WendellNLA
Cadet
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2015
- Messages
- 14
Well, after many years of wanting to buy or build a boat, I finally acquired an 1980, 18' Starcraft Supersport V5. This is my first boat (not counting my 12' Gen IV Portabote, which some may argue is not a real boat!) and it is in need of some substantial work. So, after searching around the net in search of info about repairs needed, I found this forum and the wealth of information available here. A word of thanks to all those who have shared their experiences on their own projects.
So now the decision must be made..... repair to make it functional and run it, or restore it to like new condition.
After gutting the interior, checking for loose and leaking rivets and repairing as needed, the minimum at this point is to replace the floor, as it is pretty rotten. During a quickie replacement of the floor by the previous owner (my brother) the original seating was taken out and replaced with 2 swivel seats that are a bit too big, so the seating and/or storage needs to be reworked. There is a relatively minor dent on one side that i would like to remove. I also plan on relocating the battery forward and rewiring the electrical.
The outboard is a Mariner 115 that had some fuel issues prior to being parked about 5 years ago. It rotates freely by hand from the flywheel, so not seized. I plan on checking compression, rebuilding the carbs and fuel pump, replacing all fuel lines, thoroughly inspecting the fuel tank for any issues, as well as replacing water pump impeller and servicing the lower unit. If the powerhead needs more extensive work, it will be decision time.
I intend on using this boat for inshore saltwater fishing in the Channel Islands area of So Cal. So I will be restoring/repairing with that in mind.
Any thoughts or comments on my plans, feel free to share them. Especially if you have any experience with an 18' SS V5 and it suitability for inshore saltwater use and any ideas on how to make it as suitable for that task as possible.
I will post pics as I am able, this being my first post, I can not as of now. Thanks,
W
So now the decision must be made..... repair to make it functional and run it, or restore it to like new condition.
After gutting the interior, checking for loose and leaking rivets and repairing as needed, the minimum at this point is to replace the floor, as it is pretty rotten. During a quickie replacement of the floor by the previous owner (my brother) the original seating was taken out and replaced with 2 swivel seats that are a bit too big, so the seating and/or storage needs to be reworked. There is a relatively minor dent on one side that i would like to remove. I also plan on relocating the battery forward and rewiring the electrical.
The outboard is a Mariner 115 that had some fuel issues prior to being parked about 5 years ago. It rotates freely by hand from the flywheel, so not seized. I plan on checking compression, rebuilding the carbs and fuel pump, replacing all fuel lines, thoroughly inspecting the fuel tank for any issues, as well as replacing water pump impeller and servicing the lower unit. If the powerhead needs more extensive work, it will be decision time.
I intend on using this boat for inshore saltwater fishing in the Channel Islands area of So Cal. So I will be restoring/repairing with that in mind.
Any thoughts or comments on my plans, feel free to share them. Especially if you have any experience with an 18' SS V5 and it suitability for inshore saltwater use and any ideas on how to make it as suitable for that task as possible.
I will post pics as I am able, this being my first post, I can not as of now. Thanks,
W
I know that once I get the outboard off and get it gutted and turned turtle to take care of loose rivets, it will be way too tempting to prep and paint the hull while it is staring me in the face. I should just resign myself to that fate! 
