JimmySmackdown
Cadet
- Joined
- May 2, 2006
- Messages
- 23
First off, I would like to personally thank all the great contributors here on the StarCraft owners forum whose advice, insight and pictures helped guide me while I was putting my boat back together. I learned a lot during the course of the project, and I'm continuing to seek guidance as I refine and tinker with my boat.
I have what I believe to be a 1965 or 1966 Sunchief. Before someone beats me up about how it got butchered/cut up/remodeled, I would like to say in my defense that it came to me in much worse condition. It had at least three previous (abusers) and I took possession in December of 2015. I wouldn't call the work I've doing to it restoration, I think a more fitting description would be remodeling or re-purposing. I did my best to put it back into good working order so that I could use it as a layout tender for open water duck hunting. The wide-open hull is what caught my eye first and the fact that it is nearly 22 feet long and 7 feet wide provided a sense of security when I'm plying the angry November waters of Lake Michigan and Green Bay.
I'm not 100% certain that it is a 65, but from looking at all the great pictures and reading a lot of discussions here I think I'm pretty close. If anyone can verify this, please let me know.
As many others have mentioned in various posts, I would like to move some weight forward to trim it out. The first seemingly logical step was to move both batteries forward. Heavy duty 2 ga wire was involved, but I had already run pvc pipe chase under the floor so it wasn't too bad of a project. I also moved the twin 12 gallon portable fuel tanks forward. This however, has resulted in taking up quite a lot of the floor space in the bow. I would like to explore the possibility of installing a fuel tank / cell below the deck. My issue is that I have seen very few Sunchief's with outboards and mine has three stringers as opposed to the two stringers in the inboard version. Has anyone else successfully installed a fuel tank in an outboard powered Sunchief with three stringers? Does anybody else have an outboard propelled Sunchief?
Thank you for any help you can offer.
p.s. My kids have nicknamed it "The Duck Destroyer" I have to get the name printed up on some marine vinyl before next duck season.
I'll continue to add more photos when I can
I have what I believe to be a 1965 or 1966 Sunchief. Before someone beats me up about how it got butchered/cut up/remodeled, I would like to say in my defense that it came to me in much worse condition. It had at least three previous (abusers) and I took possession in December of 2015. I wouldn't call the work I've doing to it restoration, I think a more fitting description would be remodeling or re-purposing. I did my best to put it back into good working order so that I could use it as a layout tender for open water duck hunting. The wide-open hull is what caught my eye first and the fact that it is nearly 22 feet long and 7 feet wide provided a sense of security when I'm plying the angry November waters of Lake Michigan and Green Bay.
I'm not 100% certain that it is a 65, but from looking at all the great pictures and reading a lot of discussions here I think I'm pretty close. If anyone can verify this, please let me know.
As many others have mentioned in various posts, I would like to move some weight forward to trim it out. The first seemingly logical step was to move both batteries forward. Heavy duty 2 ga wire was involved, but I had already run pvc pipe chase under the floor so it wasn't too bad of a project. I also moved the twin 12 gallon portable fuel tanks forward. This however, has resulted in taking up quite a lot of the floor space in the bow. I would like to explore the possibility of installing a fuel tank / cell below the deck. My issue is that I have seen very few Sunchief's with outboards and mine has three stringers as opposed to the two stringers in the inboard version. Has anyone else successfully installed a fuel tank in an outboard powered Sunchief with three stringers? Does anybody else have an outboard propelled Sunchief?
Thank you for any help you can offer.
p.s. My kids have nicknamed it "The Duck Destroyer" I have to get the name printed up on some marine vinyl before next duck season.
I'll continue to add more photos when I can
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