Start of My Project. 1991 Starcraft Islander

[Huron Angler]

Re: Start of My Project. 1991 Starcraft Islander

Looking great Tim, glad to hear she floats

That is a very good top speed for such a big barge , you've got to be happy with that. Hope you can stay stateside long enough to enjoy your hard work.

Was the livewell install a real pain or not too bad? I've considered one but it seems like a big hassle to plumb. You clearly tackled it head-on, nice work.

 

[timfives]

Re: Start of My Project. 1991 Starcraft Islander

Looking great Tim, glad to hear she floats

That is a very good top speed for such a big barge , you've got to be happy with that. Hope you can stay stateside long enough to enjoy your hard work.

Was the livewell install a real pain or not too bad? I've considered one but it seems like a big hassle to plumb. You clearly tackled it head-on, nice work.

Thanks, the livewell was actually pretty simple, aside for the hole in the floor, I used a FISHMATEPRO well, as it is plumbed to be below the water line. if you don't have a shut off valve and it is below the water line it will flood the boat. Trust me i held my breath when i dropped it in the water, i also plumbed in another shutoff, just in case.

I should be around for a bit, aside from some upcoming Jury Duty (of which i blame EZ) it should get some good use.

thanks

Tim

 

[timfives]

Re: Start of My Project. 1991 Starcraft Islander

After helping EZ get his boat out of storage, i'm waiting for warmer weather to unwrap the Islander. Which brought me back to my thread. Wow i left it mildly incomplete.

Where i left off was a pretty tumultuous period last year for me, with work, work travel and some other stuff that is best left for some brewskies. Good Friends helped bust their butts with me to get it ready, most of those hard pushing days ended in frustration, and with myself back on the road for work. Only to come back to her the next weekend to repeat.

However at some point i had to revert to not letting the perfect get in the way of the good enough, and get this tub in the water.

Late in September (give or take) I with two buddies rented a place up on lake Ontario. The week prior i dodged some work responsibilities and tidy up a plethora of loose ends to ensure our safety. There were many trips to the local lake to shake her down, and like all great stories i was working on her right up till the hour we left.

After an 8 hour drive, here is proof she floats:

Somewhere i'l have to post my boating blooper of the trip but i'll leave that for another post. (i won't be forgetting the plug anytime soon)

Here we are in this shot out on chaumont bay doing a little fishing:

You can see here the floor and the new bulkhead for the cabin, and my pal out on the bow casting.

The boat handle extremely well even in some huge swells, the kind of waves you have to drive up, then drive down.

Finally i did get the family out on her as well at the local lake, very late in the season. Here is my wife, who through out the project was very supportive and never really doubt i would get this boat in the water. She even told me that we had better get our money's worth out it now. (how much more supportive can you be)

Maybe next weekend i'll get it unwrapped and start the spring activities. In any restoration i don't think they are ever done. But here are some of the must do activities:

New Rotary Steering
New Storage Hatches
New Tach
Topside Paint

I'm sure there will be more, but that seems doable before now and when my marina opens

T

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Start of My Project. 1991 Starcraft Islander

Great shot right there Tim and glad you are back at it!

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Start of My Project. 1991 Starcraft Islander

I never did get to ride on this damn thing!!!!

 

[timfives]

Re: Start of My Project. 1991 Starcraft Islander

I never did get to ride on this damn thing!!!!

LOL Lets see how long the torment will last this season..

T

 

[lakeranger]

Re: Start of My Project. 1991 Starcraft Islander

So with the top of the transom removed, i'm curious what others have done with the overlap pictured above? Have people just cut the tab of aluminum off or bent it back to get to the transom?

What would you do?

thanks

Tim

So what did you end up doing? I've read through and either missed it or something. Did you cut? Looks that way in the pics. I just bent my metal, sounds a bit crude, I know, but I was not going to remove all those rivets all the way along the gunwhales. If the metal does not go back well enough for visuals then I guess I will be cutting and welding.

 

[timfives]

Re: Start of My Project. 1991 Starcraft Islander

So what did you end up doing? I've read through and either missed it or something. Did you cut? Looks that way in the pics. I just bent my metal, sounds a bit crude, I know, but I was not going to remove all those rivets all the way along the gunwhales. If the metal does not go back well enough for visuals then I guess I will be cutting and welding.

You don't have to remove the rivets, All you need to do is remove or bend away that lip there, and then remove all the screws then lift out the transom. The Aluminum sheeting remains.

T

 

[sprintst]

Re: Start of My Project. 1991 Starcraft Islander

I bent mine up and pulled the transom and hammered it back down after pulling the transom. I wanted the support for the gunwales as they seemed to move if you sat on them without it in place.

So what did you end up doing? I've read through and either missed it or something. Did you cut? Looks that way in the pics. I just bent my metal, sounds a bit crude, I know, but I was not going to remove all those rivets all the way along the gunwhales. If the metal does not go back well enough for visuals then I guess I will be cutting and welding.

 

[timfives]

Re: Start of My Project. 1991 Starcraft Islander

Ahh, Yeah i had added brackets to the gunwale to give it added strength. Glad it worked out'

I bent mine up and pulled the transom and hammered it back down after pulling the transom. I wanted the support for the gunwales as they seemed to move if you sat on them without it in place.