Stern Heavy?

[1970 Chieftain V]

Does this look like it is riding stern heavy? I have seen some other starcraft pics and it looks as though mine might be riding low in the stern?

 

[fishinpa]

Re: Stern Heavy?

Yes it does look just a lil low ( couple inches )possibly 3 to 4 ?

my Islander and many others seem to sit just down to the ribs at the rear !

What motor and what all is mounted in the very rear section ?

But she sure looks Sweeet !

fish

 

[Rickairmedic]

Re: Stern Heavy?

Jason she doesnt look bad to me ( actualy your boat looks great ) . I think the I/O Starcrafts are a little stern heavy naturally . Have a look at others here in the show us your starcraft thread and I think you will agree yours looks fine.


http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=336651



Rick

 

[SCHRECK]

Re: Stern Heavy?

Jason i have a 22 ft islander and when we hauled it out i had exactly the same question, i was told that is how starcrafts sit, i also found it struggled to get on plain with full fuel load and my 300 lbs and all gear so the project for spring is to add tabbs. your chieftain sure looks great i hope when i get my chieftain done it will look as good. Peter

 

[boat1010]

Re: Stern Heavy?

Looks OK to me.. I would think that it might just be a little light forward. With a few people on board up front it should be just fine.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Stern Heavy?

My Jupiter sat the same way

 

[1970 Chieftain V]

Re: Stern Heavy?

Yes it does look just a lil low ( couple inches )possibly 3 to 4 ?

my Islander and many others seem to sit just down to the ribs at the rear !

What motor and what all is mounted in the very rear section ?

But she sure looks Sweeet !

fish

165 Inline 6, and 24 gallons of fuel. Thanks for the compliment!

Jason she doesnt look bad to me ( actualy your boat looks great ) . I think the I/O Starcrafts are a little stern heavy naturally . Have a look at others here in the show us your starcraft thread and I think you will agree yours looks fine.
Rick

That's what got me asking the question. Most of the ones I seen look like the set with the chine close to the water surface.

My Jupiter sat the same way

Looks close.

 

[elkhunter338]

Re: Stern Heavy?

Mine sits about like that, I put as much fishing gear and weight as far forward as possible. I have my 6 gal kicker fuel tank infront of the passanger seat, one of my two batteries about 6 feet forward. But I have a 25hp kicker on the back. When I travel I try to sit one person in the cabine, one in the driver seat and one in the passenger. Then it planes ok at about 20 mph and the bow never seems to really rise.
Mine is a 1986 cheiftain, 21foot, with 140hp chevy, merc. outdrive

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: Stern Heavy?

wow...what a great looking boat.

Love that paint scheme too!

 

[1970 Chieftain V]

Re: Stern Heavy?

Mine sits about like that, I put as much fishing gear and weight as far forward as possible. I have my 6 gal kicker fuel tank infront of the passanger seat, one of my two batteries about 6 feet forward. But I have a 25hp kicker on the back. When I travel I try to sit one person in the cabine, one in the driver seat and one in the passenger. Then it planes ok at about 20 mph and the bow never seems to really rise.
Mine is a 1986 cheiftain, 21foot, with 140hp chevy, merc. outdrive

Are you running your chieftain in salt? Does it have raw water cooling the engine? I have a whale tail on the outdrive and my planes about 14 mph (I know, tabs are better). It sure seems like everything is installed in the rear and nothing up front.

wow...what a great looking boat.

Love that paint scheme too!

How can you not like that blue and white scheme?

 

[elkhunter338]

Re: Stern Heavy?

I like the blue and white paint job. Thumbs up.
I run in salt water almost 100% of the time. I have a fresh water cooling kit on my 140 that has antifreeze in the engine block, but I still run salt water through the manifold and riser. A fully closed kit was not available for the 140 and I did not try and make one that would also put antifreeze through the manifold. I think I payed $300 ish for a new manifold since mine was cracked when I bought the boat. My grandpa years ago ran a 120 in salt for years ( may through sept. and he never replaced a manifold and it sat in salt all summer so I figured the antifreeze in the engine block was good enough. My fuel tanks twin 18gallons are placed under the driver and passenger seats. Batteries are kind of hard to move too far forward because of long battery cables so I have one that sits under the passenger seat and one in the back corner opposite the kicker motor (cant see in the picture). This allows the boat to sit level (side to side) full of fuel with no one onboard. I kind of wish I had 1 fuel tank (45 gallons) in the belly of the boat moved as far forward as possible. Not worth tearing the boat apart to make that change. Mine planes good at 20, but with a passenger in the cabine it never really plows water. Most of the time in the ocean you either have nice weather and can run 20mph or you are stuck at 10mphish. I do try and store all my lead fishing weights/downrigger balls up front. Fish box sits upfront.

 

[JimbC]

Re: Stern Heavy?

AHHH those are my Favorites in the STARCRAFT WORLD I love the Chieftain....
ONE DAY I WILL HAVE ONE 25 to 30'
wait I almost did but it was sold

 

[1970 Chieftain V]

Re: Stern Heavy?

I like the blue and white paint job. Thumbs up.
I run in salt water almost 100% of the time. I have a fresh water cooling kit on my 140 that has antifreeze in the engine block, but I still run salt water through the manifold and riser. A fully closed kit was not available for the 140 and I did not try and make one that would also put antifreeze through the manifold. I think I payed $300 ish for a new manifold since mine was cracked when I bought the boat. My grandpa years ago ran a 120 in salt for years ( may through sept. and he never replaced a manifold and it sat in salt all summer so I figured the antifreeze in the engine block was good enough. My fuel tanks twin 18gallons are placed under the driver and passenger seats. Batteries are kind of hard to move too far forward because of long battery cables so I have one that sits under the passenger seat and one in the back corner opposite the kicker motor (cant see in the picture). This allows the boat to sit level (side to side) full of fuel with no one onboard. I kind of wish I had 1 fuel tank (45 gallons) in the belly of the boat moved as far forward as possible. Not worth tearing the boat apart to make that change. Mine planes good at 20, but with a passenger in the cabine it never really plows water. Most of the time in the ocean you either have nice weather and can run 20mph or you are stuck at 10mphish. I do try and store all my lead fishing weights/downrigger balls up front. Fish box sits upfront.

Your 86 model doesn't look much different than my 70s model. Why change a good thing? How does it run with 140 in it? I have the straight 6 and top out about 36 mph (gps). I just started running in salt but I have raw water cooling for engine and manifold.
I like your setup hope to have mine to fishing status some time. If it wouldn't be too much trouble do you think you could post a picture of the layout?

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Stern Heavy?

AHHH those are my Favorites in the STARCRAFT WORLD I love the Chieftain....
ONE DAY I WILL HAVE ONE 25 to 30'
wait I almost did but it was sold

I didn't know they made them that big. There's an ad on C/L for an "alluminum" boat 28' long for $2k, but no engine. No pix either. Wonder if it could be a big ol' Starcraft?

 

[Kainon]

Re: Stern Heavy?

There was a 30' Starcraft for sale up here in Maine.. for $4500 ( if I had the money I woulda )

 

[elkhunter338]

Re: Stern Heavy?

Hopefully my pictures are attached.
I rebuild the inside of the ss cheiftain, most everything is marine plywood painted white, I am still in the process of finishing the cab painting where I removed the old vinly wood looking stuff that was stuck to bench seats, also removed all the carpet in the cabin and have not yet painted it. Carpet in the cab just collected the fish smell, put the cabin is noisier with no carpet and alittle colder. I just add another blanket. my wife and I sleep in the boat many nights at the coast throughout the summer. I changed the door and now it swings in, built a custom shelf, removed the toilet, removed the sink, removed the table, added curtains, built new seat supports, 2 removable seats that hook to the back of the driver and passenger seats so you can sit there and watch your fishing poles, but when the fishing is hot I store these seats up in the cabin, I basically replaced almost all the wood in the boat. The wood is a mixture of 3/4 and 1/2 marine plywood, primed and painted, Floor is coated with a antiskid deck coating, I have to drains in the back so the water goes into the bilge. Very nice when you are washing the boat out for a good day of fishing.

 

[1970 Chieftain V]

Re: Stern Heavy?

Elkhunter,

Thanks for the pics. Gives me some I deas what to do with mine.

 

[elkhunter338]

Re: Stern Heavy?

One thing I really like is the door that swings in because I leave the door open while fishing and the door would be in the way if it swung out. Also I like the shelf opposite the door to store stuff.
In the future when the canvas top is bad I am considering putting a hard top on it. I think my top will last several more years since I store the boat inside.
The only thing I would like to change would be a gas tank in the belly and make fish box to go where the fuel tanks are now, that would free up room in the cabin. I will not be making that change too much work and $$. I can't downsize to a smaller fish box because I have had that one clear full a few times.
Enjoy your ss and safe boating.
I would make sure a keep access to the fuel tank hoses and fuel sender reasonable, I built removable access plates. Came in handy when my fuel sender went bad this year.

 

[1970 Chieftain V]

Re: Stern Heavy?

One thing I really like is the door that swings in because I leave the door open while fishing and the door would be in the way if it swung out. Also I like the shelf opposite the door to store stuff.
In the future when the canvas top is bad I am considering putting a hard top on it. I think my top will last several more years since I store the boat inside.
The only thing I would like to change would be a gas tank in the belly and make fish box to go where the fuel tanks are now, that would free up room in the cabin. I will not be making that change too much work and $$. I can't downsize to a smaller fish box because I have had that one clear full a few times.
Enjoy your ss and safe boating.
I would make sure a keep access to the fuel tank hoses and fuel sender reasonable, I built removable access plates. Came in handy when my fuel sender went bad this year.

I took the door completely off of mine. It will probably go back on when I get around to doing overnighters at the islands. I like the belly tank idea. Custom tanks were in the $600 range for a 60 gallon tank. My 12 gallon tanks are under the jump seats in the rear. Agains adds to the weight at the stern.
One day I will have it like I want it. A little bit at a time. I try to keep it usable and fix or add things a little at a time.
I know what you mean about the tops. This one had a full canvas cabin at one time. Long ago rotted away. My dad, who gave me the boat, didn't have the resources (cash) to replace it. I like the idea of the hard top. I have been looking at tubing to make my own. Maybe this winter.
Safe boating back at ya.

 

[elkhunter338]

Re: Stern Heavy?

You had asked how the 140hp does. It tops out at about 28 mph @ 3800 rpms. I run it mostly at 20 mph @ 2900 rpms. Trolls good and fuel consumption is reasonable. I fished for salmon for 9hrs and burnt about 9-10 gallons, out about 7 miles from dock. Never shut the motor off that day.
Halibut takes me about 20 gallons for a day fishing, run out about 16-20 miles each way then move around to make drifts.
No ski boat with the 140, but I do not ski. If I had a choice I would probably stick with the 140, because it is a rare day I can go faster than 20 out in the ocean, most days it is 10-15 mph.
If you get your hard top done before I do I would love to see some pic.s and see how you built it.