1979 Starcraft 16’ SS Refresh

[Moserkr]

Thanks guys! Will definitely look at the trim tab. Didnt even think of that! She would go right into a circle if i went over, and keep circling unless I wore that kill switch lanyard. Usually never wear that but did yesterday.

Two questions for you guys. Heres how the trim tab is set now, perfectly straight. Should I counter the right pull and set it to the left?


Other question is about my fuel tank. It is vented to the outside of the boat but sits under the floor. I know with I/O’s they need venting and a blower for dangerous gas fumes to prevent a fire/explosion. Do I need that too with my situation?

 

[BWR1953]

Thanks guys! Will definitely look at the trim tab. Didnt even think of that! She would go right into a circle if i went over, and keep circling unless I wore that kill switch lanyard. Usually never wear that but did yesterday.

Two questions for you guys. Heres how the trim tab is set now, perfectly straight. Should I counter the right pull and set it to the left?
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Other question is about my fuel tank. It is vented to the outside of the boat but sits under the floor. I know with I/O’s they need venting and a blower for dangerous gas fumes to prevent a fire/explosion. Do I need that too with my situation?

Trim the tab to the right a bit. It's a trial and error thing. I don't believe a blower is needed with an outboard.

 

[Moserkr]

From a 4500rpm push yesterday going around 25mph. Have video but not sure how to upload it.

 

[Moserkr]

Took the family out on the lake today, my second mate’s first time on the water. She had a great time!

Over the last week Ive been doing some work. Front bow hand rails, new front nav light (old one failed), cleaned up wiring, and finally finished the bow seating as Id always wanted it. Yesterday I washed and detailed the boat, she sparkled like a new boat sitting on the showroom floor. Definitely felt some pride of ownership.

Boat performed flawlessly on the water with the 75, turning, handling, accelerating. The bow/stern balance is better now than with my old motor and fuel tank setup. With more people and gear I was still at 5300rpm at WOT. Hole shot was impressive too as we tried that for the first time. Still have 6 more hours of break in so it will only get better as we are able to mess with trim n such. The steering issue, hard right pull, was fixed. Guessed and set the trim tab 2 clicks to the right and she tracked perfectly!

The to do list is getting shorter, and so is my pile of boat tokens lol. What I can do right now are welding projects. Winch post is touchy due to its height and design, welding will solve that. Trailer wheel fenders are ready to go on. And if possible, adjust my two middle bunks which were welded in place for a deeper V hull, just barely towards the bow. Cut n weld the tabs to set perfectly. Thats the welding list. The other thing I can modify in the meantime is the bimini - I want it shorter so going to cut it down and reposition it.

Boat token list:
Build rear bench seats - have foam and vinyl, just need wood and a solid plan. Still not 100% decided on the build.
New stereo system - my receiver died (brand name Pyle as in pile of…)
Fix the windshield - another story, not a recent thing (PO damage)
Thats it besides expensive fishing gear, and maybe a new bimimi.

Its going to be an amazing summer! Cant wait to share it with family, friends, and the Starmada!! I could use a starmada sticker if thats still a thing…

 

[Rasdiir]

Looks great! I really like the full height pads on the console faces, combined with the sweet helm seat it really looks luxurious!

 

[BWR1953]

Looks fantastic! Much better than new. Great job!

 

[Moserkr]

Thanks guys! Admiral definitely wanted to be comfortable. Since I have a front casting deck the bow seats just sit on the hydroturf floor. One thing I didnt like about starcrafts original setup with the aisle was the skinny bow seats and smaller backrest. So I made mine console width, left a straight aisle down the center, and they are made of 3” high density, firm foam. Bow seats are a lot more comfy than the helm seats that I inherited from the PO. Those actually need to be redone one day, higher backs would be nice, more cushion, but they look good for their age after a lot of scrubbing. Another big, big boat token project - have the seats professionally upholstered. I just stapled and folded the edges since I cant sew. For now, super happy, no complaints!

Found some pics from the bow seating build. 3 coats of spar to seal the wood, air holes for the foam to breath a little. Air compressor in the living room for the staple gun while the Admiral was away haha.

 

[Moserkr]

Had the boat out on one of the largest reservoirs in the state last weekend, one that was warmer and lower in elevation. Our local lakes are full but the airs still a little cold for family time on high mountain lakes. In the meantime Ive been doing some work.

My front hitch post was meant for a shorter boat and I could not get it stable where I wanted it. So out came the welder for my first time ever and you dont have to tell me they are ugly - I know lol. But the welds are strong and holding. Will redo them in the future when I have more skill and time. A buddy and I have enlisted help to weld the fenders on my boat trailer, and his utility trailer.


I also installed the new stereo system with 4 speakers and a receiver. Much better sound but the Admiral wants more bass…. Looks like a subwoofer is in my future.

Last major project Ive been putting off forever is the rear bench seat. I took apart and cleaned up 2 old broken aluminum ladders to make the frame and supports. I went that route mainly for weight reasons, and because I had the material sitting there. Plus its a bit more challenging. The 2 support posts will be braced horizontally at 13” tall, and have a 10* recline angle. The bench seat dimensions are 60x18” for the bottom, and 60x16-18” for the back, havent fully decided yet. I will solid rivet them to the splashwell, and LF blind them to the floor with an L bracket. Painted flat black to blend into the darkness of the splashwell. The seat back will be fixed in place, maybe put on a hinge in the future. The seat bottom will be fully removable, have foldable front support legs, so when we go fishing it doesnt get in the way. Im almost done with the bottom frame, then I just need to cut and seal the wood base for the seat cushion. Im farther along than my pics show.

 

[Moserkr]

1/4” rivets holding the main structure are done. The little corner braces with 3/16” rivets just need to be hammered in. It weighs virtually nothing but is very strong. A few more things will be riveted on - a french cleat in the back of frame, and 2 fold down legs for the front corners. Hoping that gives it enough support for 600 lbs, along with the strength of 1/2” plywood which will be bolted to the frame. The seat cushion and vinyl will be stapled to the plywood. Not sure how much more work it will take to complete, but Id like to take the fam out for a spin in 2 weeks when its warmer out. May take it fishing with my first mate the next weekend when the weather is cooler.

 

[Moserkr]

Bench seat got sidetracked by a honey-do project list. But now that its mostly done, I can get back to my short boat project list. Since my welding skills are sub par, Ive reached out to friends/family to help weld fenders on the trailer. But that didnt stop us from going out and having fun today…

Weather was a little windy, partially cloudy from thunderheads, but otherwise sunny and warmer than expected. Goal was take the kids fishing so a buddy and I geared up and set out for trout, kokanee, and lake trout at my favorite local lake. Fortunately for the fish, all we caught were a few birds nests and lots of smiles.

 

[Moserkr]

Forgot to mention I recently added the rocket launchers to the bimini. Those were a nice addition until I can afford the $$$ fishing gear I really want ha.

The other thing we tested was a new prop. Currently running a 3 blade black max 15p and it gave us 32 mph at 5200 rpm WOT, 5000’ elevation. Previous runs at 4000’ and sea level gave me 54-5500 rpms WOT and 35 mph.

New prop was a 4 blade 17p quicksilver nemesis. Was really surprised that it only gave a weak 4100 rpms when the merc prop selector estimated 5000 rpms. Didnt even check speed. Motor didnt seem to mind it but I was way out of my WOT range of 4500-5500 so I took it off. Guess I will be looking for the 4 blade 15p nemesis next, and sell the 17p. If the 15p nemesis is good, Ill look at the equivalent in SS one day. I also would have tested my 3 blade 15p Turning Point Hustler but it has a little bend in a blade.

 

[ShoestringMariner]

Highs and lows…

First, the lows. Yesterday, while wiring my battery shutoff switch, I misinterpreted the little picture on the front of switch as “instructions”. A picture of a battery with a + and - . For some reason I thought it disconnected both the positive AND negative connections. Had I taken the switch apart, as I did afterwards, it would have been obvious it just disconnects the positive wire. Needless to say, wiring positive and negative wires together creates a heating coil, and then fire. I was just lucky to catch it before it hit my fuel lines, which have melted plastic on them now, but are still intact thank God. New fire extinguisher came in handy at least. Went from completely sober to now needing a beer.
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The plan was to go boating to break in the motor the next day. I had to rip out the wires I ruined, and rewire it straight to the battery. I also properly wired my bilge pump, rewired my stern nav light, and wired in a cigarette port for usb chargers. Added a battery charging cable back on that had to be rewired from being partially melted. Before all that, I ran my new gas line under the floors again which went surprisingly well. Cost me some beer tokens, pride, and extra time, but I was back on track.

Wow, that’s really scary! What a setback but looks like you’ve overcome that and got it fixed & back on the water. And with a new motor at that!

 

[ShoestringMariner]

1/4” rivets holding the main structure are done. The little corner braces with 3/16” rivets just need to be hammered in. It weighs virtually nothing but is very strong. A few more things will be riveted on - a french cleat in the back of frame, and 2 fold down legs for the front corners. Hoping that gives it enough support for 600 lbs, along with the strength of 1/2” plywood which will be bolted to the frame. The seat cushion and vinyl will be stapled to the plywood. Not sure how much more work it will take to complete, but Id like to take the fam out for a spin in 2 weeks when its warmer out. May take it fishing with my first mate the next weekend when the weather is cooler.


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Clever use of available materials. Can’t wait to see finished

 

[Moserkr]

Wow, that’s really scary! What a setback but looks like you’ve overcome that and got it fixed & back on the water. And with a new motor at that!

Yes, not my proudest moment. Could have easily wrecked the new motor’s electronics or melted the gas line and **boom**. Saw your post about wiring advice in your thread and as confident as I am wiring, over-confidence almost cost me the boat. After that incident I cant comment on wiring help lol.

Clever use of available materials. Can’t wait to see finished

Haha thanks. Me too, would have been a lot faster with AL angle from the store. Two support brackets for the legs have been added to the bench seat frame. Decided to make the french cleat support run the length of the seat, not just a 24” section. The risky part will be if that french cleat can hold weight. If not, will make up a plan b.

 

[Moserkr]

Been a while since Ive put any work into the boat, but we have been on the lake every chance we get! Took my buddy, the PO, his Admiral, and our kids out for a spin on Thursday. Both were really impressed by the work I put into it as well as the power of the new motor. We put the boat to work and trolled for hours, hung out on the shore, and pulled a tube for a bit. Everything was flawless.

Tomorrow we have friends camping at the same lake I was at Thursday, and my Admiral invited her friend along too. That pushed to finish an item thats been on the list for far too long. So today I buckled down finally, and attempted to finish the rear bench seat. Been talking about it for 3 years lol. Happy to say that its 90% complete!! Soon as my kids asleep, I will go back to the garage and finish the last bit tonight, and maybe early tomorrow before the lake. The frame supports are done, and the bottom seat is done. All I have left is the back rest, and then put it all together!

The french cleat seems strong enough to support quite a bit of weight. We will find out how much…. The bottom of the bench seat is fully removable for fishing though so Im stoked it worked out! The backrest will be a permanent leaning pad for when you are reeling something in. All of the metal was scavenged from 2 repurposed ladders lol. The seat has 10* of recline built into it so it should keep you kicked back and relaxed! Cant wait to share some pics tomorrow of it complete! Heres what I got for now.




I have plans for some finishing touches but Ill save that for the winter project list. Time to enjoy the water while its nice out!

 

[Moserkr]

Had a blast out on the lake with fam n friends. Bench seat was a huge hit with the Admiral and friends. Definitely completes the boat and adds much needed seating/storage. Will add more pics after I get the boat cleaned up in a bit.

TnT on the motor definitely works when I have weight up front or start porpoising. Everything stays under control nicely and she rides so so smooth. Theres a little to be desired with hole shot and top end - not much, but a little. Will be chasing down a new prop in the future and once its dialed in with an AL prop, I will get a nice SS. Far in the future a jack plate will be in order as well. Really want to see what I can squeeze out of her.

 

[Moserkr]

2 things did happen though worth mentioning. We were doing tight turns yesterday and when I throttled down to come out of one, the chine caught and it tossed me from my seat. Very surprised and lucky I only took a knee - humbled me quick.

Other was going up against some decent wakes. Normally not a huge issue. But my 200+lb friend (PO) and our two kids, another 60lbs, were all in the very front of the bow. Luckily we were following the big wake and after the first one hit us, even at a mid speed, I slowed way down. We got a big splash from the first wake and Im glad we didnt hit the second cause we would have been testing the floatation of the foam I put in the boat, as well as the bilge pump.

 

[SHSU]

Nothing like repurposed material. Cheap and effective!!!

As for the experience on the water, all part of learning (I have had my fair share...). You will just be more careful next time you are out and about. Makes you a better Captain.

SHSU

 

[Moserkr]

Yessir! Pretty happy with how the bench seat turned out. Now I just have to get the clay stains out of the white vinyl…

Will definitely be more careful with the sharp turns, especially once it gets a 4-blade prop, unless that increases my holding power on turns.

 

[Watermann]

Bench seat work looks top notch, impressed by your use of rivets solid and LF blinds.

Wake boat's are a danger to these boats when up on a plane and you suddenly find yourself launched over a 4' high wave and coming down on the next one spearing it with the bow. Can't imagine spending over 100k on a boat to half sink it and drive around at 5 MPH terrorizing everyone else on the water with a 5' high wake.

Keep that kill lanyard attached!