The registry
Crownline Registry: Models, Builds & Photos
Crownline Boats was incorporated in 1990 by the Claxton family, southern Illinois boat builders who had earlier founded Celebrity Boats in Benton. The first boat, a 182 BR bowrider, came off the line on March 25, 1991 in Whittington, Illinois, and the company moved to West Frankfort later that year. Crownline grew fast through the 1990s on sterndrive bowriders and cuddy cruisers riding its patented F.A.S.T. Tab hull, halted production in December 2008 when the recession gutted boat sales, and restarted under new ownership in late 2009. It still builds boats in West Frankfort today.
Pick your model
Founding and the 1990s ramp-up
Crownline was incorporated in 1990 by the Claxton family. Fred Claxton had founded Celebrity Boats in Benton, Illinois in the late 1970s, so the crew that started Crownline was already deep in the fiberglass runabout business. The first boat, a 182 BR bowrider, rolled out of a small facility in Whittington, Illinois on March 25, 1991, when the company had fewer than 25 employees and not one signed dealer. Within months it outgrew that building and moved into the former Mark Twain Boat Company plant in West Frankfort. A purpose-built factory went up next, completed in December 1994, and by the peak years Crownline employed over 500 people, making it one of the larger employers in southern Illinois.
The lineup through the 1990s was sterndrive bowriders and cuddy cabin cruisers (the CCR models), powered by MerCruiser and Volvo Penta packages. The signature engineering piece was the patented F.A.S.T. Tab hull, short for Fin Assisted Safe Turn. Instead of bolt-on trim tabs, fin-shaped tab surfaces are molded into the bottom at the transom, working with vented chines that aerate the running surface and a full-length keel pad. The practical result is quicker time to plane, less bow rise, and better slow-speed stability than a lot of similar-length boats of the era.
Shutdown and revival
The Claxtons sold their majority stake to an investment group, PCCM, in 2007. When the recession collapsed boat sales, PCCM suspended production at West Frankfort in December 2008. The company found a buyer the following summer: Tony Zielinski of Leisure Properties LLC, together with Dave and Lisa Wilson of Misty Harbor and Ultracraft, closed the purchase on August 20, 2009. Much of the original management came back, including former president Kevin Riem, and the first boat under new ownership left the line on October 14, 2009 with roughly 100 employees back at work. That continuity matters to used-boat buyers, because the company survived a downturn that killed a long list of builders outright.
The 266 CCR
The 266 CCR is a 26 foot cuddy cabin cruiser with an 8 foot 5 inch beam and a dry weight around 4,500 pounds, built on a deep-V hull with an integrated swim platform and the same F.A.S.T. Tab bottom as the rest of the line. Guides list production from 1997 to 2002, though a 1996 model year also shows up in valuation databases. The cabin holds a V-berth with port and starboard settees and a portable head behind a privacy curtain. Power was a single MerCruiser V8 sterndrive, commonly the 5.7L 350 MAG MPI or the 7.4L (L29) MPI rated around 310 hp, often turning a Bravo Three duoprop drive. Practical notes from ownership: the 7.4L big block moves the boat noticeably better than the small block, and like any sterndrive cruiser of the period, the condition of the bellows, gimbal bearing, and exhaust manifolds and risers is what separates a good used one from a project.
Where the marque sits now
Crownline is not defunct. Current production out of West Frankfort covers the SS and LPX bowrider series, the E Series, XSS and EXS outboard-powered models, cruisers, and the Finseeker outboard fishing line. For owners of 1990s and 2000s boats, the drivetrain parts are all standard MerCruiser or Volvo Penta, so mechanical support is easy even where model-specific trim pieces take some hunting.
Asked all the time
What years was the Crownline 266 CCR made?
Boat guides list 266 CCR production from 1997 to 2002, and valuation databases also show a 1996 model year. Check the HIN on the transom for the exact model year, since dealer titling years sometimes disagree with the build year.
Is Crownline still in business?
Yes. Production stopped in December 2008 during the recession, but Tony Zielinski of Leisure Properties LLC and Dave and Lisa Wilson bought the company in August 2009 and restarted the West Frankfort, Illinois plant that October. Crownline builds boats there today.
What is the F.A.S.T. Tab hull on Crownline boats?
F.A.S.T. stands for Fin Assisted Safe Turn. It is Crownline's patented running surface with fin-shaped tab planes molded into the hull at the transom instead of bolted-on trim tabs, combined with vented chines and a full-length keel pad. The practical effect is quicker time to plane, less bow rise, and better slow-speed stability.
What engines came in the Crownline 266 CCR, and which should I look for?
The 266 CCR ran a single MerCruiser V8 sterndrive, most commonly the 5.7L 350 MAG MPI or the 7.4L (L29) MPI at around 310 hp, often with a Bravo Three duoprop drive. The 7.4L is the stronger performer in this hull. Whatever the engine, inspect the bellows, gimbal bearing, and exhaust manifolds and risers before purchase.
How hard is it to get parts for older Crownline boats?
Mechanical parts are easy because Crownline used standard MerCruiser and Volvo Penta drivetrains. Crownline the company still exists, which helps with some model-specific items, but 1990s-2000s upholstery, canvas, and trim pieces usually come from salvage or custom shops like any boat that age.
The wall
The most-documented Crownline vehicles in the registry, every photo by the owner.