Questions about my new 1973 Starcraft

[strutter2007]

I just purchased a 1973 Starcraft 16ft aluminum boat. Was told it was originally a ski boat. It has probably a six foot original aluminum deck. This deck is not a standing deck. It only has one lightweight aluminum brace. This boat also has been gutted and redone. Pretty much as a john boat. I wanna shorten the existing deck to allow more room for fishing and equipment. The boat has no bilge pump. I have purchased new auto float and bilge pump plus plumbing hoses. I have noticed that the gentleman I purchased this from didnt even have a drain on the floor. Shouldn't I put a drain in the floor to allow water to rapidly reach the hull bottom? Wouldn't this help in preserving the wooden floor? I really like this boat and have taken it out twice as it is. No water came from drain plug when pulled after leaving the lake. Will try to add pics too. Any advice or suggestions will be greatly appreciated amd strongly urged.lol Need advice on uploading photos as well. Thanks in advance to all. This is a great forum.

 

[bonz_d]

At the top of the 1st page which lists the sub-forums there is a topic in Rules and Guidance for posting pictures. Most here use PhotoBucket.com to host pictures and it works very well.

Will be waiting to see some pictures and just what all the StarCraft guys here will suggest.

 

[jbcurt00]

Moved this over to where you'll get the most help.

I'm guessing the aluminum deck you are referring to is the closed bow area of a 16ft Jupiter or Holiday, but those had wooden supportes under them originally.

Get the pix posted and we'll help anyway we can.

 

[strutter2007]

Thanks. I will try the suggestions u gave me for uploading pictures.Hoping after this post it will allow. As far as the original deck. It does have a solid piece of oak wood that it is mounted on top of.

 

[jbcurt00]

As far as the original deck. It does have a solid piece of oak wood that it is mounted on top of.

Hmmmm, that doesn't help much. Try using photobucket as a pix host. It's free, and I find it works great. It's the only way I post pix on any forum, and I'm on several.

 

[strutter2007]

Hopefully I will become better versed at using photobucket soon. Thanks for the help. I hope someone can identify the model. I really like it. Has one soft close to front right seat. I wanna actually lower the feont deck and use a regular foot controlled trolling motor. Some have suggested decking boards for new flooring to in place of marine plywood. My goal is just to have a great fishing boat.I can't do any serious fishing from the back seat and running trolling motor. I do a lot of walleye trolling in summer and it is ok for that. I want to be able to bass fish as well though. All the seats and posts and even tires and wheel bearings are brand new seats still have tags. I feel like I stole this boat for 500 dollars. Thanks again for the help so far with the pics.

 

[Alumarine]

Welcome.
This might help posting pictures.

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/othe...tep-by-step-with-a-free-hosting-site?t=530391

point 4 is the best approach

• 4: IMG code

 

[jbcurt00]

Well, it has been heavily modified by a previous owner:

This is the closed bow I mentioned:

BTW: it's supposed to have a splashwell at the back, and was formerly a remotely steered boat (had a steering wheel) not a tiller steer.

Look thru some of the rest of the Starcraft topics. Lots of great tin boat building going on in here.....

 

[jbcurt00]

Some have suggested decking boards for new flooring to in place of marine plywood.

I feel like I stole this boat for 500 dollars.

DONT USE PRESSURE TREATED lumber in an an aluminum boat, anywhere. Its corrosive to aluminum, if you read thru some topics, you'll see boats that are damaged by PT lumber use.

If you're happy at $500, you did good. Depending on where you're located, it might be a little high w/out an outboard, other places it'd be a great bargain w/ new seats, bearings, tires & etc.

 

[g0nef1sshn]

500$ with the trailer its a steal! 500$ just the boat? Still a steal to me!! good find. Make it your own. So are you planning tiller or console steering?

 

[Watermann]

:welcome: to the Starmada strutter!

To answer some of your questions. The obstacle you'll face when cutting the bow cover back is what to do for gunnels like the back section of the boat has. I don't think using anything but plywood is a good idea, the main reason is trying to add supports for every single piece of wood in enough places so it doesn't have a ripple when you walk on it. The decking need to be sealed against water intrusion before the carpet goes on. Floor drains would work fine if you have a deck shaped like a sink otherwise it will run to the back end of the boat on top of the deck and end up where the pump is. The most water will enter your boat by sitting uncovered in the driveway. My Chief had a floor drain in the cabin originally so I put one back in it since it was more like a bathtub up there with the bulkheads.

After seeing the pics of your new to you SC it looks like the previous owner left you with a nice blank slate to work with.

 

[strutter2007]

Thanks for all your help and info jbcurt00.
G0nef1ssh I have a small mercury outboard motor 9.8hp I will probably keep it tiller steer. I would also like to have the bow pretty much as yours is too.
Thanks for the info Watermann. As far as the g unnels go. I would like to leave about six inches of the original deck attached to the sides. I hope this allows me to outline the gunnel along the contour lines of the boat. I will add the needed gunnel wood under the remaining deck and fold it over or trim it out to match. After I remove the interior sidewalls. I hope to have a better idea of the wood I need for this. What is the best thing to use for waterproofing the plywood? I want a simple reliable fisher. Instead of two seats mounted side by side. I will probably have three mounted down the middle. This boat will make a terrific little troller on Lake Cumberland. What size plywood and type do I need to get? Thanks for everyone's help and advice.

 

[jbcurt00]

Lake Cumberland..... what dock do you launch out of?

Spent thousands of hours on the water out of Grider Hill, what seems a very long time ago. Most of the 80s and 90s.

Seal the pkywood w whatever fots your budget.

Epoxy is the most expensive, but lasts the longest, if you protect it from UV w paint or vinyl flooring like Nautolex.

Many use Spar varnish/urethane, others paint. A few have tried boiled linseed oil, varnish and mineral spirits blended into a low cost sealer.

Important thing is to seal the plywood, esp the edges, really well, then store boat bow up, covered w the deain plug out. All of those sealers will serve you well if you maintain the boat when you're done. Surprisingly few do, thats why so many wind up here as projects. So its good that some dont maintain their stuff....

Again, theres lots of good info in lots of the SC topics. Including how to layout, cut, support and trim out a bow-ectomy like you suggest for your bow.

 

[strutter2007]

Thanks again jbcurt00. I do most if my launching at a handful of ramps. Fishing has totally changed since the water level has been brought back up. There is a ramp on fishing creek called Slate Branch.I use that one a lot. It aactually outs in straight across from a bend in the creek called needle point. I use another out if the way ramp called Omega. This is known as north fork. Part of the river that runs through. I use Burnside marina. Also use Cumberland point ramp as well. I use others as well but those first two I use the most. Especially in the spring for Walleye fishing. The second I use heavily in the fall to catch strippers in the jump. My favorite lake. Even though we have a lot of great fisheries around here. My boat is actually keep covered on my carport. You are correct however when storing uncovered and in the weather. I was a little freaked out this boat had no bilge. Nor does it have any drain holes in the side or rear to indicate that it ever had one. I have plenty of spar urethane. Thank s for mentioning it. Sometimes u can't see the forest for the trees. I have hust recently had knee surgery on the 29th of May. I will be sidelined for a bit. At least six weeks. Hopefully by mid July I will be back in form and have a great game plan and can knock it out quickly. Will post pics as well. Will need all help and suggestion from experienced folks like yourself I can get.
Thanks again,
GOD BLESS AMERICA

 

[Watermann]

Yeah you got the right idea for the bow cover. Decking has a big variance in what people like to use. Weight of the wood is a factor with some but most guys worry about strength, it seems most of us guys that work on these old SC's are a bit on a large size. Me being a scant 6'04" 260 Lbs I can get by with some well supported 1/2" ply but ONLY if it is high grade marine ply, not home depot stuff. I've used 5/8" and 3/4" as well. For my fishing boat I used nothing but marine grade in it from one end to the other, the bottom deck is 1/2" but the upper deck is 3/4" due to the numerous cutouts for hatches and livewells. The 5/8" ply is what I used to make the sun deck on my Chief. So you can see there is not really a "just use this" when it comes to decking ply. Just make sure it's good marine or exterior grade and sealed up well. (I use Helmsman spar). Last words NO PRESSURE TREATED plywood... EVER!

Don't press your luck on the knee and use the down time to study some of the fine restorations found here in the SC iboats library and get ahead of the game by shopping for parts you'll need/want.

 

[strutter2007]

That's awesome advice Watermann. Thank you so much. I for sure won't press my luck with my knee. Look forward to completing this project. Will do my very best to upload pics too. Thanks again for the info.

 

[g0nef1sshn]

my dad had his knee replace in the past year and probably overdid it now he has to have it redone because of an infection. so definitely take your time on the knee.