New boat owner needs help !!!

Hello fellow boaters and Starcraft owners. I've finally gotten around to posting here after lurking for some time. My name is Ralph, I'm 32 and I am a "new" boat owner. I am new, the boat certainly is not. I have been handed down a 1983 16' Starcraft 160 Fishmaster with a 40 h Evinrude VRO motor with electric start and power trim. I love this boat the only problem is it has been sitting outdoors uncovered for 8 years in Upstate New York. That being said I'm in the beginning stages of a restoration. As you can imagine the deck was completely rotted out and the motor was in need of service. To my surprise the motor just needed a quick tune and is ready to go. But the deck is a whole other issue. I pulled out all the rotten ply wood and removed all the foam the base of the boat. I was told the boat does take on some water, so right now am in the procress of trying to find where the leak is and how to repair it before rebuilding the deck. As I said before I am a new boat owner so any information you can share or advice you can give will be very appreciated.

Re: New boat owner needs help !!!

Let me be the first to say WELCOME !!!

As for the leak, with the floor out, I'd take it to the boat ramp with a buddy, My first thought would be to remove the transom straps but without the wood and foam, and some gear you'll be a little light, so I'd leave the transom straps on the trailer and back the boat in say upto the splash well if it as steep ramp and till the water is at the top of the transom where the outboard sits and wait a little bit and you should hopefully see some water. I guess I'd prefer a shallow ramp if possible, would let you get in deep.

Good luck and POST SOME PICS !!!

Re: New boat owner needs help !!!

I just left it on the trailer and filled it up with water and looked for the drips!



Most starcrafters buy a gallon of Gluvit and hit every seam and rivit on the inside after finding out if there are some loose rivits.

Re: New boat owner needs help !!!

Thanks for the warm welcome guys. Thinking of renting a pressure washer form Home Depot so i can clean it inside and out before taking the brass brush to all the rivets. Hopefully that will make it easier to see where the leak is comming from. Then the plan is to gluvit all the rivits, seams, and transom. I dont know if its a great idea to Gluvit the transom or should I just cover it with the same type of resin that i use to water proof the plywood for the deck. Tell me if you guys think that a good or bad idea. Here a few pictures of what I'm working with. Any idea for the interior design are very welcome. I know I want to put a livewell in but don't know what size, give her a paint job.

Re: New boat owner needs help !!!

That does not seem to be an electric shift motor. Unless you have push buttons on your control box, it's not.

With a boat that small, I would, and did, keep everything portable. If I need a fish box, or livewell, I'll take them along. If I won't be needing them, they stay at home. No carpet, and when I empty the boat, it makes for a much easier clean up.

My minimal storage is under a 12" raised deck in the bow. Keep it simple.

Re: New boat owner needs help !!!

Black SS said:

Thanks for the warm welcome guys. Thinking of renting a pressure washer form Home Depot so i can clean it inside and out before taking the brass brush to all the rivets. Hopefully that will make it easier to see where the leak is comming from. Then the plan is to gluvit all the rivits, seams, and transom. I dont know if its a great idea to Gluvit the transom or should I just cover it with the same type of resin that i use to water proof the plywood for the deck. Tell me if you guys think that a good or bad idea. Here a few pictures of what I'm working with. Any idea for the interior design are very welcome. I know I want to put a livewell in but don't know what size, give her a paint job.

Click to expand...

Welcome. Right to use Gluvit on seams/rivets. To use it to seal the transom, except at aluminum joints not recommended. If you are talking about sealing the wood use epoxy.

Re: New boat owner needs help !!!

You are absolutely right Bob Gilvary it does not have an electric shift. I guess I was just wishing I had a motor that did. Thank you for correcting that. Before I striped the boat it did have a raised bow and stern. It was great set up the only problem was it only had storage in the raised stern but nothing was separated. It had no compartments every thing was together life jacket, batteries, oiler, oars, gas tanks. I mean everything, so I would like to have a few compartments just to help keep it neat. I never thought it was a good idea to have all those thing together in the same spot.

Re: New boat owner needs help !!!

They discontinued electric shift after a few short years. Count your blessings.

Most Starcrafts of this size, have the console well forward of center. You're right, the gas tank, battery and oiler have no business up front, when there's plenty of room under the splash well, and it doesn't affect weight distribution much, with the console as far forward as it is.

If you find an issue with those items under the splashwell, a hydrofoil added to the engine works wonders.

I'm set up like that and push my converted 63' Jupiter with a 25 Johnson. It plains out quick and runs comfortably in the mid 20mph range.

Re: New boat owner needs help !!!

Nice project boat you've got there Welcome to the Starcraft armada.

Good advice on using epoxy on wood, save the gluvit for bare aluminum only.

Not an electric shift and you should be glad it isn't as they had issues.

Good luck with the rig and congratulations!