180 SS New to the Forums.

[DirtyHarry83]

My father suggested I check out this forum.
I enjoyed reading through some of these builds (haven't had a chance to go through them all.)

I made my purchase last week for an 18ft 180 SS StarCraft and it's very exciting for me to finally own a boat. (My Dad owns a controlling stake...) It has an 88 Johnson 90hp 2 cycle (which, I may add the carbs off a 115...). Lot of experience handling those engines and love them.

So far I've pulled all the shotty 1/2 inch flooring (Hello 3/4 because I like solid floors.) and now begins the fun part of pulling the expanded structural foam. I will be doing the swimming noodle replacement. Nothing fun about foam holding water.
I'll post the pictures as soon as I can on the break down subject.

I know my gauges need rewiring as I've seen plates of spaghetti with less messy style. If I can't easily trace the wire I don't like the work and it will be redone... I plan on mounting a fuse box under the console to bring power there and have less wires running to the battery (neater.)

I liked a few things that Ezombee did, especially the seating. I had planned something similar to your design Ezombee with pillar seats behind both consoles, and a removable casting platform on the bow of the boat.

It's nice to find a technical site to look over everything and get ideas, thanks for taking the time to document and post the pictures.

 

[barato2]

Re: 180 SS New to the Forums.

welcome to the horde! the mob weeps a silent tear for you on the thought of expandofoam.... what did you give for your find?

 

[DirtyHarry83]

Re: 180 SS New to the Forums.

the cost was 1300.

Below is what it started out as. I'll snap a few of the hull. (I just got it home and I already pulled the bunk seats and the two back seats. :facepalm:

Lovely rot

It didn't take much effort to pop them off. Also ignore that boat in the background.... That's only the investors!

I am not sure I want to reapply those types of pads again. I like the idea of carpeting the gunnels and then adding aluminum trim the wrap the edge. I am a KISS kind of guy, and I hate wood rot. The least amount of wood I can add the better off I'll feel.

 

[DirtyHarry83]

Re: 180 SS New to the Forums.

Also below is my current progress.

22 gallon gas tank, that I get to clean out.

Ants, did someone say ants? one of 3 different colonies. There were 5 wasp nests. Thankfully they were very mild ants and wasps...

I have more but it's more about the build up than the down right?

 

[Krichbourg]

Re: 180 SS New to the Forums.

Nice! That's a lot of boat for 1300. Thanks for the pic showing the belly tank. I have hopes of doing that to my SS when I redo it. Nice to see how that's supposed to go. Looking forward to following your progress. Good luck and Welcome aboard.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: 180 SS New to the Forums.

Welcome to the Tinny Drydock, DirtyHarry. You done good getting pics up quick, the goofy galoots here can only look at pictures. That's a joke guys! It's nice you showed up with a nice big glasser donor too.

What kind of power does the SS have? Sorry about the foam, bet you don't use pour-in foam in the re-build.

Keep the pics coming and have fun getting her back on the water.

 

[DirtyHarry83]

Re: 180 SS New to the Forums.

It's nice you showed up with a nice big glasser donor too.

Yeah I don't know if my Dad would be okay with me taking parts from his pride and joy. haha

What kind of power does the SS have? Sorry about the foam, bet you don't use pour-in foam in the re-build.

She has a Johnson 90 2 stroke. I love that outboard because I've worked with it for quite a while. My Dad had a 112 Evinrude on his older boat.

The foam so far has not been bad. I got half of it out already today after work. I promised myself to do something every day to progress this boat.
I'll get the rest of the foam tomorrow. It would all be loose and in the trash tonight but my Dad and buddy came over to check my progress and shoot the breeze. Saves more for tomorrow night.

Then I get to figure out how to pull the gas tank so I can clean out anything harmful to my outboard. Prep it and bring it back to like new status.

I'll try to keep the pics coming. I'll nab a few tomorrow before work and post them when I get in tomorrow.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: 180 SS New to the Forums.

If you do at least one thing every day before you know it your gonna have a boat ready to float. When they come to chat give them a shovel or whatever you're using to strip foam. Just keep yakkin' at them. LOL

 

[DirtyHarry83]

Re: 180 SS New to the Forums.

Pictures from this morning before Work.

This is the work from last night

What I am using the take the foam out is pretty technical and complicated... :facepalm:

http://www.thepaintstore.com/v/vspfi...s/01140-2T.jpg

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg

I know those are links but that is all I am using. Think of the foam as a giant carving pumpkin that almost never ends. Cut a chunk, and pry it out... cut a chunk and pry it out... cut a chu... you get the idea.

It took me roughly 30 minutes to tear out that side. Tonight it'll be fully removed and then the plan begins for pulling the gas tank!

On another note...
This mess keeps looking at me to fix it and make it clean and organized...

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 180 SS New to the Forums.

Welcome. Glad you got some ideas from my build. For your bow area, I've lately been eyeing up these designs on a new Lunds:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lundboats/6121277940/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lundboats/6120071655/in/photostream/

 

[cutbait76]

Re: 180 SS New to the Forums.

Welcome aboard! Feels weird saying that with all 20 posts I have!!!

Expandafoam? yuck!

Its all down hill from there!

 

[DirtyHarry83]

Re: 180 SS New to the Forums.

Welcome. Glad you got some ideas from my build. For your bow area, I've lately been eyeing up these designs on a new Lunds:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lundboats/6121277940/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lundboats/6120071655/in/photostream/

Now you've got me wanting those types of cushions! :facepalm: haha
I was thinking about making Gray my base color and either going with a blue accent or possibly charcoal (maybe too much gray).

I plan on carpeting the gunnels with a darker blue outdoor carpet and running channel along the inside edge of the gunnel. Although the more I think about doing that the more I think about how hot aluminum gets in direct sun light... RIGHT where you place an arm...
Carpet is less heat but if I put aluminum trim on top it may make things a bit hot in direct sun. I'll see what the gunnels look like with carpet.

I've thought around the gas cap to put an aluminum plate to prevent the effects of what gas does to out door carpet. (It eats it apparently.)

I am thinking about putting down a vinyl floor for easy hosing down after fishing. I'll tuck that behind the aluminum trim on the floor for a clean look. Add the carpet on the gunnels and side walls. Tucked into the side walls will be rod storage. (I own 2 rods so I don't need a ton of space.)

I'll try to lay out diagrams of my ideas in the future.

 

[DirtyHarry83]

Re: 180 SS New to the Forums.

these are the Seats I liked for behind the consoles. Maybe later when I have more money I'll buy two more for the stern seats.



It's about a 40 min drive to Eastern for me and I Love that...

http://www.easternmarine.com/wise-high-back-boat-seat-wd1103ls-1014-marble-blue

http://www.easternmarine.com/wise-high-back-boat-seat-wd1103ls-1015-gray-charcoal

or

http://www.easternmarine.com/wise-high-back-boat-seat-wd781pl-660-gray-navy

I have to test sit in these to be sure of comfort.

Also was thinking

http://www.easternmarine.com/wise-7-boat-seat-pedestal-wd1251

with

http://www.easternmarine.com/sea-sense-seat-base-50012648

That way it swivels and I can spin. Not sure about the height yet on the stand... There are several ways to fix that including putting a block down as a base for the stand OR I can just find a higher stand.

Just my two cents thinking again.

 

[DirtyHarry83]

Re: 180 SS New to the Forums.

Welcome aboard! Feels weird saying that with all 20 posts I have!!!

Expandafoam? yuck!

Its all down hill from there!

Yeah I am not using that foam for the re addition of floatation in the hull. I am digging frantically for a cheap price on water noodles.
Just an FYI each noodle holds up 100 pounds. Figure a hull fully loaded is around 1500 pounds?

I know I'll get more than 15 noodles in the hull for a lot of flotation.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 180 SS New to the Forums.

Welcome! Great project man!

Check your stats on flotation, one noodle can float maybe 10# of dead weight.

 

[barato2]

Re: 180 SS New to the Forums.

i think Jas is being a little pessimistic there. but he's 100% right that the figure of 100 (i've even seen claims of 200 per noodle for the mfgr for the 5' ones) pounds flotation that the noodle mfgrs put out are pure BS and wishful thinking. seems stupid from a legal liability point of view to claim that your product will float way more than it will, but.....

one of our number actually did the math on theoretical flotation but i'd love to see actual tests....for example, hook one to the anchor rope and see what happens when you drop your 15 lb anchor? i'd guess somewhere between 15 and 20 pounds each. ?? this is a perfect example of the principle that if it sounds too good to be true (15 noodles will float my entire boat???!!!), it probably is......

BTW, cheapest way to buy em is at the dollar stores. they usually have em for about $1 each. you can get em cheap online but they make such a profit on shipping that it's not so cheap any more. besides, you miss the great expressions when the kids at the $ store try to fathom why anyone is buying 50 pool noodles....

 

[DirtyHarry83]

Re: 180 SS New to the Forums.

BTW, cheapest way to buy em is at the dollar stores. they usually have em for about $1 each. you can get em cheap online but they make such a profit on shipping that it's not so cheap any more. besides, you miss the great expressions when the kids at the $ store try to fathom why anyone is buying 50 pool noodles....

Way ahead of you on the cost. I ordered 2 boxes from the link below. They'll be delivered to my local dollar tree for me to pick up.

http://www.dollartree.com/Summer-Fu...9-/411c477c477p317629/index.pro?method=search

I didn't mean the give the idea that I'd only add 15 noodles. I just did the simple math if the figures were correct. I personally plan to pack that deck to the point where it adds support on the noodles, that with some added aluminum angle. I don't like decks that flex and move without good reason.

With help of my friend and the supervision of my investor. I got all the foam out now and shop vac'd the boat. Then I hosed it down looking for leaks.
Tomorrow I'll try and pull the 22 gal gas tank and see about pressure washing the inside hull.
I also plan on cleaning the gas tank. Open to suggestions but I figured I'd use some gasoline to help cut any possible gunk.

 

[DirtyHarry83]

Re: 180 SS New to the Forums.

All foam is out.

I realized I haven't really taken any shots of the whole hull for you guys to see. I'll try and get a few tomorrow.

I am just glad to be done with the foam... now it starts getting expensive...

 

[dozerII]

Re: 180 SS New to the Forums.

Welcome to the madness DH, boy does this look familiar, just finished the same job a week ago, but yours looks a whole lot drier than mine. The interior in your 18 is an twin to the 16 Naked lady before she was redone. How are you going to deal with the aluminum side panels that screw down over the floor? The ones with the cup holder and ash tray in them.
glen

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 180 SS New to the Forums.

Yah, we should have somebody actually tie some weight to a noodle and throw it pool just for fun eh?

I'm nearly certain their claims of 100# or 200# are related to a 100# kid or a 200# dood, knowhattamean While I am as dumb as a rock my 180# frame still has a little buoyancy