1970 Starcraft chieftain restore

[Star01]

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[Star01]

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[Star01]

There’s some. Not very good. Trying to get a handle on resizing to post.

 

[Watermann]

Wow that is the original white washed factory transom wood, amazingly clean and it does look to be in solid good shape.

 

[Watermann]

You may want to do something with that falling apart blower hose unless it's just a vent without the blower up under there. Yeah that transom is clean, I'd use the boat too and not worry about it.

 

[Star01]

Thanks waterman. Was hoping it looked good. Took an awl to it and every part seemed solid. P.O. installed new floor. Bud didn’t put and supports where plywood came together. Going to take all that out. Redo cabin and wall for cabin. **** pit. Repaint. The starboard side gunnel has couple spots where looks like something fell on it. Bent and broke railing on that side. So I want to repair and replace anything poor. Then new vinyl floor and walls. I’ll be posting pics as I go. I keep looking at your rebuild. Inspirational.

 

[Star01]

Hello mates. So my adventure started this afternoon. Floor was spongy not rotted. But weak. I’m going to rebuild the whole thing. Lots of Rivitts to drill. Didn’t realize how much to disassemble. Going to take a while. But for only 1/2” plywood not much support here. Going to add a lot of aluminum u channel and make brackets. For many more supports. I was looking at the floor. Should the plywood be cut at an angle and it ends and Rivitts where it is now. Or should it run up onto the ledge right there. I know you can’t rivit out there. But rivit inside the ledge. But would it support the floor better. And can I use a 5/8 plywood instead of 1/2”. Many pics to come. Also styrofoam was not wet at all but it seems to come apart very easy. New 2” foam board for insulation? Thanks.

 

[matt167]

don't add too much extra weight, and subtract any weight you add from the capacity on the plate. If you are worried about structure. add an extra 1/2" under the bilge area. screw and glue the 2 laminations together using stainless screws, and 5200 or PL Premium. the only thing I'll add is don't be tempted to use pressure treated wood.. An honest marine grade AAX or an ABX exterior would be best as there are fewest voids in the plies, making it stronger and less bouncy. Many go as low as CDX and it still works. Most Exterior and all USA made marine plywood is doug fir. Some is SYP and is heavier but same or better resistance to rot. you would add 5-10 lbs by going with an SYP plywood over a doug fir. you can tell SYP by it's color and sticky feel.

 

[Star01]

Thank you for advice Matt. Guess I’m not sure what you mean by adding 1/2 in bilge area. I’ll be using aluminum u and angle for little more support. Figured every other rib And definitely across the center. Stay with 1/2 plywood. Absolutely no pressure treated. I believe they make a 4 and 5 ply 1/2”. No cdx. And I’ll be installing good buy all floor on floor and side walls. What’s your thoughts an insulation. Also. I have seen people apply a sealer to plywood before vinyl. Any thought on that ?

 

[Star01]

First rebuild on a boat this size. So all info helpful

 

[Bondo]

First rebuild on a boat this size. So all info helpful

Ayuh,..... When I did my Islander, I used a/c plywood, riveted down 'bout how I found it, 'n a coatin' of epoxy, super fine light-weight glass rolled out, 'n then sprinkled with blast sand,....
After it set up, I vacuumed, 'n painted it with Rustoleum industrial enamel to soften the sand on the feet, 'n to block the uv light from the epoxy,....
Plenty stiff with the original under deck supports,.....
The original foam was of a consistency of styro-foam, only the kernels were up to an inch dia,.....
Weird stuff, but dry as a bone,..... it's still in there,.....

I started strippin' the ole tinbarge yesterday, goin' to the scrap yard,..... been on the lawn for a year,.....
Lotsa stuff in/ on it will work perfectly in the Atlantis,..... auto-pilot, fish finder/ gps, monster trim tabs, semi-rigid bimini roof, got a runnin' 4.3LX / Alpha 1 that's gotta go,....

In my mind, the fatal flaw of those hulls is,.....
The outside chine is .063" thin,.....
The sheet does a 300* bend to meet the bottom panel on the bottom, rather than the side, 'n bottom meetin' at the outside hard chine,.....
One of the many times my tinbarge sunk, that chine busted open from the stern up 'bout 3' or so,.....

 

[matt167]

Thank you for advice Matt. Guess I’m not sure what you mean by adding 1/2 in bilge area. I’ll be using aluminum u and angle for little more support. Figured every other rib And definitely across the center. Stay with 1/2 plywood. Absolutely no pressure treated. I believe they make a 4 and 5 ply 1/2”. No cdx. And I’ll be installing good buy all floor on floor and side walls. What’s your thoughts an insulation. Also. I have seen people apply a sealer to plywood before vinyl. Any thought on that ?

In the bilge area, you could double your plywood thickness since there is no support below it. Just figure out it's 'location' in relation to the plywood you install and glue and screw it together there, so that you effectively have an extra 1/2" below deck

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Hey guys. Home is upstate ny. No I’m not talking about just north of the city. Live in Port Leyden tiny village bout 50 miles from Alex bay or Canada. 2 hrs north Syracuse. I’m starting the year down this weekend. I have read so much great info on rebuilding. I looked at the whole project Bob -vt sent me. A beauty. This boat is worth my complete effort. I really wanted to read more and get ideas before I took her apart to the bones. And the more I have read and have seen what others have done has me even more excited about the chieftain. I think all the old Starcraft have a great look and history with them. I will be taking a lot of pics. And asking prolly many questions before I’m done. It has a certain draw to me. It’s almost 50 yrs old. Would love to hear the stories I could tell. I’ll have her tip top and all new adventures will start. I’m still looking in my area for real marine Plywood. And sources to pick up the things I’ll need. All the glass in good shape. But caulk in many places around frame. It’s all being disassembled hoping an automotive glass company can get me seals and weather striping when time to go back on. So much cleaning and repair. But don’t want to miss a thing. I won’t be selling her when I’m done. So all the info I get is very welcomed. The admiral said I know you’ll be living in the garage again cause that’s what you do when it comes to your boats. And she’s looking forward to going out in it. I get a little possessed when deciding to do such things. Last question from her was. Do you have a budget in mind? I just smiled. And booked her a cruise with my mother and sister. She’s happy.!!! Thank you all for letting me share this experience and all the help so far and help in the future. It’s not a hobby it’s a passion!!

Hey der Star1. I fish upstate NY once every May. It's a very small but beautiful place called Muskellunge Lake near Teresa N.Y.. I have been going there for 40 years and never saw or heard of someone even seeing a Musky. I have to ask why do you need a live well? Unless you are pro fishing or culling fish no need for a live well. The fish I catch are too big for a live well anyway!!!!!!!!!!! We fill empty pop bottles with water, freeze them then place the Perch, Walleye or Rainbows under the bottles in a large cooler or the fish is released. Nothing like steaming fish in the dog days of summer in a live well. Recirculating that 75 F surface water or warmer to cook em for 4 hours plus real good. We live on the Canadian shore of Lake Erie and fish here 90% of the time, northern Ontario 5% and Muskellunge Lake south of the Canadian border 5%. So our fish on Erie in the summer see's sometimes water in the mid to high 70's. Not good to keep fish cool or alive.

I am surprised none of you guys advised to go with 5/8" marine ply for the floor. We have always used a minimum of 5/8s. The last we did was a 21' StarCraft Heritage and turned it into a centre council. Buddy insisted on 3/4" marine.

Keep up the good work and good luck my Man. Someone once told me a job without a plan is a plan for disaster. Plan, plan, plan. I'm not criticizing just some advise. You are full of P and vinegar wanting to get at her, now. One can go hurry up and stop sometimes when we need to go slow and steady.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

After thinking about using 1/2" marine plywood I strongly, even very strongly suggest 5/8's minimum. One would never use 1/2" on a residential floor even with 12" centres. I know weight is always an issue on a boat but a sturdy strong floor isn't were you want to sacrifice strength for weight. I can see someone that doesn't know any better jump from the gunnel onto the floor in the right spot and go right through it. Not good.

 

[Star01]

Hey there Ironmaker greetings from NNY. Ahh muskelunge lake!! You bet. Next to. Hyde lake, red lake , moon lake, yellow lake Payne lake. All the theresa lakes. Small but great little lakes. I fish bass mostly 16’ javelin bass boat. Also pike and panfish. I do eat a lot of fish.

 

[Star01]

I have removed everything up to the benches in the bow. Now I have decided to remove those and the last 4’ of decking. I’m going to go with more aluminum stringers. 16” on center. I just received all my aluminum u channel. Angle and square stock. Shipping weight on everything including rivits was 68 lbs. size of my grandson. And aluminum frame all around engine I can’t stand a soft spot in floor. And the thin aluminum piece the factory used to join the floor sections is a joke. Only want to do this once. I do believe I’m going 5/8 marine on floor with good vinyl. I also believe I can gain an extra 4.5” in center of cabin area. Dosent seem like much but definitely worth doing. The boat didn’t leak when I took it out. And insulation was dry. But putting in new instead of the beads all over the floor plugging up drain slots. As long as I have it down to the base of boat. Thinking I’ll use gulvit or equal to be sure floor is sealed. What are thoughts out there. Yes or don’t worry about it. It is almost 50 yrs old. And will take a pounding on Ontario. More pics soon.

 

[Star01]

[No message]

 

[Watermann]

You may have not understood the flaw that Bondo talked about with that outside chine on the older SC boats that do not have the braces installed to keep the side from splitting. IO boats seem to have the worst of it with rib end cracks and chine splitting. Take a look at your pic and then the one of my Chief where I added the hull brace stiffeners using solid rivets.

The braces isolate the chines and really stiffen the hulls for all that pounding the hulls take over the years.

Be sure to inspect closely the rib ends for any cracks.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Hey there Ironmaker greetings from NNY. Ahh muskelunge lake!! You bet. Next to. Hyde lake, red lake , moon lake, yellow lake Payne lake. All the theresa lakes. Small but great little lakes. I fish bass mostly 16’ javelin bass boat. Also pike and panfish. I do eat a lot of fish.

I love the area. And here I thought Muskellunge was a secret! I haven't fished any of the others. The 1st of Oct. we hammered the Largemouth on Musky Lake. And we got hammered at the little bar in Teresa. Our ride once abandoned us in Teresa. It's a long walk to the lake until a Sheriff picked us louts up and gave us a lift.

 

[Star01]

Hey fellas. I see what Bondo is talking about. Chine that rub along the full length of hull. And I see how those braces would stiffen up the hull. I see you stopped at about the cabin area. Is it strong enough from that point to bow ? I’ll take a bevel square and get those made up. Looks like a very good idea. No cracks I have found as of yet. But improvements to structure always a good idea. Did you have to notch floor around those braces. Will be covered by side panels. Ordered my 1/2 marine ply yesterday. Standard 1/2 23.00. This stuff 78.00 or sheet. Still thinking I want to seal it after install. What’s best? And you think thin layer of glass in the way to go. Going to put down a good vinyl flooring. I’m a long way from that install. But like having material here so when I have time. I’m not waiting on material. Also what about the gulvit. Use. Don’t use. Thanks for all the advice mates.