1974 StarCraft SuperSport 160

[Jarren L]

Hope I posting this in the right area

what I have is a new to me 16’ Starcraft that has been given to me. She has a 95 70hp evinrude pushing it. Plans are to move driver console back, remove passenger console and build casting decks forward and aft. I came across pictures of a 16’ Mariner Starcraft and I really like how the gunwales are like 6”’shorter. Has anyone cut down their gunwales?

 

[Jarren L]

[No message]

 

[Jarren L]

[No message]

 

[Jarren L]

Need help finding this corner piece

 

[GA_Boater]

Welcome aboard.

You can add more than 1 photo to a post and you can put words in the same post.

Finding the corner cap just takes looking, try Ebay.

Sell the the SS and buy a Mariner. Gunnels can't be shortened.

 

[Jarren L]

Thanks for the info, I’ll hopefully figure out how to post around here. I forget eBay is still around! Problem is finding a Mariner near me. I can hardly find pictures of them on google. Being a riveted aluminum boat I figured just wack the gunwales down and rivet the top cap back on.

 

[GA_Boater]

If it were so simple. The cap will be too wide and too long. Not to mention a lot of hull support will be compromised.

Are you sure the Mariner has lower gunnels? Why do you want to do this?

Click the Starcraft Forum link in my sig.

 

[Jarren L]

Yeah they are shorter on the sides. I like fishing the flats and In the marshes. I just like the shorter sides of the boat being a little closer to the water makes landing fish a litter easier. Plus getting in and out the boat is easier too.

 

[matt167]

since you have only seen pictures, it's likely an illusion. Starcraft generally used the same hulls for multiple models... So 16' Mariner and Super sport is probably actually the same basic boat. It could be built on the older Jupiter hull, which may be slightly less tall. My dad had a '60's Jupiter . I know Mariner 22'/ Islander 22' are the same, and 18' Islander and Offshore 18' are the same..

A large selling point of Star-crafts were they are very deep

 

[Jarren L]

I have noticed that all the hulls are basically the same design.
if the Mariner and SS are the exact same then some one had to of modified the green one I found. To me it looks that way at least in all 3 pictures I have seen of it. It’s not a big deal really to me. I was just hoping it could be done, which I highly feel like it’s possible.

 

[Jarren L]

My main concern is the splash well area. It’s beat up and cracked pretty badly. Thinking about removing it and extending a casting deck all the way to the transom and moving the console back about 16”

 

[GA_Boater]

You can't tell what was done, if anything, to the Mariner from only 3 pictures unless they include a tape measure showing the numbers.

The splashwell is the primary structural unit for the stern. Cracked splashwells are because the transom wood is rotted and the knee braces are usually broken.

What flats and marshes do you fish? Maybe another boat would be better for your fishing.

When I look at pics of your boat and read your plans, all I can see is future beer cans.

 

[Jarren L]

Hahaha! I know it’s a lot of crazy ideas. The transom is still pretty good just the knee brace is cracked so I have some aluminum to fix and beef that up. Figured the frame work for the casting deck would make the boat stronger than it was when new. Basically live on the border of Texas and Louisiana. I fish Sabine lake and Galveston bay a lot. I have been looking for a old bass tracker Hull but since I got this boat for free I figured I would just rebuild it to my fishing needs and style.