1965 14' Starcraft Fury - our project

[Borigander]

We started looking for a boat last year in May. Checked out a few and I found a posting on Craigslist, for a boat a few miles away from where I work. I went to check it out during lunch hour, with my friend Marie tagging along. It was parked on the side of the road, and that was the siren song, our story began.

Back with hubbie later the same day to check it out. Two days, and $350, later we were the proud owners of what we think is a 1965 14' Starcraft Fury, with the stock 1963 Evinrude Big Twin 45 HP engine, and homemade windshield. It was on a fairly new trailer, and the boat seemed "fixable". The guy that sold it to us said we'd get our money's worth, he meant the trailer! The boat fit inside our garage as we wanted. Out with the car, the boat sleeps in from now!

1st order of the day is removing all the nuts and debris it had accumulated in the ~ 3 years it stood beneath Michigan trees. Armando, my husband is in charge of the restoration. I am the online search and builder assistant.

Day One, I get call from husband while I'm at work. He's power washing the boat, lots of wood chips flying in every direction. Sounds excited, and angry. "What a piece of junk we just bought!". So I ask for calmness and patience, and promise to see what that all means once I got home.

I have been visiting the iboats forum since, and the Starcraft restoration group has been tremendous guidance, help and inspiration. Thank you for all the helpful links and advise. We've been so busy fixing the boat, we haven't had time to post anything. But finally, we officially join the Starcraft owner's club, and are uploading the history of the restoration if accepted.

Here's some of the changes thus far:

1. We removed the floor and rebuilt the fiberglass casing that had been covering the wooden stringers (I read the boat could collapse on itself it we took it out after stringers all became wet powder). As we check the boat we realize the transom is also partly rotten. Used a chainsaw to cut through the HARD wood we came across there, and oops, the saw slipped and there is now a 6? gash on the outer shell of the transom. We then ?scoop? out the wood. Process is tediously repeated until all wood is out, little by little.

 

[Borigander]

Re: 1965 14' Starcraft Fury - our project

2. We used Seacast to refill the stringers and spaces, on hot days, the thing can harden fast, really fast. On the 80 degree days it was actually not that fast, and we had time to use it all before it hardened. We had to make sure we kept some of the water drainage that the original straight boards had allowed and used a PVC pipe cut in half to created a hole through the middle, running the length of boat, then removed it from some areas after the Seacast was dry.

3. After the Seacast dried, Armando made sure it was level and cut so they were all even across the top.

 

[Borigander]

Re: 1965 14' Starcraft Fury - our project

4. After the Seacast foundation was done, my son and Armando used cardboard to cut a pattern and cut a 3/4" marine plywood panel (special order at Lowe's) to size. Then applied fiberglass over the whole thing, making sure it come up around the fiberglass about 1.5?.

5. Armando retouched the body, built fiberglass patches and sanded like crazy. He hung the boat using straps to the garage beams to do the bottom.

6. A few layers of Interlux Pre-Kote primer

 

[Borigander]

Re: 1965 14' Starcraft Fury - our project

Since the the boat will be trailered and at most will have an overnight stay in the water, we used Interlux Brightside as the paint, which is Polyurethane and has Teflon. We started up with the brush and tip method, but you could see the stripes from the brush, so Armando changed to spray compressor.

The paint is nearly done, has turned out really nice, the boat looks like new and you can see yourself like in a mirror. We opted to do a duo-tone blue on the top, and white on the bottom. Which meant some taping and masking of areas as we applied the different colors. Ordered some graphics and those should be here soon. We bought the carpet at Home Depot, it?s some of that outdoor stuff they carry. We found a place close to home that carries carpet for boats, but it was twice as much as Home Depot?s. That will be installed soon.

We ordered some Wise seat bases, one for the captain that slides front and back, another one for me. Got some new seats at Cabella?s and have been thinking about and checking this site for ideas for the back seat and further layout. Not much room in a 14 footer, but if space is used smartly, lots can be done.

The engine doesn?t work yet, my son is helping with that. The electrical and other stuff are a mistery, and finding a windshield, near impossible. We?ll see what the future holds. But for today, I finally posted our progress.

We?ve even decided on a name ?Alegor?a?, (means Allegory in English). That is because the name is a symbolism for all the fun we?ve had with, and effort we?ve put into, this boat, as well as in our lives. I hope someday to navigate the Great Lakes in it, and at minimum Silver Lake in Pinckney MI. If the engine doesn?t work this year, well, we?re just going to have to row. LOL It?ll sure look pretty!

Looking forward to the next stage, and most of all to getting it in the water. I wish we'd seen the posting about the get together earlier, and even more that we could have joined you all!

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1965 14' Starcraft Fury - our project

Very nice work! Welcome to iboats.

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: 1965 14' Starcraft Fury - our project

Nice work folks

That will be a head-turner when you are all done.

Good luck with the rest of the project, and welcome to the Starcraft fleet!