starcraft flooring screws through hull

Puglily

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Nov 1, 2006
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this is my first boat it an old starcraft, while cleaning the outside of the boat I found six screws sticking out of each side. It looks like the last owner screwed through the hull when he replaced the floor is this a normal practice? I'm replacing the floor so I was going to braze the holes. do the sides of the floor need to be secured to the boat i was just going to secure to the stringers and if there is something besides the hull to secure to on the sides then I would but not though the hull
 

tashasdaddy

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Re: starcraft flooring screws through hull

no the screws are not suppose to stick out.
 

Puglily

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Re: starcraft flooring screws through hull

I now have the side panals off and I see what he did, the aluminum kick panals at the botom were most likely riveted to the boat and he just screwed it back though the rivet holes I think I will spend the twenty dollars for a pop rivet gun and do it the right way. I havn't got the floor off yet hope i don't find anymore of his shortcuts.
 

tashasdaddy

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Re: starcraft flooring screws through hull

be sure to use the proper solid rivits,
 

linesix

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Oct 30, 2006
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Re: starcraft flooring screws through hull

The floor only fastens to the hull at the perimeter, where it sits on the tops of the ribs. The center is supported by aluminum floor supports which rivet to the ribs.

The screws need to be replaced with factory solid rivets. The floor supports and floor are secured with pop rivets.

Be sure you remove all steel pop rivet shafts when you're done, otherwise they may eventually corrode through the hull.
 

Puglily

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Re: starcraft flooring screws through hull

Thanks I wouldn't have thought about the loose rivets causing a problem. I was wrong about screwing though the rivets holes he just plain missed the support so I will braze the holes. What he did was put 1/2" plywood over the old rotten floor. I have the side panals off and his top floor and there is rivets in the old floor so it must be the original floor. Is it ok to use self tapping screws in the supports to attach the plywood or should i use rivets again? How about sealing the plywood, is garage floor epoxie ok or should i buy the expencive marine epoxie?
 

Puglily

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Nov 1, 2006
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Re: starcraft flooring screws through hull

heres something that I hadn't heard of before, on the seam that the botom is riveted to the sides some glue from the original marine plywood leaked out. when I washed it off it had eaten though one layer and into the second layer of aluminum.
I'm thinking of brazing it even though there is a gasket there and then using that gluv it stuff on all of the seams. Not real sure becouse of the gasket but I think that might work
 

strizzy

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Sep 8, 2006
Messages
159
Re: starcraft flooring screws through hull

Yeah I would also go with solid rivets as tasha said. It sounds like your also on the right track for the other fix as well.

That reminds me of a time when one of the guys in the shop went to grab an alum boat out of the field to rig it for a customer. When the boat was put into the shop and the cover was being taken off, it was found that 3 to 4 screws were sticking an inch or two out of the bottom of the haul. Guess they forgot to tell the new guy on the line not to use the 4" screws when attaching the floor piece for the battery... Thats not the bad part though... So the guy went to get another boat out of the field, puts it in the shop, takes the cover off, surprise! The starboard side of the boat was 3" shortter then the port! I grabbed a tape and soon found that the angles were off for the starboard side when they were welded, so that side because lower. Now heres the great part, third boat, SAME THING! Guess they had a bad jig or something... That was a good day in the shop...
 
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