# 14' Starcraft Semi-V project. Update Progress Pics 9-5-10



## sturdi87 (Mar 5, 2010)

The entire goal of this project is to get me off the shore and access to more fishing near where I live. On one hand there are several under 10hp lakes near me, but on the other there are rivers, the closest being the ohio, so I wanted something to use on the under 10hp lakes but that I could possibly also use on some bigger waters. Since I'm a college student and I can't afford a new bass boat with a 250 Merc and a new 9.9 kicker I ended up with this:






















It is a 14' aluminum v; make, model, year unknown. The previous owner went through the process of getting a new HIN assigned to the hull, and it is listed at 13' 11." I bought the boat in ohio which does not require titles for boats under 14,' and live in KY. In KY to register a boat bought out of state, if the state the boat is from does not require a title for the boat, then all you need is the previous registration to get your registration and KY title. So I got it registered and titled no problem, but am curious, can anyone identify this boat? 

In the middle at the top of the gunwales it is 64" wide and 48" wide at the floor. At the transom it is 60" wide at the top and 52" at the bottom. It is 23" deep at the center of the transom and 30" deep at the center of the bow.

The first thing I did was begin to strip her, then once I got everything off I started sanding. These pictures were taken after a few hours of sanding had already been completed. 











When I bought the boat it had just a floor in it, no seats, and carpet that had moss growing from it. Also included in the deal was what you see in the picture above, all piled up in my garage after being removed. In the pile is a 40hp long-shaft Mariner outboard (1982-3?), an old console and controls, an old motor guide trolling motor (not all the way in the picture), and lots of leaves. I already bought a new marine battery and battery box that is sitting there as well.






I already had this 1981 short-shaft 7.5hp Johnson SeaHorse, which will be my 'kicker' motor, if you will, or what I will be running on the local lakes restricted to less than 10hp. I have already ordered a manual jack plate from overtons which it will be mounted to. My dad bought this motor when I was a kid and when we lived in TN we ran it on a 14' Monarch steel flat bottom. That thing was heavy, and it pushed it pretty good, we left the boat (gave it to a local kid that wanted it) and kept the motor, it hasn't been ran in a couple years so its going to need a little attention as well.


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## dyeguy1212 (Mar 5, 2010)

Try again with the pics.. lol


welcome to tinboats.. I look forward to seeing the boat


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## sturdi87 (Mar 5, 2010)

After removing everything from the boat my first priority is getting it painted. If you didn't notice the trailer looks like a circus; being red, white, and silver; I think he probably just had those colors on hand already, and didn't have any white haha. I would highly doubt much prep was done before this paint job was applied, so I had/have to do a lot of sanding.

Considering it really is just an old aluminum boat and old trailer for the sake of saving time and doing extra unnecessary work I did not strip it completely and started sanding the red portion of the hull. I am not yet done with the hull, some of the sanding can be seen in the pictures in my first post.






The paint on the inside of the boat was peeling, so I decided to get out the pressure washer, plus it was dirty anyways. The pressure washer did a pretty good job and saved me a lot of time with a wire brush. As I was doing it I decided to stop and take some pictures, you can see on the right the effect of pressure washing and original on the left. 











After I finished pressure washing I took the boat off the trailer, so I could strip it, prep it, and paint it.






You can see I had already began doing a little bit of sanding here:






I plan to paint the hull flat OD Green, then painting a camo pattern on top of that; the trailer will be getting semi-gloss black rustoleum.

EDIT: I spent a lot of time sanding, with all different kinds of sanders that I had laying around, I eventually broke down and went to harbor freight and bought a 4" grinder and a wire brush for less than 25 If I recall correctly. If you are considering a project like this, I recommend either just having it sandblasted, or buying a grinder and a wire brush right off the bat if you don't have one.

The wire brush did an awesome job removing the layers of caked on paint around the rivets, which is the purpose I finally bought it for.


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## russ010 (Mar 5, 2010)

ohh... your pics won't show up because they are larger than 800 pixels wide. When you upload them to photobucket, set the resolution to 15" screen (800 x 600). I don't remember how to do it right off, but I know if you use the bulk uploader on there, in the bottom left of the screen in small print it will say "more options"... that's where you can set it up.

then all you have to do is use the IMG code underneath the pic and paste that here


boat looks like it's going to be fun to play with


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## sturdi87 (Mar 6, 2010)

Yes it is a fun project but it will be even more fun once I'm catching fish out of it. I have probably spent a total of 10-12 hours working on the boat since I bought it tuesday, or four days ago. I did a lot of sanding on the trailer today and will hopefully get it painted tomorrow, its getting black rustoleum in semi-gloss black sprayed on once the prep work is done. 





















I was stripping parts off of it here and there: carpeting off the bunks, lights, the front roller, then I started to remove the bunks when I got to the last mount at the rear of the trailer on the right bunk when i tried to take the nut off I twisted the end of the bolt off as well. 






I tried to use a bolt of the same diameter to hammer the old broken one out. The bolt I was using to try and push it just bent, then I tried again, it bent, finally I decided to quit ruining bolts and said to heck with it and came in for dinner. I plan on working on finishing stripping the trailer tomorrow. 

Also, notice that the trailer had new wheels and tires, bearings, lights, swing away jack, and newer winch with strap on it when I bought everything for $700, I think I made out alright.

EDIT: So I really am pushing to get this at least water ready ASAP so I got back to work and finished taking everything off the trailer so I can finish prepping it and paint the thing. My lady friend was actually not too upset about working on a boat trailer instead of going out tonight, she wants to go fishing too, but I told her that the only rule is no girls allowed wearing anything more than a bikini (shoes allowed I guess haha). When it all goes back on it will all be getting shiny new hardware, a lot of bolts broke in the process of removal and I frequently had to use a cut off wheel and a punch (one of the bolts that didn't break) to get everything apart. As I removed everything I took note of the size and length of the hardware for each different thing and the total number of each.


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## SrPhatness (Mar 7, 2010)

WD40 it tonight, then tomorrow smack it a couple times with a hammer. If that doesn't do it I would drill the bolt out from the back side. From the backside cause the torque from the droll might help the bolt break lose. 

The boat does have a very patriotic vibe, eh?

Definitely a good buy.


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## sturdi87 (Mar 7, 2010)

SrPhatness said:


> WD40 it tonight, then tomorrow smack it a couple times with a hammer. If that doesn't do it I would drill the bolt out from the back side. From the backside cause the torque from the droll might help the bolt break lose.
> 
> The boat does have a very patriotic vibe, eh?
> 
> Definitely a good buy.



I removed the brackets from the trailer frame first which was kind of a pain because there is not much clearance, but once I got the brackets and bunk board off the trailer I used a 5lb persuader (hammer) and a crowbar to get the brackets off the old bunk board and the bolt out of the brackets.

and yes, I'll have to put an american flag decal on the transom when I'm done to pay tribute to the previous paint scheme.

The guy said the mariner "ran good last year," but I'm not betting on it firing right up, but it turns over, feels like it has good compression when you pull the manual start, lower unit looks good (no cracks or anything), propeller turned freely, and I could see the electric choke working/ If that thing cranks right up it will have turned out to be one heck of a buy, but I always have my Johnson too so I gambled a little and bought it just on all that.


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## sturdi87 (Mar 8, 2010)

Alright, took some measurements, drew up the boat roughly to scale, and started toying with setup ideas. I haven't actually fitted anything so this may not actually work, or planned how I will actually build this, and this is by no means is _the plan_, more _a concept_ that I am toying with and wanted to get some feedback on. Each square is 4 inches, the feet are labeled.






I want to get some weight up front, as I will often have to motors hanging off the back of this thing, a 40hp and a 7.5. I will probably remove the 7.5 when I'm not on 10hp and under restricted lakes, but removing and putting the 40 on and off would just suck. That is why I have got a battery, fuel cell, and livewell/beer cooler up front. 48 beers and some ice should help keep the nose down, the only problem I was thinking about its what happens when me and my fishing buddy have drank all the beers? I have the front deck lower than the rear for stability, and am covering up the nose because I don't think I will be standing up there and I want as much storage as possible. I'm thinking that might make a nice place to put some plano boxes.

I'm thinking about just two seats, on adjustable removable pedestals, and four bases. Two bases were you see the seats drawn in, and bases in the middle of both decks. That way we can sit comfortably while I am beating you to the best hole and then we can just move them to fish. Also this would minimize "clutter" on the boat and give us maximum space to move around without tripping over anything. 

I am planning on building a new console, and will probably put a panel with all my switches for lights, bilge, livewell etc on the side of it, allowing for relatively easy access from both front and rear while fishing. That way no matter where I am I don't have to walk all the way across the boat to get to my switches, they are never farther than half way. Also I was thinking I could build some storage into it, possibly with access from the front deck.

No plans yet for the rear storage, I would like to put a second cooler/livewell but getting access under the part that covers the rear of the boat may become an issue, and I want to avoid putting weight back there. 

Feedback appreciated.


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## Mudduck (Mar 8, 2010)

I just commented about this in another post but watch how much weight you put up front. I hang a 25 hp johnson off the back of my 14 ft deep V lund and have had problems with one guy and a battery up front. Makes my boat really unstable at speed. I am going back to being heavy in the rear where my boat was alot more stable. Could differ between hulls, but i would recommend storage up front and keep the weight in the back.


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## Loggerhead Mike (Mar 8, 2010)

love that red white and blue


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## Jim (Mar 8, 2010)

Very cool man! :beer:


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## sturdi87 (Mar 8, 2010)

Loggerhead Mike said:


> love that red white and blue


Its on its way out the door, just painted the trailer, its drying right now. But once the boat is painted I'm going to slap an american flag decal on the transom to pay tribute to the boats past.













Mudduck said:


> I just commented about this in another post but watch how much weight you put up front. I hang a 25 hp johnson off the back of my 14 ft deep V lund and have had problems with one guy and a battery up front. Makes my boat really unstable at speed. I am going back to being heavy in the rear where my boat was alot more stable. Could differ between hulls, but i would recommend storage up front and keep the weight in the back.


Thanks, I will have to experiment with it and find the right balance. But great info!

Now I'm off to the store to pick up some hardware and odds and ends so I can get this trailer put back together. Hopefully by the end of the day I will have that done and get a little more prep done to the hull as well. I'm a college student and this week is my spring break. Goal for the week is to finish painting and catch a fish by the weekend, I'll probably be sitting on a cooler of beer in a bare hull... but that is the goal.


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## Loggerhead Mike (Mar 8, 2010)

> Goal for the week is to finish painting and catch a fish by the weekend, I'll probably be sitting on a cooler of beer in a bare hull... but that is the goal.



lol atleast you got the necessities


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## dyeguy1212 (Mar 8, 2010)

Looking good... where are you located?


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## LOWEshooter829 (Mar 8, 2010)

That black looks real nice!

What kind of paint did you end up using on the trailer?

I'm gonna be tearing into my trailer next week...I'm trying to figure out what kind of paint to run.


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## sturdi87 (Mar 8, 2010)

I'm located in northern kentucky currently. Born and raised in Shelby County Tennessee (collierville/fisherville).

The trailer was not only ugly but rough when I got it. I wanted it to have a little shine and look kinda new when I'm going down the highway, but to hide some of the imperfections, so I went with semi-gloss black rustoleum enamel and sprayed it on. If your new to spraying and I don't mean spray painting, remember to thin the paint, or I'm telling you, you need to thin the paint out. I bought several spray cans of the paint as well though for touch ups and such, but I covered the trailer inside and out, top to bottom with less than a quart (Note, I sanded extensively, then washed, then wiped with acetone before applying paint).

Also, thanks to tractor supply, I got all new hardware for everything that was not welded down to the trailer for right around ten bucks or so, I bought a new 2" coupler, some JB weld, new safety chains, and maybe something or two somethings more on the same trip. I think taking the time to disassemble everything before painting instead of caking it on top, in addition to the new shiny hardware, will go along way in giving this old trailer a new life.

I just can't wait to get to the boat, get it on the water, and catch some fish!


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## Hanr3 (Mar 9, 2010)

Looking great so far, nice job.

To be honest who really cares how smootht he paint is on the trailer. Its a trailer, besides everyone will be staring at the boat. 

TSC is one of the better places to find boat trailer parts. 
Enjoy your spring break!


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## dyeguy1212 (Mar 9, 2010)

sturdi87 said:


> I'm located in northern kentucky.




you should update your profile with location.. most members like to know where everyone is at.. User Control Panel top left.


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## eezerz (Mar 9, 2010)

looks like you got yourself a deal there. a great project... it sure was patriotic or circus'y....
i like the idea of the american flag to show a hint of it's past. you should also name the boat as well... i'd call her "CIRCUS ACT".... just as another hint to its past. and if you ever have a bad day fishing and don't catch anything, or you hook yourself, you could tell whom ever sees you and laughs, that's why it's called circus act...lol

but really, you have done a great job so far and i hope to see the end result...
=D> =D> =D>


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## sturdi87 (Mar 10, 2010)

Ha ha thanks for the name idea, I have not settled on a name yet and will throw it in the mix, I was considering just calling it "sunk," because I keep sinking more money into it! But really it most likely would have ended up with a US flag on it somewhere regardless. Any other name suggestions?

Heres another 'pile' of stuff for the project. My manual jack plate arrived the other day, it is pretty slick, and extremely light. Also note the pirate flag I got for the boat! You can see I bought a new coupler, safety chains, hardware for trailer I talked about from TSC (right at $10 for all that; Thank you TSC!) Also, the long thing laying on top of the cans of primer are alumiweld brazing rods, I have read good and bad, but think I want to give them a try for myself.




It took a lot of searching an multiple stops to get my hands on some suitable primer. I finally got my hands on these three cans of self etching primer. I just have spots on the hull where I have gotten down to bare metal so I will just be 'spot' priming. Also, while I was in town I wanted to get paint for the boat, I was looking for a flat oil-based enamel, but I looked all over and no one carries it, so I ended up buying some flat exterior acrylic latex tinted olive drab green at the last store i visited, and well I was getting a little tired of driving around by that point so I just kinda had a who cares whatever attitude at the point when I bought it. 

EDIT 3/11: Needless to say the acrylic latex won't be going on the boat, or at least any aluminum part of it. So I just threw away ~17. I ordered a gallon of Parkers Duck Boat Paint in Hunters Green and am waiting for it to arrive. In the meantime I've been tinkering around with the trailer and finally got it done, well almost, I got the wrong size hardware for a few things so once I pick that up it will be done, for now. I'll get some pictures up soon.


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## Hanr3 (Mar 10, 2010)

You could name it similar to a battle ship or air craft carrier, USS Clown. :mrgreen:


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## sturdi87 (Mar 19, 2010)

Found a marking on the hull, it is a small plate, on the underside of the cap at the front of the bow, it reads "/29/N" tried a google search, any body have any idea?







*Everyone, if you have a 14' aluminum v-bottom that looks something like mine go look and see if you have this marking on your hull please!*

EDIT:I am almost certain that I have identified my hull. I'm pretty much convinced it is a starcraft, 1960's era, it probably started its life out as something very similar to this:


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## sturdi87 (Mar 31, 2010)

Update: Trailer is as finished as its going to get right now. I got some overspray on it while painting the hull but its just going to have to stay for the summer.

I did lots of sanding, spent lots of time with a wire brush, and still need to do a little more on the interior, but the hull is painted. I wiped the hull with acetone and then I primed the entire exterior with 1.5-2 coats of spray can self etching primer. The exterior has 4 coats of parker coatings duck boat paint in hunter green and the interior has one, sprayed on with a wagner sprayer. Worked awesome.

*Note on the primer*: I used both duplicolor and rustoleum self etching primer, and have to recommend the rustoleum. It provided much better coverage, the duplicolor is very thin and will run if you spray it on half as thick as the rustoleum, I might have gotten some bad cans of duplicolor or something but basically it was far inferior to the rustoleum in my opinion.

*Note on Parker coatings duck boat paint:* I bought a gallon for like 33 plus shipping and four coats on the exterior, one on the interior have over a 1/4 gallon left. Note this is by spraying.

I plan on doing some more finish work to the inside of the hull then brushing/rolling on another coat or two.

Here are some before pics, some progress pics, and pictures of how it sits right now:





































































Those last few were some I snapped with my phone. 































*Next up:* Finish painting the hull interior as noted, then get a floor in this thing. Both of my motors are at the mechanics getting a tune up, should be back pretty soon.

*Floor:*
I searched the site and didn't even find a mention of advantech which surprised me a little, but I have three sheets of it and I'm going to be the guinea pig and use it to build my floors out of. I think it is really good stuff and I'm pretty confident it will last a very long time. This stuff is nothing like osb, don't let it fool you. Check out www.advantechperforms.com

















I'm running low on funds so a floor might be all it gets right now. I already have the advantech, the carpet, and 8 treated 2x2's so we will se how far that gets me.

EDIT: I have realized since I bought treated 2x2's that they will corrode the aluminum. Mistake #3


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## sturdi87 (Apr 7, 2010)

It seems like I haven't been getting anything done, my budget has slowed things down a bit (my original budget for the whole project is long gone, and I can afford to spend about $40 a week on it is all), but everything is starting to come together now. I'm going to go pick up my 40hp from the shop tomorrow or the next day. I decided to carpet the bow cover as well as the top of the splash well on each side.




Also you can see that I mounted navigation lights and some running lights. I swear that bow nav light is not crooked either it sure looks it in the picture though.

For running lights I just picked up a set of "driving lights" at the local big box store for about 18 bucks. I am thinking about getting another set to use as interior lights, mounting one fore and one aft facing each other and pointing kinda downwards. Those LED strips sure are slick but expensive, stuff like that adds up in a hurry. What do you guys think?





I went ahead and sprung for some nicer numbers for my registration, and I highly recommend going this route, makes a big difference, I personally really like the way it came out, I think it looks pretty slick, an extra $3 probably won't make this much of a difference almost anywhere else I would say.


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## sturdi87 (Apr 7, 2010)

For a little overview, I cut the pieces for the floor out of the advantech. The floor is three sections but I only used two sheets. This was not an easy task as the floor pieces that were in the boat when I got it where not done too well so I decided not to use them as templates. 





Tip: If you are going to cut a floor for a similar V type boat, don't even mess with a jigsaw when cutting your curves, your likely to end up with a nasty cut. What I did was I took width measurements every foot, then I marked these on the advantech panels. Then I just connected the dots, sketching the best curve I could, and i'm no artist. Then I just took the power tools to it! I'll admit I made my first main cut with a jigsaw and oh man was it ugly, so i moved in about an inch and tried again, this time with the circular saw, and the result was beauty. It is difficult to curve a circular saw, but it can be done if you just go slow, but this inherent property also helps prevent you from making a wavy cut, resulting in a surprisingly nice, smooth curve in my case at least. Also the advantech is super hard, much more difficult to cut than plywood.





The advantech has tongue and groove so I wanted to take advantage of this. So I hammered my sections together and then used a couple 2x2's to fasten them together on the bottom. I carpeted it as one big section, I used a trowel to spread outdoor carpet glue and then just laid the carpet on. Turned out very nice and smooth. I let it set up, then I flipped it, trimmed the carpet, and used staples (the kind you hammer in) to tack the bottom.




I would rather have done it a different way, but because of how the floor sits in the boat, and wanting to utilize the tongue and groove, this seemed like a good idea. It is a bear though.
and of course I had to hook up the running lights just to see now that it is dark. No flash, from the front and then from inside the boat looking out.


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## Anonymous (Apr 9, 2010)

You're doing a really great job.

I can't wait to see the end result.

Keep the good work going !


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## Froggy (Apr 9, 2010)

Looks great!


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## sturdi87 (Apr 9, 2010)

Put some EPS under the floor for flotation, I am planning on adding more flotation foam. I only got a little over 5.4 cubic feet under there I figure, which equates to about 320lbs of flotation. https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/education_safety/safety/boatwater/backyardboatbuilders.pdf At least it will sink a little slower now! I glued all the pieces together with foam board glue.




I had to make sure to leave clearance for the 2x2's. The floor rests directly on top of that aluminum center support.










I also installed some seats :lol:


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## UtahBassKicker (Apr 9, 2010)

Very nice. That floor looks awesome.


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## Froggy (Apr 9, 2010)

I like that space!!


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## Henry Hefner (Apr 9, 2010)

Looks great, but I have a question. How did you fasten the floor down to the hull? I ask, because if the floor just sits in place without fasteners, all that flotation foam will not help float the hull.


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## sturdi87 (Apr 9, 2010)

Henry Hefner said:


> Looks great, but I have a question. How did you fasten the floor down to the hull? I ask, because if the floor just sits in place without fasteners, all that flotation foam will not help float the hull.



First off, I'd like to start out by saying that I love the teeth on your rig, and the probability that I copy-cat you on that is pretty high. I already bought the paint actually, that is too cool.

Good question, and good eye, because I haven't yet. The floor fits in there very snug, it is really nice and solid, but I am going to use some screws and screw it into the ribs on the edges in a few places along the length of the hull and also in the center to that beam which is riveted to the ribs. I still have things to put under it like the wiring harness for the 40hp as well as steering and controls for the 40. I have done basically everything by myself but I got the chance to sucker someone into helping me get the floor in the boat today, so I took advantage of that. I can lift up one side and prop it up by myself to do all of that stuff.

Oh yeah, just for good measure, and since I had a couple of gallons laying around already, I put some thompsons water seal on the advantech. One thin coat just like the directions say, really probably overkill. If anyone has any questions about it feel free to ask.

I am overall really happy that I went with the advantech. It is 3/4 so that might be a little overkill, but since I am doing this in pieces, with everything you see here up to when you see a pic of it on the water the first piece of the build, I'll make the flat floor work for now, and eventually I will be building decks. And that floor is solid, I mean solid, It is going to make building decks so much easier, it is going to be a great base. I am already thinking about decks, livewell, etc. I plan to use the sheet of advantech I have left over for the tops of the decks, framing with 2x2's, and using some thinner plywood, 3/8 or something, whatever I find a good price on and looks good, to "skin" anything.


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## sturdi87 (Apr 10, 2010)

I thought this was pretty slick, starcraft decals:










This is what I have for steering, I think I am going to have to buy a whole new system, including transom support mount, I'm not exactly sure how everything goes though. I don't have the clamp block.


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## alanbird_87 (Apr 12, 2010)

Very nice boat. I have a 15' Monark that i just started working on. Check it out sometime.


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## sturdi87 (Apr 12, 2010)

alanbird_87 said:


> Very nice boat. I have a 15' Monark that i just started working on. Check it out sometime.



Thanks, haven't seen it I don't think, link? 
EDIT: Saw it!


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## sturdi87 (Apr 26, 2010)

My 7.5hp Johnson is still inoperable, and I'm still waiting on parts to finish connecting the steering for the 40hp, so I could only use my new trolling motor(this is a 10hp limited lake), a Minn Kota Edge 45lb Thrust 12v bow mount.



















Wake from trolling motor at full throttle. Scoots along pretty good.


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## UtahBassKicker (Apr 26, 2010)

Looks good. I have one question for ya, how did you attach the lawn chair to your floor? Did you us JB Weld or some #14 SS screws? :lol: Just kidding, but seriously looks good.


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## sturdi87 (Apr 26, 2010)

:lol: Decks seats and pedestals coming eventually, but I made sure to take a picture of it, it worked pretty well, comfy too! Keeping it classy!


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## sturdi87 (Apr 30, 2010)

Finally got everything hooked up and working, and finally spent a day on the water. Took a few videos while moving from spot to spot for your viewing pleasure which you will find below.

First off though, when I bought the boat, it came "with controls and steering" but it wasn't hooked up but laying on the floor "disconnected for painting, they just need to be hooked back up." Well turns out not exactly the case. Second, as I have never owned a console steer boat before and only driven been in big brand new factory built everything is hidden and I wasn't paying attention anyways boats I did not know exactly how everything went. As I was trying to figure this all out I had trouble finding information and pictures, maybe its just so easy no one ever thought to explain everything of take pictures. 

I ended up buying a new helm and steering cable (teleflex safe-t quick connect it was the cheapest) and a new link arm (T&R marine mercury 60-120hp). Then I built a bracket out of aluminum angle 1.5 x 1.5 x 1/8 to connect the link arm to the motor. I need to buy new control cables (shorter) here in the near future but that is for another payday! Feel free to ask questions but here are pics:

had this:




was like what?
bought a new steering cable (old one was way too long and didn't work well at all)












hmm...
and ended up like this:





















EDIT: got a chance to take some more/better videos and moved videos to a different host so new video post below.


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## sturdi87 (May 10, 2010)

Alright well I have had the boat out about 7 or 8 times now and I took some videos on two occasions. Well I will start with the first three I took, all on backwaters and creeks that feed into the ohio river in northern kentucky. In the second set you will notice I got a little better at driving and recording! Also, in the second set of videos I there was more weight on board and distributed differently, as a result I think I need to trim the motor out another notch with the added weight/different distribution. Will experiment tomorrow probably if I have time between catching fish.

*Here goes with the first set of videos:*
[youtube]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/IaK4y2rgBwg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/IaK4y2rgBwg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]
just cruising down the creek.

Throwing down the throttle here:
[youtube]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/AEt4OrBVNpg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/AEt4OrBVNpg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]
and some more footage:
[youtube]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/wRTlMmb-MAc&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/wRTlMmb-MAc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]


*Alright, here is the second set of videos:*
[youtube]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/TkjUFCfUBes&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/TkjUFCfUBes&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]

Headed out onto the ohio river:
[youtube]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/MClAUF8FnHA&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/MClAUF8FnHA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]

More video on the river that day:
[youtube]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/JknUrpKJOXQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/JknUrpKJOXQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]
You guys see the difference in the wake i'm talking about, still haven't gps'd it but will very soon, but it feels slower with the added equipment (second battery, second trolling motor, more misc fishing gear) and a bigger cooler of beer, not to mention my ~80+ lbs dog moving all around as she pleases probably doesn't help. Just from the feel of it, sound of the motor, and change in the wake I'm guessing trimming it out a little more might get me back closer to how it was running in the first set of videos, faster with the relatively flat wake way behind the boat.? Am I just thinking or what? I'm a newbee when it comes to stuff like that for sure so i would like to know if im on the right track or not, or if there is a track to go on at all? Anyways feedback appreciated hope you all enjoyed.


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## crazymanme2 (May 10, 2010)

You just have to play with the tilt & trim to find that sweet spot.I would also try raising the motor on the transom until it cavities, than lower it till the cavitation goes away.No sense dragging any more of the motor than necessary in the water.Also you can go in sallower water. =D>


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## sturdi87 (May 10, 2010)

crazymanme2 said:


> You just have to play with the tilt & trim to find that sweet spot.I would also try raising the motor on the transom until it cavities, than lower it till the cavitation goes away.No sense dragging any more of the motor than necessary in the water.Also you can go in sallower water. =D>



Yes I think raising it up a little would probably help, but that is easier said than done considering it is already bolted to the transom through original holes drilled by the previous owner. I don't really want to drill any more holes in the transom right now and I certainly want it bolted on. I plan on replacing the transom this winter most likely, although it was just done less than a few years ago, it is solid but the workmanship poor and I don't really like it, maybe then I will change the height, or maybe I will find the right height, then drill more holes anyways, that would give me even more of a reason to put me a nice new transom in this winter!

However, I did get a good start today on building a compartment for my trolling motor battery and tackle/misc storage in the bow as well as building a new console. I still have some more work to do (framing, access hatch, etc.) but some pics none the less:





There will be two more 2x2's running between the front and back on the top, along the edges of where the door will be eventually (the blue lines), everything was just 'tacked in' basically in the photos, so i could get the plywood cut, then take it all apart and seal and/or paint the various pieces. 








The lines are what I'm thinking right now anyways, there will be a door that gives access to the battery, then I will build compartments to hold plano tackle boxes in the space left under the bow cover. also, the area on top of the battery storage area I can sit things on, like a tackle box etc, and I am still figuring on exactly what and how i'm going to do it.


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## Rat (May 11, 2010)

On the motor you want the anti-ventilation plate to be just at the water level when on plane. I know you don't want to make more holes on the transom, but it will be worth it to get the motor right. You can even put a small manual jack plate on it, in the original holes probably, and then get the motor height right. If you are going to rebuild the transom this Winter I would get it perfect and then build the new transom based on what you found to be the right height. Sealing the holes with some carriage bolts and 4200 will make it watertight in the meantime.


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## sturdi87 (May 11, 2010)

Rat said:


> On the motor you want the anti-ventilation plate to be just at the water level when on plane. I know you don't want to make more holes on the transom, but it will be worth it to get the motor right. You can even put a small manual jack plate on it, in the original holes probably, and then get the motor height right. If you are going to rebuild the transom this Winter I would get it perfect and then build the new transom based on what you found to be the right height. Sealing the holes with some carriage bolts and 4200 will make it watertight in the meantime.



Thanks for the input and yeah you are probably right, and I'll probably end up doing it sooner rather than later. And thanks thats a good idea to use bolts and the 4200. Even if I don't do that I'm going to pick up some 4200 to seal up the bolts that are mounting the motor right now, as my main concern is not taking on water through them, but rather creating points where the transom is more vulnerable to water and thus accelerate any problems, because like I said the workmanship on it is very poor, I don't know what kind of wood they used, etc. and as if I really need to spend more money I have my eye on a manual jack plate. :lol:


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## sturdi87 (Sep 5, 2010)

I have been doing a little here and there between trips. I installed a Lowrance Mark 5x-Pro sonar on the bow that is easily visible from drivers position when underway. Put in switches for anchor, nav and docking lights. Also put some Wise seats in on pin type pedestals and bases. I'm getting started on doing some aluminum framing for interior compartments.


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## NextTopBassFisherman (Feb 15, 2012)

Did you ever make he any more progress on it? Like the deck and stuff?


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## Proyotehunter (Mar 16, 2012)

Looking good.


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