1975 Starcraft Capri Sport 20

jmlloar

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 4, 2005
Messages
134
Got the old family boat out and started its resto. Had it since about '05 and just used it as is while the kids were younger. Always had soft floor and worn out seats. Figured I would finally fix the issues and then start with next generation and start taking kids and now grandkids out. WOW never had a clue it was that bad under the carpet. There was no clue other than it being a little soft. After pulling carpet and getting a look at it there is nothing left except fiberglass skin on top of expanded foam. No wonder it is a little soft. Thing is it wasn't really all that soft. Oh well it lasted 40 years so if this resto can give me anything close to that it will be worth it.
 

jmlloar

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 4, 2005
Messages
134
No Title

Ok, so here goes. First off this seems to be an odd model since web search shows a lot of 15' and 17' but no other 20'

pics to follow. I would like to state that this will be a resto mod not an actual restoration. I will upgrade and modify as the budget allows.
I have removed all of the original floor, seats, and upholstery. Both side tanks removed. Original stringers for the most part will be retained other than the 2 center ones that are in need of repair and needed modified to accept the new aluminum under floor fuel tank that is replacing the 2 18gal side tanks. I will be losing the under floor ski storage but will be gaining all the side room that the original tanks used up. the new under floor tank cost me nothing and at same time it is 36gal so no loss in fuel capacity either. For the most part the original expanding foam is in pretty good condition so don't know if I should bother it other than where the center stringers are being modified. (opinions on this?) So is this original foam a leave it alone or is the newer stuff a large enough improvement to warrant spending the money to replace it? And this is where I am at .

Pic is from 2005 just after I purchased it.
 

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Mark72233

Ensign
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Jul 11, 2014
Messages
926
Jmllmoar, welcome to iboats. I don't have a lot of info to give you nor can I give you personal accounts of foam because I got lucky mine only had foam around the tank. I can tell you from reading blogs for a year that its guaranteed that your foam is holding water. I have seen some pick a spot near the center line in the back and cut out the foam all the way down to the hull maybe a few inches square, a core sample of your foam. What you will probably find is that foam down low is saturated and water will begin to pool up in that cleared area. Give that a try. I will be tagging along and watching how it goes. Give it a few and more folks with more experience will be jumping in here. Good luck and cool looking boat, love the history of it.
 

jmlloar

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 4, 2005
Messages
134
No Title

Some current pics
 

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jmlloar

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 4, 2005
Messages
134
Kinda odd sized boat 20 1/2 Iong over 8 wide and rated for 11 person capacity. Tri hull makes it super stable.
 

jbcurt00

Moderator
Staff member
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Oct 25, 2011
Messages
24,829
Pull the foam, it's holding water, and it's likely worse then it appears.

It be very surprising if there are any solid/good stringers left in a 40+yr old boat that has no deck ply left, has water logged foam and 'some' stringer damage..
 

jmlloar

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 4, 2005
Messages
134
Stringer "skins" are still good. Thinking of just splitting them open at top coating new stringers with resin and pushing them in. a few clamps and resin and tape on newly made split to seal it back up. No wonder stringers rotted with gaps left open where no cloth or resin was, and steel staples attaching floor to stringers. Left about 4" of tape that joined original floor to sides of boat to use as attachment of new floor.
 

garbageguy

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
May 8, 2012
Messages
1,531
No wonder stringers rotted with gaps left open where no cloth or resin was, and steel staples attaching floor to stringers. Left about 4" of tape that joined original floor to sides of boat to use as attachment of new floor.

Wow - I guess that's why this is a rare one? Cool looking boat, and a great story
 

jbcurt00

Moderator
Staff member
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Oct 25, 2011
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24,829
IMO, boats get into this sort of shape thru neglect and lack of maintenance. Leaving them uncovered, stored bow down w/ the plug in recks havoc on a boat's below deck structure.
 

MTboatguy

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Jul 8, 2010
Messages
8,988
Wet foam needs to come out and be replaced with new flotation, it will never dry. It would also be best to re-do the stringers and stringer caps.

You did not mention what the transom looks like? I would suspect it has problems to, with water in the foam and the stringers, I would imagine at least the bottom of the transom is also rotten and if so, then the transom needs to be replaced.
 

jmlloar

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 4, 2005
Messages
134
Capri side glass.jpg
Wow - I guess that's why this is a rare one?

I don't know how rare or out of the ordinary it is. How many were made? I have done a lot of searching and can find plenty of StarCraft Capri's but no other ones than mine (except in brochures) of the 20ft model. Also appears that the smaller ones were made for numerous years where as the 20' was only made for 4 years from '73 to '76. It is easy to tell apart from the smaller model by the windshield sides going all the way to the rear into a molded in section that is part of the engine cover.
 
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Woodonglass

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
25,924
I'm with MTboatguy, You said the transom was in "Pretty Good Shape" Just curious what you base your statement on? Have you drilled core samples to ensure this? Have you raised the motor and bounced hard on the lower leg to ensure there's no Flexing in the transom? That's about the only sure methods I'm aware of to know the transom is good to go. Attempting to cut the tops off the old glass casings and remove the wood stringers and then slide in new wood cores has been tried before with little to no success. I'd not recommend it!!!!:eek: I understand your reluctance in not wanting to do a full gut job and restore on this boat but sometimes it is required. But...Like I always say...It is your boat and you are free to do with it as you see fit. Just try to consider safety First and Foremost !!!!;)
 
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Michidan

Cadet
Joined
Jan 20, 2015
Messages
12
As a happy owner of a 15 ft capri, it is cool to see a bigger one getting some attention. I haven't seen much out there on the 20 either.
 
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