hello fellow starcrafters

[kcatto]

I have been reading the forums for awhile, so I can catch-up and not ask a bunch of questions answered elsewhere...

I have a question for you starcraft guys I have a 1969 16 foot mariner deep-V which is weird because she measures from tip to transom down the middle at 17'6"... but she is titled as a 16' dunno???

I would like to remove the front deck area and the super wide gunnels....

to have more interior room and less of the front covered....

has any one done this????

If so what did they use for gunnels???

I was thinking about cutting them narrower down each side, but just need some advise here....

If I get rid of those really wide gunnels I will gain about 8" in usable width....

Allowing me to put in rod lockers etc....

Thank you all in advance,
Keven

 

[wrfalpacas]

Re: hello fellow starcrafters

Welcome the length Starcraft uses is the waterline length. As far as the gunnels, they do provide some of the torsional rigidity of the boat, but a few inches thinner might work.

 

[kcatto]

Re: hello fellow starcrafters

Awesome... thank you so much wrfalpacas the length now makes more sense....

I was planning to remove the gunnels and the front deck of course replacing the front deck with aluminum piece just a little smaller.... I do not think this will be a problem I did notice there was a stiffener up there but I was planning to add a compartment up front anyway so the stiffener would not really be missed as I would close in the complete front anyway....

I read a tutorial somewhere on here where a guy had a Jupiter model and removed the complete deck and wide gunnels and replaced them with small thin gunnels and the front deck but I do not know what gunnels he used if any???? I am planning of course the full spectrum of compartments and goodies, I have been just getting pieces together over the last year...

You guys have a great forum going on here...

thank you,
Kev