1983 starcraft rebuild

[backintheday]

So i picked up a super cheap boat that i know needs alot of work but seems like a boat that will be great for the rivers and lake i go to. Started the tear down the first day and haven't stopped cleaning and prep work. Have questions and think alot of new boaters that come here will have ideas to play with . So here i go .


Paint: on a small boat theres alot of different paints around to choose from and the price not bad 90% of painting is prep work turns out great when time gets put in .

Floors: way are they riveted to the ribs? Why not use aluminum flat stock all the way around the boat and rivet it down to the ribs making a hard edge for your floors to sit on and use rivetnuts to screw down your floors . You could pull floors if you get a leak to run wires a whole world ideas If anyone out here trying this please do tell
I posted my work in progress and i mean work. Thanks for your time and pointers .

 

[jbcurt00]

A small handful of members have tried riv-nuts but i dont think many (any?¿?) reported satisfaction w them. For sure I remember 2 that found them a complete PITA to deal with. User/installation failure, maybe.... dig around the resto & starcraft forums, its in there somewhere, wish I had a better idea who used them...

Similarly, the very popular to try/talk about aluminum brazing rods have a very spotty track record posted here too.

post some pix of the new to you rig, cant have too many pix posted here documenting your efforts.

Good luck w your project

Oh, and the rib ends arent flat w a rivetable spot at the decks edges to mount flat stock to and have a flat surface to lay the plywood deck down.

You'll need riv-nuts along the seams between sheets. Plus dont riv-nuts leave a shoulder between the 2 surfaces you're riv-nut/screwing down which may effect drawing the surfaces together and allowing sufficient clamping force alone an edge?

Not sure the thin edge of a stringer allows sufficient grip for a large-ish riv-nut shaft vs a 3/16in rivet.


Once you put the below gunwale panel back on and attach it to the deck, no access to your riv-nut screw. Once you put the consoles, windshield, seats and bow seats back in, not much point in an easy to remove deck, if ya have to peel the whole onion to get it up anyway.

And lastly, read up on rib end and chine cracking, you'll want to examine/inspect those areas carefully

 

[backintheday]

Thanks for the good info i will check out for rib and chine cracks . I have used the rivetnuts in the past on fenders and other things i love them when you can use them i will try to stay up on the post as much as possible .

 

[Watermann]

Welcome aboard,
Oh boy that transom was mulch.
The decking fastener standard is the LF blind rivets but others have used screws instead. Not sure about riv nuts but it also depends on your preference on deck covering and method. Some of us have countersunk the rivet heads and put vinyl deck covering over them to make a completely sealed surface

 

[backintheday]

Ya its a project that the last 3 week has me looking all around on as much information about it i can get. Its going to be fun . I was thinking a paint in flooring like kwikgrip everone has a different approach what make them a fun project.

 

[SHSU]

Oh fun!!! Looks like a SS16. Fun little boat when you are all said and done.

Flooring: Never thought about doing a removable floor. So much is secured on top of it that removing it to run some wires would be a lot more effort then it would be worth in my opinion. Plus that is what the hooks under the gunnel are for.

SHSU

 

[classiccat]

Welcome @backintheday !

A removable deck would be neat. With that said, if you take your time addressing leaky rivets/seams now (as well as a proper trailer setup) while the boat is apart, it should be a long time until anything needs to be readdressed.

Another option...I added deck ports above every 4th rib; it gives me access to all of the limber holes for cleaning/drying and even monitoring. My rig had alot of hull skin corrosion so I want to stay on-top of standing water.

I was a little apprehensive at 1st about them getting in my way however i've had this rig out quite a few times this season and I don't even notice them.

 

[backintheday]

So True but i dont like the idea of rivets holding my floors down and sending screws in blindly is not my cup of tea trying to find a work around. And when the floors where done in October 2005 they had missed holes and rounded them out and used basic plywood that got beat to death from the weather.

 

[backintheday]

Welcome @backintheday !

A removable deck would be neat. With that said, if you take your time addressing leaky rivets/seams now (as well as a proper trailer setup) while the boat is apart, it should be a long time until anything needs to be readdressed.

Another option...I added deck ports above every 4th rib; it gives me access to all of the limber holes for cleaning/drying and even monitoring. My rig had alot of hull skin corrosion so I want to stay on-top of standing water.

I was a little apprehensive at 1st about them getting in my way however i've had this rig out quite a few times this season and I don't even notice them.

Know we're talking thats looks great

Welcome @backintheday !

A removable deck would be neat. With that said, if you take your time addressing leaky rivets/seams now (as well as a proper trailer setup) while the boat is apart, it should be a long time until anything needs to be readdressed.

Another option...I added deck ports above every 4th rib; it gives me access to all of the limber holes for cleaning/drying and even monitoring. My rig had alot of hull skin corrosion so I want to stay on-top of standing water.

I was a little apprehensive at 1st about them getting in my way however i've had this rig out quite a few times this season and I don't even notice them.

That looks great and a good idea with your foam gives me a great lead to go with thank you so much .

 

[backintheday]

Oh fun!!! Looks like a SS16. Fun little boat when you are all said and done.

Flooring: Never thought about doing a removable floor. So much is secured on top of it that removing it to run some wires would be a lot more effort then it would be worth in my opinion. Plus that is what the hooks under the gunnel are for.

SHSU

Yes Its 15 16 foot super sport . on tape reads 15.8 and pinkslip says 15ft either way it'll work for me and best part is it fits in my garage . Lol .

 

[SHSU]

Yes Its 15 16 foot super sport . on tape reads 15.8 and pinkslip says 15ft either way it'll work for me and best part is it fits in my garage . Lol .

LOL, I hear you on that. That was a requirement for me, had to be able to store it in our garage. Never understood paying for storage for a boat.

SHSU

 

[caprphilly1950]

Welcome @backintheday !

A removable deck would be neat. With that said, if you take your time addressing leaky rivets/seams now (as well as a proper trailer setup) while the boat is apart, it should be a long time until anything needs to be readdressed.

Another option...I added deck ports above every 4th rib; it gives me access to all of the limber holes for cleaning/drying and even monitoring. My rig had alot of hull skin corrosion so I want to stay on-top of standing water.

I was a little apprehensive at 1st about them getting in my way however i've had this rig out quite a few times this season and I don't even notice them.

Where did you pick up the covers in the deck? I'm redoing the floor in my 191 Islander and I'd like to have some of those in my deck makes perfect sense keep it dry.

 

[classiccat]

Where did you pick up the covers in the deck? I'm redoing the floor in my 191 Islander and I'd like to have some of those in my deck makes perfect sense keep it dry.

I got these on amazon but you can probably find them anywhere. (T-H Marine DPS-6-2-DP Sure-Seal Screw Out Deck Plate - Polar White, 6"). I wish they were grey but I couldn't beat the price ...so I just spray painted them.

 

[caprphilly1950]

I got these on amazon but you can probably find them anywhere. (T-H Marine DPS-6-2-DP Sure-Seal Screw Out Deck Plate - Polar White, 6"). I wish they were grey but I couldn't beat the price ...so I just spray painted them.

Thanks for getting back with me classic cat it makes sense how to put something in the deck that you can unscrew and circulate some are down through the h u l l. What I was thinking was possibly setting up the blower so that I can actually stick a hose down in there and circulate air through the area under the deck. I believe I have a problem with the original foam deteriorating and absorbing water. This boat normally weighs 1350 lb dry. We took it and waited on the trailer with a little bit of gas in it and also a 4-stroke trolling motor on the back even if that it shouldn't have gone over 2000 pounds. When we waited on the trailer with the above equipment it weighed 3400 pounds and the boat would not come up on plane. So we suspect that there's a lot of water in the foam. Any further information you can give me on best way to remove that stuff will be appreciated thanks for getting back with me

 

[classiccat]

No problem @caprphilly1950 !

Sorry man... I can't offer up much advice with removing pour-in foam other than roll-up your sleeves and start digging. Both of the boats that I've restored had sheet foam.

Is that 3400# with the trailer weight subtracted?

 

[Rasdiir]

Yes Its 15 16 foot super sport . on tape reads 15.8 and pinkslip says 15ft either way it'll work for me and best part is it fits in my garage . Lol .

I know this topic is old, but I wanted to comment here in case someone else searches and finds this thread. I think that's a SS-150, you can tell by the small splash well with the storage on the sides and the rounded edge on the gunnel with no trim strip on the inside edge