1974 Starcraft Mariner 16 floor and transom replacement help

[tklepp01]

The photos are great. I'm learning a lot watching you go through this process.

 

[bwingler57]

The photos are great. I'm learning a lot watching you go through this process.

Welcome aboard tk, If you have any questions please ask, i will help you as best i can.

 

[bwingler57]

No Title

Ok today i got the console out and the steering cable and pulleys, also took the trolling motor off and the old broken flasher. Ordered a bulk pack of pop rivets so when i am ready to put it back together i will have plenty. At this point im going to rewire the boat for interior and exterior lights.

I guess i will drill out the 3 rivets on each side that holds the spring and pulley on. I dont have cutters strong enough to snip the metal.

Going to use 2 of the pulleys i removed and make a homemade set of downriggers.

 

[bwingler57]

Are you using marine grade for the transom, or ACX? Marine 3/4" here is 120 a sheet (ouch!). I may just go ACX if that works..

I am going to use just plain old cdx 3/4' 5 ply. Gorilla glue them together and add several coats of marine varnish to it

 

[bwingler57]

No Title

Here is my plan on my mariner, lol i guess this should have been the first entry to my build. I do a lot of fishing so needless to say I'm making it into a fishing rig, Some of what i am going to do to the boat isn't restoring it to a mint condition vintage starcraft, I know guy's don't hate me. I chose the Starcraft because they are a very solid and well built boat and they have been in business forever. I am a retired handicapped veteran and fishing is my thing (plus keeps me out of trouble) I do like working with my hands and making some of the things i need. So here is the list of what im doing to my boat.
1. Replacing floor and transom
2. Rewiring and adding led lights inside and out
3. Fabricating a set of downriggers
4. Customizing the interior layout to fit my needs,
5. Fabricating a tower with a solid roof
6. Adding a livewell
7. Paint the boat.

Here is what i was thinking on the tower, something along these lines, i would use 1 x 1 aluminum square to make it. I also have a fiberglass console i could use as a center console but not sure if im going to do that yet still up in the air.

 

[DirtyHarry83]

Center consoles are fun. Really good for fishing. Sometimes I imagine mine having a center console.

Not to sound contradictory but a center console both simplifies and complicates things.

I do look forward to seeing this unfold. Good luck and I hope for a lot of photos.

 

[macsmith777]

Hey! Check out my thread, I have some transom pics, let me know if they help, or if you need to see something else..

 

[macsmith777]

Hi 57, are you still around? My project continues, though not a lot has happened in the last couple of days. Damn jobs, always getting in the way. I found another StarCraft 16 (I think it is an SS) that has an old Johnson 50 2s on it, with controls and everything. I am going to check it out today, and if ok, bring her home too. I can rob it of many of the things I would need anyway. The goal for the weekend is to obtain the motor, and get my transom out. If that goes smoothly, I may get her win the driveway and power wash. How is your project going?

 

[bwingler57]

Hi 57, are you still around? My project continues, though not a lot has happened in the last couple of days. Damn jobs, always getting in the way. I found another StarCraft 16 (I think it is an SS) that has an old Johnson 50 2s on it, with controls and everything. I am going to check it out today, and if ok, bring her home too. I can rob it of many of the things I would need anyway. The goal for the weekend is to obtain the motor, and get my transom out. If that goes smoothly, I may get her win the driveway and power wash. How is your project going?

Hey Mac, Yes I'm still here i have had a couple of days of VA medical test which seem to consume a better part of a day lol, I did see your pictures and yes that was what i was wanting to see, Thanks man. The SS is a good boat as well, You shouldn't have any problems selling the left overs lol. I did pick up my plywood and gorilla glue for the transom, I will be cutting it out once i get to feeling a little better. Let me know how the SS turns out.

 

[bwingler57]

No Title

I went ahead and got the transom all cut out, test fitted and now glued together, i will give it the weekend to dry then start the sanding and fitting after that i will use a sealer, primer then paint. I did use 7 ply 3/4" CDX plywood.

 

[macsmith777]

Wow! You are really cruising along.. I will be way behind you, I am sure.. Nice job, it looks great. Turns out that what I thought was an SS is actually a '72 Jupiter. the motor seems great though, and I should be able to pirate a couple of key parts. Perhaps I will sell it, or maybe it will be my next project. Time will tell.. Pics tomorrow. I got home right at sunset.

 

[Watermann]

Oh boy now there's some fancy glue work right there!

When you're test fitting and see that there's a tight spot, cut up some milk jugs to tape on the area that's scratching up the wood. Doing that will allow the transom to slide in easily and protect the sealer you put on the wood from being damaged.

 

[Decker83]

That should make for one solid glue up job.. Good looking work.

 

[bwingler57]

Lol yes i may have over glued it but it seems strong:

 

[bwingler57]

No Title

Ok the transom is turning out to be a lot more work then i thought, I am posting several pictures on this.I need help on what to do about a knee brace or some sorta transom support, if anyone has a link to a picture or a picture please post it for me, like they say a picture is worth a thousand words Would riveting and brazing be strong enough to make a brace? Can the crack be brazed and be strong enough?

First the stern where the the knee brace attaches to the boat the po had put 2 bolts and a washer there you will see in the pictures, the aluminum is cracked around that, thats my first issue to fix.

Second the aluminum stern is bent where the knee brace was and i am guessing the motor did that from no support, is it possible to bend or hammer and dolly it back to shape or would it stress the aluminum to much? To push it flat to the transom takes some force.

Third i dont think the knee brace is even worth trying to fix, it seems like the aluminum on the one end is rotted and there is cracks in it every where.

 

[macsmith777]

Wowee, that looks pretty rough. I would think that a welder is the way to go. Perhaps someone could fabricate a replacement? Mine has a couple of small cracks at the top, so I am bringing it to a guy to reinforce it so as to arrest the 'tear'. I have the benefit of living on the coast in a town known for a large fishing fleet, so there are multiple qualified welders for aluminum.

Looking at that, it might be worth finding a welder, and doing what prep you can to keep cost down.. Just my thoughts, but what do I know? This is my first project like this ever!

 

[bwingler57]

Wowee, that looks pretty rough. I would think that a welder is the way to go. Perhaps someone could fabricate a replacement? Mine has a couple of small cracks at the top, so I am bringing it to a guy to reinforce it so as to arrest the 'tear'. I have the benefit of living on the coast in a town known for a large fishing fleet, so there are multiple qualified welders for aluminum.

Looking at that, it might be worth finding a welder, and doing what prep you can to keep cost down.. Just my thoughts, but what do I know? This is my first project like this ever!

I hear ya Mac, we are both in the same boat so to speak lol, i have never done anything this major before on a boat. Guess i wil call that one welder back and see what he will want lol

 

[Watermann]

I believe that knee brace will have to serve only as a template for a newly constructed brace. It's too far gone.

 

[Decker83]

With all the corrosion it would be a challenge for a great welder to repair.. I wish I could remember who built one on here a few months back.. He did a great job
and didn't have to pay someone to do it..
Maybe someone will remember who it was..

 

[bwingler57]

The po had used steel bolts here and there and there stupid livewell fitting that was steel pipe knee brace is what seemed to got ate up with the corrosion from all that.