1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada! (2nd Splash complete)

[ezmobee]

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Congrats on the purchase! Yep, with no motor on it, you may as well pull the transom! What's another 90 mins?

I put 3/4" decks in both my restores and am pleased with the solidness. However, I think 5/8" would be perfectly fine. 1/2" is fine also but too springy for my tastes.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Well, I see you didn't listen to me. That's OK, neither does the Bride.

You made quick work on that mess, and I do mean mess. You went the right way and you can keep using the other boat while this one's in dry dock. It didn't look like the floor was doubled up. I'm with EZ & Jason on the transom, then all the bases are covered. Can you get her back together in the same amount of time? Mebbe not, paint takes time to dry. Good goin', Bonair.

 

[BonairII]

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Well, I see you didn't listen to me.

I had every intention of putting the resto off for later in the year, but after seeing the rot in the bow....I just had to take a peek at how bad it really was last night. One thing led to another....and in no time I was tearing it all apart.

The floor was def doubled up. The OEM floor was mush. I have no idea why the PO bothered to put 3/4 plywood and carpet over that mess.

The 3/4 plywood alone was completely soaked and heavy as all heck.

Is my next step to fill the hull with water to check for leaks?

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

I have no idea why the PO bothered to put 3/4 plywood and carpet over that mess.

Pretty normal actually

Is my next step to fill the hull with water to check for leaks?

I'd actually do all the demo (transom too), then clean, then leak test.

And ahead of that, pour a cup of joe or your favorite adult beverage and...

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=494143

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

You don't want to fill it water. H2O weighs too much. If you can get to a ramp when its not busy, strap the hull down good and back her in as far as you can. The trailer might start to float. But crawl inside and look for geysers, seeps, etc.. Before you do that look all around, in and outside, looking for popped/missing rivets.

If you do go the fill'er up route, just put enough in the cover the bottom, lift the bow/drop it down with the tongue jack and rock it from side to side while looking for drips outside. Much easier said than done, especially the rocking part. If you start hearing any moaning and groaning from the hull or trailer - STOP. Too much weight.

EDIT - What Jason said. Get her cleaned out first. Oops - the way you tore into her the new floor is prob down.

 

[BonairII]

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Not able to get boat to boat ramp for leak test, so I'm going to fill her up a bit with water.

Jas, I've def been perusing the Starcraft threads( I started reading them over the past couple weeks). Those threads are the only reason I had the courage to start tearing into my boat.

 

[BonairII]

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Almost done with "fill 'er up test", so far so good....not even a drip.

Just called my local "Dollar Tree" about pool noodles....they said the have tons of them.

How many am I gonna need? 50?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

50 would be a good start. I crammed 72 in my 18' allowing an open space for a ski/rod locker. My hull is most likely a good bit deeper.

 

[BonairII]

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Do I need that pink foam board also?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

It's kinda an either/or type of thing. jasoutside used a combination but I think most use one or the other other.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Noodles form/fit way easier than foam board in smaller boats. The foam board has the advantage in big boats with long, straight runs.

 

[BonairII]

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Definitely going the noodle route. I'd be worried that the pink insulation would squeak.

Water test went great.......NO LEAKS AT ALL.

Ribs and floor in good shape, no missing rivets or corrosion. I do need to rivet the stringer(to the ribs) in a couple spots.

What kind of rivets and rivet gun do I need? I've never riveted anything before.

Any of these harborfreight guns worth a crap?
http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=rivet+gun

Or maybe this one?
http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hard...splay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051

 

[barato2]

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

i'd go for the $20 one from Da Fright...it will pull up to 1/4" so 3/16" (what you'll need to attch stringers to ribs) will be easy. altho one of the smaller ones might be easier to get into small spaces. on rivets, just 3/16" alum blind (Pop) rivets will do....you can find em at your local hdwe/bldg supp. i'd maybe use a reinf washer on either side. the ones with the 1" grip range to rivet down the floor are the ones you'll have to order.

 

[BonairII]

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Ended up picking up a heavy duty rivet gun(heads swivels) from HD. Picked up a box of 3/16ths rivets also. Called a local fastener company, they stock rivets with 1" pull, so getting them will be no problem.

Is fastening the floor down with rivets(vs. SS screws) the way to go?

I'm really ramping up this resto. Going to get the noodles and some(or all) of the plywood tomorrow.

I picked up drill bits and jigsaw blade, too. What other tools might I need?

What epoxy do I use for the plywood? I remember reading something about using Urethane Spar something or other.

 

[barato2]

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

1. yes, use rivets to fasten floor. screws will eventually back out. and esp if you use boat in salt water, generate some galvanic corrosion.

2. you'll need a few more jigsaw blades. cutting the beveled edges of floorboards accurately is tough with sharp blade and durn near impossible to get a neat cut that doesn't wander with worn one.

3. urethane spar varnish is just the modern version of the traditional marine varnish and is what you'll use on top coats of any wood that will be exposed to UV and you want natural finish on. epoxy resin from Aeromarine or other sources is what you'll thin down and use to wick into bare plywood floor panels before installation for water resistance under whatever floor covering you decide to use (vinyl flooring like Nautolex/DekMaster, carpet, or brushed on coating like tuffcoat or durabak). you MUST topcoat epoxy with something unless it's under floor covering as UV eats its lunch in short order.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

1. yes, use rivets to fasten floor. screws will eventually back out. and esp if you use boat in salt water, generate some galvanic corrosion.

I beg to differ.

And while I'm being contrary, there's been a good bit of discussion here on thinning epoxy and the consensus is not to do it. ondarvr, our resident composites guru highly recommends against it saying it degrades the strength of it and the improvement in wood penetration is negligible.

 

[barato2]

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

i definitely have no composites expertise. but i can tell you how much i watch the end grain of the plywood absorb, and it appears to suck up a lot more when it's thinned with xylene. this is the 4th boat i've done substantial epoxying of wood on and i've gone through literally over 4 gallons of epoxy by now. i'm not doing it for strength on the 23/32" floorboards, just to stop water absorption. but your point is well taken and for the reinf on my console, i'll use it full thickness.

why do you think screws are the way to go for fastening the floor? it's not just me who thinks they will eventually loosen over time; Starcraft brags in my brochures that this is why they use machine screws with locking nuts for much of interior instead of their competitors' screws. and most were still in place after 40ish years, even if they were often only finger tight.

as far as the galvanic corrosion aspect, i just got a copy of Nigel Calder's Boatowner's <Mechanical and electrical Handbook, very much the bible of boat repair, and after reading his entire chapter on galvanic corrosion, i'm scared to use anything other than aluminum in contact with my aluminum. even different alloys of alum can generate galv corrosion. brass screws apparently rot to pieces in salt (of course, learned this right after i assembled console with brass screws....you can bet those will be well slathered in epoxy!)

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

I am not saying "screws are the way to go" just disagreeing with you that they AREN'T the way to go. I used regular old Home Depot deck screws on both my Jupiter and my SS and saw zero evidence of anything backing out or failing in any other way in 7 years combined. I can, however, see how rivets could put the deck down tighter upon initial installation.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

I'd recommend a whole bunch more reading bonair. It would help you a lot with the steps is your project.

Did you get the transom out yet?

 

[BonairII]

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

Re: 1975 Super Sport 16' boat requesting admission to the Starmada!

I'd recommend a whole bunch more reading bonair. It would help you a lot with the steps is your project.

Did you get the transom out yet?

Believe me...I've been reading a lot of threads on Starcraft restos. Problem is that I read so many different variations(i.e. closed cell foam vs noodles....rivets vs screws....marine tex vs gluvit etc etc etc)....I forget the pros and cons of each method etc etc.

I've been leaning toward rivets for the floor($20 bucks for a 100 of them), but screws are probably easier to install and easier to remove.

Transom not out yet. Haven't decided when to get to that project.

Def going the marine carpet route. It hides mistakes better than vinyl.

Is there any epoxy resin sold locallly (i.e Home depot or Lowe's etc) that I can use. I'd rather not order online if possible.