Winter project!!

[willyrocket]

Hello all, heres a few pics of what I drug home last weekend.........

 

[captlee]

Re: Winter project!!

nice! Good luck with it.

 

[jcsercsa]

Re: Winter project!!

Hi willyrocket and welcome !!! Nice ride , what kind of shape is is in ???
I clicked on you pics , there pertty small , I think you can fit 640x480 and we can see her better , did you use photo bucket or some thing like that ?? If you did on the bottom of the pic is 4 different pick you can use , just pick the bottom one and click copy and then just paste it in and the show full size in your thread !!1

so again welcome , and keep us posted on what you got going on with her !! John

 

[willyrocket]

Re: Winter project!!

1975 Starcraft Holiday 14
Mariner 30 and trailer for 400.

Trailer is got some good surface rust/pitting. Relatively solid. Will replace with new trailer. Unknown condition of motor. No lower end on it. Turns over pretty easy (compression questionable). Will put on craigslist. Only reason I bought was for hull. When I was young, my dad had one, and he sent it to a guy who re did it into a fishing boat. One of the best boats I have fished out of!!! Want to do the same thing, but with a little different flair to it. This will be my winter project, hopefully being done by next spring. This winter will be fab work, and early spring will be paint/assembly. Plans are cut out front deck and install casting deck with livewell. Trolling motor for the front. Got a pretty slick idea for a center console with bench seat with batt storage under. Rod lockers for the sides. Was going to do a side console, but the way I wanted it done, would not allow much room for rod lockers. Seat may end up a tad small the way I want it, but dont think it will be too bad, we'll see. Obviously new floors in it also. Looking for a 40hp and am also considering a jack plate. Only real major thing I see, is in the very front part of the keel, previously had possible gluv it to seal a leak. No holes I can see, maybe just loose rivets. When I brought it home, there was a drain hole on the keel and it was dripping water. Will do the leak test when time comes, but eventually will be sealed. Also plan to strip all paint and re-paint. All this week, was spent stripping. About 300 pounds of soaked foam!!! Under floor looks pretty solid. A few tiny spots of corrosion/pitting that will be easily taken care of.

Kids came up with names. Either "Finding Nemo" or "Boaty".......

 

[jcsercsa]

Re: Winter project!!

she really does look in pertty good shape , the trailer doesnt look that bad either, it should keep you pertty busy !! Keep us post on how its going !! John

 

[willyrocket]

Re: Winter project!!

Motivation to get her going!!

 

[jcsercsa]

Re: Winter project!!

that will do it !! cute kids !!! John

 

[Joe_the_boatman]

Re: Winter project!!

I really like that boat. The next one I work on will be that size w/ that size motor. I hate to see it get cut up, but it's your boat! Keep the windshield maybe.

Can you get the motor to turn over w/ the starter? Maybe do a quick compression test on it. If it reads good, that might change your mind about getting rid of it. At the very least, it'd bring more $$ from a potential buyer.

 

[JoeCrow]

Re: Winter project!!

What year is it?

 

[Shizzy]

Re: Winter project!!

looks great!

Sure she needs a new trailer? yours looks just like mine did. I spent an afternoon with a wire wheel, resprayed it, nailed fresh carpet to the bunks, put new wheel bearings in and tossed on a new set of lights. well under $100 and she is as good as new.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Winter project!!

That windshield looks like it's pretty good shape. Don't throw that out. eBay it.

 

[willyrocket]

Re: Winter project!!

Year is 1975. I know its hard for me to cut it up and do the deck thing, Ive been looking for a boat to do this to, and its all I can come up with. As for the trailer, pics dont show but, where the springs bolt to the frame, they bolt to a piece of angle, which is clamped to the trailer. Where the angle piece is clamped to the trailer is pretty heavily rotted. Was one of my biggest fears totin it home....

Windshield is definately good shape with the exception of the middle bottom part where it bolts to the deck. Appears that someone had stepped on the deck, t buckled in a bit, and cracked the bottom of the windshield. Still think its worth anything? Im sure the frame is, but dont know about the plastic itself. All the parts I am pulling off are gonna go in a pile and sell it off.

My next step is to build a cradle for it, finish pulling off misc. rivets. Getthe wood out of the transom cut the deck and start fabbin some ribs.....

 

[willyrocket]

Re: Winter project!!

Motor compression. At the moment I dont have a compression tester. However, I can pretty easily turn it over by hand. Normal?

 

[willyrocket]

Re: Winter project!!

One question comes to mind about my project. Still in planning stages on what order to do the whole job. Winter time will comprise of building the decks and interior. When it comes time to paint, it will all be pulled out to strip and paint inside/outside of hull then re assemble. Doing it this way, because I have no time to complete painting before it gets cold here. I am looking at the pettit line of paints. As far as stripping, sanding with elbow grease or blasting or chemical strip (environmentally safe). Would like to start with "fresh" metal to paint and the primer calls for freshly blasted metal. Also I see two different primers. Aluma prep and regular primer. Do I need to use both or either one before my topcoats. They call for 2 coats a piece. Havent figured my total budget yet, but I dont want to do it cheap. Dads favorite saying was do it right the first time, or dont do it at all. Still searching local for a decent price to get the hull blasted. Also researching soda blasting. Any ill effects with this? Possibly something I could do at home. Dont like the mess of media blasting at the house. Questions, comments concerns always welcome!!!!!!

Also does gluvit work better on bare aluminum or can I use it over primer. I would assume that I would put it on after sandblasting, one last leak check, then I could prime. Am I close?

 

[willyrocket]

Re: Winter project!!

No real progress as of late. Just about 4 weeks worth of planning the layout. Its doing this outside now, so time to get busy. This is gonna be slow progress. By trade I am an aircraft mechaninc for Coast Guard, so tools and equipment are no problem. No stranger to metal work. Have to wait about 2-3 weeks to order rest of my ally, but till then I have enough scraps from work to get busy. A few people have mentioned keeping it "stock" and I have entertained the idea, but I want to make it a fishin boat also. So I will do both. Old meets new. Want to keep the classis look/lines, but with modern thrown in......... Front will be fishing deck with small storage, 10-12 gal. livewell and trolling motor up front. May be able to use cut out deck piece for floor. Still undecided about wood/carpet vs. painted deck. (more on that later/undecided) Frame work for deck will be combo of 1" square and 1" angle for supports. Will be a mix of TIG and rivets to hold it together. Tomorrow at work I will finish up brackets to attatch deck to sides. (there gonna be pretty trick).

Decided on going with dual consoles/walkthrough and keep the windscreen. (I will have to make new lexan piece, but thats down the road. Will be pushed back about 16 inches from stock. Console will be all 7/8 sq. and tig welded, but will be removable for if/when I ever need to re do the floor. Consoles will be wrapped in ally sheet and custom glass for the top of consoles. (see pic for general shape)

As far as the floor, see pics. I will be making these floor supports to go over exsisting ribs, and they will be riveted. The one in the pic was a mock up, and I have since changed some measurements. I have most of these made (just 3 left). My idea here is to try to be able to use thinner ply for the floor to save some weight. Would like to get away with 1/4 or 3/8, but may have to settle for 1/2? What do you think????????

Transom still in planning, but I have extruded ally for jack plate for a 40 hp. So I am reinforcing the crap out of it(because Im anal retentive and because I can!!!!!!!!) It will consist of re doing the entire splashwell. Its mostly planned out in my head, but will be one of the last major fab parts to do.

I am doing one section at a time, starting at the front. Hull has been leveled and braced before any fab/cutting begins so as not to induce and twist/warpage. Once its all done, off to the soda blast for inside/out strip and paint/assembly!!!!!!!!

Long way down the road, but Im thinking charcoal with red. Charcoal for hull and red for where original stripe was............ keeping in mind I want to have and old resto look.........Pics to come in a few minutes.......

 

[willyrocket]

Re: Winter project!!

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[willyrocket]

Re: Winter project!!

 

[5150abf]

Re: Winter project!!

Very nice.
That thing is in great shape for being that old, should come out really nice.

I saw where you were thinking 1/4-3/8 for the floor but I would for sure go with at least 1/2'' or it will be really springy and the floor becomes a pretty major strutural part of the boat.

When I stripped my hull I was really suprised how much torsional stability it added.

Building your own boat from scratch is pretty neat, no matter what you look at when you are done you know you did it, I love mine because everything is exactly where I want it because I put it there.

Good luck.

 

[willyrocket]

Re: Winter project!!

I saw where you were thinking 1/4-3/8 for the floor but I would for sure go with at least 1/2'' or it will be really springy and the floor becomes a pretty major strutural part of the boat.

Good luck.

Post 16, pic 3,4 and 5. I am fabbing these ribs to go over the top of exsisting ribs. They wil connect from the center stringer (rivetted) and extend out to the end of the rib. They dont ocer the entire rib so to speak, as they are onlyl 1 inch deep...... I figured by adding these to the floor structure, I will have more area for the floor to sit on, and the ribs act as the structure instead of the wood, so I should be able to use thinner wood....... Once I finish the ribs, I am going to weigh them, and see if I am shedding any weight with say using 1/4 wood compared to 5/8 or 3/4.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Winter project!!

a good coat of Gluvit inside should ensure no leaks. it is the aluminum boats bes friend.