1970 Starchief conversion to center console

[BajaRon]

No Title

Thanks everyone for the help, old haven, I signed up for Fiberglass's...good to go!
Thanks for the title change. Thanks to the Mod and Watermann

I dropped the boat in today, runs....great! Only problem is the new gas gauge does not work, will look into.

To finish I need to build a seat around the live well (in process), then paint and install splash well doors, waiting for 5 inch x 5/16 bolts for the bow cleat, then shorten and carpet the trailer bunks. Will start fishing sturgeon and striper this winter. More pictures to come. Thanks to all! Ron

 

[Watermann]

Looking good Ron, glad to see you getting out on the water. :thumb:

 

[laurentide]

Looks great Ron! How does she go with the 60hp?

I really appreciate the utilitarian appeal, a true purpose-built boat.

 

[oldhaven]

I could almost see Papa Hemingway out in that.

Having done my side rails on my Chief I can imagine how hard that one was. Nice job.

 

[BajaRon]

No Title

Looks great Ron! How does she go with the 60hp?

I really appreciate the utilitarian appeal, a true purpose-built boat.

Only ran the boat for about 15 minutes....brand new motor so I went easy. I was more interested in the trailer work.Up to about 25mph pretty easy. Runs and sounds sweet.

I will try some pictures

 

[BajaRon]

No Title

more photos, slow work! Need a new and narrow axle for narrow Baja roads...will change out this winter. LED port and starboard bow lights next to the bow pulpit. SS hardware all over the trailer, with more to come. Baja in summer 2017!

 

[BajaRon]

No Title

Ok...more progress and photos. Will try another posts....have many more pictures, Ron

 

[jbcurt00]

Looking great Ron.

Finish up, the time is now
http://forums.iboats.com/forum/owne...tarcraft-splash-of-the-year-award-nominations

 

[BajaRon]

No Title

another try...most pictures were 90 degrees out of wack. 4 switches on dash...
1) Port bilge
2) Starboard bilge
3) Baitwell
4) Running lights.

Electronics are bare bones....FF/GPS/Radar, 2 bilges pumps, lights, live well, VHF, ... two air whistle for horns

Flair gun and hand held flairs
Full first aid kit
Full tool box
Full floation
1100 gallon bilge pumps with 1 1/8 exit hoses
72qt marine ice box for food/drink
120qt fish box

Need to finish: live well seat ( in progress!) and rear splash well cover

Lots of mistakes along the way, but still happy as heck and ready for the Pacific and Baja! Thanks to all, Ron

 

[mickyryan]

great looking boat as a cabin lover I was sad but looks like you got a great boat the way you like it

 

[BajaRon]

No Title

Important progress today, received my seat/live well enclosure...came out great. Will cap the seat with a piece of 5/8, then 2 inch foam and cover. Will install a foot rest mounted on the console....the movable type that can be pushed up and out of the way. Also have the splash well covers, check out the pictures, will need to pick up some beefy hinges.

And the rod holders to be mounted on the splash well came...1/2 and beefy. I have used this type before, but used 3/8 in the past.

Will paint the seat and install in April when live bait is available. Will fish now until then with removable seats.

Salmon first, then rock fish,...then Baja in June! Thanks to all!!! Ron

P.S. Had it out last week while working on the trailer. 26knots unloaded on a short ten minute ride. GPS, Radar, and FF work...GREAT!. Motor run...sweet. Quick....someone had me a beer!

 

[64osby]

Piano hinges work great for large panels and for the seat top.

Seat looks great. Changed our cap't chair to a flip back a few years back. Works much better.

 

[BajaRon]

No Title

Looking for trailer advice....specifically axle width for my 18ft Starchief. Check out the pictures I have downloaded. The present axle has about 5 1/2 inches of clearance on each side...from the fender to the hull. I want to reduce this clearance. The present trailer is galvanize in great shape, with new rollers, bunks, tires, and I have changed out lots of rusted bolts.

A trip to Baja is about 1500 miles one way. Baja roads are narrow, so I am looking to change out the axle this winter. I have been educating myself online with axles, not sure yet about the proper width, but I think it should be a 3500lb axle.

Anybody have a axle that the fenders just clear the hull...and does is tow good? Not too many moving parts to worry about...any thoughts? Thanks, Ron

 

[MNhunter1]

I personally wouldn't mess with the axle. You'll have more stability with wider footprint and you'll more than likely need to mess with other parts of the trailer like the cross members in order for it to all come together in a narrower package. I'd be more inclined to look at bunk guides as a means to fill that gap and add to the stability rather than take away from it. As long as it's legal and fits between the lines, I wouldn't bother modifying it.

 

[BajaRon]

No Title

slow progress...more progress. I think I passed the one million mistake mark on this project in the last few days! But still going great.

Just about finished the seat and back rest, came out great...over engineered. I used 2 1/2 x 1/2 inch aluminum stock for the back rest support sliders. It slides front to back sweet. Waiting for piano hinges so the seat will hinge back, .....the back rest will be pushed in the forward position....and expose the 40 gallon live well....

When I am 100% happy with the fit, I will wait for a 60 degree day and paint the box, then set aside for a few months for the paint to harden up.

When the piano hinges show up, I will hang the last two pieces of aluminum covers on the splash well...then paint the covers along with the seat box.

Thanks to all with the advice I could not live without, Ron

 

[Watermann]

I hear ya on the mistakes and mainly the "why didn't I see that" :lol:

 

[BajaRon]

No Title

Piano hinges work great for large panels and for the seat top.

Seat looks great. Changed our cap't chair to a flip back a few years back. Works much better.

Piano hinges were the only way to fly! More progress with fewer errors. I will use piano hinges on the splash well covers also. Only a few more projects,....rod holders and down rigger mounts, along with a little bit of paint when the weather warms up. Thanks to all, Ron

 

[BWR1953]

Hinges look very robust! Good work! :eagerness:

 

[Watermann]

Looks plenty stout to me and that cover looks great, mahogany even.

 

[BajaRon]

No Title

Busy....mucho work and flew to Oaxaca with the family for a 13 day vacation. Also raining like crazy in California, along with hail.

Anyhow, here is what I finished the last few days.

BEEFY rod holders from Driftmaster, made in the USA. 1/2 inch diameter instead of 3/8. Mounted two on the splash well top. I will install two more on the gunnels after I install my down riggers. On the port side Driftmaster make a LEFT HANDED THREAD rod holder....so when a fish strikes it will not loosen up. Check it out on their website.

Also set up my first smaller anchor, with 5 feet of rubber coated chain, along with about 15 feet of 5/16? galvanized chain and about 100 feet of 1/2 anchor rope.
Second anchor will be super heavy...larger anchor along with 5 feet of rubber coated chain with about 15 feet of 5/16 plus 250 feet of 1/2 rope.

Will need to build an anchor storage box to fit up inside the bow. Also need to paint my live well/seat support and splash well cover. Now I need warmer weather for the paint job