1975 StarCraft Holiday 18 Johnson 85 o/b

classiccat

"Captain" + Starmada Splash Of The Year 2020
Joined
Dec 20, 2010
Messages
3,405
With dues paid....Welcome to the Starmada Crabber!!! :welcome: :lol:

The "Nookie Getter" is a fine lookin' vessel! :thumb:

+1 on the JB weld...the Starmada's go-to hole filler...used as Glen described.

Can't really help with the switch panel; I normally buy individual switches & make my own panels. Other mob members have used switch assemblies; I'm sure someone will swing by & provide some input!
 

CaliCrabber

Cadet
Joined
Jan 7, 2015
Messages
29
thanks a bunch, starmada. All the suggestions are greatly appreciated. I have this next week off so hopefully we'll make some progress on the Bookie Getter
 

Watermann

Starmada Splash of the Year 2014
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
13,747
Hey he actually does have a Starcraft! :lol:

fetch



Did someone put carpet on the bow cover? Looks pretty ratty, imagine that? :eyebrows:

The holes your wanting to patch looks to be from a VHF antenna. If you plan on putting one back on then I would suggest not using anything that makes it tough to remove down the line.
 

GA_Boater

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
49,038
You're getting the best of advice from the Starmada, Crabber. All I can add right now is :welcome: to TinLand.
 

Weep'n Willy

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 12, 2012
Messages
831
Nice looking tin ya got there. Nice bonus with the kicker. Good luck with you project.
 

CaliCrabber

Cadet
Joined
Jan 7, 2015
Messages
29
Well so much for my week off. An unexpected job fell in my lap thats been eating up all my daylight, and then some. Maybe Ill get a day or two at the end of the week or beginning of next. So not any real progress on the "Getter". Guess Its a good idea to do something to make some $, if I want to keep spending some on the boat.
I did have a chance to talk to the local canvas guy and he'll replace my convertible top with a custom sunbrella convertible for between $350-$500, depending on height. With snaps to match the old, and zip off side panels. in that price range I can even get a little taller so you can stand under it. Pretty excited. So that ends my canvas vs hardtop debate.
[QUOTE
Did someone put carpet on the bow cover? Looks pretty ratty, imagine that? :eyebrows:

The holes your wanting to patch looks to be from a VHF antenna. If you plan on putting one back on then I would suggest not using anything that makes it tough to remove down the line.[/QUOTE]

You got it Watermann, Ratty carpet on the bow cover, ratty carpet on the deck. By the time Im done with her carpet will only be a distant, dingy memory. I would like to finish the deck with a non-skid paint on. I saw a few different ones at the candy store. I had thoughts of bed liner, for the non skid, and impact resistance...any one know how it will adhere to the deck once its sealed with epoxy? Also, how about bed liners marine durability? Conversely, what about the impact durability the the marine non skid paint ons? A last consideration is the final texture. I would prefer something a little more rubbery instead of sandy so it would be a easier on little bare feet, the most important factors to me are overall durability and non skid. Any product/process recommendations?

Man, if that hole was from a VHF antenna, it would have been the third one one the boat! Guess the PO couldnt make up his mind. Im happy with the current one on the starboard gunwell.

Once again, Thanx Starmada!
 

CaliCrabber

Cadet
Joined
Jan 7, 2015
Messages
29
Like it often does, life got busy. Between work and the kids, not much completed on the boat. But I have been amassing the supplies I will need for the re-wiring job. Got my new lights, horn, house battery and most of my wire and and connectors. Ordered Bluesea four position battery switch, 30 amp breaker, fuse panel/neg bus, and aft bus bar. Still looking for battery boxes that will fit under the aft jump seats...whats up with websites (other than iboats;)) not listing both external and internal dimensions, or not designating which the listed measurements are? Rewiring is desperately needed. I have made a little time to investigate the wiring, hence all the new electrical acquisitions. Its really a mess in there. A single lead will change colors three times (and gauge). Ive found automotive wire, solid copper wire and cannibalized appliance chords. Fuse panels and neg bus's are over burdened with piggy-backs. Also found a couple bolts that are completely corroded due to hull grounding, complete with dangling ground wires that have been cut off and go nowhere. Heres a taste of what im working with:

IMG_20150115_245354064_zpsfa55422e.jpg

From the battery

IMG_20150115_245326152_zps617879cf.jpg

close up of my main ground, almost completely severed

IMG_20150114_202149526_zpsb4dd1db3.jpg

under the dash, fuse panel and neg bus.



I wanted to just put in a new horn and some lights, but after seeing all this, im ripping it all out and starting fresh. I want it safe and dependable. At least the the ignition/motor wiring is proper...thank goodness for small favors. It does feel good to start getting in there and Im excited about making her my own. Ill keep you all posted on the progress.

Now Ive got most of it labeled and I feel confident of my plan...mostly thanx to all the great info ive found at iboats.

Oh ya...I checked out the Starmada members map and noticed how many of us are from the north east. So, being originally from Seattle, I feel it is my duty at this moment to say, GO SEAHAWKS!!!:D
 

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cj8mule

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 7, 2012
Messages
660
That wiring looks about right and is pretty common when buying an old boat. The good news is when you're finished, you'll have some peace of mind.
 

CaliCrabber

Cadet
Joined
Jan 7, 2015
Messages
29
Cj, youre correct that the wiring was generally not "wrong", that is, the wires mostly went where they are supposed to go. But with the wires being spliced so many times and with so many different colors, trying to track down a problem on the fly would have been very difficult. Also, many of the connectors had slid off of the connections, leaving a lot of exposed copper that was vulnerable to contact and corrosion. Fusses were being used for multiple accessories, which could easily over-load them during standard operation. Peace of mind is defiantly what im after. Shes primarily going to be a salt boat, and when ridding a little boat in the big water, I want to be able to depend on reliable functionality. Safety first. And anyways, its going to be so much prettier once im finished. ;)
 

cj8mule

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 7, 2012
Messages
660
Cj, youre correct that the wiring was generally not "wrong", that is, the wires mostly went where they are supposed to go. But with the wires being spliced so many times and with so many different colors, trying to track down a problem on the fly would have been very difficult. Also, many of the connectors had slid off of the connections, leaving a lot of exposed copper that was vulnerable to contact and corrosion. Fusses were being used for multiple accessories, which could easily over-load them during standard operation. Peace of mind is defiantly what im after. Shes primarily going to be a salt boat, and when ridding a little boat in the big water, I want to be able to depend on reliable functionality. Safety first. And anyways, its going to be so much prettier once im finished. ;)

lol... I was just saying the wiring is just par for the course and is very common on these old tins. Especially, after multiple owners. I replaced every inch of wire and had to add a fuse block in my chief.
 

classiccat

"Captain" + Starmada Splash Of The Year 2020
Joined
Dec 20, 2010
Messages
3,405
You probably already know this...but just in case... make sure you used tinned wire when you clean-up that birds nest :joyous:
 

CaliCrabber

Cadet
Joined
Jan 7, 2015
Messages
29
So its been a while since my last post. Between work, kids and bad weather, there has not been much to report. Weather is a big one. I have a metal pole-barn thats bigger than my house, but the boat cant make a tight turn in between the mother-in-law and a retaining wall. So until I get her a carport, work on the boat has to wait for fair skys. In the mean time, ive kept myself busy perusing iboats for info and supplies. But finally the factors came together and ive had a few days with time-off and good weather.
Got the bow cover plate stripped down, and even rough and unpainted, it looks so much better without that tore-up carpet.
IMG_20150212_120530707_HDR_zps377810dd.jpg IMG_20150212_133326645_zps94d14e11.jpg
Found a couple of vise-grips made a good second set of hands when I needed a nut held tight below deck while I turned bolts from above.
IMG_20150220_244130309_zpsfd8e141e.jpg
I used a few fender tools to work some dents out and then I proceeded to clean, scuff, fill and sand 48 holes on the bow plate with j-b weld. Cant wait to get to all the rest on the gunwells:untroubled:.
IMG_20150217_122610749_HDR_zps4f97b0d3.jpg

I picked up some Skid-No-More which Im going to paint on the bow cover. It was locally available, got mostly good reviews, comes in a color to match my eventual painting plans and isnt overly abrasive. Does anyone have experience with this product? The directions on the can say that bare aluminum and painted surfaces only need cleaning and roughing before application. Before reading that, I was planning on cleaning real thoroughly with 50/50 water and vinegar, scuffing the bare metal and paint up good, water/vinegar again and then spray Rusto's self-etching primer followed by Rusto metal primer. What do you guys think? Skid-No-More primer or no primer? I believe its acrylic based...

Got the old wire ripped out. Boy, was that a good idea. Lets just say it was not by the book.
IMG_20150220_242710123_zps2e76cf56.jpg

More to come soon. Or, at least soonish. I have all the electrical supplies now, so that should be progressing. Also have materials to go with some ideas i have about reinforcing the bow cover plate. Any ideas, tips or suggestions are always appreciated. Thanx again Everybody!

Oh, and classicat, good looking out on the tinned wire :joyous:
 

dozerII

Admiral
Joined
Oct 25, 2009
Messages
6,527
Your making some great progress despite the weather set backs. The aluminum under the carp they put on the bow of these holidays can sure get in poor condition. Sorry I can't help with advice on the Skid-No-More.
 

jbcurt00

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 25, 2011
Messages
24,829
I'd be inclined to mask off and put the Skid No More only where you think you need it, not on the entire bow area. Maybe only replicate the 'walk plank' of sorts where the white stripe is now.

Having fought to remove a truck bedliner like material from the aluminum hull of a boat, I wouldn't put it on any part of the actual boat's aluminum. Wood that's attached to the boat, maybe.

Be extremely diligent w/ your paint prep of the aluminum no matter what you apply, but if it's a stout product like a bedliner, you want to do everything you can to make sure it's well stuck everywhere. If an edge starts to lift, stuff like this tends to peel off in large chunks instead of flaking off in small little pieces. Once it starts to lift, it is fairly tough to get it to stop, IMO.

For reference, I don't think they prepped my hull very well before they applied the bedliner, and where it was loose, it was loose and easy to remove. But where it was stuck, it was extremely well stuck and a complete nightmare to remove.

Perhaps the Skid No More acrylic is a more forgiving product, I'm confident that was not what was used on my Jet.
 

Watermann

Starmada Splash of the Year 2014
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
13,747
The only non-skid that I've done on a boat was using the non-skid material that you spread on wet paint and then paint over again. I can only say that I would not trust anything to stick long term to the AL without the SE primer first. Your plan of cleaning and using vinegar sounds good to me.

I use the Heinz cleaning vinegar.
heinz-cleaning-vinegar-cnt.jpg


When it comes to reinforcing the bow area, I'm not sure if the Holidays are similar to the Chiefs but here's a pic of CJ's Chief before putting the bow cover back on. Since you don't have a hatch an extra support can go in the center.

fetch
 

CaliCrabber

Cadet
Joined
Jan 7, 2015
Messages
29
Thanx for all the input, Starmada. This site, and its members, are great. So just to put some product info out there...Skid-No-More is a one part, acrylic latex base with ground rubber added. Its made by Evercoat, from their marine line. From what ive read, the formulation is more like deck and above water hull paint than like truck bed liner. The manufacturer says its is non-abrasive, durable and flexible (which i thought was important because there is a fair amount of flex in the 'walk plank' area of my Holiday). It comes in basic grey, but is tin-table and applies with brush, roller or trowel (brush recommended). From the reviews I read, on Evercoats website and on boating forums, most customers speak highly of it, with one or two out of maybe ten complaining about peal off. Comparing the few negative reviews about peel off with the many positive ones testifying to years of durability in marine environments, I have to assume the cases with rapid peal off were due to insufficient paint prep. It was available at my local marine supply store and pretty affordable compared to other non-skid surface coating ive seen. At this point, though, its all conjecture. I haven't even primed the bow yet. I will be sure to let everyone know about application and longevity as I go.
IMG_20150220_175340_zpsbc1d5e91.jpg
Since the Nookie Getter isnt ready yet, i got up real early this morning and hit the river five minutes from my house, bank fishing with a buddy. Got into a few spunky 1/2 lb stealhead and a couple 4+ lb sea-run brown trout. Some time you have to take a brake from taking a brake.:D
IMG_20150220_160422238_zps5e234aba.jpg
 

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jbcurt00

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I look forward to a hopefully positive review of the Skid No More product. Nice catch this am ;)
 

syonker

Cadet
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
9
Consider using Durabak for your nonskid application.

It comes in colors along with UV inhibitors
 
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