[Genonbamagirl]

Needed a boat for swamp use. The wife is a professional photographer and she has decided we need pics of swamp flora and fauna. We have a 68 Correct Craft Separator and two pocket cruisers so swamp visiting was out with our current inventory.

Got this old thing for almost nothing. It had hideous paint (or lack of paint), no interior (new floor but it's too thin so it's a lot like a dojo floor - nice and springy), a good hull and at least one spot of rot on every panel of wood that I have inspected so far.

Got the engine running but still need to strip and clean the carbs, scraped all the paint from the hullsides and said the heck with the bottom, hung the boat under my carport (broke a 2"x10" lol) and pulled the trailer. Going to paint the hull, paint the trailer, brace the rotted dash and then slowly go from there.

This is not a resto thread - just a "fix what's bad messed up and use it" thread. Being a work boat it doesn't have to be perfect (just functional) but I hate to ride around in a hideous craft.

Oh yeah - the trailer is easily five times as heavy as is needed for this application so if anyone wants to trade a light or medium duty 16' trailer for a good 16' super duty, let me know - I'll be all for it. New paint on the trailer in the next couple of days so if interested you get to choose the color

[tashasdaddy]

nice combo, hull and the 48.

[Genonbamagirl]

Originally Posted by tashasdaddy

nice combo, hull and the 48.

Thanks mate. We were looking for a high ride (skinny water in the swamps), stability, comfort in most weather, durability, light weight and economy. So far, so good. Pics of scraped down and taped up boat tomorrow.

Is there a forum area where people on here sell used boat stuff? We could use a couple plain jane swivel seats. We were thinking a third row van seat for the rear but after seeing your rig - I'm really digging the wood bench. You got any more pics of that setup and did you build it?

[Genonbamagirl]

Four days of scraping and an hour taping.


The 2"x8" we split when hoisting it - can you say OH SH1T???

[Genonbamagirl]

Four days of scraping and an hour of taping.


The 2"x8" we split while hoisting it. OOPS!!!!! Repair needed.

[tashasdaddy]

looking good, you can just jack up the middle of that beam, add 1/2 inch ply to both sides, screwed well, and that is all the repair really needed. run the ply the full length of the beam.

[Genonbamagirl]

Originally Posted by tashasdaddy

looking good, you can just jack up the middle of that beam, add 1/2 inch ply to both sides, screwed well, and that is all the repair really needed. run the ply the full length of the beam.

I'll jack it from the outside with a full length 2"x10", pull and replace the beam. My stepdad bought wood by the tractor trailer load when he was alive so I have tons of lumber in our old horse barn.

Fresh rustoleum marine topside paint.

[Genonbamagirl]

Trailer with rustoleum rusty metal primer. I forgot to get a finished pic as I was dead beat.

[Genonbamagirl]

I just noticed I am a Seaman Apprentice. I was one of those twenty plus years ago for a while.

[North Beach]

Any idea what the total weight is as she hangs? We have the 21' 66 with the i/o and my book says 1700 lbs. I think you've sold me on hanging it to paint the bottom and the old cox trailer! I spoke to the folks out at starcraft the other day and they told me they hung them by the eyes all the time.

[Genonbamagirl]

Originally Posted by North Beach

Any idea what the total weight is as she hangs? We have the 21' 66 with the i/o and my book says 1700 lbs. I think you've sold me on hanging it to paint the bottom and the old cox trailer! I spoke to the folks out at starcraft the other day and they told me they hung them by the eyes all the time.

I honestly have no idea but I would guess about 800-1000 by the wag method. The eyes should hold - that's part of what they are there for. The front eye will be no problem at all (water is a non-issue as it's all aluminum and quite thick at that) but the rears you would want to look at the wood around them and make sure it's solid before trying to hoist her.

I hung her with ski rope if that says anything. I would get some serious rope to hang a 21 though. I've hung dozens of boats to do work on them over the years - if the eyes are solid they should hold fine.

[North Beach]

Yeah the transom is good. Anyhow, since I've seen this post, I can quit fretting on how I'm gonna get it off the trailer. We'll probably use steel cables.Thanks.

[reelfishin]

I have a similar 16' close bow starcraft. The weight on those hulls is more like 550 or so plus the motor. When I first got mine it was sitting on three plastic buckets on a stone driveway. A buddy and me just lifted it onto a trailer.
Those older hulls were strong and light. If you got one that hasn't been eaten away with saltwater, it will be a great boat. That 48 is a good choice. I had a 50 on mine and it did fine, I upgraded to a 70hp and it flies. More motor than I'd even need.

[tashasdaddy]

Getting Boat Off Trailer

you don't need stands.

1/you can lower the tongue to the ground. i would get some 6x6 or old railroad crossties cut the +- 12 inches, now block up the transom. 2/

Raise the tongue of the trailer the back of trailer will drop away from trailer. this is the tricky part. between the cross braces of the trailer block the keel lower trailer, boat will be suspended on the blocks.

3/ pull forward, lift bow again, and reblock i a different place. repeat until trailer is out from under the boat.

4/ to reload, just reverse the procedure.

if you were just working on the bunks, or painting the bottom. you could just do the first 2 steps.

[Genonbamagirl]

Originally Posted by tashasdaddy

Getting Boat Off Trailer

you don't need stands.

1/you can lower the tongue to the ground. i would get some 6x6 or old railroad crossties cut the +- 12 inches, now block up the transom. 2/

Raise the tongue of the trailer the back of trailer will drop away from trailer. this is the tricky part. between the cross braces of the trailer block the keel lower trailer, boat will be suspended on the blocks.

3/ pull forward, lift bow again, and reblock i a different place. repeat until trailer is out from under the boat.

4/ to reload, just reverse the procedure.

if you were just working on the bunks, or painting the bottom. you could just do the first 2 steps.

This is so simple that you would think everyone would just know. Good job helping out - I realize everyday that not everyone knows.

Some seats. Been searching everyday since we go this craft. You will never buy where they came from or what they set us back. LMAO



WalMart. 20 clams on clearance. The pic and description was tan,red and green. We got gray, white and blue!!!!! They match the boat!!!! Woohoo!! Some swivels for 6 bones and 11" stanchions for 9 bones and we may be able to oufit this grand old lady with seating for under 100 dollars. Poking around in the local junk yards for a third row vinyl seat as we speak. That will complete the furniture in this old girl.........

[DJ]

Good job!

Make SURE those seat stands are bolted down securely with back up plates.

You do not want the seat going over while underway!

[sschefer]

Re: Boat weight - An 18' 91 Starcraft stripped weighs just about 100lbs. My brother and I flipped mine this morning. I can pick it up from the transom with one hand. He took the bow and we just rolled it over.

Re: Seats - Great find!

Re: Trailer, just wondering why you painted a galvanized trailer. We cherrish them here in California. Now you have to maintain it.

Re: Nikon - D200, D300 and just got a new D30 for Christmas. I was hoping for Nikor lenses but I'll take the D30. You've got good taste in boats and camera's, I l like that. Unless that's you wifes, in which case you have good taste in women which beats both camera's and boat's.

[Genonbamagirl]

Good taste in women. Oops.

It's back on the trailer after some much needed wetsanding. Wax and buff to follow.

[Genonbamagirl]

Furniture. Every boat needs some lol.



The back seat was less than 50 clams so we furnished her for less than a bill.

Some serious cleaning is in order.

[tmcalavy]

Nice work. Did you paint the hull with a spray gun, or use the roll-n-tip method with roller and brush. Very nice finish. Love the old bench seat...used to have one like that in the shop. My choc lab loved it...thought I was going to have to fight him for it when I decided to haul it off. Should be a nice photo safari rig.

[Genonbamagirl]

I painted her with a graco airless - not the best choice as you waste at least half the paint but the only choice I had available at the time. No air at my house and my mother is hooked up with a junkie so our huge (100' x 50') shop is not going to be used by me until she get's rid of him or something happens for the good.

We intended to replace a couple bad dashboards to stop the floppy steering but every time we put a screw anywhere - it just slopped around due to rot. Also intended to make a patch for the one soft spot in the deck. Pulled the carpet back in the worst spot and was floored......the previous owners did replace the decking but with particle board painted with water seal (thompson's or some other similar worthless junk) and stuffed open cell styrofoam into every nook and cranny preventing the hull from draining. I lost it a bit and demanded that we fix that nonsense.

We tore her down over the last few days and replaced every speck of wood but the transom. It's soft but isn't flexing yet so no need at the moment.

A few pics of the tear down and work back up. Also I guess I should mention that I have been completely down due to a herniated L1 disk that the docs want to operate on so I had to talk my family doc into giving me a shot of toradol every day for a bit and I have an endless supply of lortab since they all think I'm dying. I'm not dying - I'm just in a lot of pain.

Decking - lovely huh?


Her hull from the inside - no major issues. Looking good.





Decking. 5/8" sheathing with 19 coats of epoxy paint we got on clearance at the local hardware store - that stuff is so expensive that no one would buy it - they almost gave it to us so we bought four gallons. My wife loves to paint anything and everything so I encouraged her to put on as many coats as she would like - it's a hundred degrees down here right now so drying time is el rapido.


Just about in. Old and tired but no plumber's crack yet lol.



The youngster being a big help as always.



The old (but decent shape) carpet back in and us doing a bit of console work. The windshield didn't want to act exactly right so we put a rachet strap across the bucket just in front of the consoles and pulled a tad and she came right back into shape. A bit of adjustment on the winshield stanchions and proper fastening of the consoles to the front seating (wich is FIRMLY attached to the hull directly in front of the consoles) should put the glass back in perfect order.

[Genonbamagirl]

I was tired and in a lot of pain today so I slept most of the day. I know you all would never believe I would do anything stupid but........I couldn't figure out why my construction adhesive to seal the seams between the decking boards was not working so I looked directly down the newly cut off tube and it exploded. Yep - construction adhesive directly in the left eye. I Immediately held open both eyelids and wiped out the bad juju with the only thing I had (the other hand) and flushed with about thirty ounces of ice water the loving wife had just come out the door with when she heard the pop. She actually thought I had shot myself in the head from the sound lol.

The eye is probably a bit degraded but as fine as it could be under the circumstances. I wasted 4 hours at the eye foundation emergency room (they took me right in in front of all the people who had been waiting - imagine that) 4 bags of saline washed through it with the most uncomfortable eye cup in the world and the swabbing out of my eyelids (much more painful than being kicked in the boy parts), testing the PH level at least twenty and maybe thirty times and they finally let me get back to my rat killing with a clean (or maybe slightly tarnished for being el stupido) bill of health.

[Genonbamagirl]

I felt really tired and a lot of pain today - I also am so sick and tired of all the narcotics that I refused to take them. So I slept the day away.

While I slept in the middle of the living room floor, the wife and stepson painted all the ugly assed gunnels (after removing the rails, cleats, bimini slides, etc.), painted the surround in the aft portion and cleaned her with mean green from stem to stern.

I am the luckiest man in the world. To have found a family willing to do such hard and tedious work just to please me while I laid on my lazy *** is just incredible.

Real men shouldn't cry.

When I woke from my 5 hour nap and walked outside to pee (being a neanderthall living in the woods where no one can see us) I realized I was no longer a real man.

My wife and stepson have been right there with me, busting their keesters right along with mine to make "the Bucket" back into what she should be every second of this journey.

I am truly blessed. A few tears do not make less of a person - they just happened - I couldn't help it.