Finally got mine!

[GA_Boater]

Re: Finally got mine!

I picked the boat up last night and dragged it 3.5 hours home. No question it's a strong metal boat, and welded rather than riveted. From what I have seen definitely not a Starcraft, so I guess I and my resto efforts are "orphaned" here. The trailer wheel and tires look to be in great shape but the bunks need replacing. Motor is a real classic (to put it in a good light . . . ).

Since you're orphaned wash the dishes, sweep the floor and take out the trash. LOL

Stick around here for a bit, post some pics and measurements - we can help you ID the boat. And still help with resto ideas even if you start a resto thread. Welcome to the Tin World.

 

[barato2]

Re: Finally got mine!

you'll find we're not really the Starcraft snobs we pretend to be. most of us have a soft spot for old tinnies of whatever flavor. i'd love to see more pix of the boat.

 

[InMotion]

Re: Finally got mine!

Ya tin is tin. No worries... you can stay...especially since you are a Canuk..

 

[Sunsetrider]

Re: Finally got mine!

OK, here we go with a few pics, which will convince anyone that this is a tinnie. It really does seem solid to me, and ugly enough on the inside to motivate. Oh, yes, and thanks for the kind words! The thing is, none of the other tin boat manufacture sub-forums seem to be of much real use compared to the Starcraft one. But I still think this craft is a worthy one:

 

[barato2]

Re: Finally got mine!

looks like some amateur transom work has been done, which usually means transom was starting to bow etc due to rotted wood inside. itza project, but should be fun.

 

[Sunsetrider]

Re: Finally got mine!

looks like some amateur transom work has been done, which usually means transom was starting to bow etc due to rotted wood inside. itza project, but should be fun.

Ya but . . . ya but . . . I can discern some mushy wood at the top, the stbd side which is (no longer?) covered by a rubberized cover. But - first (cowardly comment here) the transom does seem to be sheathed in solid metal, and further but - lovely to have a welded not riveted hull, except when it comes to removing the tranny cap. Like, huh? The floor I would call fun . . . the transom, seemingly welded as it is . . . not so much?

But stepping away and looking at the big picture - what fun to decide on: exterior paint design; dashboard treatment; sideboard treatment; deck treatment; and last and possibly least: will this neolithic motor ever actually work? So much to accomplish before the snow flies!

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Finally got mine!

Metal boats are cool

Congrats

 

[barato2]

Re: Finally got mine!

sounds like the neolithic motor will be the least of your problems if you have mushy transom wood. no point doing anything else to the boat til you know the butt won't fall off with your motor attached. get a dremel and some of the reinforced cutting wheels for it (the ones without fiber reinf don't last but about 20 sec) to cut the cap off.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Finally got mine!

It looks like the transom has two plates on it. Wonder if the transom has been replaced or a repair attempt was made. Pop the stern caps off and see what's under them. They gotta come off anyway.

Did you find any data plates? Or anything to help ID the mfg.?

EDIT - I see loads of reevits in the transom. Or I need to clean my glasses.

 

[Sunsetrider]

Re: Finally got mine!

Yep. there are rivets in the transom, I didn't mean to suggest there were none at all. Good comments coming in here, much thanks. I've decided it IS a Starcraft . . . . like the Ugly Duckling was a duck! I do have a dremel, will look for those reinforced wheels. I am a total noob at this, got sucked in by the SC threads . . . I will need a lot of handholding but I am determined to produce a fine piece of work at the end of the day, something that will stand up to the best I've seen on here.

And so it begins . . . I'm dumping a string of pics in this post, first the flooring before the skeeters got to me, then the trailer issues. Nice long tongue, eh, good thing I have room to move the winch forward considering (1) the front is too light and (2) the stern hangs out too far beyond the bunks and the bunks need re-positioning so far as I can tell.

Tomorrow we'll peek under the plywood and see what is going on with the foam. Please continue offering suggestions on the basics to get this beauty pulled apart!

 

[Sunsetrider]

Re: Finally got mine!

Pic #6 didn't make it:

 

[Sunsetrider]

Re: Finally got mine!

.

Did you find any data plates? Or anything to help ID the mfg.?
.

Nuthin. Nada. So . . . let's go with Starcraft, the special version they made one-off for Sean Connery . . .

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Finally got mine!

Ah yes. I remember.

 

[barato2]

Re: Finally got mine!

agree on moving it fwd on trailer. doubt you'll have to battle any foam on one that old.

was thinking about this last night......get some good profile etc pics of your boat, post it in the tin section on fiberglassics.com, and i'll bet you find that someone can tell you what it is.....those guys are more the experts on lineage etc on really old boats, we're just the repair shop.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Finally got mine!

Totally agree with B2 on all he said. Do the Fiberglassics thing. You have plenty of room to move the boat forward. The hull looks like it has a v all the way back to the stern. She should be a good handling tinny.

Is the bow cap tin? It looks like it has some glassy contours at the rub rail and the feature down the center. I did find a boat on Fiberglassics a while back with a tin hull and glass topsides.

 

[Bwana Don]

Re: Finally got mine!

Stick around we'll be glad to have you. Congrats are in order.

I guess Crestliner!

 

[Sunsetrider]

Re: Finally got mine!

I will definitely try the fiberglassics site out - did not know about it. There is no fiberglass on this boat, just metal and some wood. As I contemplate the job ahead I realize that I have not the skills or experience to do this . . . but then again I thought the same thing when I took out my Yamaha motorcycle carbs and rejetted them. It somehow all got back together and worked! I think my first task will to figure out the best way to get the boat off the trailer so I can work with a stable base (is there a thread on that?), and as well, make the trailer adjustments (new, longer bunks as well). I'll see if my boat mechanic can come over to help get the motor off. I'll just hand it over to him to determine if it's workable. Wish I had a sandblaster!

kinda hot out to be working on it too much but I am curious to peek under the deck. I'll poke around there a little later on.

 

[barato2]

Re: Finally got mine!

the boat is what, about 15-16'? once you have motor off, you and a friend should be able to work it off trlr and onto some hay bales....these are stable, won't dent hull, and cheap (about $5-6 each). pull the windshield first and you can flip it sideways off trlr onto bales and thus flip it for painting in process.

Da Fright commonly has their pressure blasters on sale for <100 but you'll need a hefty compressor to run one. my 80 gallon compressor will barely keep up with mine. many people seem to use a pressure washer to blast lots of crud off the hull and in some cases even help with the stripping. are you sure you WANt to strip it? factory paint often makes one of the best adhering substrates for new paint.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Finally got mine!

Sunset - can you use hand power tools - circular saw, jig saw, and the like? Then you have the skill set. And if you can't, you will be proficient by the time the ??? tinny is done. There is nothing really hard to do and no matter what you run across someone here has seen it and figured out how to do it. It might seen like a daunting task but in no time you will helping others. Psst - when I got my tinny I didn't know anything about a tin boat. I'm no expert for sure but I'm not afraid to tackle anything on the boat now and if I'm not sure I just ask the guys.

Do you want to take the boat off the trailer and flip it to work on the bottom? First strip out every inside the hull. Floor, foam if you have any. remove the motor, etc. You want to get the hull as light as possible. Depending on how heavy the bare hull is, you and 2 3 friends can pick her up & off the trailer. We'll help you out when you get ready.

 

[Sunsetrider]

Re: Finally got mine!

OK, thanks guys, all that sounds very do-able once you break it down. As for removing paint from the hull - - - I am absolutely not convinced bare-hulling is the way to go. On this boat it seems there is a good original undercoat and an overcoat of a whiter white that is peeling but only in limited areas. So I'm hoping that a few days sanding and feathering will give me a nice smooth base to get me a shiny smooth finish like the jobs I see on here.

Some of you have speculated that I might not have to "deal with" the sloppy foam . . . haha - how right you are! As you can see from these pics, the foaming on this Classic Beauty (!) is mostly symbolic.



Showing the middle, bow and stern. Some jobs are just TOO easy! (avoid thinking of transom)