1974 Starcraft 21’ Holiday

[Crankerbait]

I am starting a project of a recent purchase on a 21’ 1974 Starcraft Holiday. A little back story, I purchased this boat a few months back. The PO told me he had gone through and replace ALL rivets about 9 years ago. He had the bottom of the boat Rhino lined (similar to flex seal or a truck bed liner). The boat has a nearly new 115 Evinrude E-TEC and 9.9 Suzuki kicker.

Now the issues,

While doing some maintenance I found the knee brace was was damage after what looked like a pretty poor previous repair, the Splashwell had been previously welded in a couple spots but was showing stress and cracking again. The transom was also replace 9 years ago and was in good but not great shape.

I started to dismantle things and some of my fears were confirmed when I discovered the Rhino lining was trapping moisture between the lining and the aluminum causing corrosion. I’m still in a deconstruction phase to determine how bad things are and how much this project will require.

My plan is to remove the rhino lining, clean, repair and paint the hull, rebuild the transom likely with a new shape and splashwell. I’ll also consider adding extra supports throughout the boat, not really sure about what is necessary.

Anyway follow along if you like. I’ll attach photos of where I’m at now.

 

[Crankerbait]

I started pulling up the floor today, everything underneath looks to be in good shape. PO used closed cell foam which seems to have very little or no wear. Stringers and ribs look to be in good shape as well and the hull is pretty clean. There was 1/2 plywood for flooring which flexed a bit. Any know of any issue using 3/4? Also, some of the rivets seems to be worked a little harder on install. Do these rivets look how they should?

 

[Crankerbait]

I am starting a project of a recent purchase on a 21’ 1974 Starcraft Holiday. A little back story, I purchased this boat a few months back. The PO told me he had gone through and replace ALL rivets about 9 years ago. He had the bottom of the boat Rhino lined (similar to flex seal or a truck bed liner). The boat has a nearly new 115 Evinrude E-TEC and 9.9 Suzuki kicker.

Now the issues,

While doing some maintenance I found the knee brace was was damage after what looked like a pretty poor previous repair, the Splashwell had been previously welded in a couple spots but was showing stress and cracking again. The transom was also replace 9 years ago and was in good but not great shape.

I started to dismantle things and some of my fears were confirmed when I discovered the Rhino lining was trapping moisture between the lining and the aluminum causing corrosion. I’m still in a deconstruction phase to determine how bad things are and how much this project will require.

My plan is to remove the rhino lining, clean, repair and paint the hull, rebuild the transom likely with a new shape and splashwell. I’ll also consider adding extra supports throughout the boat, not really sure about what is necessary.

Anyway follow along if you like. I’ll attach photos of where I’m at now.

 

[MNhunter1]

The first two pics look great! Nice motors, nice galvanized trailer. My $0.02...these hulls are readily available. Maybe not so much in the 21ft variety, or in your location, but here in MN - I'd strip all the useable parts, scrap the hull and find another base to rebuild. Worth digging into a bit more to see the extent of the corrosion and other potential damage. With the damage to the knee brace and splashwell, it was obviously ran for a bit with a compromised hull and you'll likely find rib end cracks or other hidden damage that was attempting to be addressed by the previous repairs. Not saying it can't all be repaired, but for the time and effort, I'd be tempted to find another hull. My last two builds I was into the hull and trailer for $120 and $100 respectively, that's two hulls and two trailers for $220. You'll likely have more into the materials for the needed repairs and might even be money ahead when you sell off what you won't be using/need.

Not trying to sway you from working with what you've got, but that Rhino lining was added for a reason with no plans to ever remove it, and the thought of the removal process and what might be discovered underneath would be a deal breaker for me personally. Either way, a ton of knowledgeable support on this site and we'll travel the journey with you, wherever it may lead.

 

[Moserkr]

Good looking boat, motors, and trailer! As MNhunter stated, rhino lining is the main concern. Maybe you could see how bad the corrosion looks from the inside before peeling off the outside? Hope its worth the time/effort. But with the right tools and time, anythings possible. Im sure someone here knows how to get rhino lining off if you need intel…. As far the the splashwell and brace goes, seen more than a few pics of those issues before. Clean em up, reinforce, repair, should be good to go. Looking forward to what you do with her!

 

[classiccat]

Welcome to the Starmada!

You're on the right path getting that truckbed liner off to fully assess the hull condition.

Hopefully the wooden sidepanels were still there and intact...without those side supports, the outer chine & spray rail tend to flex and crack.

We've seen enough of these to know that the white-washed, checked plywood is the original transom...and precisely why the splashwell & kneebrace cracked not once...but twice!



@jbcurt00 loves stripping truckbed liner from aluminum...i'm told that one of his favorite pastimes is hunting through the classifieds for rigs coated with that carp!

 

[jbcurt00]

@jbcurt00 loves stripping truckbed liner from aluminum...i'm told that one of his favorite pastimes is hunting through the classifieds for rigs coated with that carp!

theres a special place in hades for those who spray bedliner on the hull. @classiccat just made THE list....

 

[ShoestringMariner]

Wow that corrosion is really unfortunate. Is it on the bottom side too, or only the transom?

If the latter only, maybe you could get a fabrication shop to form up a new skin?

If everywhere, is the corrosion pitting deep and extensive, or still shallow?

 

[Crankerbait]

I live in Oregon and spent more money on the boat then I care to admit. The boat market here is pretty crazy. I just sold a jet boat which had been my first boat. I made almost 10k off it after 4 years. That being said, I can’t bring myself to just sell the boat.

Unfortunately the rhino lining covers the entire bottom of the boat. I was able to peel it off the transom fairly easily and found corrosion beneath the lining. The corrosion seem minor with a couple sports of shallow pitting. Thankfully the lining seems like it should be easy to remove. Took me all of a couple minutes to remove it from the transom.

I removed the floor and was pleasantly surprised to find not broken or loose rivets and I’ve yet to find any damage to the chines or ribs. Only problem I can see so for is the debris clogging the bottom of the ribs and leaving about an inch of standing water through the boat.

 

[classiccat]

these gaps at the rib ends are a little concerning...that happens when the hull flexes downwards. As @MNhunter1 suggested, be on the lookout for cracks @ those outermost rivets when you get the truckbed liner removed.

Don't panic if you do find them... a few of us (myself included) had to bang-in a few patches as well as add structural reinforcement to the outer chine.

 

[BOYS & TOYS]

I would inspect everything for cracks and corrosion before spending more money. Looking and cleaning is cheap. Transom skins can be replaced. I don't like the idea of a new layer over a corroded mess because water trapped inside will continue corrosion.

I had to replace my transom and fix lots of corrosion holes, some under ribs.

Boats in my area demanded top prices and I never find deals like other members of the mob.

 

[Crankerbait]

Good eye, glad I have the expertise from people on this forum. I’ll spend some time this next weekend cleaning the inside of the hull then try to flip. Any tips for flipping? I have a cherry picker and plenty of overhead lift points in my shop.

 

[Crankerbait]

Okay, I got a few things done. Did a quick wash of the inside hull and found a few cracks at the rib ends nothing more than a couple inches long but I would say about 8 rib ends were cracked. I flipped it and and got about 2/3 of the rhino lining removed I found water trapped between the lining and hull. Especially around the keel. There was corrosion throughout. Most of the pitting seemed to be shallow. Several rib ends had rivet heads broken off and corroded. There does seem to be some corrosion around the ribs that run fore and aft on the outside of the hull.

What do you guys think? Salvageable? I am fully aware I will have my work cut out for me if I choose to proceed. It’s safe to say I got played hard by the previous owner. If only I had found these forums prior to buying the boat.

 

[ShoestringMariner]

Ouch. I don’t know if I’d say you got played. The PO may not have known that what he did caused so many issues. Whomever resomodded it appeared to have tried to do an ultimate build. If you looked for a donor hull, you still have a trailer and two great motors..You could repair that hull, though I’d say you might have much less work if you go with another hull as a replacement. You could recoup some costs by parting out the rest and scrapping the bad hull.

I guess it depends on how you want to build/restore it. Maybe Fixing the cracks and re-coating it with rhino lining and You might get another 5-10 years out of depending on its use. Not what I’d do, but maybe that’s all you need to make it last? So many people get caught up in the Mike Holmes “build it right meaning only Mikes way” mentality. Some times good enough to do for X amount of time is what the doc ordered.

 

[classiccat]

if little/none of the corrosion is completely through the hull skin, fixing those cracks and reinforcing the outer-chine, spray-rail is doable. You'll need to get equipped for riveting if you aren't already.

 

[Crankerbait]

Well I have spent many hours cleaning the corrosion off the bottom of the hull and uncovered about 5 minor cracks at the rib ends and 3 the size of what’s pictured. The corrosions was shallow in the majority of the boat, there were a few small spots of deep pitting, but nothing through the hull. The gray area remaining on the hull is the old primer.

I purchased a sheet of .080 5052 aluminum and riveting materials. I’m about ready to finish knocking out the old rivets and start patching things up.

The crack picture is sunken down creating an uneven surface for a patch. What it the best way to push that crack back out to make things flat again?

 

[ShoestringMariner]

Well I have spent many hours cleaning the corrosion off the bottom of the hull and uncovered about 5 minor cracks at the rib ends and 3 the size of what’s pictured. The corrosions was shallow in the majority of the boat, there were a few small spots of deep pitting, but nothing through the hull. The gray area remaining on the hull is the old primer.

View attachment 358887View attachment 358888 I purchased a sheet of .080 5052 aluminum and riveting materials. I’m about ready to finish knocking out the old rivets and start patching things up.

The crack picture is sunken down creating an uneven surface for a patch. What it the best way to push that crack back out to make things flat again?

Ok so that’s doable. I’d try hammer and dolly work with a helper. Hold a flat bock of steel against it on the outside and hammer the crack on the inside. Work it slowly, back and forth. You may have to remove the rib.
If you aren’t comfortable removing the rib, make a patch large enough to cover the crack and distorted area. Make sure you drill a small hole at each end of the crack or it will continue growing.

 

[classiccat]

+1 on drilling crackstop holes 1st before trying to do anything.

that metal moves very easily (so much so that it's easy to over compensate) Having a helper hold a piece of wood on the outside and gently hit the inside with a deadblow and a piece of wood under the rib end.

you can also work the patch itself to conform to the outer-chine. coat one side of the patch with soap and heat the other side of the patch with a propane torch until the soap burns...then stop. i shaped my patches using a deadblow. In some cases, I temporarily attached the patches to the hull (clecos, drill/tap 6/32 or 8/32 machine screws, sheet metal screws, etc.) for deadblow forming. you'll eventually drill all of the holes up to 3/16 for solid rivets.

 

[Crankerbait]

Looking for some advise on the transom. I want to replace and reshape the transom skin, but the skin is riveted to the rest of the hull on the bottom and sides. Which means I would have to bend the edges of the new skin and I’m not sure I have the skill to do that appropriately. What do you guys recommend? If I rivet the new transom skin to the perimeter of the old skin on the transom side of the boat, would that work? Or am I asking for future cracking at that seem?

 

[MNhunter1]

Looking for some advise on the transom. I want to replace and reshape the transom skin, but the skin is riveted to the rest of the hull on the bottom and sides. Which means I would have to bend the edges of the new skin and I’m not sure I have the skill to do that appropriately. What do you guys recommend? If I rivet the new transom skin to the perimeter of the old skin on the transom side of the boat, would that work? Or am I asking for future cracking at that seem?

Looks like you have good enough metal around the edges to rivet a new skin around the perimeter. Keep it on the flat and hammer some solids around the perimeter, 5200 or epoxy buttered in between.