1965 Starcraft Nassau Refurb / Restore

[g0nef1sshn]

To staple or not to staple? I was planning on wrapping the carpet around the deck and stapling to the underside but seeing as I plan to mount the deck first so it doesn't move and what not, this contradicts my original plans. Do people typically staple when it's a whole deck at once? I see a lot of times they will if it's a bass boat style where there are many removeable smaller pieces but it seems I can't find any info on stapling for larger, single layer, single piece decks.

I would like to put a new transom skin on but I don't want to put a 3/4 which is what I have in marine grade plywood. I have 1/2 inch exterior which I am currently coating in three thick coats of Helmsman Spar but I'm concerned it's going to rot. I was thinking of coating it in fiberglass resin in addition to the spar or possibly even using something like buying a large cutting board made of some type of specific material (not sure right now what it would need to be). Anyone have any thoughts on this?

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I stapled only a few in the very back just to hold it firm as I glued and rolled it towards the bow. Once it was done (over the large flange rivets holding the deck down) I sat back and thought about the job. I came to the conclusion that when and if i do again in the future, I would try and carpet each section, then secure it down probably with the rivets again. That was just my after thoughts. I think it would be beneficial to have the option of removing just one section if needed vice tearing up a solid carpeted deck.

By transom skin, are you meaning the piece on the outside of transom between the motor? Ive been pondering the same thing.

 

[Watermann]

I've used screws in decking before and much prefer large flange rivets as the screws always tend to loosen and there isn't much in the way for the screw teeth to grab onto below. I would not use self tapping if you go with SS screws rather drill the pilot holes and use Sharx SS marine screws, the teeth are made to hold the AL better.

The motor pad on the outside of the transom harkens back to a bygone era where someone thought it was a good idea to put a piece of plywood in constant contact with water. I would either delete it from the build or use a 1/4" thick piece of sheet AL. It really serves no purpose as most boats don't even have them.

 

[Woodonglass]

I think your misunderstanding the Cure Time on the Solvent Based DAP Weldwood Contact cement. Once it sets up for 15 mins and you apply the two surfaces together they are instantly bonded together. The MFG recommends the temps stay above 65? for 72 hours to not effect the bond but that's about it. I've worked with this glue a lot and never had it release. My trailer bunk carpets are glued on with it and show no signs of coming off after 3 years and they get a lot more abuse than deck carpet.

 

[gberl001]

Wow, thanks for all the responses.

Okay, I have made some changes, I ended up ordering some rivets online that will clear the 3/4 inch deck. I did do the scab thing, although it doesn't look very nice it will be easier for me to drill new holes anyway.

Still not sure if I want to carpet each separately or all as one, each separately would be harder to conceal the fasteners unless I cut a part away and glued it back down when I was done. Most of the fasteners are hidden behind a wall so it's not a huge concern but just would be nicer looking without seeing them.

As for the glue, I am misunderstanding the cure time, I know it mentioned that it "dries" or sets after some short period like 30 minutes but I thought that walking on it or messing with it within the next 72 hours would compromise the bond. I am new at most of this stuff so I don't know the difference, to me dry meant if you bump into it you won't get stuck but cure meant, don't use it until after this period. I ended up getting 3M Super 77 as many places online said it was a very common bonder and it is completely ready after 30 minutes. I'll continue with that but if someone thinks it will be a bad idea I am still open for ideas on the adhesive, I can go back to the DAP contact cement, the 3M glue was only like $8 or something.

I have decided to forego the transom skin. I guess I was just concerned with it marring the paint but to be honest, the paint is already in need of some serious help on the stern.

Lastly, I'm sizing up the hardware I am using for the transom and, again because I'm new at this stuff, I'm wondering if I need washers on both sides of the hardware. There was none before but the pan heads on the old hardware are much larger than the new hardware's head. Also, will this be enough grab on the nut or should I go a half inch longer? There is still a little more it could tighten, maybe half to one full turn, this is tightened just enough to pull the metal to the wood. Here are some photos...

Here is where I'm wondering if this will be enough grab, the top bolt has a washer on the backside while the lower bolt does not because of the knee brace thickness.

And here is the outside

And finally, here is the hole in comparison to the head of the bolt, is this going to cover enough area or should I get longer bolts and use washers on both sides?

 

[Watermann]

Yes on the washers inside against the wood but I would get the larger size that still have the small #10 (looks like) hole. On the outside no washer against the AL skin. Reason being is you want to not have to seal up 2 areas x how many screws and they always go crooked on me. What you do is use 5200 under the screw head, hold the screw head solid with the driver and turn the nyloc nut on the inside with a nut driver or 1/4" drive ratchet you don't want the head doesn't spinning out the sealer rather squeezing it out.

 

[gberl001]

Yes on the washers inside against the wood but I would get the larger size that still have the small #10 (looks like) hole. On the outside no washer against the AL skin. Reason being is you want to not have to seal up 2 areas x how many screws and they always go crooked on me. What you do is use 5200 under the screw head, hold the screw head solid with the driver and turn the nyloc nut on the inside with a nut driver or 1/4" drive ratchet you don't want the head doesn't spinning out the sealer rather squeezing it out.

The holes are 1/4", I realized I'll need a longer bolt anyway because I am going to back some angle bracket on the center knee brace and that'll add another 1/8" to go through. I'll stop by Fastenal for my hardware this time, they should have a better selection than Lowes, Home Depot or Tractor Supply ha ha. They're always closed when I try to stop by but I took the rest of the week off to get this going by Saturday :uncomfortableness: (We'll see) so I'm stopping there tomorrow.

The nuts I have aren't nyloc, I assumed the 5200 would keep them from breaking loose, should I get nylocs or at least a lock washer?

Isn't the SS against aluminum going to introduce the possibility of galvanic corrosion or will the 5200 be enough to insulate the two?

Unless I'm forgetting something everything is finally done and ready to install, well I have to paint the splashwell but I can install it fairly soon after that's done which should be tomorrow. So, the deck and transom should be installed tomorrow and hopefully I'll have time to install the carpet... still not sure about one whole piece or individual pieces. Yeah, I'll be busy ha ha.

 

[GA_Boater]

I think there is a rule of thumb that the shaft of a screw or bolt should show so many threads or at least the diameter of the shaft. So a 3/8 shaft should show 3/8 on the outside of the nut. Longer won't hurt you because most will be hidden anyway. I use a flat and lock washer, even with nylocs. I call it belt and suspenders.

 

[gberl001]

I think there is a rule of thumb that the shaft of a screw or bolt should show so many threads or at least the diameter of the shaft. So a 3/8 shaft should show 3/8 on the outside of the nut. Longer won't hurt you because most will be hidden anyway. I use a flat and lock washer, even with nylocs. I call it belt and suspenders.

Thanks, I'll remember that, whenever I've needed screws and what not it was on something that wasn't important so I would just grab the closest that worked. I never really needed to know specifics about these types of things until now.

 

[Watermann]

I wouldn't worry too much about dissimilar metal corrosion between AL and SS screw heads with 5200 there shouldn't be an issue and if your going to paint the AL that adds another layer of protection.

 

[gberl001]

Okay, thanks.

Minus a few more rivets and electric, she's seaworthy. She's not pretty, but seaworthy ha ha. I say minus a few rivets because I jammed one and the other one doesn't seem to want to pull the mandrel. Both Harbor Freight (one heavy duty and one medium) so it's nothing unexpected.

I wasn't able to get the seats, carpet or electric in and I wasn't able to paint the splashwell but my minimal goal was achieved, it's ready to splash for vacation. I'll finish up the other stuff while on vacation (work on vacation, yes, I know). I'm still working on it today so I may get even more done and I may have time to post some pictures but if not today, I'll get some pictures up in the coming days.

Edit:
When I say seaworthy, I mean the finger lakes and, at least for the next week, the St. Lawrence River.

 

[gberl001]

Well, I'm back from vacation, I apparently had so much fun it felt like it was only two days long. The good news, however, is that the boat ran great the entire time I was there. We took a few twenty minute trips to Alexandria bay, found out 50 HP eats a lot more gas than my 10 HP but I kinda figured.

The bad but not so bad news... there is a leak somewhere under the floor. Since I didn't put the carpet or anything in yet I'm just going to take the floor up and spend some quality time with each rivet and try to pressure test them with a hose and a plunger or something. It's not a horrible leak but the bilge pump spat out about a quart of water every few (3+) hours if I had to take a guess. I wasn't watching it for that long but after a one hour trip (20 minutes to and 20 minutes from plus 20 minutes of sitting) with four adults and WOT the bilge turned on once we all got out and the bow raised.

All in all, I'm okay taking the floor back up and the boat worked out great during the trip, the kids went tubing for the first time and we had a good time with her despite the leaks.

UPDATE ON THE TRAILER
Yikes! I found out the problem with that broken rib. Once I got the boat lifted to install the new bunks I saw that the existing bunk nestled real well into a pretty nasty dent in the hull. Turns out that it must have been that they hit a pothole or something because there is a permanent impression from the poorly made bunks used before. They bunks they had on were only three feet long and they were 2x4s on edge so basically 1.5"x36" of surface area per bunk, nowhere near enough so I am definitely glad I beefed that up.

I made a mistake and ordered four brackets (two sets) instead of eight so I could only install two bunks before our vacation but they held up great. I ended up using 2"x6"x8' and a bevel on the end which is about a 977% increase in surface area per support by the bunks. I'll be installing two more and possibly some side guides just for quicker loading.

I'll try to get some photos posted instead of dropping all of this text on you, getting back to work on the boat this week