
This is a modelled band, not observed spend. Real cost swings hard on where you keep the boat and how much you use it.
Method: The same ownership-cost model BoatVerdict's paid Deal Report uses: boat class and length set the base band, then saltwater berth and size adjust it.
Sources: BoatVerdict ownership-cost model
Where 1850 Sportfishs are for sale
- MN 12
- CA 4
- SD 2
- WI 2
- WA 2
- ID 1
- VT 1
- MA 1
- MI 1
- NE 1
Counts of distinct boats we observed per state, from 27 listings in 16 metro areas. We publish the distribution, not the listings themselves.
What else buyers cross-shop
- Bayliner 185
- Four Winns 180 Horizon
- Bayliner Element E18
- Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 16 XL
- Sun Tracker 18 Bass Buggy DLX
- Bass Tracker Tournament
Chosen by measured similarity — same builder first, then comparable length — and limited to models whose own page meets our evidence bar. No paid placements, no filler links.
Crestliner 1850 Sportfish FAQ
How much does a used Crestliner 1850 Sportfish cost?
Are there recalls on the Crestliner 1850 Sportfish?
What engine does the Crestliner 1850 Sportfish come with?
What does it cost to own a Crestliner 1850 Sportfish per year?
Looking at a Crestliner 1850 Sportfish for sale?
Paste the listing and we will score that specific boat against everything on this page: asking price versus our observed range, engine and hours risk, the known issues for its model year, and a negotiation position. The verdict is free.
Get the free verdict →No account needed. The paid Deal Report is optional and comes after.