Hi everyone. I recently picked up an old Starcraft aluminum boat, and I'm hoping some of the Starcraft experts can help me figure out exactly what I have and how it originally looked.
The paperwork and two bills of sale identify the boat as a 1969, but the serial number starts with 66, and after looking at the construction and other details, I believe it may actually be a 1966 Starcraft Holiday.
The boat also has an interesting history. The previous owner had it for about 30 years and told me he bought it from a National Guard captain. There are surviving markings identifying it with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, so at some point it appears to have been a government boat.
The boat is currently painted green, and initially I assumed that was its original government-service color. After looking more closely, I'm finding light blue underneath the green in multiple protected areas, including beneath the forward hatch, and the interior is the same light blue. My current theory is that the boat was originally light blue and actually served with the Corps in that color, then was repainted green later during its service life.
The boat currently has an 85-hp Johnson two-stroke. The engine is later than the boat and appears to date from the 1970s. It cold-started and ran well when I bought it. The transom feels solid and the floor also feels solid, but I'll inspect everything carefully before deciding how far to disassemble it.
At this point my restoration plan is evolving. Rather than simply repainting it green, I'm leaning strongly toward returning the boat to its original light-blue color, restoring the interior in its original style, and recreating the documented Corps of Engineers markings that were actually on this boat.
I'd particularly appreciate help with:
Confirming the exact Starcraft model and year from the serial number and construction details.
Determining whether this light blue was a known mid-1960s Starcraft factory color.
Finding photographs or information about Starcraft boats used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during this period.
Any advice or ideas on how I should proceed with the restoration.
The paperwork and two bills of sale identify the boat as a 1969, but the serial number starts with 66, and after looking at the construction and other details, I believe it may actually be a 1966 Starcraft Holiday.
The boat also has an interesting history. The previous owner had it for about 30 years and told me he bought it from a National Guard captain. There are surviving markings identifying it with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, so at some point it appears to have been a government boat.
The boat is currently painted green, and initially I assumed that was its original government-service color. After looking more closely, I'm finding light blue underneath the green in multiple protected areas, including beneath the forward hatch, and the interior is the same light blue. My current theory is that the boat was originally light blue and actually served with the Corps in that color, then was repainted green later during its service life.
The boat currently has an 85-hp Johnson two-stroke. The engine is later than the boat and appears to date from the 1970s. It cold-started and ran well when I bought it. The transom feels solid and the floor also feels solid, but I'll inspect everything carefully before deciding how far to disassemble it.
At this point my restoration plan is evolving. Rather than simply repainting it green, I'm leaning strongly toward returning the boat to its original light-blue color, restoring the interior in its original style, and recreating the documented Corps of Engineers markings that were actually on this boat.
I'd particularly appreciate help with:
Confirming the exact Starcraft model and year from the serial number and construction details.
Determining whether this light blue was a known mid-1960s Starcraft factory color.
Finding photographs or information about Starcraft boats used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during this period.
Any advice or ideas on how I should proceed with the restoration.
