New guy

[bennylt]

I just procured a late 60's Starcraft Jet Star 15. I got it in REALLY rough shape at an auction for a song. It is my first restoration project.

It is safe to say the boat is no longer a Jet Star anyway, the front and dash were cut out and it was turned into a side console fishing boat long, long ago. I am going to put her back together in the same fishing format for the most part.

I have a 30hp Johnson tiller steer I'm going to put on, and remove the console all together.



She will be the perfect hull as a nice little wide open fishing boat. I'm going to need some advice at time though.

 

[g0nef1sshn]

Welcome to the club of tillers. I plan on using one also and just got done with my transom. Ive got alot of steps out of the way and same with Hayko (He's cruising along on his) on here. look through our ongoing threads and ask away on the questions here or in anyone elses. Its easier to post and find them all in one spot though. You will more than likely get the answers and advise you will need!

 

[hayko1971]

Welcome! There is much info to be gleaned from those that have gone before us on this board. A lot of smart, helpful guys around here. Enjoy your project!

 

[Watermann]

:welcome: to iboats and the SC tin division Benny!

Your little tinny sure is in need of some love, looking forward to seeing what you do with her.

 

[Tnstratofam]

:welcome: You've found the best place on the web for everything boating. Lots of great advice from lots of knowledgeable people here so ask away if you have any questions. Good luck on your resto. I'll be tagging along if you don't mind.

 

[bennylt]

Thanks everyone. Glad to be here. I will start a photo progress thread on the restorations page too. I look forward to talking with all of you.

Anyone here from PA?

 

[g0nef1sshn]

Probably best to keep it all in one place as far the thread goes. It just makes it easier to follow along and you wont have to bounce between both.

 

[bennylt]

Probably best to keep it all in one place as far the thread goes. It just makes it easier to follow along and you wont have to bounce between both.

Good point. but I already started the new one before i read this.

EDIT: copied and pasted that thread below. so just follow this one...

 

[bennylt]

Okay... also a big dumb question. the boats are made of mostly aluminum. why do you guys call them "tinnies"?

 

[bennylt]

Beginning my Starcraft Jet Star (fishing modification) Build Today, 10:00 AM


this is a late 60s Jet Star 15. I would love to learn the actual year if anyone can help me. (fyi it has a single knee brace in the center of the transom if that helps. Rated 50HP max.

here it is at the start. Once i emptied all of the water out of it. (at least i know it is watertight!)

 

[bennylt]

I got it home and started ripping!












Transom is actually fine, so I won;t need to replace that.

 

[bennylt]

Stage 1 complete. Removed all the hardware and sent chrome stuff to a friend to powder coat. Shiny Silver. it's aint exactly chrome but it's good enough for me and won't pit.

I test hung the engine I have. it fits perfectly. no need to do anything to the transom height



And I tried stripping paint from the gunwales. The paint on there is so bad i was able to do all this in about 20 minutes with just a wire wheel on my drill. so this won't be a problem to strip to bare metal. I'm thinking I'm going to go with a white hull and blue topside.

 

[g0nef1sshn]

Are you pulling the transom wood out and redoing it? If you are, take your time pulling that cap off the top and youll be able to reuse it. I didnt and it bent and broke in many places.

 

[bennylt]

Next project is to take out the floor, and the flotation. it looks like some kind of spray in styrofoam, not like today's 2 part foam.

I am going to go with blue/pink insulation boards for flotation.

my flooring material is going to be exterior grade plywood (untreated). I am going to lay down that vinyl roll boat flooring stuff on top.

This
http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/prod...ader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=boat+floor

I don't like actual fuzzy carpet for fishing because it snags everything.

What I can't decide is how much i want to put into sealing the plywood. I know a good epoxy seal will make it last decades. but I'm honestly not so sure i want to bother. If it lasts even 5 years, I think I'm still good to go. plus I'm not sure if I'm going to want to change the layout etc. I tend to try something, then figure out what I really want, then make it into that.

but anyhow. sealing aside. here are my flooring questions.

The flooring in there now is already a replacement job. it sits on the aluminum stringers, and I believe there is an aluminum leveling stringer down the center. don't know if that is original or a mod. so I don't need stringers anyway.

I am going to put in as much foam board insulation as I can under the floor. but when I attach it to the ribs. should i try to measure trace etc and use the existing holes from the previous rivets or should i just drill new ones?

are rivets required or would flat headed sheet metal screws work. remembering that this floor is more of a test model and will be coming out in a few years.

I am probably going to make a slight step up in the front like 6" to get a little excess flotation under it, and make fishing in the bow a little more comfortable. Not a high casting deck. Our annual fishing trip to canada always seems to be really windy and choppy on big lakes. I have seen more than one peron go into the drink from an elevated deck there.

Battery box way up front under the bow cover. switches in the rear near the tiller.

Rear bench with extra flotation and gas tanks. seat for driving

Outside of that. I have NO IDEA how to lay out the floor plan. this is a really small boat to do anything serious. but it needs to hold 2 fishermen, 2 BIG tackle boxes, about 12 rods (yah typical bass fishermen) and at least one cooler.

 

[g0nef1sshn]

If that old floor fits good now, take it out and use it as your template for the new one. If you plan on redoing the floor plan screws would probably be easier to get the deck back out.

 

[bennylt]

Are you pulling the transom wood out and redoing it? If you are, take your time pulling that cap off the top and youll be able to reuse it. I didnt and it bent and broke in many places.

Nope. the transom is really solid still. I like that only the top 8" or so is actually wood. it just needs some sealer and paint.

 

[bennylt]

Question:

Does this boat need inner gunwales or knee braces on the sides for strength?

As you can see, there are none there now at all. But if i need to add some I want to know ASAP before i settle on my rod storage. if not i'll probably leave them open like they are now with rod holders just like how it is currently. it gets the rods under the lip there and more out of the way.

If it needs support on the sides, I'll probably do braces instead of interior walls. and probably put holes in the braces so that they can be rod holders.

 

[g0nef1sshn]

Question:

Does this boat need inner gunwales or knee braces on the sides for strength?

As you can see, there are none there now at all. But if i need to add some I want to know ASAP before i settle on my rod storage. if not i'll probably leave them open like they are now with rod holders just like how it is currently. it gets the rods under the lip there and more out of the way.

If it needs support on the sides, I'll probably do braces instead of interior walls. and probably put holes in the braces so that they can be rod holders.

I would say to find the original layout and look how the sides may have been originally supported. That will give you the best idea if your new plan would be similiar in support. If it was gutted years ago and not rebuilt similiar that can give you weaker structural spots.

Im not replacing my splashwell in my plans now, but when I rebuild the floor plan I will attempt to redesign the support of what I am removing.

Have you looked through the brochures at the top of the starcraft forum to try and find your year/model?

 

[bennylt]

I would say to find the original layout and look how the sides may have been originally supported. That will give you the best idea if your new plan would be similiar in support. If it was gutted years ago and not rebuilt similiar that can give you weaker structural spots.

Im not replacing my splashwell in my plans now, but when I rebuild the floor plan I will attempt to redesign the support of what I am removing.

Have you looked through the brochures at the top of the starcraft forum to try and find your year/model?

The original didn't seem to have any side supports, but it did have that dash going across the front, which is now gone. I saw one of the others on here did a '68 (i'm pretty sure that is my year, still need help confirming) and he added rod holders which also became sort of side supports.
http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat...15-starcraft-jet-star-rebuild/page82?t=455193

not a bad idea, but i need to hold WAY more rods than that. I don't like to retie. I have a crankbait rod, and a spinner rod, and a worm rod and a jig rod. ha ha

 

[MNhunter1]

I don't believe the Jets had any additional side supports other than the splashwell and dash and what it gains from the tie in with the wide gunnels. Since your dash has been removed and converted to a side console, I'd fab something up to replace the original support in that area. I've had my dash out of my Nova since my original tear down and was surprised at how much it firmed up the hull when I just threw it in to mock up my steering and seating locations.

Based off your previous posts and plan for a tiller set up, I'd proceed with a casting deck up front and additional side bracing at the point where the original dash was, maybe start your casting deck there and have some angled supports on each side that tie into the gunnels. I'm like you and like to have an arsenal of rods at my disposal. I've pondered over different rod storage ideas for both my 15' and 16' hulls and have concluded that I'm better of with a vertical storage solution that will mount in one of my seat pedestal bases and be removable for transport/security/off water storage. I've also got a set of 4' tracks for each hull that will provide a bunch of various rod holder options and adaptability to manage multiple rods while actually on the water.

In regard to your decking. I'd just go with the screws if you're not planning on it being permanent. If you do go the rivet route, it'll be easier to just re-drill new holes rather than frustrate yourself trying to mate up with the old ones...unless you were re-using the same floor, where it may make more sense to leverage the same holes...but I do not believe that is in your plan.