1966 Starcraft Holiday Engine Repower

[GA_Boater]

The Coast Guard requires my boat to have natural ventilation. Boats built after 1980 have to have both natural and mechanical ventilation.

Your 1966 Starcraft will pass any CG inspection without adding anything and it will be just as safe as a post 1980 boat. The reason for the 1980 build date is boat designs changed and the motor compartments became more airtight and your '66 is grandfathered. Do you want to update the boat to 2018 standards?

The important thing is to use the blower before starting and after refueling. And make sure you have no fuel leaks, too.

As I said earlier, overthinking. If you want verification, take the boat to the CG station and ask them to inspect before your first launch - Get the sticker.

 

[66Holiday924]

My boat, being a 1966 is not required to have a blower. If I wanted to, I could just remove the blower and be fine with the Coast Guard.

However, I want the blower. It just has to be hooked up so it's not disrupting the natural ventilation system and I know how I am going to do that. I know how they did it on my donor boat and I'm going to use the same method that Thompson used and I won't have to add a vent.

 

[Watermann]

If the USCG inspects your boat at most they'll have you turn on the blower and check that it is extracting air from the engine compartment as it should be. Some guys who replace their blower fans aren't savvy enough to look at the arrow on the side of the blower motor and will install them backwards to where they blow in rather than out.

I just worked on a 65 Holiday for friends and it had a substantial fuel leak into the bilge from a bad fitting on the fuel pump and the blower was installed backwards. They got lucky is all I can say.

 

[mickyryan]

Omg that had to be alarning to say the least

 

[66Holiday924]

:yield:I Surrender!

I spent a few hours looking at Coast Guard Literature (they have like 60 page guideline specifically about boat ventilating)and surfing the internet. mickyryan you are exactly right. All boats do vent that way. It will vent to the Coast Guard's satisfaction as it was. The intake is from the bow cowl. It supplies fresh air to the engine compartment. The exhaust cowl should be rigidly connected to duct extending down into the lower 1/3 of the compartment and it can have an inline bilge pump on it (in Canada it can anyway)...

For anybody who has trouble sleeping:

https://www.uscgboating.org/regulati...ENTILATION.pdf

http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety...ble=true#wb103

 

[Watermann]

You still believe that bow vent is/was for a 3" diameter hose that runs the entire length of the boat to the engine compartment? What happens with an I/O SS that doesn't have a bow cover with a vent?

 

[66Holiday924]

You still believe that bow vent is/was for a 3" diameter hose that runs the entire length of the boat to the engine compartment? What happens with an I/O SS that doesn't have a bow cover with a vent?

I have no doubt that's what it is. You can see it in other people's re-builds who re-did their flooring. I can see the remnants of it on the Chief. My boat has that same tubing you see hanging up there, only on my boat, you can see it go under the deck. What I read today says it was law that boats had to have natural ventilation since 1940.

 

[Watermann]

The vent hose only hung down 2 feet into the cabin, ending at the keel. The hose was to bring in fresh air for the cabin and if water came in it would run down into the bottom of the boat, there wasn't any hose elsewhere in the gunnels or below deck, just that section you can see. There wasn't a hole for it to go through either as if someone had pulled it out.

 

[66Holiday924]

I'm seeing it done a couple ways, some boats (60's early 70's Models) have the cowl on the bow, and some (70's models) are set-up like Dozer's boat, with two cowls on the gunnel and two on the transom cap:

Eventually I think they went to the louvers on either side.

 

[66Holiday924]

I don't think the hose runs the length of the boat. It definitely goes below the deck and feeds fresh air under there, that air makes its way through the bilge under the deck and into the engine compartment, ventilating both. It was the law that boats had to have natural ventilation. If that's not what they were trying to achieve with the bow and stern cowls, I don't know how they were doing it on my boat. There are no other vents.

I'm not sure it was the most efficient way to do it and they probably figured out they don't have to ventilate below the deck, so they move to the setup dozer has, which is common in the later 70's boats. From there I think they moved to the louvers. If you look at any boat built after 1940 you should see a vent or vents specifically in place to catch air while underway and another vent or vents to exhaust that air. Like I said on my boat I think that's what they are trying to accomplish with the two cowls, and that does happen to be pretty much how the Coast Guard graphics show to do it. If that's not it, I have another problem because that means there is no natural ventilation system on my boat.

 

[Watermann]

On this 65 Holiday I worked on last month is a factory vent that is crazy, look at the rectangle vent above the drive on the transom, that's wide open with just the grate over it. A guy wouldn't want the coming off plane swell to over take you or strong following seas :faint2: Not everything was well thought out back in the day.

 

[66Holiday924]

That is a nice 65! I like the decal a lot. I've been thinking about changing my decals a little. If you search on eBay there's a guy who makes a SS plate that looks just like the old plastic logo. I think I'd paint them black if I bought them. If you need them for the Seafearer, it's a good option.

That is a crazy set-up! I've seriously considered changing mine over to the louvers on the sides. I don't want to hack up my hull though. I think if I had that set-up I would do it though.

 

[Watermann]

Yeah decals are alright but the actual emblems are cool. My Seafarer has one good side and the other is broken. I may just go with decals in a contrasting color.

That 65 Holly doesn't have a clamshell vent on the bow cover.

 

[66Holiday924]

idk, maybe they changed the ventilation on them after 65, to have the cowl on the bow. Mine doesn't have the rectangular vent on the stern sheet. Every boat built after 1940 should have the means to take in air while underway and exhaust it. This 66 Sunchief from another rebuild is set-up just like my boat.

 

[66Holiday924]

I'm just going to put it all back together the way it was, run my duct for the aft blower as the CG requires with my inline blower in there, and then test it all. Good ole hand in front of the exhaust test and I'll stuff a rag in the bow vent and see that affects the flow. I think that's going to be the best thing to do.

 

[GA_Boater]

You won't feel any difference with a rag in the bow vent.

 

[66Holiday924]

What do you guys think of this deal? $595 - Completely refurbished. I like how long the diamond back step up are.

 

[Watermann]

Looks good from here, I'd go take a look at it for sure if you're needing a different trailer.

 

[66Holiday924]

I'm going to go look at it. I don't like my trailer. It sits too high. The guy who sold me the boat told me it was a custom built trailer... It's not. Surprise! :confusion: It's an old tilt trailer.

I think this one would probably be good. It looks similar to the trailer you have under the Chief. My boat will probably fit nice on there. The guy says the bottom bunks are 30" apart and the top are 52". I've been looking at low profile bunk trailers. I think the bunks give better support. On this trailer,I like the steps fore and aft of the fenders. It seems like they would give you pretty good access to the boat. The guy selling it is 70, retired and says he had fun refurbishing it. Everything is new. I don't know if I'll see many more like it for that price. I'll go take a look and make sure it is what it appears to be.

 

[66Holiday924]

Well I went and looked at the trailer... It was not as nice as the pictures show... He painted the tires (which were missing chunks of tread). So, the hunt continues. I might have to buy a fixer upper and restore it the way I want it.