1975 Starcraft Mariner 18'

[MichaelP]

Re: 1975 Starcraft Mariner 18'

Dude you can find a holiday on CL already built. But I'll tell you what. If you really want to persue another boat I'll take that sweet stripped hull off your hands and find a good home for it. Just trying to help.
I'll bet your having fun with that glasser.
As for decisions...Choose a paint color yet?:facepalm:

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 1975 Starcraft Mariner 18'

I am thinking about the waters you fish....

Mainly "The Lady"? (Superior)

If so, a closed bow seems to me a way better route to take.

Michael is right though, you need to buy another boat. A nice Holiday maybe

Don't mind ez. He may not quite get the beauty of art, industry, and red neck all coming together

 

[djpeters]

Re: 1975 Starcraft Mariner 18'

That may very well be the first conversion from open bow to closed bow. I say, do what ya want....

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: 1975 Starcraft Mariner 18'

It looks to me like that windshield might be a bit more forward than it is on a Holiday, so I get it

You will end up with a protected bow and tons of fishing space. It's not like you use the open bow area while fishing unless you run planer boards on a mast up there.

Go for it, a truly custom fishing rig. For a Lake Superior boat keeping waves off the bow is a good plan

 

[Triton II]

Re: 1975 Starcraft Mariner 18'

Go for it, a truly custom fishing rig. For a Lake Superior boat keeping waves off the bow is a good plan

I agree with HA, a closed bow boat is dryer in the big stuff. Go for it Yooper!

TII

 

[tracker01]

Re: 1975 Starcraft Mariner 18'

Hey Yooper, If you go through the conversion from the CC to closed bow let me know. I have an identical boat that is under the knife as well (http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=494310) but i know i am keeping mine as a CC and i have just finished removing all the old material from the boat. I don't have the new material lined up as a replacement. I have been waiting on some compsite flooring and been busy with work to get more done so i have stalled a bit. Maybe we could work something out for the console you have built if you will not be needing it.

 

[yooperangler]

Re: 1975 Starcraft Mariner 18'

Thanks for the replies guys I'm gonna give this a little more thought before I decide anything still gotta get that gluvit and leak check done, finish cutting floor, epoxy , paint, finish transom, etc....

MP I get what your saying and do plan on another project after this one and keeping this one a CC would be more versatile for the smaller lakes and such. Next boat probably will be bigger anyway sooooo....... Color decision has been made gray vinyl inside blue and white out not sure what I'll do with console and seat boxes yet.

Jas " the beauty of art, industry, and red neck all coming together" sounds like your working on the perfect country song

DJ knowing it might be the first makes it more interesting and somehow less desirable at the same time

HA and Triton thanks for the replies and that is what I was thinking better and a bit dryer in the bumpy stuff , more open floor, etc.. I did fail to consider the next boat idea though... If next one is a holiday or islander or chief what would I use this one for with a closed bow? Hmmmm...

Tracker at the pace I'm going your boat will probably be done long before I decide anything Thanks for stopping in and I'll check out your thread.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 1975 Starcraft Mariner 18'

Yup, you have it. Keep this one a CC and grab yourself a biggen, Islander/Chief/Holiday. Great plan!

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1975 Starcraft Mariner 18'

Starting looking around at some of the newer CC designs. They have seating in the front and usually some foldable seating or something like that in the rear. I know this is a considerable larger boat but it's got what I'm talking about http://seahuntboats.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=69&Itemid=91 Maybe you can come up with some ideas.

 

[yooperangler]

Re: 1975 Starcraft Mariner 18'

Yup, you have it. Keep this one a CC and grab yourself a biggen, Islander/Chief/Holiday. Great plan!

Yeah I think that will be the plan for now having slept on it ( tossed and turned thinking about it ) I can probably run some pvc sub floor to the bow just in case, try it out as a CC and if I don't like it presto chango its a holiday

Ez thanks for the link I was looking at Tracker01's thread and his 74 has/had similar seating in the bow. I like the way that looks and think I can do something similar by cutting a notch out of that raised bow platform. I really need to stop thinking about it until after the floor is in I guess. Once I have the CC sitting in there I'll have a lot better Idea of what I can do.

 

[yooperangler]

Re: 1975 Starcraft Mariner 18'

Spent a couple hours wire wheeling and cleaning up inside again wanted to get it pressure washed and gluvit tomorrow but as an after thought I decided to blow out the ribs with the air compressor. I really thought it was clean until I did this

I think I'll just spend the next 10 years or so trying to get the crud out of these ribs Repeated this 3 times so far and still getting stuff out probably once more tomorrow and hopefully a good scrubbing.

I think blowing these out should have been the first thing I did :facepalm:I've pressure washed this baby probably 10 times while stripping and still wasn't even close to good enough.I'm glad I did it as I'm sure those drain holes would have plugged up again as soon as it got wet hopefully there won't be too much clean up after leak check now.

 

[MichaelP]

Re: 1975 Starcraft Mariner 18'

Yep, pressure washing those ribs really well is a good Idea up front. I suspect I still have some junk in mine so in mid flip I'll at least hit it with a garden hose.

 

[tracker01]

Re: 1975 Starcraft Mariner 18'

Spent a couple hours wire wheeling and cleaning up inside again wanted to get it pressure washed and gluvit tomorrow but as an after thought I decided to blow out the ribs with the air compressor. I really thought it was clean until I did this: Repeated this 3 times so far and still getting stuff out probably once more tomorrow and hopefully a good scrubbing.

So would you say the air compressor was a better bet to clean out the drainage area or the combination of the too. I was just planning on using a pressure washer like I have read in other threads. Though I have access to both.

Just so you know I have been watching your thread since we have the same boat and going thru pretty much the same stuff to see how you were going to put it back together. I have to say I have had thoughts run through my head about how to put this back together (even had a similar thought about a complete change in layout). I should put things on paper or have the wife do the designing since she has the computer skills to do it and then stick with the plan. But like you said once the floor is in and putting things in place I believe the layout will fall into place.

 

[yooperangler]

Re: 1975 Starcraft Mariner 18'

I think if i had blown it out with air way back when I first tore it apart a lot of the carp thats still in there would have been gone. I have pressure washed through the ribs a number of times allready but I think the water just kind of pushes a lot of the stuff up toward the top of the rib and all the wet leaves and dirt get stuck up there or something. I know the next project will get blown out first vaccumed and then pw .
As far as the floor plan and such goes I know some of the guys have laid out patterns or the floor pieces to figure out what will fit where etc... I don't really have any fancy plans but want to maximize seating and leave as much open floor as possible, long term comfort isn't a huge issue for me as I'm not going to be doing any fishing marathons or anything.

 

[yooperangler]

Re: 1975 Starcraft Mariner 18'

OK taking a little break so figured I would post up a little progress and ask a question while I'm thinking about it otherwise I'll forget. Yesterday I blew the ribs out a couple more times, shop vacced and pulled her out of the garage (by hand) to pressure wash. Back end of boat rubbed against my utility trailer didn't think anything of it until I looked later man those rub rail corners are sharp:facepalm:

Opened that trailer door up like a can opener.

After some swearing I washed the whole boat inside and out. I just used Dawn dishsoap for this as degreaser I had was questionable for aluminum

Wheeled the motor out at the same time for some much needed degreasing

Rinsed It all off and had to make a run for more degreaser for motor and some vinegar as I think boat is as clean as its gonna get.

 

[yooperangler]

Re: 1975 Starcraft Mariner 18'

While I was out I ran out to camp to see if I could get Old allis running as my brother needs it.

Took about 3 beers but got her going

Another old project I need to deal with sometime this summer

And a couple camp pics cuz I took em

 

[yooperangler]

Re: 1975 Starcraft Mariner 18'

Went back home and wiped the whole boat down with vinegar inside and out

A few more rinses and cleaned up the rest of the motor.I think both are good enough for me.

I was planning on letting her dry overnight doing gluvit this morning and zc the bare aluminum but of course it was raining so started on the motor instead.Took the thermostat cover off again and started cleaning everything up.

I had broke down and ordered all new parts for in here as I do not want to risk overheating anything.

 

[MichaelP]

Re: 1975 Starcraft Mariner 18'

Man you are so fortunate to have a great camp like that. The inlaws have one we can use and its pretty sweet but not as nice as yours. We spent the 4th there with the rest of her family. We always opt to tent on the beach.

I just had a thought about getting the ribs clean. Next time I'll put some duct tape on the middle (bottom) drain openings before blowing water through them. That will create better pressure to force the crud out the other end.

You must be going for the cleanest hull award. I could eat pizza off it.

 

[yooperangler]

Re: 1975 Starcraft Mariner 18'

New thermostat and pressure reliefs are a bit different as Johnson replaced the old styles but seem to fit fine

I had picked up new spark plugs so replaced them while I was there

Put it back together and I'm going to call this part done still need to do the impeller and fuel pump seal but now the sun is shining so not sure what will be next.

Now for a question. Repair manual calls for a Champion UL-77v spark plug according to champions site this is a flat electrode racing type plug. When I got motor it had NGK's in it forget the number but cross referenced to Champion Ql77jc4 which is what I put in these are regular electrode style plugs. Parts catalog shows a few alternates including the QL77j so think I'm OK there but repair manual doesn't have a spec for plug gap (as original plugs had none) so thats the question how much gap on these plugs?? I gapped em at .030 same as the NGK's were but doubt PO had a clue. I guess I can post this in the engines forum and pray but figured I would start here Thanks guys.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 1975 Starcraft Mariner 18'

I am looking at your photos on my phone right now so I might not have this right, but, it looks like GrandAm's have been mating with 4x4's up there in the U.P., eh!:facepalm:

Yur camp is awesome! Feel free to pm me the address