Boat Resto Project - No clue

[heiliges]

Hey all, I picked up a boat over the weekend for $250 bucks. Decided that this would be my next project to undertake. I have a lot of work ahead of me but my initial and probably my most important problem is figuring out what kind of boat this is. The title has just 1972 for the year and no Make or Model. The boat is completely bare of any signage so I have no clue what it is. Attached is a link to the pics before I started work today on it.

Currently I have removed all the seats, carpet and side panels. I drilled some holes just to confirm what I pretty muich already knew. Though the floor is solid this boat has been left outside too long to not require a complete gut. Sure enough, water began seeping up through every hole leaving me certain of a complete rebuild. The transom is bad off too so I am in store of a bunch of fun. It was dark by the time I finished so I will post pics tomorrow.

If anyone has a clue what this boat is, let me know. Any help greatly appreciated.

 

[carbineone]

Re: Boat Resto Project - No clue

I am no expert but I used have a later 60s Starcraft years ago and to my memory it looks somewhat similiar to the one I had....I am sure others may be more helpfulfor sure...

 

[heiliges]

Re: Boat Resto Project - No clue

Well, doesn't matter what it was when it was built, it's now going down the custom road I suppose. Day one of getting down to making her innerds accessible included removing the two bags full of trash and leaves that were stored in the boat over the last 5 years before I rescued her from the oaf that decided not to cover the boat up.

I also removed the chairs, and carpet along with the Power Tilt and Trim thingy-ma-bob off the transom. This process told me that without a doubt the transom is rotten to the core as it leaked water from every hole. Drilled a few holes in the floor to find my boat also came with its own spring, not that I would drink any of the water from it. After vaccuming it for about 30 minutes I decided it simply was never going to stop and moved on. I removed the sides from the inside along with any trim that was simply not worth salvaging. Bagged it all up and it now all resides in a dump somewhere. My next project will be getting to that transom and removing the flooring.

Well, day two was really fun as I messed around trying to get the rear shroud off the boat. Having decided I needed to level things out a bit I put the boat in the driveway and the water flowed from the drain tube. Thought, who cares it wont be there for long.

Now on to the task at hand. I took my newly bought grinder to it thinking it was going to be about an inch or two thick and i could then pope it right off. No such luck as I burnt through the grinder in about 30 minutes. Next best bet was to simply cut it off with a manly tool like a sawsall. Mine is battery powered and worked great, until it ran out of power. DOH!!! Off to my father-in-laws to get his corded one for that last 6 inches. The shroud is now gone and I am too toasty to do anything else to the boat today.

Though the boat is only 16 feet long it seems much larger with the wide open space of having no seating or shroud inside of it. I am getting all sorts of great ideas of what I want to add to make it a good fishing boat and cruiser for me and the family. As I ponder the wonderful things to do to it in the future. I am dreading the rest of the demo work that has yet to be done. Next step, rip up the floor.

With the shroud...

Without the shroud...

And what can I do with all this room...

 

[tinkeringwackyone]

Re: Boat Resto Project - No clue

welcome to iboats, Looks like you have a nice project on your hands. keep in mind to do it right, take your time.

Looks like with that water coming up that the stringers are probably shot. Lots of great help here. Pictures are good and remember, there are no dumb questions

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Boat Resto Project - No clue

Welcome to iboats. Sorry I had to delete the picture coding but we try to keep all of our photos at 640 x 480.

Yup, you have a project boat but you also have a good start on it.

Now a word of caution...... be delicate when you cut and grind on the hull. I have seen MANY MANY people here get sloppy and aggressive and end up cutting right through the exterior of the hull ......... don't panic it has happened before

 

[heiliges]

Re: Boat Resto Project - No clue

Sorry, will keep the format down on future pics. I do have a question though. The shroud I removed from the stern seems a bit large and eats up about two feet in the back of the boat. Is this peice needed or can I toss it and build out a smaller one or leave it out all together.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Boat Resto Project - No clue

The controls, the power TnT, and that steering adapter I see laying on the floor in the last pic could all be worth good money on ebay........

 

[heiliges]

Re: Boat Resto Project - No clue

Well, at this point I am not sure any of it is worth a dime. Have to make sure it all still works. Then come the obvious question is any of it usable by me in the future design of this boat.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Boat Resto Project - No clue

Just letting you know not to throw out ANYTHING related to the old outboard.

 

[seamorewaterVIP]

Re: Boat Resto Project - No clue

by comparison in my memory that looks like micks arkansas traveler. you might look up his thread and compair notes. his is an early 60 model kind has the same lines but deeper hull and different wind shield.

 

[Greg Mrozinski]

Re: Boat Resto Project - No clue

That shroud as you call it is actually the splash well. If you are mounting an outboard on the back of the transom you will need to re-utilize the splash well or fabricate a new one. It purpose is to collect all the water that hits the back of the boat from a stern wake. Stern wakes are created when you suddenly decrease the throttle causing a quick slow down of the boat. The following wave that hits the back of the boat is the stern wake. It can be big so the splah well needs to be big enough to catch all of the water. With out it all that water ends up inside the boat...which could cause a sinking.

 

[heiliges]

Re: Boat Resto Project - No clue

Ok, so reuse is suggestable at the very least to be used as a guide. Now I guess I get to the real issue. I knew this boat was water logged, however I never knew just how much or if this would ultimately do anything for being able to progress. So I finally get a chance to cut a hole in the deck, get up a chunk of the foam and wallah, there was water. No suprise really but is there an amount that is too much? I attached a picture below to help out in determining that answer. There is also a question as to what the best tools are to get both the decking up and the foam out. I have a feeling my hammer screwdriver process is rudimentary and the whole shoveling out the foam thing can't be the best way. Thoughts?

 

[tinkeringwackyone]

Re: Boat Resto Project - No clue

So I finally get a chance to cut a hole in the deck, get up a chunk of the foam and wallah, there was water. No suprise really but is there an amount that is too much?

just about any water seems too much, but as long as it drains out and dries out you're o.k., but in your case, you have way too much, for some reason its did not drain out of the hull.

Unfortunately you are looking at a complete rebuild...transom,stringers and deck.
We're all here to help. first thing try and get the water out,shop vac, drill holes to drain to the back of the boat etc. Next thing let it dry a little and start the wonderful job of demolition.

 

[heiliges]

Re: Boat Resto Project - No clue

Well, strangly enough its not draining but drips. Seems the foam is just holding onto the water. Does this ruin the fiberglass hull at all?

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Boat Resto Project - No clue

It's very common that the foam that old holds water. People here have thrown away HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of pounds of waterlogged foam. The fiberglass will dry

Flat pointed shovel, crow bar and people have even used a chain saw but that's how the foam gets out. Have lot's of construction size trash bags and go for it!

For your future foam you can use two part pourable or good old home depot insulation board...... ton's of information written about it. Got a dollar store near you? Pool noodles

 

[heiliges]

Re: Boat Resto Project - No clue

So just good ole grunt work, gotcha. Speaking of foam. I know its regulation to have foam but is there a formula of how much foam you need to have. I wanted to add a fual tank below deck as well as some storage. Anything regulation wise that would keep me from being able to do that?

 

[Fisherball]

Re: Boat Resto Project - No clue

Search this forum for foam formula. There is a thread that will tell you more than you'll ever need or want to know. Only kidding, it explains a few different methods for figuring out how much you'll need & where to put it. It makes it seem simple.

 

[boatflipper]

Re: Boat Resto Project - No clue

Looks like you have a nice project there with tons of potential.
As for the splashwell that you removed, I would definitely reccomend replacing it, or at least putting something in that will catch the water from your stern wake.
Good luck with the build!

 

[heiliges]

Re: Boat Resto Project - No clue

So ends another couple of days with a little more time spent on the boat demo. This is definitely harder work than you all suggested it was, that foam is no joke.

Found out why I think the stringers and the flooring got toasted. Seems the placement of chairs caused water to get into the foam and the deck wood. Commonplace issue I would imagine. The thing not so commonplace from what I have seen in this forum is the way the stringers were glassed in. As you will see in the pictures, there was no glass as the end of the stringers leaving them wide open to any water that found its way in. Horrible work in m opinion from the stuff I have seen here.

Sooo, flooring pulled up for the most part and the center areas of foam are just about gone. I have filled 6 huge black garbage bags with just foam. The wood has filled two trash cans and I have emptied out 5 or 6 shopvacs full of just water. This foam is some amazing stuff when it comes to holding water.

From here.... more foam.... ugh.

Questions abound as the glass under the foam appears to be very incomplete. Not sure if I should grind this down area down or leave it as is. An help here would be greatly appreciated. Pictures below.

 

[boatflipper]

Re: Boat Resto Project - No clue

Glad to hear that you are making progress. I have heard horror stories about that darn foam. Glad my 'Twain didn't have any...
Looks like the factory definitely skimped on the glass work. It is no joke that we are rebuilding these boats better than when they came out of the factory...
Good luck with the build