restore starcraft American

Discussion in 'Boatbuilding' started by Starcraft, Jul 1, 2017.

  1. Mr Efficiency
    Joined: Oct 2010
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    This boat possibly lends itself to an outboard/pod conversion, but that would need to be decided early on. I hope you got this cheap !
     
    Last edited: Jul 3, 2017
  2. Starcraft
    Joined: Jul 2017
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    Location: Belgium

    Starcraft Junior Member

    I've paid for the boat and trailer about 700 dollars (or 614 euro's). That's what you pay in Belgium not even for the trailer itself. Is it hard to convert the boat to a outboard version?
    Today I went to a company who makes and restore boats. They told me not to take of the cap. Even when the stringer is not in a good schape, they told me to get at both sides of the bad part to attach a good part of wood and connect them en enclosed it with fiberglas. What do you think?
     
  3. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Bonding rotten wood to good wood, just isn't a reasonable approuch to repairs, so take that advice for what it actually sounds like. Without seeing the boat, nor having a good idea what your skill sets might be, I'd agree in not removing the cap, unless it's in the way of the sole, for a significant portion of the bilge. Wood rot is commonly called wood cancer and is treated just like it is in humans. It's cut out and ground back, until you are sure you're into solid, good, rot (cancer) free material, then and only then do you consider attaching anything to it, regardless of attachment method.
     
  4. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    Depending on what you intend to do with the boat, and loads to be carried, an outboard as small as 70hp, on a pod, would be adequate for that boat. It appears to be a moderate vee hull around 5 metres. Getting hold of a replacement small sterndrive could be difficult. Unless you already have one organized.
     
  5. Starcraft
    Joined: Jul 2017
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    Starcraft Junior Member

    Update, did some work at the deck. All of the stringers al almost visible. Now is the question about the stringers. What should I do with the FB around the stringers. Must I pull it out or...? And is it useful for the increases just before the stern, also pulling them out. Was is the function of those 2 increases? The wood is rotten there too...
    IMG_20170704_163253-min.jpg IMG_20170704_163256-min.jpg IMG_20170704_163227-min.jpg IMG_20170704_162807-min.jpg
     
  6. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    Increases ? Not sure what you mean. It is a little difficult, for me anyway, to see exactly what you have there. Should you remove the old glass tabbing around the stringers ? I would not, others might. Only remove what is needed to get the rotten timber out, the rest still has some usefulness, as a stiffener to help it stay plumb while you work on it, and as a guide for whatever new material you install. You are probably getting the feeling this is a bit of a task, but you are committed now, you either take it to completion, or the tip.
     
  7. Starcraft
    Joined: Jul 2017
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    Starcraft Junior Member

    Thank you mr efficiency. By THE increases I mean the parts behind the stringers in the boat, at the back left and who are are now in black. I think this is the place where is a lot of foam because the engine studs in between.
    About the stringers, other told me not pulling them out completely. I put some more detailed pictures on the website. Thank you very much for the advice! Yes I will take it to the end, when I start on something, I will finish too!
     
  8. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    When doing this sort of thing, the first thing you should do is support the hull well, so it doesn't distort when structural elements are removed. This support must also tolerate you wandering around inside, while making repairs, again without distorting things.

    The tabbing usually is left in place, though often we cut the top off, so we can hack out the rotten stringers. The tabbing can be removed, sometimes just one side, again to gain access to the rotten timbers. The old tabbing can be rebonded in addition to new, which helps bulk up the tabbing thickness.

    I'm not sure why someone would tell you to not remove the stringers. If they're rotten, they have to come out. Maybe they're thinking you'll "sister" the stringers with new timber and tabbing. This can work, but adds weight and you'll still have rotten lumber in the bilge, which leads to more rotten lumber eventually. It's like leaving part of a tumor, but removing the rest. The cancer will return, guaranteed.
     
  9. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    I'm not certain he is thinking of leaving rotten wood in there ? I though he was debating cutting away the old tabbing, which is not really advisable most of the time. And dry rot migrates quickly into new timber, for sure, from the old. The problem with these queries is that you need an experienced hand like PAR on site, pictures tell some of the story, but not always enough. In this case there is the complication of a engine needing to be installed, certainly want that part to be done right. Big job bringing this to completion.
     
  10. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Agreed, I'm also confused about what's going on with this and have assumed a translation issue. I usually try to save the tabbing as much as practical, using it to maintain position and decrease new fabric requirements.
     
  11. Starcraft
    Joined: Jul 2017
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    Starcraft Junior Member

    No, i'm thinking to remove the stringers, if they are rotten offcourse. About the engine, is this that difficult to instal a new inboard engine. I not going to do that myself, but leave this to a professional. All the other things I gonna try to do on my own.

    First for now, i keep cutting the foam away en let the boat dry. After that I gonna check the stringers and see what I need to do, remove them or not... After that, i gonna sanding the FB and treat it. Thereafter I can think further and rebuild it. And sorry if I'm not understand everything, al these boat language is not always that easy, and I'm allready a long time graduated so my english isn't that as it has been ;)
    Picture of today:
    IMG-20170705-WA0007.jpeg
     
  12. Ike
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    Ike Senior Member

    Sorry, I am a little late to the party. What you are doing is very similar to what I did on my 1972 Sea Ray 190 SRV. Rather than try to explain, take a look at the web page on my project and it may help you understand what PAR and Mr Efficiency are trying to explain. Boat Building Projects | 1972 Sea Ray 190 Rebuild http://newboatbuilders.com/pages/SeaRay190.html It is good you did not take the cap off. I debated doing this and decided it wasn't necessary because I could access everything I needed to access. Grinding out the old tabbing and fiberglass is a really dirty laborious job so if you don't need too, don't. I needed to. and I don't recommend it. Cut back all rotten wood until you have good solid wood. I was fortunate that the stringers under the engine that act as the engine bed and mounts were ok. Otherwise I would have had to remove the engine. In your case you will have to remove the engine anyway so if possible replace the stringers and thwarts (the cross pieces) as well. As for the foam, look on my web page and see what I did. I replaced it with polystyrene (not styrofoam, a brand name) that is used as insulation in homes. It does not absorb water. But it can be dissolved (melted) by gasoline, oil, cleaners, and other liquids. So encapsulate the foam. This protects it. I don't know about the availability of this in Belgium but in the USA this foam can be bought at any home improvement or hardware store. You must have similar stores in Belgium. Don't get discouraged. These projects take a lot of time, but can be very rewarding when you are finished. Just take your time, ask a lot of questions, Take lots of pictures as you proceed, and post lots of pictures here.
     
  13. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    What are you going to treat the 'glass with?
     
  14. Starcraft
    Joined: Jul 2017
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    Location: Belgium

    Starcraft Junior Member

    Hello everyone

    did somework this weekend. deck is almost gone. But for now, some questions. What would you do with the deck of the front of the boat? I have pulled it out till there:
    IMG_20170706_165833.jpg
    Should I cut it further off? Yes or no,or just when I'm get to change the stringers?

    Other things I did, pull out the flotation boxes because the foam was wet and wood at some place rotten:
    IMG_20170709_172108.jpg
    Just 1 thing I discoverd, when doing the foam away, I noticed I can push in this part of the FB (see picture)
    IMG_20170709_172129.jpg
    It's the right part of the transom. Would it be rotten? Left when I'm tap on it, it's sounds good, at the left, the area where the flotation box were there is were you can push the FB in....

    Thnx guys for your advice, i'm looking forward too it!
     

  15. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    If you can get movement on the transom, the core is suspect. The usual places for issues (just fixed a transom core this week) on an outdrive equipped boat is around the drain hole, the lower portion of the cutout and the lower bolt holes. There's only one good solution and it's to replace the core. If the rot is slight with minimum penetration, sometimes you can repair the core, but more often than not, the core rots long before you can "catch it" in a repairable stage. I got lucky on the boat this week, having caught the rot very early, because of leak between the drive and transom, which filled the bilge (slowly). My repair was to drill out the lower 4 bolt holes, fill with epoxy and redrill for the fasteners, the same with the drain hole, though this was more extensive and to remove about an 1/4" of material around the cutout and backfill with epoxy. A lot cheaper than a new core, but still a healthy job.
     
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