75 18' Chieftain OB Treasure in the woods.

[MARUSS]

One day I was visiting an old buddy talking about hunting & fishing. I told him I'm looking for a boat, enough of fishing off the rocks. He told me he had an old boat out back in the woods behind his house he would sell me. It's been under a tarp for about 10 years. I told him I wasn't interested and didn't even look at it.
A couple of months goes by my buddy calls me up asking for help to cover up all his collected stuff around his house before snow falls, being one of my best buds I helped no questions asked. After we finished covering all his pack ratted stuff up he tells me if you want that old boat it's yours. So I walked out back pulled the tattered weather beaten tarp off it and to my surprise "Wow this thing has potential." So I gladly accepted and told him I would snach it up in the spring after snow melts. He told me it was a 68 Holiday.
Over the winter I started doing research on this Holiday and realized it was a chieftain. I found this site and started reading all the great threads on restoring all these old tin hunk of junks and have been obsessed with getting info and ideas on what I'm going to do with this Treasure I found in the woods.

 

[Tnstratofam]

:welcome: Post up some pics of this treasure in the woods. One way to do this is through a free photo bucket account. Then you can copy your pictures url and paste them directly into your posts.

Also take some time to checkout the Starcraft manufacturers forum. Lots of good rebuild threads over there to comb through, and lots of great people on this site to help you get her back on the water.

 

[MARUSS]

I picked up my new but not so new Chieftain in the spring of 2015. I was thinking it didn't look like it needed much work until I looked a little closer.
Wishful thinking, it needs a lot of work.
I decided I was going to replace the rotted wood and slap it back together get it running and would be out on the water in no time.
Again wishful thinking, it needs a lot more work than I thought.
So I guttered her out ripped every piece of wood out of her not to mention the mice, ants, and whatever else was living in there for 10 years or more.
My treasure in the woods wasn't looking so much like treasure anymore.

 

[jbcurt00]

Welcome to the Tin-sanity
Starcraft forum
http://forums.iboats.com/forum/owners-groups-by-manufacturer/s/starcraft-boats

 

[MARUSS]

Since I gutted her realized I wasn't going to get her on the water anytime soon I had to get something I could use for the summer of 2015.
So I picked up a 78 StarCraft 180 SS and put this project on the back burner. Until now. The juices are flowing again on the old chief.
I ripped the transom out of the SS over the weekend and decided to get that water ready before the chief gets totally restored.
I have the $$$ ready for the chief and this projects a go over the summer hoping to have her sea worthy for next spring.
With a little help and advise this should be a good resto project and looking for fellow iboaters to jump on for the ride.

 

[82rude]

Wow nice haul.With a little work and some elbow grease you will have a nice ride.

 

[MARUSS]

After I gutted her out I filled her with water and she had a lot of leaks.
It seems that 1 of the PO installed PT decking in her and with it sitting over the years it has a drip line of holes probably a good 6-7 leakers that need to be filled.
I picked up some filler rod and filled a couple. They seem like they filled it pretty good.
If I don't have to work this weekend I'm going to finish the hull repair and start stripping paint.
What does everyone think about blasting with crushed glass for removing paint?

 

[MARUSS]

This is were she sits ready to start this summer project.

 

[MARUSS]

Wow nice haul.With a little work and some elbow grease you will have a nice ride.

Thanks
Looking forward to get this 1 going.

 

[classiccat]

mind blown! Chief & an SS in 1 thread :madgrin:

crushed glass still might be too aggressive on aluminum although I can't say for sure; I've heard of guys using walnut shells.

the majority of us "tin-heads" use liquid stripper and alot of elbow grease.

 

[MARUSS]

mind blown! Chief & an SS in 1 thread :madgrin:

crushed glass still might be too aggressive on aluminum although I can't say for sure; I've heard of guys using walnut shells.

the majority of us "tin-heads" use liquid stripper and alot of elbow grease.

I'm going to try the fine glass with a pressure washer setup.
http://www.blackbeautyabrasives.com/products/black-beauty-glass-abrasives.php

I'll try a test spot first if it's to aggressive I'll have to chemically strip it.

 

[82rude]

After you address the leaks just as a extra precaution maybe use gluvit to coat the inside of the rivets and seams.This would be 100 percent your call but I know a friend of mine used bedliner(truck) and coated the inside of his leaker and its never leaked again.Ive even used it on mine with great results.

 

[Woodonglass]

If the paint is well adhered there's absolutely NO REASON to strip it off. A light sanding with 180 Grit and then wipe down with Acetone will be More than enough to give you a good base for Priming and painting the new coating. What paint are you going to use??

 

[MARUSS]

After you address the leaks just as a extra precaution maybe use gluvit to coat the inside of the rivets and seams.This would be 100 percent your call but I know a friend of mine used bedliner(truck) and coated the inside of his leaker and its never leaked again.Ive even used it on mine with great results.

Already bought some gluvit after reading on here figured it would be a good investment.
Thanks

 

[MARUSS]

If the paint is well adhered there's absolutely NO REASON to strip it off. A light sanding with 180 Grit and then wipe down with Acetone will be More than enough to give you a good base for Priming and painting the new coating. What paint are you going to use??

There are layers of flakey paint on her.
After the snow melts that we got today I'll reassess.
Thanks

 

[oldhaven]

Hi Maruss,

Another OB Chief project surfaces in New England! I'm about at the same stage you are, Waiting for better temperatures to resume outdoor work. The pictures look very familiar, though mine is a '67 and has had eight more years of abuse for me to deal with. It appears that even with the standard soaked and mouse chewed foam and PT wood that you have a nice hull to work with. I look forward to following along.

Ron

 

[TruckDrivingFool]

Nothing to add just posting so I remember to watch the journey.

 

[MARUSS]

Hi Maruss,

Another OB Chief project surfaces in New England! I'm about at the same stage you are, Waiting for better temperatures to resume outdoor work. The pictures look very familiar, though mine is a '67 and has had eight more years of abuse for me to deal with. It appears that even with the standard soaked and mouse chewed foam and PT wood that you have a nice hull to work with. I look forward to following along.

Ron

Thanks for stopping by.
Where in Maine are you?
I was born and grew up outside of Augusta.
The Kennedec River is a great place to boat and fish.
That 66 Star Chief looks pretty nifty too.

 

[MARUSS]

Nothing to add just posting so I remember to watch the journey.

Thanks
Look forward to get this project off the ground.

 

[oldhaven]

Russ

I am about 20 miles south of Augusta in Bowdoin, just 2 miles from the Bowdoinham town landing into Merrymeeting Bay. The Kennebec will likely be the first boat expedition I make this summer after I get this thing serviceable. Should be fun.

Ron