Starcraft aluminum boats with no rivets

[Huron Angler]

http://www.starcraftstarweld.com/

No, they are not discontinuing the riveted hulls, just branching out to compete with Crestliner is my take on this.

I like the ones with rivets

 

[Casey G]

Re: Starcraft aluminum boats with no rivets

My take on this is, they still rivet airplanes for a reason!!! lol I went through this back in 2000 with a boat that had a lifetime warranty on it, it was 100% welded. My 3rd trip out in Lake Erie and I had 13 broken welds. By my 3rd hull I figured out that welded boats were not my thing. It wasnt a Crestliner though. I believe some companies have this down pat, but the company I bought my boat from didnt and still doesnt. I love the way a riveted hull flexes, and they need to flex or you will have the same problems I had.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Starcraft aluminum boats with no rivets

I saw one at a boat show. Gotta admit, the fit and finish was less than impressive.

 

[Casey G]

Re: Starcraft aluminum boats with no rivets

Let me correct my last post, the welds didnt break, they broke right next to the welds.

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: Starcraft aluminum boats with no rivets

Casey I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that the hull was a Tracker Bass Pro rig?

They are known for cracking after normal use.

 

[barato]

Re: Starcraft aluminum boats with no rivets

whereas there's a reason that the better welded boats (Klamath and Gregor come to mind) are very popular in brutal-duty environments like Baja and AK. nothing inherently wrong with welded boats, they just cost a lot more to build than riveted ones and thus tend to be pricier. also not near as much selection in used ones. good luck finding or affording one in the 18'+ range

 

[North Beach]

Re: Starcraft aluminum boats with no rivets

But in the early 60's Starcraft offered the smaller boats with welded seams and the brochure states that this was a cost cutting measure I assume in order to compete in the small boat market.

 

[Pugetsound]

Re: Starcraft aluminum boats with no rivets

Have any of you seen the new China version in John boats and small row type boats. All welded seams and look horrible as far as the welds go. Very skimpy and looks like a zipper. Also very cheap. I guess you get what you pay for.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: Starcraft aluminum boats with no rivets

Have any of you seen the new China version in John boats and small row type boats. All welded seams and look horrible as far as the welds go. Very skimpy and looks like a zipper. Also very cheap. I guess you get what you pay for.

The Chinese Gov makes them MAKE them poorly so nobody has a chance to leave via any waterway..

They did the same to the factories slapping together outboards..lol

 

[barato]

Re: Starcraft aluminum boats with no rivets

OK, maybe i'm wrong about the price issue. given how slow TIG welding is, i just assumed they cost more to make that way. maybe the cheap mfgrs are using a MIG system to weld em....that would explain the low cost and the cracking adjacent to welds, as MIGs put a lot more heat into surrounding metal than TIG

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Starcraft aluminum boats with no rivets

Seems like a great concept so long as the welds keep, I'd be afraid of cracking too. That lifetime warranty would help me sleep well though (so long as there aren't and crazy conditions).

 

[GLG fishing]

Re: Starcraft aluminum boats with no rivets

If any of you guys were with me the other day pounding through six foot swells you might want a heavy duty welded boat. I?ll admit I was going a little fast but my buddy boat was right behind for safety. I do think I loosened up a couple of rivets as I am getting water out when I pull my plug at the ramp. No worries as I just need to find the leaker and replace the rivet. Bin there done that. If and when the other projects around the house get finished and paid for I will be looking for a Hewescraft or a North River. They are large dough so I?m saving my money and still fishing with my Starcraft. Might even look for a 16 foot holiday with OB to tie me over till the lottery number comes in.

I personal could not see myself with a Starweld as the layout is made for fresh water fishing and nice days. Not something we get around here in the other three seasons. Now if they made a boat for the Pacific Northwest, well that would be worth a look.
GLG

 

[sturdavj]

Re: Starcraft aluminum boats with no rivets

Well a word from the land of some the best aluminum boats manufactured

Welded or rivets that age old dialog once again surfaces, well fall is setting in in a lot areas of the country ?.. so here goes my 2 cents worth

They might use rivets on airplane fuselages, but it wouldn't surprise me to find out the metal stretches and contracts quite a bit, I'll leave that answer up to a metallurgist. But I am willing to bet that when the plane comes in for a landing it sure as heck flexes. Please don't tell me your 14' to 28' boat flexes as much as a 200' plane touching down at ~ 200mph.

As for boat hulls I believe the boat builders stop using rivets on commercial and Navy boats oh say about 1912, or shortly after the sinking of the USS Titanic??

I suggest a search of this forum for repairing leaky/broken rivets, and then search for cracked /broken welds and let us know which you find the most of??..

Barato it's not fair using Klamath / Gregor boats in your comparison, the quality manufacturing processes that go into these boats make them far superior to most rivet boats. So if they choose to build rivet boats with the same skill they would also be near the top if not at the top itself in that category as well.

 

[Pugetsound]

Re: Starcraft aluminum boats with no rivets

GLG Tom and Jerrys between Mt Vernon and Anacortes ( under the big Bridge, next to the water) They have a large Inventory of North River and Hewscrafts. Thought North River went under but seem to still be delivering boats to selected Dealers. Also Master Marine in Mt Vernon have a large inventory of weldcrafts and Osprey big boats. Also a big Suzuki and Yamaha Engine dealers they change boats fron Canada as well as Law inforcment agencys. If you want any info PM me and I will get it for you anytime ED

 

[GLG fishing]

Re: Starcraft aluminum boats with no rivets

Don?t get me wrong I do like my SC for fishing. I can jump from my seat and be on the downrigger rod when a fish strikes in a heartbeat. It?s way better than some guy?s boats I fish from. Up here the weather changes and sea changes and my comfort level just isn?t what it use to be. Might be age starting to catch up with me. Too much oil patch work in my youth and to many skiing injures coming back to haunt me. Here is a picture of a boat I like that would be great for the fishing I do. Note to self: go pick up a loto ticket. Thanks Ed will take you up on your offer if my numbers come in.

 

[Pugetsound]

Re: Starcraft aluminum boats with no rivets

Don?t get me wrong I do like my SC for fishing. I can jump from my seat and be on the downrigger rod when a fish strikes in a heartbeat. It?s way better than some guy?s boats I fish from. Up here the weather changes and sea changes and my comfort level just isn?t what it use to be. Might be age starting to catch up with me. Too much oil patch work in my youth and to many skiing injures coming back to haunt me. Here is a picture of a boat I like that would be great for the fishing I do. Note to self: go pick up a loto ticket. Thanks Ed will take you up on your offer if my numbers come in.

Those are made in Colville Wa just a short jump from the Border. Good photo of the mentioned marina. They have the same boat on display at Whole Sports in Burlington Its a Canadian owned store.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Starcraft aluminum boats with no rivets

I suggest a search of this forum for repairing leaky/broken rivets, and then search for cracked /broken welds and let us know which you find the most of??..

Yah, you'd probably get 1,000 to 1 on that. Of course, for every 1 welded boat you probably have 1,000 riveted ones so that data set really wouldn't be able to paint the true picture.

Besides that, if you have a leaky rivet you may have a little water in your bilge that your pump will need to handle. If you have a cracked weld the integrity of your boat hull has been compromised and if it's bad enough your bilge pump might not be able to keep up with an issue like that

That Hewes up there is one sweet ride!

 

[Casey G]

Re: Starcraft aluminum boats with no rivets

Casey I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that the hull was a Tracker Bass Pro rig?

They are known for cracking after normal use.

You got it right, but I didnt want to bash any manufactures

 

[Bwana Don]

Re: Starcraft aluminum boats with no rivets

I've poured it (5 different foundries), machined it, welded it and studied it in college mettallurgy classes. I'll take a riveted tin can any day. It's not a question if the weld will fail, but when.

Aluminum welds only have so many flexes until the fail. Some manufacturers are better than others true. I've read horror stories about some boats though. What good is a lifetime warranty if your boat is in the shop 1 month out of every fishing season?

I don't remember any aluminum welds when I was in the Airforce. Rivets and Gluvit will do me just fine.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Starcraft aluminum boats with no rivets

You got it right, but I didnt want to bash any manufactures

Ah what's a little tracker-bashing amongst friends In my opinion, if they sell it at BassPro (boats), you probably don't want it.