Starcraft QUestion. WHat is this bracket for?

[pro-crastinator]

Hi everyone.
New toy.

Its a 1965 Starcraft Marlin
$390 new FOB
14' 1" length
64" beam
320 lbs
16" transom hight 54" transon width
40hp max
850lbs capacity

WHo can tell me what this bracket is for.
WOndering if it wa an add on over the past 50 years - or if it was original.

Thanks much

-Bennett

 

[MTboatguy]

Can't tell you what it is, but I say with 98% certainty, it is not a factory bracket, that is what is fun, the puzzle you get to figure out on what the other owners of the boat did over its lifetime.

 

[89 resorter]

My guess would be that they were used for some sort of flat, flexible bows that would span from one side of the boat to the other to hold up a mooring cover.

 

[oldboat1]

+1. can buy the bows (and a cover). Bows keep the cover tight, or at least are supposed to. I have trouble keeping them from slipping fore or aft.

 

[pro-crastinator]

Thanks guys. That helps a lot.
Now to decide what to do next!
FLoor, FLotation, replace seats to obtain factory beam,...............

 

[oldboat1]

My Starcraft has attached under the seats (aluminum envelope that holds flotation). That's all the flotation it has.

I replaced the original teak seats (beyond saving, for seats at least) -- used double with treated wood (decking with bullnose edges). It worked out OK, but treated wood shrinks and has to periodically be refit to the aluminum brackets. Probably not the best idea. But still look good after about three years.

 

[pro-crastinator]

Where would I start to fabricate flotation "bunks" under seats?
I understand the pink foam us used but what technique works best for "mounting" it under the seats?
Fiberglass? Polyester resin?

The PO installed pressure treated pine everywhere. I think that prob should be gotton rid of.

 

[seadogmike]

My guess would be that they were used for some sort of flat, flexible bows that would span from one side of the boat to the other to hold up a mooring cover.

Seen These before. That is what it is.

 

[PKomrowski]

They are factory, and they do indeed hold a flat (back in the day it was a wood bent ash) cover support. They worked great, and lasted a long time (20 years) if you took care of them, and they only cost 4$ each to replace. O for that day again....

 

[oldboat1]

Overtons, probably here at iBoats. 2-piece, with a sliding buckle. The wood ones take a set -- haven't tried the fiberglass ones.

On floatation -- the factory floatation attached to the seats (encased under the seats) doesn't look all that great, in my view. I think the look is better without it (not sure what regs might apply -- maybe none).

 

[MTboatguy]

That bracket in the picture looks like it is pointing down into the hull, how would you put a bow in it that would curve upwards?

 

[oldboat1]

yeah, been thinking that's the angle of the pic. Brackets normally have an upward tilt. There's enough play in them that a bow might still work -- not sure. And can replace. I've never gotten the things to work right anyway -- some breeze, too much rain, a little snow. Not great, in my view.

 

[pro-crastinator]

I could probably get away without flotation - but I cant not have it - and still have a clear conscience on the water.

Under the future floor, I figure that I have 7200 square inches of space for foam. I'm figuring 2 inch thick sheets cut into appropriate pieces.
Thats 4.16 cubic feet of foam. Is that enough? - no. Not with a 320 lb aluminum boat and a 150 lb motor. 5.38 is needed. (lotta math not shown)
SO, still need to find room for "the rest" of a 4'x8'x2" sheet of foam board (plus a little more) - which contains 5.333 cubic feet of foam - and provides 62 lbs of flotation per cubic foot.

Heck, maybe I can get it all under the deck? Time will tell.......

 

[BWR1953]

I could probably get away without flotation - but I cant not have it - and still have a clear conscience on the water.

Under the future floor, I figure that I have 7200 square inches of space for foam. I'm figuring 2 inch thick sheets cut into appropriate pieces.
Thats 4.16 cubic feet of foam. Is that enough? - no. Not with a 320 lb aluminum boat and a 150 lb motor. 5.38 is needed. (lotta math not shown)
SO, still need to find room for "the rest" of a 4'x8'x2" sheet of foam board (plus a little more) - which contains 5.333 cubic feet of foam - and provides 62 lbs of flotation per cubic foot.

Heck, maybe I can get it all under the deck? Time will tell.......

Here's how I did it for my Kingfisher. That's 3/4 inch foam board cut into wedges. The wedges were then glued together and taped with aluminum duct tape. The blue ones are also pink but are covered with transparent blue HDPE bags to make them gasoline proof.

 

[oldboat1]

Well, looks aside, I kept my flotation as it was under the seats -- in good shape so no need to replace. I have a potential issue because the seats I put in can (and do) gap a little, and can let water in to the top of the flotation blocks. But the boat is always covered anyway. With floor flotation (no offense to BRW -- beautiful work), there is a real possibility of water logging. Guess you could engineer that problem away, maybe partially anyway, by building in drainage under the floor and foam -- at the skin of the hull, I would think. Might check other Starcrafts or other brands with flotation under the seats -- might be able to duplicate the aluminum shell(s) that hold the foam. That shell is three sided, open side up, and attaches to the underside of the seats. That 5.3 cu ft is an interesting number -- think two seats with factory flotation underneath might be darned close to that, maybe a little more.

 

[64osby]

If there is any treated wood in an aluminum boat REMOVE IT ASAP.

The current treated wood has a copper compound in it that will eat the aluminum. Often referred to galvanic corrosion. Tons of info on the WWW if you care to look at it.

 

[oldboat1]

that's a good point -- Thanks. Had seen that, and then promptly forgot about it. recall transom replacement was reg. A/C ply and epoxy, so OK there anyway. 4-5 yr. old repairs.

 

[jbcurt00]

. With floor flotation (no offense to BRW -- beautiful work), there is a real possibility of water logging..

Thats why we suggest the rigid sheet insulation for flotation foam, it won't waterlog. The pink/blue sheets that's XPS not EPS foam

And w his gas proof bags protecting the foam, BRWs foam is also gas proof.

IMO, BRWs install should be textbook example to shoot for.

 

[oldboat1]

use of expanding foam ("Great Stuff") for nooks and crannies? waterproof?

 

[pro-crastinator]

No Title

Firstly, what a great job on the boam board install. How did you clean the aluminum ? wire wheel?

2. Look closely at the pic. Center of the boat on the floor ribs. At this point, you can see there are two blocks of pink 2 inch foam fitting nicely between the bottom of the floor and bottom of the boat. If I can figure out how to glass over foam, I may try to put 4 inches under the seats as well.

3. There is Pressure treated wood every da*m where. In fact, every piece of wood is pressure treated. The PO was well intentioned but mis guided.
He put in the PT wood less than 3 weeks ago.

XPS - Extruded EPS - Expanding; XPS wont gain water weight EPS will soak it up : Thats my humble understanding

4. My boat's beam is 2 1/2 inches LESS than what it should be. - according to specs for a 1965 Starcraft Marlin
plan to take out PT seats,, Space beam to spec and clamp it, size and cut new seats that will maintain beam to spec. NBD (no big deal)

5. FIlling drill holes in aluminum: JB weld, polyester resin w fiberglass or tig weld?