Project new floor on 18-foot '78 Starcraft SS

[iwombat]

The new boat floor is all glassed and primed.

Painted the front first, then the back. No pictures of the front until the back is dry

Interlux non-skid is going over it. But first all the console pieces etc. get drilled, sealed and fastened back in.

 

[Saskatoon2005]

Re: Project new floor on 18-foot '78 Starcraft SS

keep us up to date...we love photos.....looks great!d

 

[iwombat]

Re: Project new floor on 18-foot '78 Starcraft SS

Next I've got to try and fit a gas tank in the aft port side under the splashwell. As you can see from the picture, it's not the easiest space to put in a rectangular tank. I think I'll just get a long-ish one and build a little bench there in the rear corner to go over it.

The batteries will go over on the starboard side for balance.

 

[iwombat]

Re: Project new floor on 18-foot '78 Starcraft SS

Next round of pics . . .

Latest boat pictures prior to installing the seats (finished after pics):

What I've done:
Gut the interior down to the ribs, repair some dents, dings and
re-rivet in a few places. Reinstall the floor and cockpit, run wires
cables etc. I started out with white interlux interdeck paint on the floor, but after painting I could tell it was going to blind me this summer. So, I sponged on a blue faux-finish and dry-rolled more white on top. It looks great, and with the depth the faux-finish offers it's tough to see where I lapsed on sanding the floor perfectly.

What needs to be done:
Mount up the electric downriggers.
Install permanent fuel tank, and put doors to the splashwell
dead-space.
Finish up the bow area with benches.


It's usable now though!


The wide shot - I've done nothing on the outside except hull repair underneath:

Cockpit shot

Aft section (you can kind of see the faux-finish on the floor)

Slightly better shot of the floor and new kick panel

In front of the cockpit area

Next to finish - the bow area

 

[Tacklewasher]

Re: Project new floor on 18-foot '78 Starcraft SS

Can you come and do mine next?

That looks real nice. I'm in the planning stages of doing similar to my 18' Holiday.

What did you make your console out of? That looks really clean and exactly what I have in mind. Can you grab a closer shot of it?

 

[iwombat]

Re: Project new floor on 18-foot '78 Starcraft SS

The console I inherited with the original purchase. As far as I know it's original. I tore off all the vinyl wrappers and the wood was usable. It was the only bit of wood that was in good shape other than the transom.

Here's the same shot, cropped and a little bigger.

 

[iwombat]

Re: Project new floor on 18-foot '78 Starcraft SS

The side and top are sheet aluminum, and the front where the instruments are mounted is 1" ply, the back side is 1/2" ply. I'm still trying to figure out what to do with the spots where the ribs are exposed under the dash and the bare side in front of the kick panel. They were originally covered with carpet and vinyl respectively. It remains a VERY minor concern though.

 

[Tacklewasher]

Re: Project new floor on 18-foot '78 Starcraft SS

I doubt that is original.

Mine looks like

And I think that is original to all these boats.

(Note. This picture is not of mine. Mine just looks the same as this).

 

[Zetman]

Re: Project new floor on 18-foot '78 Starcraft SS

looks great! When you said the floor is glassed in What did you mean? Zet

 

[iwombat]

Re: Project new floor on 18-foot '78 Starcraft SS

I've got 100% of no idea where it came from then. I like that I've got a dashboard I can mount the fishfinder and pro-troll on though. Maybe the outboard and I/O dashes were different. Mine originally came with a speedo, tach, fuel guage and two pull switches (nav and bilge). I run the speedo off the GPS. Tach and fuel guage are still useful and I went for a switch panel to control bilge, nav, accessories (toys), and deck lights. Still have the manual bilge override there on the far right. I run the downriggers straight off the battery w/ inline fuses since they need a 30-amp fused circuit and big hurkin' wire.

 

[iwombat]

Re: Project new floor on 18-foot '78 Starcraft SS

Floor is 1/2" ply with 2 layers of fiberglass cloth in epoxy resin.

 

[Zetman]

Re: Project new floor on 18-foot '78 Starcraft SS

I'm doing the same project and was looking for Epoxy resin at my local store and I think they did'nt have what I needed.. one can said expoxy gel, another said something about poly resin..Did you buy your supplies off the internet and so can you point me in the right direction? Thankyou..Zet

 

[iwombat]

Re: Project new floor on 18-foot '78 Starcraft SS

I just went down to the local West Marine and got their epoxy system with the nice little measured dispenser pumps. You can get that all online from them. I think iboats sells it too.

 

[Tacklewasher]

Re: Project new floor on 18-foot '78 Starcraft SS

I've got 100% of no idea where it came from then. I like that I've got a dashboard I can mount the fishfinder and pro-troll on though. Maybe the outboard and I/O dashes were different. Mine originally came with a speedo, tach, fuel guage and two pull switches (nav and bilge). I run the speedo off the GPS. Tach and fuel guage are still useful and I went for a switch panel to control bilge, nav, accessories (toys), and deck lights. Still have the manual bilge override there on the far right. I run the downriggers straight off the battery w/ inline fuses since they need a 30-amp fused circuit and big hurkin' wire.

I plan on doing pretty much the same. I'm going to add a fuel tank (aft port side like you), use the GPS I don't own yet and get rid of my speedo,. Just have the tach on the left, the fuel, trim, volts on the right and new switches for the wiper, bilge and nav lights. I want to go with a clean look as oppossed to original.

I'll be running the downriggers the same as well.

Plus I need to add a board to my trailer like yours to help recovery.

I don't think I'm going to glass the floor though. I've been in a friends boat with more of a vinyl decking material and I really like it.

I need to get some pictures going. But I have a shower to tile first.

 

[iwombat]

Re: Project new floor on 18-foot '78 Starcraft SS

I'd say you at least want to resin coat the floor if not glass it. Any tiny bit of water that gets past the vinyl will be not entirely unlike floor cancer. It's a pain, and a lot of work, but far easier than doing it again.

 

[Zetman]

Re: Project new floor on 18-foot '78 Starcraft SS

Thanks again..Hey why (another dumb question) did you prime the floor? why not just paint the non-slip after the expoxy treatmeant?

 

[Tacklewasher]

Re: Project new floor on 18-foot '78 Starcraft SS

Let me know what you do for a fuel tank. I'm curious what fits.

 

[iwombat]

Re: Project new floor on 18-foot '78 Starcraft SS

I thought about replacing those dash faces with square panels, but I really liked the swoopy lines after looking at 'em for a bit. Fortunately I didn't have to cut new ones.

 

[iwombat]

Re: Project new floor on 18-foot '78 Starcraft SS

For the fuel tank I'm putting in a tempo under deck 18gal. It'll stick out a little bit past the splash area, so I'll build a seat out over it.

 

[iwombat]

Re: Project new floor on 18-foot '78 Starcraft SS

Latest update:

I posted this in another thread, but here's the gas tank w/ cover. To answer the last postings.

Now that the weather is turning nice, I decided it was time to tackle the bow area. People are gonna want to sit up there now. Aluminum tube frame riveted to the sides and front of cockpit. Resin and fiberglassed ply on top.