Our recent purchase of SS 16 ft Starcraft

[InMotion]

Re: Our recent purchase of SS 16 ft Starcraft

Nice work FN.... normally tinnies and rollers don't mix. But I can see why they would under your circumstances. Motor runs great... prolly about as good as it gets given that you don't have tnt...

Keep up the great work.

IM

 

[dave 524]

Re: Our recent purchase of SS 16 ft Starcraft

What do you think turned out alright? Anybody else have problems with the back roller being a fixed mount?

I also added a lower bolt on each bracket to stop the rollers from pivoting too low, that are on the right side on the last pic.

That's the same EZ Loader trailer I've got my 18 Sylvan on. That whole bent square tube that the roller assemblies are mounted on should rotate on the single bolts on the mainframe just ahead of the tail lights, maybe yours is too tight or corroded, if you free that up you would have found the the rollers could be tilted to much the same angle as they are with your mod.

edit... oops I see you got a plank to walk on attached to it in another pic, there be the reason it won't rotate. Your fix is good

 

[dozerII]

Re: Our recent purchase of SS 16 ft Starcraft

Hey FN, looks good, you may have to watch that your bow keel does't run into the walking plank now. I agree with IM', most roller trailers and Aluminum boats don't work, but EZload seems to have it fiqured.
Glen

 

[FishNmemories]

Re: Our recent purchase of SS 16 ft Starcraft

i really like your ingenuity and solutions to problems. thanks for posting all these good ideas.

Thanks Barato2...some ideas were mine, some borrowed from the forum.

Edit: It has been so helpful to me doing repairs on this boat thanks to the info posted here that it seemed I should post my repair to help out folks out too

 

[FishNmemories]

Re: Our recent purchase of SS 16 ft Starcraft

Nice boat. I have a similar boat, but I don't have the lower rub rail on my SS. I have been following your thread, and have enjoyed seeing the changes along the way. Love the detailed information. You had mentioned that you had to patch some soft spots on the floor, do you have any pics of what you had done with the floor? My floor is solid except a few spots in the back. Thought maybe I could do a minor patch until the floor is replaced at a later date.

Sadly, I don't have any shots during the floor patch process, only could provide a finished photo. The soft spots were at the back of the boat, just in front of the sliding partitions/doors that isolate the gas tanks. These areas can be fixed by cutting a rectangle/square patch out of the floor that needs to be replaced and then screwing strips of plywood down around the underside perimeter of the cutout. I screwed from the top down into the floor perimeter then into the strips of plywood (plywood offers good holding wood for screws due to mutiple layers wood). Then cut a patch of plywood to fit into the cutout area and screw down into the strips. Sorry, the strips of plywood need to overlap the cutout area both ways (into the cutout and back past the cutout area) by 2-4 inches, then you can screw the new patch down.

I didn't seal this patch, just stapled the vinyl back down...which I cut in the shape of a "I" and carefully peeled back with the help of an exacto knife. Oh, I did use contact glue to adhere the vinyl down to the new patch of plywood.

Reading this back to myself, pics would have helped demonstrate the process which is fairly easy to do.

 

[FishNmemories]

Re: Our recent purchase of SS 16 ft Starcraft

Nice work FN.... normally tinnies and rollers don't mix. But I can see why they would under your circumstances. Motor runs great... prolly about as good as it gets given that you don't have tnt...

Keep up the great work.

IM

Thanks, IM...I know and I agree about the rollers, which I have been dubious about. Just decided to try it and so far love the results. Yesterday we got out fishing for the day, it was awesome, but the launch was fairly flat to pick the SS back up on the trailer and we had a set back, which I will post some pics to explain it better.

 

[FishNmemories]

Re: Our recent purchase of SS 16 ft Starcraft

That's the same EZ Loader trailer I've got my 18 Sylvan on. That whole bent square tube that the roller assemblies are mounted on should rotate on the single bolts on the mainframe just ahead of the tail lights, maybe yours is too tight or corroded, if you free that up you would have found the the rollers could be tilted to much the same angle as they are with your mod.

edit... oops I see you got a plank to walk on attached to it in another pic, there be the reason it won't rotate. Your fix is good

Thanks Dave 524, I honestly never thought the back roller mainframe would pivot, I had noticed on other trailers the back roller mainframe pivots. Well, as I have already attached the gangplank, I might just keep it this way. I will definitely check that mainframe out though...thanks again.

 

[FishNmemories]

Re: Our recent purchase of SS 16 ft Starcraft

Hey FN, looks good, you may have to watch that your bow keel does't run into the walking plank now. I agree with IM', most roller trailers and Aluminum boats don't work, but EZload seems to have it fiqured.
Glen

Your right, Glen...the front keel does contact the gangplank. I kinda figured it might and yesterday on a low water exit, the keel did slide along the gangplank. For now I going to stay with the rollers, as I really love the ease of launch and recovery...but I am keeping an eye on it.

Rusty

Edit: I have to mention that I will be adding a keel roller by the gangplank to help lift the boat' front keel.
I had bunks supporting the 14 ft alum springbok, but the pounding on the dirt logging roads eventually took its toll and cracked or broke several cross-member/stringer supports. I repaired them by screwing flat strips of alum on each side of the crossmembers/stringers.

 

[FishNmemories]

Re: Our recent purchase of SS 16 ft Starcraft

Ok, yesterday we went out fishing for the day, it was flat calm, fishing was good. The problem was upon returning to the ramp high tide left us using the flat area of the ramp (low tide 3ft no problem launching, high tide 14 ft). There was no more than 5-6 inches of water to crank the boat back on the trailer.

Glen can you see the keel and gangplank contacting each other? Yup, that needs to be fixed, new keel roller installed.

 

[FishNmemories]

Re: Our recent purchase of SS 16 ft Starcraft

Now as we were cranking up the boat on the trailer, the top front roller on the back roller assembly hung up on the gunwale just below it. I lifted the starboard side up and continued cranking, the port side looked like it was clearing the gunwale. But the whole front roller assembly broke off, so I wedged a piece of red cedar bark to slide the boat on the jagged "L" shaped brackets. We got the boat back on the trailer, photo #2... and as depicted in photo #3 you can see the broken L shaped bracket with the bark wedged on top of them.

PHOTO #2

PHOTO #3

Ouch!! These L shaped support brackets are made of alum and were replaced sometime ago. The original brackets are made of galvanized steel. I tried to replace the alum ones earlier but could not locate any and I forgot to fix this problem:redface:

Well, now I'm going to get some flat stock steel ones made and paint them with rustoleum paint. I thought the alum brackets looked inferior and they were!!

 

[FishNmemories]

Re: Our recent purchase of SS 16 ft Starcraft

The problem with shallow water exits and having long stationary bunks mounted on the trailer is they don't pivot. If these long bunks did pivot, then as you crank the boat on the trailer, the boat would be 4-5 feet up in the air before the bow could come down on the trailer. One option is to install short bunks that pivot, thus allowing the bow of the boat to only raise 2-3 feet before coming down on the trailer. But short bunks don't offer enough support, probably no more than rollers, as I found on my 14 ft springbok.

There is incredible strain on the winch strap and hook when the boat gets raised too far into the air when retrieving the boat from shallow water when using long bunks. Rollers definitely help ease the friction of the boat moving along the trailer as you crank; therefore I find less strain on the winch strap and hook.

Perhaps, mounting bunks just forward of the back rollers that would not interfere with the rollers and boat as you crank the boat forward on the trailer. This would offer more support when trailering the boat on bumpy roads and cause no damage to the hull.

Hmmm...for now I am going to continue with the rollers as apposed to using the bunks due to shallow water entries and exits. Food for thought!!

 

[dozerII]

Re: Our recent purchase of SS 16 ft Starcraft

Ok, yesterday we went out fishing for the day, it was flat calm, fishing was good. The problem was upon returning to the ramp high tide left us using the flat area of the ramp (low tide 3ft no problem launching, high tide 14 ft). There was no more than 5-6 inches of water to crank the boat back on the trailer.

Glen can you see the keel and gangplank contacting each other? Yup, that needs to be fixed, new keel roller installed.

FN, My first 16SS had the same trailer and the rollers as seen in your photo used to hooh on the splash strip down the side of the hull and it tore right into them. I hated that trailer. I think if you could put a couple of keel rollers in at the back that would lift the hull intialy on to the rooler cradles it would work okay.

Glen

 

[dave 524]

Re: Our recent purchase of SS 16 ft Starcraft

Thanks Dave 524, I honestly never thought the back roller mainframe would pivot, I had noticed on other trailers the back roller mainframe pivots. Well, as I have already attached the gangplank, I might just keep it this way. I will definitely check that mainframe out though...thanks again.

I'd give some thought to ending the gangplank at the rear axle, the axle will move up and down while the points where the plank are attached to the frame are fixed, maybe not the best. Gotta love those EZoaders for shallow launches and recoveries, got a 2 speed winch on mine and have put and recovered it in some very skinny water too, just keep everything hooked up at the bow stop till over the water

you can attach the plank in 1 place to the frame and then to the axle and it will be ok, if attached to 2 places on the frame and the axle it will have to bend with the travel of the suspension.

 

[FishNmemories]

Re: Our recent purchase of SS 16 ft Starcraft

Dozerll,
I was thinking the same thing, Glen, I was hoping that installing the keel rollers high enough would lift the boat into the rller cradles and clear that splash guard. One could try to shorten the alum shaft on the outside roller, too.

Dave 524,
I didn't attach the gangplank to the axle, just installed a support board underneath it. I agree you and did not want the up and down movement from the axle to cause problems. Good point!!

Rusty

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Our recent purchase of SS 16 ft Starcraft

FNM - A couple of thoughts/question on the trailer woes. How about moving the gangplank to sit on top of the trailer frame, either side. The support over the axle looks close in the pics. If the axle is hitting the support on the rough roads all the shock is on the rollers to the hull because the trailer suspension travel is effectively shortened. I'm just going by the pics, in person I might say it's fine.

Second - Is that a tilt trailer? Can't tell by the pics.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Our recent purchase of SS 16 ft Starcraft

I'm not a fan of roller trailers but I can see why they would be a huge advantage for you my friend

Yah, like these guys, I'm thinking a keel roller on the back frame cross member would help the cause maybe.

 

[FishNmemories]

Re: Our recent purchase of SS 16 ft Starcraft

FNM - A couple of thoughts/question on the trailer woes. How about moving the gangplank to sit on top of the trailer frame, either side. The support over the axle looks close in the pics. If the axle is hitting the support on the rough roads all the shock is on the rollers to the hull because the trailer suspension travel is effectively shortened. I'm just going by the pics, in person I might say it's fine.



Second - Is that a tilt trailer? Can't tell by the pics.

The gangplank is mounted under the first cross-member because there is a keel roller mounted on the same cross-member and therefore I had to mount the gangplank under the cross-member. I then choose to mount the other end of the gangplank on top of the back cross-member for additional support.

There is a fair amount of flex in the gangplank, that bends as the axle travels upward and we have already gone over logging roads with the trailer/boat. I have not noticed any indenting from the rollers on the hull...so far. This photo shows the gangplank mounted under the first cross-member

Not sure what you mean of a tilt trailer...according to Dave 524, the back cross-member should pivot, which it did not thus far. Is that what you mean by tilt trailer?

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: Our recent purchase of SS 16 ft Starcraft

A tilt trailer has a release pin forward near the bow stop that when pulled, allows the top section of the trailer to pivot up.
Much like a dump truck bed.

 

[FishNmemories]

Re: Our recent purchase of SS 16 ft Starcraft

I'm not a fan of roller trailers but I can see why they would be a huge advantage for you my friend

Yah, like these guys, I'm thinking a keel roller on the back frame cross member would help the cause maybe.

Hey Jas,
I did some research on the roller trailers initially when I first got the boat/trailer and the article talked about how much each individual roller could support on different hull types. I kinda figured that the alum hull (16' SS) with the amount of rollers the trailer had, fell into an acceptable level...at least from that article.

Now, I did talk to a fella that had a Hourston 18 ' hardtop with a 90 hp main engine and a kicker. The hull weight was 4900 lbs which was mounted on a roller trailer with a pivoting back cross-member. There was an extra set of roller to deal with the weight, but still only one bolt per side on the back pivoting cross-member.

The Hourston is obviously heavy boat than our alum hulls and the guy had no problems to-date traveling down the same logging roads that I travel. But, I had a 24 ft Rienell Fibre-glass hull with I/O that I repaired and after sanding down the hull I noticed thousands of spider cracks along the hull. These were either caused by hitting debris in the water or by the rollers. These spider cracks were hidden in the old gelcoat.

I drilled several holes in the hull and let the plywood drain water out for several weeks while re & re the mercruiser Ford 302 and numerous other chores. The hull never stopped dripping or weeping water, these spider cracks once again allowed water penetration into the core of the hull. This is why I am not a fan of fibre-glass hulls anymore.

I am hoping that this roller set-up will do the job for the SS hull, but as there are several of the fellas raising concerns about the roller trailer, it does have me thinking.

Keeping in mind the shallow water entries/exits that I will be putting this hull through and have already, I sure appreciate the rollers when cranking the SS back on the trailer.

Edit: First I installed wooden plugs into the holes I drilled and then fibre-glass over these areas. Finally I applied several layers of sealant to the Rienell hull before applying the bottom paint but, here I am guess, that the flexing of the hull fractured those spider cracks again and the water penetrated the hull once again.

 

[FishNmemories]

Re: Our recent purchase of SS 16 ft Starcraft

A tilt trailer has a release pin forward near the bow stop that when pulled, allows the top section of the trailer to pivot up.
Much like a dump truck bed.

Ahhh, Thanks CBKev...then my trailer is not a tilt trailer. In all my years on the water, I can't say I have seen one either.