1981 21' Starcraft Islander rebuild Please advice.

[thebrain]

1981 21' Starcraft Islander rebuild Please advice.
I have a deposit on it and will be picking up this boat probablley Nov Fri-13 haven't sean in person yet just a couple images of outside appears to be a solid hull and have been told roadwhorthy trailer, engine is a I/O 4 cylinder unknown condition.
I have been told this boat has been sitting in there boat yard (I'm buying from a boat surplus type store)for six years and the
floor/wood behind dash will need replacing I'm also assuming the transome will need replacing.
so I want to prepare for rebuild starting w/ materials.
here's my boat starting list.

1.one gallon of Travaco gluvit water proof sealer
(for inside hull). West marine $130.
2.one gallon of West water proof epoxy (for plywood floor/ transome ect. wood. West marine $60.
3.aluminum revits. unknown diameter and lenght.
4.aluminum self tapping screws for bucking loose vevits also unknown diameter and lenght.
5.after thoughly cleaning inside hull w/ preasure washer and vinagar all loose vevits ect. then after Gulvit the pink styrofoam boards for flotation.
6.marine plywood for transome or please suggest alternative material I plan on sealing w/ West water proofer.
(hopefully donor boats floor can be reused w/ it?s builtin live well and cooler).
here's my trailer starting list.

1.after six years of sitting the tires must be dry rotted seller says they are not. I asked what size where the tires he said 195x13 5 bolt pattern I believe I need to know a wide # before I order ( the seller is a tad diffacult to deal w/).
This will be a 400 mile one way trip mostly on flat ground
It?s a tandom trailer so I?m thinking show up w/ at least two tires, I don?t think there a spare is included. Since they are in the boat bussiness I don?t think anything is included.
2. Before I hookup to the tow vehical seller has agreed to allow me to repack the bearings.
I plan to stop at a boat place for a spare set of bearings.
3.unknown lights will bring my own harbor frieght magnetic
Tail light kit and duck tape just on case.


here's my tool starting list.
1.A revit removal tool. I have never removed a revit, what is the easiest way to remove revits?
Will a osolater tool cut the revits head off then grab the rest w/ vice grips and pull out? Or must the revit be drilled out?
2.drill bits to drill revits unknown size? Please suggest a good bit. I predick I?ll be doing a lot of drilling.

If the hull is infact good and worth rebuilding my plan is to obtain a donor boat for the following stuff. (Unless I get a deal on a modern engine w/ controls I?v been seeing 2009 and newer Evinrude Etecs 200-250HP go for around $3-4K.)

Engine/ w/ controls,tack, speedo,warning sensor, complete dash, steering sys, sun roof, live well (it?s unbelievable 21?islander dos?nt have a live well) , molded in cooler, jack plate (if OB) modern unmoldely seats, any reuseable flooring, storage boxes (perferablly lockable). Additionale niceititys fish dept.finder,ship to shore radio,GPS,compass, flare gun,fire extinisher, life vests, rope, anchors,cup holders ect.

(I?m undecided on reusing the current engine for all I know the crankcase is full of water also undecided on weather to
Cut the transome install a jack plate reinforce the transome build splash well and have a modern OB Minium 150HP possiablley 225HP.
What year did mercuiser come out w/ fuel injected 5.0s.

Type of engine will depend on the donors boats best deal I would perfer a OB.
Will post images when available.
This will be my first boat rebuild I?ve been studying for a few years any tips is appreciated TB

 

[Watermann]

Looking forward to seeing the the Islander roll on home and some pics. You have a ton of work ahead of you before getting to the rebuild stage. Tear down and hull repairs take some time. I'm sure as you get to that stage you'll have all your answers.

Now first things first, get her home and post up some pics!

 

[GA_Boater]

With the way the forum is working today, I'm only going to say one thing - Concentrate on getting the boat home first, if you buy it.

You need 4 tires, not 2. Throw the rotters inside the boat for hopefully unneeded spares. If the bearings are shot, is there a place near the seller to buy new sets? Get some ratchet tie-down straps to hold the boat on the trailer.

 

[64osby]

4 - tires 195 x 13 x 5 bolt weight range of 1000 lbs to 1200, a set of temp lights in case the trailer ones don't work, floor jack, wheel chocks, 4 way lug wrench, boat straps, lower unit straps, good battery, grease gun, spray lube, multimeter, tool box, cash and the will to drive away without it if need be.

That is what my travel list would be.

Good luck.

 

[dozerII]

I always carry a couple of those $30 U.S. hub and bearing kits that are packed with grease and ready to install, very simple to install when your on a road trip and pressed for time, plus you don't end up with grease up to your elbows. I also have my doubts on the tires, count on replacing all four. Looking forward to seeing pictures.

 

[delms82]

I always carry a couple of those $30 U.S. hub and bearing kits that are packed with grease and ready to install, very simple to install when your on a road trip and pressed for time, plus you don't end up with grease up to your elbows.

Dozer, please share link to mentioned hub kits.

 

[dozerII]

I always carry a couple of those $30 U.S. hub and bearing kits that are packed with grease and ready to install, very simple to install when your on a road trip and pressed for time, plus you don't end up with grease up to your elbows.

Dozer, please share link to mentioned hub kits.

There are quite a few out there, this is one from Northern tool. http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200442395_200442395

 

[thebrain]

Thanks for the usalle good advice. I recently purchased a set of wheel bearings for my 15' boat trailer I think they are 1 1/4" will these be the same size for this islanders trailer?

 

[dozerII]

There are three standard sizes of trailer bearings, it depend on the axle weight?

 

[thebrain]

I had to walk away from this grossely misrepresented 1981 Islander

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1981-StarCra...m=161880606074

I asked on the phone about hull damage dents holes ect he said it’s excellent
he lied asked about the grey round spots he said that’s where the paint
chips when it was goop covering holes where revivots fell out.

The revitos under the waterline appeared odd I touched one w/ my fingertip
And it broke off I then touched about 20 more each revivot head fell off

Every revito under water line would need replaceing.

When I looked at the front center piece that becomes the keel the gaps
From the side panel where all different there was a wrinkle just in front of the
Port side chin this boat hit something hard in the front.

Trailer was basicalley covered in surface rust I took a gamble on this boat
Was told it had never been in salt water it came from Michigain and was parked
For 6 years if the salt air alone can do this much rivot damage I may have
To scrape the aluimin boat idea in a salt water envirement.

Beware of a 1981 starcraft in Homossa, FL it’s just scrape tin.
I also lost my $100. deposit.
.

 

[64osby]

Walk away is okay to do. This one sounds like it sat in the salt water or was never rinsed after use. Even though he stated it had never been in salt water.

Plenty of tin boats run in salt water with no issues.

 

[jbcurt00]

Accept the $100 loss as an education expense and move on.

Lots of tin gets used in the salt. If it was 34yr old glass boat, it's just as likely to have problems, just different ones (and IMO, harder to fix). In fact it might be harder to assess the damage then the tinny was.

Good luck

 

[bob johnson]

what state are you in???
bob

 

[64osby]

Any chance that hull had some treated lumber in it?

 

[laklvng7]

Doesn't seem right for him to keep your deposit due to the misrepresentation of the boat.

 

[bob johnson]

you get corrosion of the aluminum, with moored boats, and boats that have the salt sitting on them for months on end!!.... ...usually a good paint job wards off corrosion for a long time....

good luck

bob

 

[laurentide]

Michigan spreads that magnesium chloride brine in winter which absolutely devastates metal. The trailer and boat may have seen some winter use, which would definitely lead to the condition you describe. So it could be that the seller was truthful about saltwater use.

 

[thebrain]

I live in Atlanta,GA and centrel Alabama.
been using my 15' Lowe aluimin for years in the Gulf of Mexico I even leave it in the water for a couple weeks at a time however I seriouslly rinse hull/trailer/engine I even rinse inside under floor from bow to bilge and allways dissconnect battery
I've never had problems w/ rivots.
I actualley had a bad feeling during the initial phone guess I talked myself into dealing w/ a crook in the boat bussiness.
I found the listing ad for sale on CL.
now he is trying to unload this scrape tin on ebay
you have been warned.
the other day someone posted a image of this scrape tin
in the ebay/CL thread
look closely at the port side hull for grey spots and the wrinkle just before the chine this is a damaged hull and seller lied about it he only had 2 boats in a locked gated area he must have walked by this boat 1K times how could you not notice this damage.
Chemwire this brine spread on the roads is this designed to melt ice?
if yes now I'm leary of Northern boats used in winter and stored outside.
the intire boat was orginale and the paint did appear ashie and dustie.

Mod EDIT: I know you're getting frustrated, but please refrain from using foul language, its not necessary. And move on. Caveat Emptor after all

 

[64osby]

Used boats are about condition, condition, condition.

Just because one is rotten or corroded doesn't mean they all are. Mine is a 1973, and still has the original foam, floor and vinyl.

I would also buy a "northern" hull over a "salty" any day of the week.

 

[Watermann]

Even land locked boats can be troublesome, take a look at Dozer's V5 SS that came from Utah... The Great Salt Lake can be worse than the oceans.My Chief was for sure used in Puget sound salt for many years and then sat for many more before I found her languishing in a bone yard.