Coast Guard Capacity Plate

[Tman18SS]

I have a 1979 starcraft 18ss with a 115hp mercury motor. The USCG capacity plate is not readable due to sun fading. I was wondering if someone with the same boat could post up a picture of theirs so I would have the pertinent information?

 

[roscoe]

Re: Coast Guard Capacity Plate

This is from my 1973 18 ss. Numbers should be the same.

 

[Krichbourg]

Re: Coast Guard Capacity Plate

Mine's a 1977 18 ss.

 

[Tman18SS]

Re: Coast Guard Capacity Plate

Thanks Roscoe for getting a picture posted up of yours so quickly. Wow your plate looks to be in great shape for the age of your boat.

Thanks Krichbourg for posting a picture of yours as well. I think I can almost make out the 150 in the hp rating on mine so they must have had slightly different ratings depending on the year.

I contacted a Starcraft dealer to see if I could get a plate and was told that unless I took the boat to Starcraft to verify the model that I couldnt get a duplicate plate. You would think that I could supply the vin no. and that would suffice. I also contacted the NYSDEC and the county sherriff and was told that I "shouldnt" have a problem unless I was "grossly" overloaded. I hate to leave it to their discretion though. Additionally I contacted the local USCG station and was told that I didn't need a capacity plate for an 18' boat which also didn't make any sense. I contacted all the above agencies because they are the ones patrolling the area waterways. I suppose I should have also contacted the Canadian counterparts as I also boat on border waters here in Western New York. I'm sure I would have gotten more interesting responses. Thanks again for posting up the pictures. I think I will print those off and keep them in the boat as well. Happy Boating Guys.

 

[Outsider]

Re: Coast Guard Capacity Plate

Did you try BIA (or their successor) ...

 

[Tman18SS]

Re: Coast Guard Capacity Plate

Outsider I hadn't thought of trying BIA or NMMA. I'll check into it. Thanks for the idea.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Coast Guard Capacity Plate

Yeah they did have different max HP ratings throughout the years for some reason. I've seen 120-150. Mine '76 is 150 as yours most likely is. Largest I'd hang on it would be a 140 4 cylinder as I don't want the extra weight or complexity of a 6 cylinder for only 10 more horses.

 

[North Beach]

Re: Coast Guard Capacity Plate

Or you could just have someone make one for you...

 

[Tman18SS]

Re: Coast Guard Capacity Plate

Ezmobee thanks for stopping by this is kinda your fault anyway, but in a good way. Let me explain. About a year ago I happened on your thread and was so inspired that I just had to find an 18ss for myself. So June of 2012 I drove out to Illinois to pick up my craigslist find. I tore the boat apart and it sat until about Christmas time and Ive been working hard on it ever since. I didn't post up a rebuild thread as I didn't really have any questions or anything new to add as you and others (dozer II, jasoutside, northbeach, etc) have done such good documentation. I will post up a couple pictures of my project here.

Northbeach, I read your Liquid Limo rebuild and you did a fantastic job. Thanks for stopping by. I kinda thought the USCG plate was sort of official so how can I just have anybody make one? By the way here is a pic of the original plate.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Coast Guard Capacity Plate

The only thing official about the capacity plate, is the information on it.

It was originally made by the hull manufacturer.
They are the keeper of the records and specs.
They can give or sell you a replacement.
They are not required to give or sell you a replacement.
You can make one, or have one made.

You are not forging anything, you are replacing with something that is actually legible, you won't get in trouble.

 

[1973Chieftain]

Re: Coast Guard Capacity Plate

North Beach made one for my Jet.. turned out very nice!

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Coast Guard Capacity Plate

Ezmobee thanks for stopping by this is kinda your fault anyway, but in a good way. Let me explain. About a year ago I happened on your thread and was so inspired that I just had to find an 18ss for myself. So June of 2012 I drove out to Illinois to pick up my craigslist find. I tore the boat apart and it sat until about Christmas time and Ive been working hard on it ever since. I didn't post up a rebuild thread as I didn't really have any questions or anything new to add as you and others (dozer II, jasoutside, northbeach, etc) have done such good documentation.

Thanks! That means a lot, and your boat came out awesome! I'd love a shot of your dashes and bow area.

 

[dozerII]

Re: Coast Guard Capacity Plate

Awsome job on the SS tman, I like your color choice. We need to see some pics of the interior. North Beach also made a nice new Rating plate for my 72 SS.

 

[North Beach]

Re: Coast Guard Capacity Plate

Bud you did a nice job on your SS here. I can get the capacity plates made but they are the old style, not the new style.

 

[Tman18SS]

Re: Coast Guard Capacity Plate

Roscoe thanks for stopping back. I would have thought it was the USCG plate that made the information official.

1973 Chieftain thanks for the info.

Dozer II thanks for the kind words. I'm sure my work wouldn't hold a candle to yours. As per yours and Ez's request here are a few pics of the interior.

An overall interior shot as tested on valentines day this year.

Here is a picture of the bow area. The benches and hull are covered in a 20 oz marine carpet. The floor has 4 coats of spar varnish with sand in the last coat and one coat of rustoleum over top. This will give us good grip for our winter fishing on the mighty niagara river and bar. For summer fishing I am in the process of making the deck piece that fits in between the benches. This piece will be carpeted and will have a seat base installed for one of my moveable seats. I will be making a snap in carpet from the same carpet that covers the benches for the rest of the floor for summer tubing and such.

Here the bow hatches are propped open

For the dashes I used some reclaimed oak. Probably not the best choice but one of my favorites. I'm not sure that it shows real well but I took the shape of the factory dash and added an inch of material to the heigth and added an inch high piece of oak between the windshield and the windshield support in order to make it so small items like cameras and vhf radios would stay in place on the console. As you can see on the drivers dash I haven't added any gauges yet as we are already over budget but hope to in the future.

North Beach thanks for stopping back and the kind words. Your name keeps coming up. I'm not sure what the difference is between the old and new plate or what mine would have originally been.

 

[North Beach]

Re: Coast Guard Capacity Plate

Yours would have been the newer type plate. And all the info for the data plate is usually listed in the brochure.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Coast Guard Capacity Plate

Love the bow. Same plan of attack that I had but better executed. Mine cracked in a couple places due to not doubling up in some weak areas so I've gotta redo it. I think I'm going to do mine like dozer's this time.

 

[Krichbourg]

Re: Coast Guard Capacity Plate

Definitely a thread-worthy project. A really nice job. You know, we all still like to see them even if you don't think you have added to the knowledge base. From the pics you have posted, I'd say you have. You never know who you may inspire. The only thing your thread will be missing is the suspense. Thanks for sharing.

 

[dozerII]

Re: Coast Guard Capacity Plate

Great job T. Looking at the shot from the rear showing the splashwell, it appears you had a structual repair to do just like my 18. What gauges are you planning on running? If I dig through my boxes of parts I might have a merc tach and speedo and possibly a trim gauge if you want them, they came out of my 16SS it had an 85 Merc that was dead.

 

[Tman18SS]

Re: Coast Guard Capacity Plate

North Beach, the best I can tell my plate is the same format as Roscoes 73 in post #2 and Krichbourgs 77 in post #3. What year did they change to the "new" format? Also Ilooked at the brochures that Huron Angler organized and didn't see any data listed in the 79 brochure.

Ezmobee, my bow structure is made out of 3/4 plywood with some 1/2 stiffners glued and screwed. Hopefully that will hold up.

Krichbourg, thanks for the kind words. Maybe if I get some time I'll try to put a restoration thread together to show my process. Like I said nothing original there, mostly "stolen" ideas.

Dozer, I knew your attention to detail would catch my transom repair. Obviously I went a different route than you did. I took some 2" x 1/8" aluminum flat stock to reinforce and tie across the face of that area kinda like the factory original with the four little rivets on that corner but much longer and beefier hence all the rivets you see from the back side. Seems rock solid now. Thanks for the offer on the gauges but I was only looking at a tach and a temp gauge if they make one for an outboard just so I can keep a constant eye on what the engine is doing.

I spent the day in the boat on the river but no fish to report. Decent conditions. Water temp 31 F, air 36 F but no fish. Heard they were doing good in devils hole, will try that tomorrow.