86 18' Starcraft SFM

[MD28]

Once again I have waited about a month to update you. I apologize for that! I have come a long way on the back deck and splashwell. I also have the windshield and the 4'' platforms under it installed. There are a lot of other small things I have mixed in with the bigger projects.

 

[MD28]

I worked on installing all the motor components today. I even fired her up but realized there was no water coming out the tell tale so I shut her down. So a new pump is definetly in order, which I figured would have to but I couldnt resist the urge to hear the old girl roar!

 

[ab59]

just a thought, I have found several times that after my outboard had set for a few months that no water came out of the tattle tail hole and after I replaced the impeller only to find the same problem. I discovered that insects , either wasps or spiders had crawled up inside and plugged the hole with bug crud so you might want to take a piece of bailing wire or other stiff thin wire and make sure that the hole is open on your outboard .
just sayin it might be worth a look anyway and don't really cost anything

 

[Watermann]

Looks to me like your just about ready to get her wetted down real soon, nice work :thumb:

 

[MD28]

Thanks for the tip ab59. I’ll check that. As for a wet down, I hope to get it out this summer with the family. It won’t be done to my liking, but family time is more important now than getting it just so. I’ll probably wait until this fall or winter to add the finishing touches like flip down third row seating.

 

[66Holiday924]

I hope to get it out this summer with the family. It won’t be done to my liking, but family time is more important now than getting it just so.

Absolutely! And I think these boats become a hobby, and it will never be to your liking! That's our curse. It's always going to be a work in progress!

 

[Candutch]

Man have I ever missed a lot this year. The boat looks awesome MD. Great job on the decks and hatches. I had the same problem with the hatches being too tight when wrapped in vinyl. I figured it out when I tried to test fit my first one, that is why they all got painted with the leftover bed liner from the trailer redo.
I really like how you raised the windshield. I had that in my original plan to do it with diamond plate but I ran out of patience and just wanted to get it all put together and splashed. Next resto I guess.

 

[MD28]

So I replaced the water pump and the whole assembly. It now works like a champ!
I also did the LU oil while i was at it.
I just made my own transom caps tonight because the old one dont fit my new transom very nice.

 

[Watermann]

Water pumps are a super important bit of maintenance on any boat motor and thankfully not expensive at all.

 

[MD28]

What gauge wire should I run from the battery to the console? It is about 12 ft long, and it will hook into a blue seas 12 gang terminal block. Should be running a fish finder, lights, bilge switch, livewell switch, courtesy lights,navigation lights and maybe a horn. I plan on running a future bow trolling motor from a future second battery...
Maybe Im going about this wrong too. Please inform me if you can because this is uncharted territory for me...

 

[Watermann]

Your primary wire should be 12 ga (20 amp) as well as the neg. Remember to fuse the primary wire at the battery with a 20 amp inline fuse.

A TM battery should have it's own breaker, depending on the motor for the amp size.

 

[MD28]

Thanks once again Waterman. Should there be an inline fuse direct line for the billge pump to the battery? it says 5 amp. Are breakers better than fuses for any of these applications?

 

[Watermann]

The need for breakers are usually higher in amps, 30 - 40 + and yeah the bilge float should have it's own 5 amp fuse as it's wired direct to the battery. You also have a switched 5 amp fuse in the panel for the manual bilge pump switch on the dash.

 

[MD28]

I had some decals made up and I think they turned out great

 

[No-AH]

Nicely done! Awesome job with the raised ws consoles btw!

 

[Watermann]

Looks super, I like the minimalist approach to boat decals.

 

[Candutch]

Looks great! So is there a splash in the near future?

 

[MD28]

Thanks for the kind words. I like how the windshield platform turned out too, however Id like to wrap it in vinyl, but I think that will have to wait. I believe the splash will be within a week. Saturdays weather doesn't look promising, and I would like to finish the electrical basics. Im waiting for some lights to arrive for the bow. So far I have the bilge and livewell pump wired up to the switches and float. Im using a blue seas 12 gang terminal fuse block that is really nice. Not that Im an expert, but Id recommend it to anyone. With rain rolling in all day tomorrow I should get a long way on it. One quick question I have is concerning my navigation light switch. It pulls out to two locations. Am I correct in thinking this is for dash lights and then bow and stern lights?

 

[Watermann]

Yeah first pull turns on nav and helm lights, second turns on the stern light too.

 

[66Holiday924]

One quick question I have is concerning my navigation light switch. It pulls out to two locations. Am I correct in thinking this is for dash lights and then bow and stern lights?

I think the first pull turns on item 1 the second pull turns on item 1 & 2. So, you want to have your anchor light alone on item #1 (assuming it dubs as your stern running light). That way when you're anchored it will be on by itself. On the 2nd pull item 1 (anchor/stern light stays on) and then item 2 comes on, I would say port/stbd running light. On my boat I'm wiring it so my gauge lights also come on with item 2 (port/stbd running lights). The way you're thinking about doing it, would mean you can't have just the anchor light on, which you need sometimes.


Assuming your anchor light dubs as the aft running light:
pull position 1: Just anchor/stern running light
pull position 2: Port/Stbd Running lights & Gauge lights (why have the gauges on if you're anchored), position 1 (aft running stays on in this position)