Starcraft Conversion

[MIFisher]

Just got a Jet 15 in a Craigslist trade. He had started to convert it to a duck but but abandoned it and I’m going convert it to a fishing boat on a budget. Don’t know much about it. Planning on putting. A deck with a pedestal seat in the front and back and two seats mounted on a storage box in the middle. Hoping to pair it with anywhere from a 9.9hp to a 25hp.

 

[emoney]

Welcome to the forum, we're glad you're here. Tons of help around these parts should you need it. I'd read all of the stickies because there's loads of information there. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[MIFisher]

pardon the ignorance, but what's a "Stickie"

Last night I reached out to a friend who does construction on some tips on making the stringers and spacing for them and support of the floor (Sole). He is was like "just come over and ill help with it man!" making him some fishing lures for trade for the labor help. I'm hoping to have the floor at least in before Muskie opens in Michigan the last Saturday in April. the seats and boxes will probably come later. Currently will have to power it with my 5.5 Evinrude until I can sell that boat to get the funds for the bigger motor.

 

[chevymaher]

Stickies are the locked threads that basically got most of the information you will ever need. At the top last thread before the post on what we all doing.

https://forums.iboats.com/forum/boa...r/295740-how-to-s-and-other-great-information

 

[MIFisher]

Got an old Chrysler 12.9 for the Starcraft today. Hard to find open water in Michigan right now, but found some and got her up to 13mph with 400-500lbs of people in it. I imagine the the deck and seats will add about another 100 pounds and maybe nock it down 1mph but will still scoot to fishing spots!

 

[chevymaher]

Sounds like good times and fishing are coming for you.

 

[MIFisher]

Yeah, couple months of a winter project and hopefully ready for Muskie opener! I snapped a little plastic piece in the tiller handle so have to replace that. I guess 40 year old plastic and 32° temps don’t work great for shakedown sessions. Better now than 1 mile out on Lake Erie I guess!

 

[MIFisher]

Won an auction tonight for some aluminum square tube, going to use that pas my support for the floor of my boat.

 

[Scott Danforth]

remember, the boat had a maximum weight it could carry on the capacity tag, granted, that was with the two seat boxes in it.

as you add decks and stuff, you have to subtract from how much stuff you can put in the boat.

also, since the boat is really narrow, I doubt you could stand on a front deck to fish.

 

[MIFisher]

The capacity tag was missing but I know it was a Jet. Those had 1,100 pounds on the tag with all the other stuff added to it. I am almost positive my build won't be more heavy than the original was. Also It was rated for upto a 50, that little Chrysler I am putting on it weighs hardly more than the gas tank so that should help me out. (Although my 230 LB doesn't help lol)

I think you're right on the front seat though. That "v" is so sharp in the front I think the front seat wont be able to go all the way up like bass boat, I'm thinking right around where the steering controls used to be.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Starcraft Jet 15 had a covered bow, single row of seats and steering controls, along with wide gunwales

the boat you have pictured in post #1 is a utility boat with narrow gunwales, oar locks, and two cross seats (currently missing along with the bow plate)

you are starting with a utility boat, not a Jet 15. the Jet 15 was rated at 50hp because it had steering wheel (remote controls). as a tiller steer boat, its rated at 18hp

easy to determine what you have, measure the length and the transom.

 

[MIFisher]

This had a steering originally, I'm just swapping to the tiller for space and $$$. It had a pulley system for those and those were in the boat still when I got it and you can see the bracket for either the throttle or the steering on the left. I have a picture of the manufacture info on it ( the guy who started the conversion took it off so I don't have it on the boat)

 

[MIFisher]

I wonder if it was the Utility Star and not the Jet? IDK I guess mostly irrelevant what it is/was since I will be changing it. I think based one some of the calculations even on the high side estimate I am not too worried about the aluminum stringers and 5/8 plywood. I am thinking about trying to put some weight up front to help it plane a little better with my fat butt at the tiller thought lol.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I stand corrected on the origin of the hull

however removing the steering wheel and remote controls re-classifies the boat rating. without it, you must follow the CFR33.183.53 tables

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2002-title33-vol2/xml/CFR-2002-title33-vol2-sec183-53.xml