Starcraft '73 16' Holiday (refurb by relative newbies)

[Mainecrafter]

Alrighty . . . so a little backstory here. A buddy of mine and I were doing some island carpentry work for a service organization here in Maine and this Starcraft was donated to the org. They didn't have time to fix it or use for it so we traded some labor and a little $$ to take it off of their hands and it essentially functioned as our pickup truck for several years. About 4 or 5 years ago, we were moving it from his dad's driveway to my house when the axel on the trailer broke and we convinced a AAA truck to haul the whole thing to my yard where it has sat (with canvas cover in place) since. I had just become a parent and really hadn't had spare time or cause to mess with the boat. Fast-forward to about a month ago when a friend tagged me and a couple other folks about going in on a boat together and we're now taking a renewed look at the old, beloved Holiday as a co-owned boat . . . we're all semi handy but also might know just enough to be dangerous so we're looking for help and guidance in this process. Any sage advice is GREATLY appreciated.

We've seen some admirable Starcraft renovations in this forum. But we're all pretty busy and can't justify extensive expense for a museum-quality restoration, at least not at this point. What we're looking for is to get the boat safe and water worthy for some summer excursions. I think we're all in the place to spend smart money to do things right but aren't trying to make a showboat out of her. That's the sweet spot we're aiming for. Here's a list of items we're looking to do this summer with attendant questions:

TRAILER:
Found an adequate replacement and have already done the slightly tricky juggle of getting it off of the broken trailer and onto the new one.
.

DECK:
Totally rotted and needs replacing. We tore it out yesterday (saving any pieces that were intact for patterns) along with 4 contractor bags of old carpet, watterlogged foam and beads and mice nests.
• Anything we should do to the inside of the shell while it is exposed?
• Best affordable foam replacement? Can blue/pink rigid be used?
• Best deck replacement? Is it worth using marine-grade ply or is ACX a workable alternative (and if so should it be treated and with what)?


TRANSOM:
It's a bit punky on one side where water had pooled but it seems largely intact where the motor mounts. I think we will replace next year and just try treating the soft areas with some penetrating epoxy to get through this season, largely to avoid removing the outboard and messing with all the cabling. Tell me if this is a bad idea.


HULL:
Boat was frequently left in salt water and the aluminum shows some moderate pitting (see images). Best way to address this? Light sanding? Best affordable paint solution? Do seams need to be addressed before painting and with what? Boat will still be periodically used in salt water but will be trailered and washed off religiously.


OUTBOARD:
It's an early 80's Johnson 70hp 2-stroke. The trim unit was trashed on it when we got the boat and we would just manually haul it up and lock it upright when we were using it. Sitting for 5 years, the hydraulic (which had no fluid) is now rusted into immobility BUT my auto mechanic had a functioning replacement kicking around that he's selling us for cheap so we plan on swapping it out and having the motor tuned up (although it started right up when we first tried it and seems to run fine).



Beyond this, I think we're not going to take on much more this year but we're already feeling the allure of putting future work into the boat to make it shine. I'm trying to cull some of these answers from the forum but there's so much to read that any concentrated advice is really appreciated. Hope to see you on the water soon . . .

 

[classiccat]

Welcome to the Starmada! :welcome:

You've definitely gotten off on the right foot with lots of pictures! hoto:

To answer some of your questions:

ACX is fine for the deck. The cheapest way to seal it is with Spar Varnish. The money-is-no-object approach is epoxy + glass-cloth.

Yes, it is a bad idea delaying the transom replacement. Pull that wood and look for severe pitting in the transom skin due to the soggy wood and salt water exposure.

With the deck out, inspect every square inch for deep pitting. If it's too deep, report back and we'll advise. I had alot of through-hull corrosion in the bow-area as well as under the knee brace. It required extensive cleaning & patching (external/internal).

A leak test at this point could highlight problem areas.

Inspect the knee brace tabs for cracking.

Inspect where the knee brace connects to the bottom hull skin for deep corrosion.

Inspect the rib ends for stress cracks...bad cracking can be seen from the inside...minor stress cracks can be seen externally with the bottom paint stripped.

with that much external pitting, it might be a good idea to strip that paint to address corrosion issues.

^^^ this list will grow as more of the Starmada chimes in!

 

[g0nef1sshn]

Exactly what classiccat said. Id start with gutting, removing motor and transom, stip all paint, Fill with water to check for leaks, Fix pitting and any leaky holes (really inspect the transom knee brace area). Read about gluvit (we all use it here), repaint, put new transom and deck in, add motor and go. (This is my long story short version)

Salt water history of that boat would make me feel unsafe putting my family in it with band aids type repairs. Id have to do a thorough inspections of all aspects of that boat. And the pitting can be really bad between that transom wood and aluminum skin like Ccat said to check.

It can all be done though! Looking forward to see how she turns out and keep the pics comming!

 

[Mainecrafter]

Appreciating the early advice already. What's the best strategy and product for dealing with the exterior pitting (after stripping paint)? Initial interior inspection looks pretty good. After pulling up the deck and cleaning out the crap, we took some SOS pads and a drill mounted nylon brush to scrub away the grime and most of the interior looks shiny and good. Had to run so I didn't get to crawl around and inspect closely though but on the next clear day with some free time, I'll get in there with a flashlight and look more closely (and post new pics).

 

[GA_Boater]

Welcome to the Tin Drydock, MC,

If she was my Holiday, I would remove the transom wood, clean out all the crud (pretty much done) and put some water in the bare hull to check for leaks. The next steps depend on found leaks or not. I probably would turtle her to clean off the bottom regardless. That's the best way to examine the bottom of the hull and re-paint after repairs.

Good luck on bringing her back to life. Holidays are nice hulls.

 

[GA_Boater]

Meant to add - Don't fool around with the soft wood in the transom. Delaying replacement only causes a host of other problems, Doing the transom isn't much more than 2 more sheets of 3/4" ply and some spar varnish. Also since you have pitting from the salt, there is a good chance the tin back there needs work.

 

[Watermann]

:welcome: to iboats and the Starmada!

Looks to me like a real nice little Holly you got there :thumb:

I read the posts before me and agree with their assessment of your boat completely. Seems you have your marching orders now so we'll be expecting some pics of the progress towards your goal!

 

[Mainecrafter]

OK. Feeling like we're sold on the value of doing the transom now. And Gluvit sounds like our friend.

Couple of followup questions:

GLUVIT:
Once the hull exterior is stripped, do you coat the entire outside (and then paint)? Multiple coats?
Is it worth also coating the interior hull before the foam and deck go back in?

PAINT:
Best price/vs performance paint? Seems like spraying Rustoleum Pro has come up in other threads as a pretty good middle ground solution.

FOAM:
Is closed cell rigid foam (like Owens Corning) an acceptable foam replacement? Loose fit or should it be glued together for some reason to discourage mold spaces? Other alternatives?

WILD HAIR question:
This product popped up as an ad in my FB feed today (half off on sale for Father's Day). Would it make sense to use this as a top layer above some spar varnished CDX if we cut it in a single sheet? Seems like it would be a decent grip surface but I can imagine it might trap moisture and rot the decking prematurely. (Updated to include link: http://www.homedepot.com/p/NewAge-P...t-Gray-VersaRoll-PVC-Flooring-10153/205074159)

 

[GA_Boater]

Gluvit is applied inside. It needs UV protection. All you do is put it on seams/rivets/patch edges.

Paint - Can't beat Rusto especially with some hardener added. The price is right and it works.

Foam - Blue or pink 1"/2" thick foam from Lowes or HD works well. I have it under the deck and behind the side panels. In the floor I left it loose and squeezed a little by the floor., behind the side panels a hot glue gun was used to stick then together.

Wild Hair - The wild hair is bald, no pic or link.

 

[Mainecrafter]

Thanks GA_Boater. I updated my previous post to include the "Wild Hair" product link (basically diamond plate, PVC sheet flooring).

A clarifying question about Gluvit. I feel like I read in other threads that you can also coat the outside as long as you paint over it. Did you mean Gluvit is used on the inside exclusively or in addition to external coating?

 

[g0nef1sshn]

Gluvit is mainly used on insides. I did use a bit on the outside bow seam where i marked leaks just cause. But i didnt use it on the whole exterior. And i primed and painted over those spots i did use it. It was more or less for my own piece of mind.

 

[Mainecrafter]

Hey folks,

Busy work season here in Maine but have been picking away at the Holiday as we have some time. Ready to make some concerted effort to move things forward and have a small stack of questions.

Kneebrace is in decent shape but there seems to be some cracking at the top of the tabs. Worth getting it welded?


Took the consensus advice and pulled the transom. It was a bit of a challenge at first but I used a piston jack and a cleat screwed to the inside and it eased it out fairly simply. It's relatively intact as a pattern and I'm planning on rebuilding it with ADX and spar varnish. The inside of the skin where it was is in decent condition but there are a couple spots that are pitted (especially where the through drains off the splash deck are. Best thoughts on how to repair them while the transom is out?


Inside of the bow looks like this. Can't tell if that brown area is factory or added later. Should it be left or chipped out and replaced?


We did a preliminary leak test and found one small drip and a couple of missing rivets that were obviously solid streaming leaks. The current plan is to flip her and strip the paint and sand down the pitted areas then retest for additional leaks. Is there anything the outside of the hull should be treated with, especially the pitted areas, before repainting? I did a quick sand to the back of the boat just to see how it looks:


Additional question about treating the inside of the hull before we rebuild the deck. Most people on this forum seem to be fans of Gluvit but have also been recommended to look at Goop Seal-it. Any thoughts on the use of one vs. the other?

Motor (early 80's Johnson 3 cyl Johnson 70hp) has been overhauled by a marine mechanic and is awaiting reinstallation when we're ready for it.

Other questions I'm sure I'll think of but these are probably the most pressing. Thanks!

 

[Watermann]

The brown goop we affectionately call the SC smeg and yes it comes from the factory like that. It looks like from the pics your brown SC goop has maybe lost it's adhesion, was there water dripping from the keel during the leak test? If not gluvit right over it.

Gluvit is the main stay of the tin rebuilders for stopping up any potential seam leaks and I've used it on both my rebuilds. The surface has to be clean before application.

Be sure to remove all corrosion before moving on to the sealing and rebuild.

 

[laurentide]

Mainecrafter, this is just a personal anecdote, but the ACX I used for my transom is starting to delaminate in a spot between the lower brace channel and the port side hull bracket. Therefore, my updated suggestion for transom replacement is marine ply. ACX/BCX is fine for the deck, but there's so much stress and weight on the transom that the voids might cause problems down the road. Most people don't have issues, but it's such a pain if you do that it may be worth it. And this is coming from someone who did a pretty quick and dirty (read: cheap) rebuild...sometimes the good stuff is worth it.

 

[Mainecrafter]

Thanks regarding both the "smeg" and investing in marine ply for the transom. Will take heed.

Corrosion question: In areas where there is moderate pitting (I don't think any of it is severe, but there are some spots on the inner transom skin that are a bit more than just surface and the bottom of the boat is on the rough side) is there something that should be used to cover or fill besides just sanding and painting?

 

[Mainecrafter]

Also, any thoughts on using this GP product as either transom or decking material? Meant as subflooring and has a wax/latex coating on one side : http://www.buildgp.com/dryply-plywood

Or better to seek out ACX and/or marine ply and spar varnish or epoxy?

 

[g0nef1sshn]

Thanks regarding both the "smeg" and investing in marine ply for the transom. Will take heed.

Corrosion question: In areas where there is moderate pitting (I don't think any of it is severe, but there are some spots on the inner transom skin that are a bit more than just surface and the bottom of the boat is on the rough side) is there something that should be used to cover or fill besides just sanding and painting?

For the pitting, I ground/cleaned out all the white corrosion, gave a good cleaning vinegar wash, and either packed them with JB weld on the deep ones and/or primed and painted over the not so bad ones.

Others have used more acidic type cleaners on the corrosion. But it was chemical stuff I did not want to mess with.

Where the pitting went through the hull on mine I cleaned it out the same, but drill a hole in them, Goobered 5200 on a pop rivet, and smacked them in there.

 

[Watermann]

Thanks regarding both the "smeg" and investing in marine ply for the transom. Will take heed.

Corrosion question: In areas where there is moderate pitting (I don't think any of it is severe, but there are some spots on the inner transom skin that are a bit more than just surface and the bottom of the boat is on the rough side) is there something that should be used to cover or fill besides just sanding and painting?

Areas on the transom that have pitting are filled with either marine tex or JB weld. I personally like using the MT over JB. One of the tricks to getting it on thin is to heat the surface with a heat gun and use a bondo spreader. When using either MT or JB, be sure to sand it right after it cures otherwise you'll find it's so hard to sand you end up using a belt sander with 60g. The same can be done if there's pitting on the bottom. Just be sure the corrosion is removed first. Once the transom area is filled, I primer it with SE primer and then paint.

 

[BORIS HARUNGATAN]

Hi All!
New to this forum and working with Mainecrafter on this rebuild. I have been researching the Paint Strip/Prep portion of the build.
This thread: http://forums.iboats.com/forum/owner...um-my-thoughts has a good discussion about "aircraft" stripper (which i understand to be pretty nasty stuff), sandblasting and grinding (with a stainless steel grinder)
Curious about what anyone has for insight for a good preparation considering the shape of the boat overall (from photos) or just some general info (brands of stripper, blasting sand etc.) Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I think we are leaning towards the steel grinder and sanding over existing paint in general due to budget constraints. But also would like to do this right for the longevity of the hull.

Also primers - Reading that Self Etching primer is key? Brand suggestion?
Thank you all again for your help with this so far!

 

[dozerII]

I have used Aircraft Stripper more than a couple of times and so long as you wear gloves and safety glasses, keep the stuff off your akin and either work outside or with lots of ventilation the stuff works great. Sandblasting can be real hard on an aluminum hull unless it is done by an expert. Sanding and grinding well that's just a lot of work and can be real hard on rivet heads. Don't know what part of Maine your in but a quick trip across the border into Canada to a HomeHarware store you can pick up some SafeStrip really good stuff and less expensive than Aircraft Stripper.
Paint, I like to stick with one manufacturer if possible, so I use the full line from Rustoleum.