18' Starcraft SuperSport bowrider restoration

[iwombat]

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

That sounds like quite a job on those panels. I've put an oversized gas tank in the back corner and brought it out far enough to fab a seat on top. So, the stock sliders are right out for me. Just curious what was originally there.

Anyway, you can see my effort. Not so extensive, but then again I only started the refit a few months ago, and I've been using it along the way.
http://www.shareaproject.com/manageProject.php?p=372

 

[Se2002]

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

burroak:

Do you have any "before" pictures?

 

[burroak]

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

burroak:

Do you have any "before" pictures?

I didn't think to take any at the time and I had no notion of finding a site like iboats. But it sat out in 23 Wisconsin winters as well as all the other seasons uncovered and unloved. You can well imagine the condition. The one thing in the boat's favor was that it was run in Lake Michigan with only a 50 hp Evinrude on it for salmon fishing, so it had a tight hull - no loose rivets. It is still dry as a bone yet. The interior was gutted down to the bare ribs and stringers then put back as you see it now.

Now that I have found a site to share some experiences, I regret not documenting the process. All of the side panels the rear panels, bulkheads and dashboards were made from scratch as well as the floor and bow deck. In the car business it would be called a "frame off" job.

 

[Joe_the_boatman]

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Buroak - I have the same boat and am going through the same restoration you did. Same colors, too. Mine's a '79 18'6".

Could you give me some details on the floor - fiberglass coated plywood or something else? We ripped the floor out today, took the consoles out and the bow seats - basically everything. Now we're wondering how best to tackle this.

You have any experience with your boat with the 50hp on it? Did you get to take it out? How'd it do? I have a 60hp engine in good shape i was hoping to put on my SS, but thinking it'll be underpowered.

Any help you could give me would be gold.

 

[burroak]

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Joey,

You'll love the boat when it is finished and the process of restoring it. This model lends itself to a good refurbishing. It is all straight forward when done in the proper order. The floor is 5/8" plywood, glassed on both sides and all edges. We fastened the floor with coated self tapping counter sunk screws with a torx head (Fastenal). If you hang around this forum long enough you'll get the advice from those who would only use the most exotic and bulletproof material known to the marine industry, but that is not necessary. It is amazing how long a floor will last, no matter how humble the materials are, if the boat is covered against the weather. We took on the restoration from the stand point of cost/benefit, trying to get the most boat for the least amount of money. If interested, I could PM you the approximate costs for all the work that was done on the boat and motor.

I had owned the boat since 1973 and used the boat for 15 years on Lake Michigan with the 50 hp Evinrude. It was a satisfactory fishing platform and would do 25-27 mph, by no means a performance machine but it did exactly what I wanted it to do. I only needed a boat to fish salmon; otherwise, I would have never owned one. I never tried to tube or ski with it, but it's such a versatile setup one would be hard pressed to find a better boat to own.

Some of the interior surfaces were changed, IMO, for the better; but the decks are carpeted (my son's choice). I would have put back in the vinyl goods that came in the boat originally. Carpet is comfortable and good for inland lake species, but salmon fishing leaves a lot of scales, slim, and blood on the deck and vinyl is better suited for that kind of fishing.

If I can be of any help to you, give a shout.

 

[Joe_the_boatman]

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Thanks for the info - that'll give us a good starting point for the plans for my SS. I'll be replacing the floor and transom in mine, after the floor is "gluvit-ed". The bottom needs paint too, but that's cosmetic.

Been out to Lake Michigan many times, but never out on a boat, just the beach. My parents and grandparents are from Stevensville and Baroda, MI, if you know that area.

 

[_brad_]

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

I need to find one of these boats in good condition. Mine is beat to all hell from 30 years of neglect and abuse.

 

[mcattac]

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Do you have any photos of the hull inside before you replaced the floor?

I have the same boat and will be replacing the transom and floor on mine this winter. I would love to see what's inside before I go hacking away at things.

Emailing the photos would be great if you could.

Thanks.
Mac
mcattac1@msn.com

 

[burroak]

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Do you have any photos of the hull inside before you replaced the floor?

I have the same boat and will be replacing the transom and floor on mine this winter. I would love to see what's inside before I go hacking away at things.

Emailing the photos would be great if you could.

Thanks.
Mac
mcattac1@msn.com

Mac,

We did the tear out and re-flooring before I found Iboats; hence, no photos of that. What you will find are aluminum stringers running fore to aft with rigid flotation placed in the cavities. It may be waterlogged but take it out carefully to keep it intact and dry it out. This original stuff resists melting in the presence of gasoline. It will absorb fuel but I did not have that problem. Mice got some of it.

I found 1" coated, self-tapping screws with a flat countersunk head and a hex drive at Fastenal. They mounted flush, resists the galvanic corrosion, and chemicals in PT plywood, if you use that.

I'd like to see your progress, as you go along. All on Iboats are starved for boat pics, next to pin-ups.

 

[mcattac]

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Mac,

We did the tear out and re-flooring before I found Iboats; hence, no photos of that. What you will find are aluminum stringers running fore to aft with rigid flotation placed in the cavities. It may be waterlogged but take it out carefully to keep it intact and dry it out. This original stuff resists melting in the presence of gasoline. It will absorb fuel but I did not have that problem. Mice got some of it.

I found 1" coated, self-tapping screws with a flat countersunk head and a hex drive at Fastenal. They mounted flush, resists the galvanic corrosion, and chemicals in PT plywood, if you use that.

I'd like to see your progress, as you go along. All on Iboats are starved for boat pics, next to pin-ups.

Thanks for the quick response.

I am very interested in relocating the fuel tank in the center of the boat under the floor, like they do in newer boats. This will help to reduce weight in the stern a bit.

With what you remember, do you feel there will be room for a long tank onder there? I will fabricate the fuel cell myself, so I can make it almost any shape. Was there a stringer in the center of the hull that would preclude this? If not, how far appart would say the two stringers were. How wide of a tank could I make to fit in there?

Lastly, I won't be using PT plywood. Even though the new stuff doesn't react with aluminum like the old creasote stuff did. I will use standard plywood and seal it with an epoxy. The final floor will be an epoxy coating like they use as truck bedliner material.

Here's a few pictures of the boat as it exists today -

I'm also unsure on the motor. It currently has an 85hp Evinrude on it. Old, and runs a bit rough. But it starts and will push the boat with a full tank of gas and 2 big guys to 34mph per the readout on the GPS. Also, the unit doesn't have trim and tilt. I really need this as the bay we run from is very shallow and has a lot of rocks in it. (don't ask )

I like the Yamahas because they are so light. I really would love a Yamaha 90 to put on it, but the cost of one is quite high. Kind of tough to justify it on such an old boat.

But I have a line on a 93 Yamaha 70 hp outboard that is in very good condition for a reasonable price.

I am a little leary though. I am not looking for a high speed boat but I have owned far too many under-powered rigs. And I am afraid the 70 might not be enough. Anyone out there running a 70 hp outboard on a 18' Starcraft that could shed some light here?

Thanks.
Mac

 

[burroak]

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

..."With what you remember, do you feel there will be room for a long tank onder there? I will fabricate the fuel cell myself, so I can make it almost any shape. Was there a stringer in the center of the hull that would preclude this? If not, how far appart would say the two stringers were. How wide of a tank could I make to fit in there?"...

From what I remember, there are two longitudinal stringers spaced evenly either side of the keel. A tank could be fashioned to fit the space and probably hold the 18 gal that the original tank held. Speaking of which, if it is a 18 gal Mirax, and you go ahead and fabricate a belly tank, I got dibs on the old one.

 

[mcattac]

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

From what I remember, there are two longitudinal stringers spaced evenly either side of the keel. A tank could be fashioned to fit the space and probably hold the 18 gal that the original tank held. Speaking of which, if it is a 18 gal Mirax, and you go ahead and fabricate a belly tank, I got dibs on the old one.

Deal.

I will try to remember to post it.

BTW, it is a Mirax 18 gallon.

My plans arwe actually for a larger tank.
Maybe 24-30 gallons.

I'm glad to hear the space below is open and will allow for a "belly" tank.

The project is slated for this winter.
But might be pushed off one more year.
I have a very large other project that I'm considering.
And if it goes through it will require all of my time and cash.

Thanks again.

Anyone with info on that 70 hp and if it will push this old 18' bowrider adequately?

Mac

 

[Joe_the_boatman]

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Mac - here's what you have to look foward to:

I'll be putting a 60 hp Merc on my SuperSport; I'm hoping it'll be adequate (i.e. get us to 25-30 mph). If not, it'll be replaced next season.

I'll be replacing the transom on mine (been busy last couple weeks with selling the other boat and my motorcycles to make room in the garage).

Don't know if creosote treated wood reacts with aluminum, but the NEW PT stuff does (has copper in it). The old (outlawed) "CCA" pressure-treated works great, if you can find it. It's still legal for marine use, so the "marine-grade" PT you'll find will be CCA. Only problem is it's $80 a sheet.

I'm planning on going a similar route as you - 1/2" plywood, coated w/ thinned epoxy, then painted. That rubberized roofing sealer looks like it'd work perfect, but people here say no (although neither of us have experience w/ it, so that's why it's tempting).

Hey - we're both replacing decks, same hull, and similar engines - guess we're in the same boat! (sorry, couldn't resist).

Keep us updated.

 

[mcattac]

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Thank you VERY much for the pix.

I had a 60 on a 79 Sylvan 16' Bowrider and really felt it was the lowest motor for that boat. It was a twin cylinder 55 Johnson. The powerhead blew and OMC covered it under warranty as there was a factory problem with those powerheads. The fix was a new 60 hp powerhead.

Ran fine, but I always wished it had a 70 on it.

Therefore..................

I'm not going to chance it.

I'm going to sell the 85 hp V4 Johnson on it and install a new Yamaha 90.
The Yamaha is an inline 3 cylinder and is 100 pouns less weight than the 85 Johnson, and it will have trim and tilt. The 85 doesn't.

This is my 7th boat over the years.

It is a project boat I want to build that can take me through the next 12 years or so into retirement. I want to build the boat that "I want". Not the one some boat company thinks I want.

Thanks again for the photos. I'll post mine too.

BTW, I'm going to increase the height of the transome 5". This way I can run a 25" long shaft motor on the back and have less water splashing over the stearn. I use my boats primarily on Lake Erie and it can rough out there.

Take care.

Mac

 

[iwombat]

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

I've got a '77 Johnson 85hp on my '78 18' SS. Those years were crankshaft rated and not prop rated, so it's probably something like a 78hp prop rated. It pushes the boat about 34mph with a 13.25x17 prop. You can probably expect high 20s from any prop-rated 70hp. Lotsa room for a belly tank under the floor. I went with a 18gal stern tank under the splashwell on mine for simplicity and I've really got no complaints with balanceing the boat. I may even put a second tank on the opposite side.

You can see my interior refit here:

http://www.shareaproject.com/pages/invitation,i,142,00.html

 

[mcattac]

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Re: 18' SupoerSport bowrider restoration

Great job.

Thanks for the info.

Mac