# 14' Starcraft Seafarer Build



## atuck593

I know this is the section for builds and modifications but just a brief introduction before the project. My name is Alex, I'm 23 from Pa. I have fished from shore since before I could remember with my dad and brothers. Last summer the local lake decided to drain a few feet of water to replace the boat launch ramps. Not bad in theory but when you hit the summer drought the water level became very low. It made fishing from shore very difficult. I purchased a small kayak to fish from on the lakes and streams. It was nice to hit the shallows but being 6' 2" 220 lbs it was tough to move around and sit in for a long period of time. I also had to leave my brothers on shore. This started my search for a small aluminum fishing boat and ultimately brought me to this site. I have been looking at all of the builds on this site for a little while and have seen some awesome work by everyone. After researching some of the builds and asking a few questions I think I have a plan on what I would like to do with my boat. 

I am starting with a 1971 14' 3" Starcraft Seafarer. I have seen a few people on here working with Starcrafts and have got a lot of great ideas. The boat will be powered by 1972 Evinrude 9.5 and a Minn Kota Endura 50lb thrust trolling motor. I mainly used the electric motor as the three closest lakes to me are electric only but I picked up a running Evinrude for a decent price this winter. I hope to get to some bigger water this summer with the outboard.


----------



## atuck593

The weather here in PA has been awesome as of late. About 8 inches of snow on Monday and then 5 inches of rain the last two days. I may need my boat soon just to get to work. I guess I just couldn't wait until spring to start but since I don't have a garage the boat rebuild just might have to wait a little longer. However, I have restored my little 9.5 Evinrude and I am pleased with how it came out. I have heard mixed reviews about these 9.5 Evinrude's and their Johnson counterparts but the price was right and it does weigh very little for its horsepower. I may move up in HP someday but as my first boat goes I am content putting around on a lake with this. Along with $150 bucks for the motor I bought three cans of spray paint. (Duplicolor Self Etching Primer $6 can...Engine enamel navy blue $6 and white $6) and decals off of Ebay ( $8 with free shipping) to fixer up a bit. I can live with $26 to at least make it look good!


----------



## ultra353

Thats a great boat you have there. Nice job on the motor too! I have a `68 evinrude 9.5 that i`ve completely gone through, there nice lightweight motors. Mine pushes my 12` smokercraft with just me at about 15-16 mph. it should push yours 12-15 mph depending on load. My friend has the same boat as yours and its a stable, dry, good riding boat. I liked it so much i just picked up a `85 14ft deep v seafarer. Good luck with her.


----------



## mcdonl

That's awesome. I have the same boat, I am just getting started. I picked up the last of the items I needed to get going... or at least that I think I need. It's a race to beat the melting ice!


----------



## jasper60103

Wow, great job. Looks like you're ready to hit the water.


----------



## atuck593

Thanks guys for the feedback and support.

Ultra- congrats on your Starcraft purchase. I can't wait to see what your plans are on your build.

mcdonl- I know what you mean about not being sure if you have everything. I have been slowly purchasing items for the build all winter like seats and pedestals and such. I hope that way once I get started I will have everything that I need for that particular step of my build.

I have bought Gluvit for the seams and rivets ( I have read that steelflex can be a pain to work with ) as there was a small amount of water in the back of the boat the two times I took it out. Maybe 2 cups after a few hours out. It's not bad but if I have a floor in it I want to seal that up.

I plan to carpet everything but I have priced a few places and it looks like for a 6 ft wide by 20 ft long piece of marine carpet I will be paying way close to $150. Could I just use outdoor carpet? Whats the difference between? They are both water and mold resistant but the outdoor is a lot cheaper. Any thoughts? Any places that have awesome prices on this item?

I drew up a picture of what I would like to do and what colors I would like to use below. If anyone has any advise or suggestions from experience please let me know don't hesistate share. I am new at this and would like to get it as close to right the first time through. Mistakes can become expensive with boats as I have been pricing the items.


----------



## Pumping4Jane

Like the layout. Nice open mid-deck. I would probably offset, from center, the rear seat for easier access to the tiller.


----------



## atuck593

I know I have been debating how I would like to set up the back seat with the tiller. I figured when fishing I would like to have the seat on the pedestal centered as to balance out the boat and fish from both sides without leaning too much. But then it would be a stretch to operate the tiller comfortably. I might end up getting another seat base to put the seat in while moving and then having the center one while fishing.


----------



## ray55classic

Looks like you have a very well balanced fishing boat there. I like your ideas on the layout {sometimes less really is more} 2 low profile, light weight decks, fore and aft is what i've had in mind for mine too. The quality of your work is apparent from the photos , I'm looking forward to veiwing your progress, keep up the great work.....


----------



## SlowRollin'

Solid paint job. 

What process did you use to remove the decals on the cowling? Did you just sand them off or apply heat to remove, then sand?

And the paint, was is rattle can or brush and tip? Sorry to ask so many questions, I'm still trying to figure this whole process out. Looks like you've got a pretty good handle on it!

T.


----------



## atuck593

Ray- Thanks. Yeah I want to keep it simple and stable with the low decks. At this point I am content with just enough storage for the lifejackets, foldable paddles (with two motors I think oars onboard would take up a lot of room so if I get into trouble foldable canoe paddles I hope will do the trick), and some tackle boxes. 

SlowRollin- Thanks I am pretty happy with the way it came out too. It was my first time working on one. I did some research on here as well as just searched on Google ways to paint and restore an outboard motor for different resources. As I said before the previous owner used a clear coat over the whole cowling so i just sanded everything down until it was smooth and evened out. I just painted over the decals and everything with the self etching primer and engine enamel. I only used rattle cans with the paint job...but I made sure to tape everything off so as to not get paint onto the motor itself. I would stay away from the Krylon multi-purpose paint though. I bought some thinking it would work on the aluminum prop and plastic cowling (hence multipurpose). Big mistake! I tested it out on the prop after using the self etching primer and it never dried to a hard finish and I was able to scratch it off with my fingernail. I went back to get the engine paint then and re-do the prop and start the cowling. I also had a secret weapon with the decals. I got a good deal on Ebay with them but my girlfriend is an art teacher soo she helped line them up and get them as close to symmetrical as we could. Don't worry about the questions. A lot of guys on here were nice enough to share information with me I am glad to share what I can as I work through mine (but by no means am I an expert). I also have a lot more questions here as I work through my build.


----------



## atuck593

Alright to take advantage of some nice weather this week I decided to remove the bench seats and prep the rivets and seams for the application of Gluvit. I used a steel wire wheel to clear away the old paint and dirt around the rivets and seams and get down to the bare aluminum. I read on here and have got some feedback from people that have used it before said it sticks better to the bare aluminum rather than apply it over the existing paint. 

The paint that is on there however, was pretty tough to get off in some places which has me think I may only need to spot prime later on before I paint the interior. After about two hours of grinding I was able to get it preped and ready to go. Depending on the weather I may just start tomorrow after work.


----------



## ray55classic

Atuck I reread what you said about driving from the center of the boat, you do know that people extend the tiller with a slip on handle to do what your talkin about. As far as the carpet I think the marine is gasoline resistance but I'm not sure, I'm pretty sure the outdoor is not.


----------



## atuck593

Ray- I know what you mean about the tiller extension. I have seen some guys use them, but I plan on sitting on the rear bench when using the outboard. It was just a matter of should I sit center on the rear bench or off set to the right. I plan on mounting the removable pedestal on the rear deck in the center and then drop it down when moving. I want to balance out the weight on that rear deck the best that I can. As for the carpet I have to check into that more. I am thinking that local stores will carry different products as opposed to simply searching online.


----------



## Bassaholic

Nice boat and motor. Well to be honest I love the setup seeing how I have the exact setup. Good luck and cant wait to see what you do with it.


----------



## atuck593

Thanks Bassaholic thats a nice looking boat you have there yourself as well. (Ha same boat and outboard.) I like the simple layout of it. How well does the little 9.5 push the boat with the added weight? I can't test it out yet as the lake up here is still frozen. Also, when you have the motor attached to the boat and tilt it up to pull out of the water (like in your picture) ratchets keep it in place. However, do you have a release lever or something to allow the motor to go back down to the running position? The previous owner said that you just need to push it back down when you would like to use it. Does this seem right?


----------



## atuck593

Well I guess not everything goes as planned. Finally had some nice warm weather today (reached 50) and I thought I would get everything ready to apply Gluvit tomorrow ( heat wave 60+ tomorrow). Anyway, the boat has always been dry and covered, but due to working on it the past day or two it was left uncovered. 
This is where everything does downhill faster than the Jamican Bobsled Team. Looking at the transom it was just wet but upon further inspection the plywood was flaking and falling off a little right where the outboard mounts. Thinking rot...I gave it a closer look and the piece of rubber mat that was screwed into the transom for the outboard to mount on and cut back on vibration simply pulled right out. The screws were about 3/4" and I first thought the rot went all the way through. After removing them I realized the rot was the worst on the holes drilled through. 
Planning now to replace the transom I started to unscrew the bolts holding it in place. 40 + years of trailering the boat and using a 20HP motor caused the aluminum bolts to bend just enough to not allow the nut on the other side to come off. The the soft aluminum heads of the screws stripped using a plain old screw driver. Getting the hacksaw out, I cut the bolts off at the heads and pulled them threw but we're not done yet. 
After getting the aluminum cap off the top of the transom I discovered colony of carpenter ants burrowing their way throughout the transom like an ant farm. At this point I was relieved that I had checked out the transom further. Finally, the 2" thick slab of plywood was all but too eager to come out of the channel it was bolted into for the last 40 years. I wanted to try and save its shape the best I could to use it as a template for the new transom being put in. I will just have to piece it back together a little bit.
I guess now in hindsight I am glad that I have to replace the transom especially since the colony of ants had made my boat their home. But while I was in the middle of the removal I was thinking otherwise.


----------



## ultra353

Well atuck593, better to find out now than in the middle of the season. After the rebuild it will be as good as new and you`ll have piece of mind if ever decide to upgrade the outboard. Keep up the good work!


----------



## atuck593

I got a little bit more of the transom re build done this weekend. I was able to remove the old one, cut and fit a new 2 x 8, and stain the new one. I currently have the new transom drying down the basement waiting to apply a few coats of spar urethane but in the mean time I figured I would post what I have done.


----------



## atuck593

Well...the last week has been pretty slow. Even though the calendar says Spring it still feels like everything but here in northeast PA. The only bright side is Trout Season opens this Saturday so getting everything ready has kept me occupied and not thinking about the boat too much. I made sure to seal up the transom pretty good by applying 2 coats of stain and 3 coats of Spar Urethane to both pieces of wood. I also plan on placing a small piece of aluminum plate over both the transom and back plate to keep the motor mounts from digging into the wood. I think that is what cause the rot to start last time.


----------



## atuck593

My build has really depended upon the weather since I don't have a garage to work in. I have been working on the different pieces of the build that can be completed in my basement. I am hoping that today was a sign that Spring is here 54 and sunny. Since I can't paint the boat or apply Gluvit to the boat due to the unpredictable weather I have turned to fixing a few minor odds and ends. The trailer for my boat is in great shape it's a 1999 Long made of unpainted galvanized steel. One problem I wanted to fix was not being able to see the trailer when backing down the ramp to take the boat out of the water. The bed of my truck sits up a little high which blocks my line of sight. I priced a few already made bolt on guides from Cabela's and BPS but they were all easily over 100 bucks. Money I don't need to spend when I can have someone help back me down the ramp for free. Once again this site did not leave me down.

I have seen a few guys build guides out of PVC and aluminum on here and figured that this would be the best solution. I can't remember which member came up with this idea but I want to give them credit for their creativity because this is not my idea. I bought an aluminum square tube ladder support from Lowe's $25 and it came with all the mounting hardware needed (I would sewar the company that made this product also designed it as a guide for us tin boaters). I also purchased a piece of 2" PVC pipe with 2" caps for $6. Using lock washers I had at the house I put the guides and sights on the trailer this afternoon.


----------



## Bassaholic

atuck593 said:


> Thanks Bassaholic thats a nice looking boat you have there yourself as well. (Ha same boat and outboard.) I like the simple layout of it. How well does the little 9.5 push the boat with the added weight? I can't test it out yet as the lake up here is still frozen. Also, when you have the motor attached to the boat and tilt it up to pull out of the water (like in your picture) ratchets keep it in place. However, do you have a release lever or something to allow the motor to go back down to the running position? The previous owner said that you just need to push it back down when you would like to use it. Does this seem right?





Yeah it doesnt get on plane with me and my buddy in it. Still waiting to try a few things out ( put a stabalizer on the motor, shift some weight, and run without any deck). But yes raising the motor is kinda tricky and doesnt seem right but it is. You gotta kinda start lifting and on the right side theres a bar that runs up and down on the transom mount. Lift until you feel it come loose and slide it forward, then lift it till you can slide it back into the next notch. If you want i could send a few photos. I had my motor guy give the ups and downs on it when i had mine re-built.


----------



## atuck593

Bassaholic...thanks I just went down to look at that lever it does lock the motor in that tilted position. I guess I will just have to grease the fittings really good when I re-grease it. Thats a bummer though that the 9.5 won't get it on a plane. I have seen a ton of 14 footers with a 9.9 on them and figured .4 HP wouldn't make that much of a difference.
How does your transom mount trolling motor work up on the bow? I have an Endura 50 and I am thinking I will have to build a pretty strong bracket up there and or mount it directly to the side of the boat. Sorry for all the questions...I just figured since you already have done what I would like to do you could offer some of your experiences. Thanks.


----------



## atuck593

Alright...I know it has been awhile since my last post on the build but I have been making some progress the past few weeks. A little Trout fishing...a little prep work...and some shopping for parts have kept me busy. Here is the progress so far through several pictures. I find that it helps me to see through pictures what others have done rather than just reading about it. As always if anyone has advise for the build please don't hesistate to share. This is my first build so I am learning as I go.


----------



## atuck593

The build is finally getting into full swing. The weather for the first half of the week was nice enough to get a few coats of paint on the interior of the boat...and the thunderstorms the second half have at least allowed me to strip the paint from the outside. Next week I plan on building the frame for the front and rear casting decks since the interior is painted.


----------



## atuck593

I have been very busy as of late working on the boat. I have set the goal of trying to have it finished by Memorial Day Weekend. I figured a nice three day weekend to get some fishing and time on the water in. I have been able to frame the floor, front deck, and rear deck. For the first time working with aluminum angle and square tube I don't think it turned out half bad. I just made sure to measure three times and cut once. 
I picked up the aluminum from a surplus/scrap yard which sold it per pound rather than by the foot. I would recommend that route to anyone looking into supplies for their build. A retail store like Lowe's or Home Depot had single pieces for over $20 which would cost a small fortune. Also if you have a choice I would go with the angle iron since it can be riveted directly together. If you use square tubing you will need angle brackets to connect the pieces together which can also add up in cost.

After three days of work, 300+ holes drilled, countless pieces cut, and over 300 rivets, it is finally done. I have also cut out the template for the decking which I will start cutting the plywood tomorrow. I picked up 5/8ths thick untreated for the decking and floor. I think that 3/4ths on this small of a boat would have been a little overkill as well as a lot of extra weight.

Finally, thinking ahead I have also ordered Easypoxy by Pettit which should be here by the end of the week to paint the sides and bottom. It was reccommended by a few of the guys on here as a good quality paint. The sides will be Jade Green and the bottom will be Platinum Gray.


----------



## jsreichenbach

Man you are doing an awesome job with this boat. I just recently bought a 81 Gamefisher 14' V boat and have been looking all over for good ideas and have found some here and some there but you just put them all together. So I guess this is my way of saying, :roll: "Sorry man, great job but Im gonna steal your idea"..lol. I am excited to see you next steps. Thanks for the help already.


----------



## atuck593

jsreichenbach said:


> Man you are doing an awesome job with this boat. I just recently bought a 81 Gamefisher 14' V boat and have been looking all over for good ideas and have found some here and some there but you just put them all together. So I guess this is my way of saying, :roll: "Sorry man, great job but Im gonna steal your idea"..lol. I am excited to see you next steps. Thanks for the help already.



Sounds like you have a good boat there to start with. Good luck on your build you will have to post some pics of your progress. I don't mind "borrowing" ideas lol since I did the same with my build. I didn't realize that all of these mods could be made to such small tin boats. I am glad I found this site. I plan to be posting a few more pics of my build soon, but I am working hard to have it completed by the Memorial Day deadline I set. I really want to get the boat back together to get out a start fishing already.


----------



## atuck593

" I love it when a plan comes together."
After the past week of absolute crap for weather....mother nature made up for it today. I would have rather been on the lake fishing today but getting the boat 90% done is as close to second as I would like to be. At this point all I have left is paint the outside, and carpet the wooden pieces. I was able to get a mock build up, run the motor, mount the seats, mount the battery box and tray, and finally get a good coat of paint on the inside. I will explain in the pictures below.


----------



## Zum

Coming along nicely,looks good.


----------



## bigfrog23

Hay u might run into problems with that dimond plate on the back of the transom like that. U want it to bight into that peace of wood on the back of the transom on the out side. As for the peace on the inside of the boat that one should be good and help keep bolts from maring up the transom. As for the rest of the boat it looks sweet nice job.


----------



## ENIRB

Well, it's Memorial Day... was the deadline met?


----------



## atuck593

ENIRB said:


> Well, it's Memorial Day... was the deadline met?


And then some... had it out Saturday, Sunday, and then tonight. The boat met all of my expectations. It was perfectly stable to fish from both decks (bow and stern) as well as stand and fish from the middle. My girlfriend was happy that she had a place to tan on the front deck during the day. I didn't mind the view either. 

I do however, have a few things that I would like to tweak and fix. ( I guess it comes with the territory. ) The motor worked great for having not run all winter. One pull and we were off. Hovever, she is way underpowered, no plane but I think relilable. A few of the hatches need a little more support, and finally I need to bow mount my trolling motor. Having two motors in the back is a little tight and you have to be careful as to not hit gas motor while trolling with the electric. Finally, mount a permanent bow light for night. I bought a clamp on thinking it would be easy, but leaning all the way to the bow and then having to worry about dropping it in the water. My project tomorrow is to mount a permanent one. Hopefully tomorrow I will have pics of the finished product thus far.


----------



## atuck593

Well here are some updated pictures of the finished product. As always there are little things to work on but they will come over time. I have been out every night so I haven't really had time to post some pictures until now.


----------



## jasper60103

Very nicely done. 
Btw, I rather have my TM on the bow as well. I just seen a foot control model on craigslist. I'm tempted.


----------



## cjldad

I have the same model but with 4 seats.. Can't remember what the model is.. 
I really want to remove the second seat from the back to give me some floor space.
I don't see where you did any bracing to replace the bracing from the origional seat..
What were your thoughts on it?
Thanks!


----------



## atuck593

jasper60103 said:


> Very nicely done.
> Btw, I rather have my TM on the bow as well. I just seen a foot control model on craigslist. I'm tempted.



Hey thanks.... last night I clamped the trolling motor onto the right side of the boat as close to the bow as possible. I used a piece of 2 x 4 for the trolling motor mounts to dig in to and I swear that there was a wake behing the boat when I was at full speed. That is also with three of us in the boat. I guess it is easier to pull the boat through the water rather than push it. I would like to find a more permanent way to mount it though... still thinking.



cjldad said:


> I have the same model but with 4 seats.. Can't remember what the model is..
> I really want to remove the second seat from the back to give me some floor space.
> I don't see where you did any bracing to replace the bracing from the origional seat..
> What were your thoughts on it?
> Thanks!



Mine is a 1971 Starcraft Seafarer. It only had three benches to begin with. I bought thicker pieces of aluminum tubing with the intention of using them to brace up the inside in the middle. This is only what I did based on how it has worked out for me but I have noticed no hull flex on the sides at all without those supports so I didn't put them in. I think that since I have aluminum framing attached to the sides and bottom of the boat for the decks and floor they bring everything together nice and strong. Another reason I may not notice anything is I because I do have an underpowered motor on the boat. The lil 9.5 just putts along it's no speed demon. I have also been caught in the wake of a speedboat that came up from behind me and passed me with no flexing issues as well. I figure if it is working well now why change it or mess with it, but if I have to it "should" be as easy as adding the pieces to the side and securing them to the floor.


----------



## atuck593

Hope that helps with your build.


----------



## JonBoatfever

great job, you could always upgrade the crabs on the motor to a 15


----------



## atuck593

Jon Boat,

I wasn't sure if I would be able to upgrade the carb on that model or how much it would cost so... I went searching and found a 1968 Evinrude 18 horse for a pretty good deal. I just picked it up this week and is in decent shape for the year. Man does the boat fly now though... it can get up on a plane no issue at all. I am glad I made the upgrade.


----------



## great white

Nicely done conversion. 

Got a few ideas from it for my 12 footer.

For the compartments you aren't sure what to put in there, I'd rig up a nice permanent tackle box that could be slide up and down on rails instead of bungee cording the bigger one on the deck. Nice and clean, less deck space with clutter.

Just my .02........


----------



## mmarz4evr

hey,

I just bought a seafarer that looks just like yours. I believe its a 1989. I'm trying to figure out what size solid rivets i should use, and was wondering if you know what size rivets you would use on yours? thanks


----------



## atuck593

Umm......good question :-k ??? I didn't have to replace any rivets in the hull below the waterline and therefore didn't have to use any solid rivets. I just covered all of the rivets with Gluvit to provide a flexible water tight seal. Knock on wood the one small leak that was there has stopped. 

The only holes i drilled through the hull itself were where the old seat mounts were, and for them I used a 3/16" pop rivet. When I drilled them out it seemed like that was the diameter of the original rivet in there. So I think 3/16" is what you will need. Be careful of using pop rivets below the waterline though as water will leak in through the center.


----------



## atuck593

Well the season is finally here ... the season for mods on our tin boats that is  . Bass season is on hold for at least a few more months here in PA #-o . I made a few upgrades from last summer until now. I got into fishing Bass tournaments with my neighbor. We fished quite a few summer tournaments here in NEPA at Beltzville State Park. We used his 19ft Lund Pro - V, there is just a little bit more room than my tin, but I hope to fish one or two tournaments with mine this summer on a smaller electric only lake in the area. We did make the club championship in the fall, but only caught two dinks. It was on the last nice day in October and therefore pleasure boat paradise on the water. People everywhere, but we at least weighed in though.
Just before sunrise and the start of the tournament. Thought it was a cool picture with the fog over the water.




I upgraded the tow rig as well. 2011 Ram Big Horn. I hope it can handle towing the little tin around lol.



Alright, and now to the plans for 2012.



1. Last summer I upgraded my motor to an 18HP Evinrude. It runs great but I would like to clean it up a bit by getting rid of some grease, repainting the motor, and add new decals to the hood. 

2. I would like to add a new stern or anchor light. I have a battery powered one right now but it isn't very bright and it sits right level with where I sit, which draws the bugs at night right to me. I would like to add one with a plug in base that reaches higher than where I sit to keep the bugs above my head. Plus I don't have to replace the D batteries every week.

3. A small switch board that can control the lights and power to the fish finder.

4. A new bow mount trolling motor. I am looking at a Minn Kota Power Drive V2. I know there are mixed thoughts on them but I have never used a foot control trolling motor before so I don't think they would be hard to switch movements like from a cable. I 99.9% fish lakes so I don't need to fight currents (which I heard they are bad with) and I don't get too close to cover for the reaction time of the electric drive motor to be too slow. Finally I like the idea that it won't take up too much space on the deck and you can control it from anywhere on the boat. I sometimes fish from the stern which would allow me to control the boat from there.

5. I am thinking of adding small accent lights into the sides of the deck facing the middle. This would help see at the end of the night when cleaning up. I also found small red tinted ones to maybe use when switching new lures or unhooking a fish. The low red tint will keep me from going blind. I would also hook them up to the switch board.

6. Finally, I would like to make a small cooler livewell. I heard one of the Bass clubs in the area is moving their tournament to a smaller electric only lake. This would be perfect since my tin would move well on a small lake and not have to keep pace with larger boats that have 200+ HP. I would like to be able to remove the livewell when not in use since this would save on weight and space. I have seen the kits from BPS with the pump and aerator.


----------



## atuck593

I was able to get started this past weekened on fixing up my "new to me" 1968 Evinrude. Even though it was considered a classic when I was born ( 20 + years old ) it still runs like a champ. The previous owner I bought it from said that the motor was on his parents neighbors aluminum fishing boat. When they were selling the motor he bought it for his boat as a kicker motor to go fishing, but never really got into fishing. The motor just sat on a kicker mount on the back of his boat. Overall it has the wear of a motor its age (faded decals and paint, a ton of grease built up, and some minor scratches.) I plan on removing the grease, repainting the motor components, and finally repainting the hood with new decals. I would like to try and have the motor look as close as possible as it does now.

The motor as it started.



Like I said the motor hood isn't in too bad of a condition for its age but its scratched and scuffed. I would like to sand it down to a smooth surface, prime, paint, decal, and clearcoat the surface.



Three of the emblems on the hood are painted tin. They are attached by small plastic clips on the back. These are in pretty good shape and I would like to take them off to paint the hood and then place them back on untouched.



The inside of the motor is covered by a thin film of grease and oil. I plan on just cleaning or wiping out the inside.



The original owner bought a whale tale for the motor. I have read mixed things about them. It works fine on the boat and allows it to plane at a lower speed, but I don't know if it slows down the top end speed? They drilled holes and bolted through the cavitation plate so I think if I remove it the holes might create drag and slow down the boat anyway? I will just keep it on the motor once it is cleaned up.



The 44 years of grease build up. I needed to scoop most of it off with a screwdriver. I used car motor grease remover to get most of it off, then scrubbed it with a mixture of greased lightning and dawn to remove the film. There are still a few corners that I couldn't reach so I am thinking of going to the car wash and using the power washer to give it a one final good cleaning.
Once it is sanded down I will wipe the surface with acetone to make sure it is a clean as possible.



Originally I wanted to break the motor down into as many pieces as I could. But after trying to remove the power head to release the lower unit I decided to just let it go. The bolts to release the power head were rusted solid. I was afraid that I would break them off so I just decided to let them be.



A few pieces of the motor that came off.



The transom mount bracket. Once again you can see the grease build up that I would like to remove prior to paint. I plan to cover the serial # up and other original decals with tape before you paint.



The swivel steering bracket and tiller handle. 



To get the tin emblems off the motor I had to cut these little plastic clips off. I was wondering if anyone knows where I could find them?



Finally, the rubber killswitch knob. When I bought the motor it was dry rotted and starting to fall off. I am looking for a new one. I have searched several outboard dealers and they only seem to sell the entire cutoff switch unit as opposed to just the rubber push knob. I included the cap to get some perspective if anyone can help.


----------



## hunter4life3020

Hi This is first post.I have the same starcraft only 12 foot long.I was wondering what year did you finally come up with? My boat has no HIN or title I have nothing for paperwork.I just sent out paperwork to try to get a HIN number.I was also wondering What you think I should get for motor.I have been using 3 horse to put put.I want something to get me there in fair time not all day lol.I am thinking of getting 9.8 nissan or something similar.Do you think it would be good for 2 people in boat to get around?


----------



## atuck593

Mine is officially a 1971 according to the state of PA. That's what my registration says. It depends how much extra weight you add to the boat. With the weight of the frame, floor, and people, the lil 9.5 just couldn't get it on a plane thats why I upgraded to the 18 HP. The max HP for my boat is 20HP so I am really close to that, but the boat flys now. Overall I think the 9.5 was just under powered because I see guys on the lake with modern 9.9HP's moving around pretty well. So I would think that a 9.8 would work great on your boat on your smaller boat. Most of the guys on here have that size motor on their 12 footers.


----------



## JFlanagan

Hey Guy,

If you dont mind me asking what did you use for paint on the exterior of the Boat, Ive read and re-read the thread and cannot seem to find it, the paint came out well as did the whole boat. 

I may use this as a blueprint for my build.... A 1950's Ski Champ, though ill have to add the brackets through the Hull as the Ski Champs did not have your " standard " bench seats....

Anyways, that info should help... Thanks


----------



## atuck593

JFlanagan said:


> Hey Guy,
> 
> If you dont mind me asking what did you use for paint on the exterior of the Boat, Ive read and re-read the thread and cannot seem to find it, the paint came out well as did the whole boat.
> 
> I may use this as a blueprint for my build.... A 1950's Ski Champ, though ill have to add the brackets through the Hull as the Ski Champs did not have your " standard " bench seats....
> 
> Anyways, that info should help... Thanks



I coated the inside and outside of the boat with self etching primer. The inside I used Rustoleum Gray one quart and brushed it on. The outside I used Pettit Easypoxy. It was expensive but it has held up very good...worth the cost. I used jade green and platinum. Once again I brushed it on. I didn't have the setup to spray it on so I spent the money for a quality brush to give it a fine top coat. I don't have any photos since I was rushing to get the boat seaworthy at that point, but that was my process.


----------



## tynimiller

atuck593 said:


> JFlanagan said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hey Guy,
> 
> If you dont mind me asking what did you use for paint on the exterior of the Boat, Ive read and re-read the thread and cannot seem to find it, the paint came out well as did the whole boat.
> 
> I may use this as a blueprint for my build.... A 1950's Ski Champ, though ill have to add the brackets through the Hull as the Ski Champs did not have your " standard " bench seats....
> 
> Anyways, that info should help... Thanks
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I coated the inside and outside of the boat with self etching primer. The inside I used Rustoleum Gray one quart and brushed it on. The outside I used Pettit Easypoxy. It was expensive but it has held up very good...worth the cost. I used jade green and platinum. Once again I brushed it on. I didn't have the setup to spray it on so I spent the money for a quality brush to give it a fine top coat. I don't have any photos since I was rushing to get the boat seaworthy at that point, but that was my process.
Click to expand...


Was the Pettit you used for the bottom of the exterior rated for bottomside use? All I can find is Black or Blue in underside rated Pettit paint...rest is all topside? That self etching primer, was it Rustoleum as well?


----------



## atuck593

ty...
Both colors of the Pettit paint were Topside paint. It was from their Easypoxy line. My understanding of bottomside use is for if you plan on being in saltwater with your boat. I think it's so sea critters don't cling to or start growing on your boat if it sits for a little while. Either way I am happy with the paint it has held up well for me. The only thing is once you paint your boat you have to let it sit a full week to 10 days before you can take it into the water. 

I used Rustoleum self etching primer inside and out. The Rustoleum inside has held up well too. I only have a small scratch from when I hit a pot hole, my trolling motor being stored inside the boat put a scratch on the one side. Other than that I am happy with that as well.


----------



## sams

I spent much of my early days on the water in that same boat. The engines it had during my time the same 9.5 and the next body style of 18hp 'Rude. Great boat and nice work on the project.

Sam


----------



## atuck593

sams said:


> I spent much of my early days on the water in that same boat. The engines it had during my time the same 9.5 and the next body style of 18hp 'Rude. Great boat and nice work on the project.
> 
> Sam


Thanks Sam.... I have nothing but good things to say about the boat and motor combination. 

I have been working on my season 2 mods for my boat the past few weeks. I have re-done the motor...added a new trolling motor...and working on a few other toys. The weather has been awesome as of late and I have been in full swing working. I am hoping to have it back on the water by this weekend at the soonest but definitley by Easter break. Here is an update on some of the work from the motor re-paint.



I sanded down all of the rough spots. The paint was on there pretty good, but it was faded and chipped. I taped off all the decals and areas I didn't want painted. 



I used Rustoleum Self Etching primer. A few light coats with a light sand in between.







I used Duplicolor Automotive paint from spray cans. The color was light blue metallic.



The hood was Duplicolor gloss white.



Decals from the year the motor was made.



There was a small plastic decal on the back that was very faded. I taped off the area and painted it using old model paint that I had.



The final product after several coats of Duplicolor Clear Coat.








A few more toys to add to the boat. Some music while spending time on the water and heading to my fishing spots. I already have most of it installed on the boat but I just haven't had time to upload any of the photos.


----------



## fool4fish1226

That motor turned out sweet =D>


----------



## Bigkat650

Awesome job on the motor, it looks practically factory new!

I like the sound system too! I'm doing something similar on my build but just completely bypassing the CD player all together... just using an amp on a toggle switch that I can connect to an MP3 player/smart phone. Figured since I had an amp lying around, I could spend $30 on marine speakers and make a sound system!


----------



## mkwalz01

I have a starcraft seafarer as well and I am wondering where you got your boat cover? Also what you used as supports for the cover? Any information would help out greatly!


----------



## atuck593

Honestly... I am not sure. The cover and supports came with the boat when I bought it. It's a thick canvas cover supported by a wood frame underneath.


----------



## acabtp

hey, nice build!

i see you've got the 18 now, but about just "putting along" with the 9.5... maybe it wasn't putting out all the power it was supposed to. gunked up carb or not being at a proper rpm range at WOT?

i just say that because i have the same boat and my 9.9 planes it no problem with a little more than half throttle... pushes it to 17 mph by myself or 14 with another person aboard


----------



## TheMaestro

Hey, nice mod! I was wondering how your diamond plate on the outside of the transom washolding up? Any slippage of the motor?


----------



## atuck593

Thanks... I haven't noticed any slipping of the motor on the diamond plate so far. It has been on there for a year now and at wide open throttle the motor bites in nicely.


----------



## Gators5220

Nice job on this boat man, real clean. Nice restore on the outboard as well it looks factory new! =D>


----------



## atuck593

Hey...thanks a lot! I have added a few more things since last year but I just haven't had time to post any pics of the progress. Hopefully next week I will up load a few of them.


----------



## DaveInGA

You're doing a fine job with the build and have a great boat.


----------



## atuck593

Ok so I have some updates from this past season of builds. I added a few new things... I think I am coming to the end of the major mods with this build after two years. But as always there are a few small things I would like to update for next year including a cooler livewell, move the rear battery to the bow, and add a bicycle seat leaning post on the front. We'll see what happens, but there is still a lot of fishing this fall to do.

The new bow mount trolling motor added this year. A Minn Kota Power Drive 45lb thrust. It works great! I tried to add it as close to the centerline of the boat without blocking the view of my bow light. It can still be seen from all directions up front.


The new to me 18 hp motor. I re-painted it last winter and have added a few pics of the process on the build thread.


Inspired from a few other builds on here ( I wanna say GreatWhite to give him credit but I may be wrong), I added wooden console boxes to the sides of the stern. I use them for storage, switch pannel, small lights for night fishing, fish finder mount, and a place to plug in the stern anchor light.

You can see the anchor light mount and storage underneath.


The fish finder (new for this year) Humminbird 586ci hd di with color monitor, GPS, and down imagining. Underneath is storage for the anchor/stern light with clips to hold it in place. At the moment I am also charging the seperate battery I bought for the fish finder. A small 20 amp re-chargeable I bought on eBay.


View of the boat facing forward. I added a CD/Radio/MP3 player this past year. You can see the seat base in the center for the middle seat which is out at the moment.


Rear speakers and LED light bar. The LED light really helps when loading the boat at night to see the floor and deck, I like to make sure I dont leave any hooks or lures behind.


A bimini top for shade at the request of my girlfriend. We started to use the boat a few times this summer to picnic in small coves where we could relax, swim, and fish all day. I mounted it as close to the middle as I could. It allows me to easily fish from the front and give shade to the person in the back. You can still fish off the back of the boat, but its a little difficult. 




When not in use the bimini top zips up in its boot and folds down behind the rear seat. I can still easily access the tiller handle of the motor to drive.



I found these online through eBay lol. I had to add a little ladyluck to the boat lol. 


One of the last nights I was able to get out. I know it's no monster, but I caught four about that size and a few smaller ones to make it an eventful night.


----------



## bigwave

Very nice, I forgot about your boat, I really like the wood consoles you built, and the mermaid is killer.


----------



## great white

atuck593 said:


> ...Inspired from a few other builds on here ( I wanna say GreatWhite to give him credit but I may be wrong)....



yup, that'd be me:







Although you're a little further along than me.

Thanks for the nod.

On piece of advice: kudos on having a fire extinguisher on board but id move it from inside the cabinet to a easier to access spot and not so close to the engine/fuel tanks. Thats typically where the fire starts and not where you want to have to reach to access the extinguisher...


----------



## Gators5220

Nice job sir, hope mine turns out as clean! =D>


----------



## atuck593

Gators... Thanks! As with all these boats it still a work in progress little things here and there to maintain and make better. I actually just winterized the boat last weekend before Thanksgiving. I guess I was hoping to get out just "one more time" but it didn't happen with work and daylight savings time. Dark by 5:00 is depressing. I guess I will have to wait until April...for some pre-spawn action.

Great White... The fire extinguisher is mounted to the back of the seat in that picture. The can in the console is actually sun tan lotion.


----------



## injunjoe

After just joining the forum I had to reply and say what a great job you have done on this boat.
Not to mention the detail you have shared while going through the process of creating such a comfortable fishing machine.


----------



## Starcraft14

I've posted this on some of the other guys building on Starcraft Seafarer 14s, and I'll ask you as well. I have one of these boats too, and I'm starting my build Tuesday (1/8/13). I'm planning on building a huge front casting deck raising to almost 3" from the top railing. How will that affect the "tippiness" of the boat? Thanks, and your boat looks amazing. Great job!!


----------



## atuck593

injun... thanks man for the compliments. You have definitely found the right site for information on your build. Anything you need or will need can be found here. Good luck with your build.

Starcraft.... I am not sure how the boat would react with decks that high. I mounted my decks as high as the old bench seats were. In fact I used the old seat mounts to help support the deck itself, along with aluminum frame underneath. It's perfect to fish from, I couldn't imagine a need to go much higher. There is plenty of storage under there too. That being said, when I stand on the front deck to fish, its perfectly stable to fish from as well. At first I was hesitant about standing up there, but once I became use to how the boat balanced and moved, I have a hard time fishing sitting down now. Good luck with your build and remember to post a lot of pictures and don't hesitate to ask questions.


----------



## bass427

Starting off, awesome boat. I have same exact one just not nice. LOL. I'm going to follow your build step by step. In my mind is excatly what I want. How did you attach metal frame of platforms and floor to boat? With rivets directly to the ribs on bottom? Aluminum frame seems best way to go and doesn't seem like it will be too hard. Seeing it laid out in front of me is nice. Although its start of fishing season I hope to work on it and fish the whole summer. Seeing this project gives me hope and makes me excited.


----------



## atuck593

Hey Bass,
Thanks...mine didn't start off too nice either lol. Baby poop green and faded from the sun over years of fishing up in Canada. I connected the metal frame to the ribs across the floor of the boat with rivets. I put on rivet at each end and they held really well. I then attached the decking to the frame with self taping wood to metal screws that I found at Lowes. I carpeted the decking and then marked where the frame was underneath the decking when it was mounted. I did this to make sure the I hit the frame when I screwed the decking in place.


----------



## bass427

How much of the easypoxy did you buy and did you use primer on the hull before applying it? Also did you spar urethane the plywood before you put carpet down. I'm starting from ground up so I think if I can get prepping and painting done I'd feel way better about it


----------



## atuck593

Bass,

I didn't use easypoxy, the hull didn't leak enough to require a product that strong. However, if your hull does then I would recommend applying it to your build. Anyway, I used a product called Gluvit (one quart can). I sanded down the paint on the inside of the hull and then applied the Gluvit to the bare aluminum on the inside. Made sure to cover all of the seams and rivets really well. The quart can was more than enough. I then applied the self etching primer over the Gluvit and then the top coats of paint. The plywood decking I covered with 2 to 3 good coats of spar urethane. I then used outdoor carpet from Lowes with their outdoor carpet glue over the plywood...and that too has held up well for two seasons of use. Good luck when you get started...and if you need anything else don't hesitate to ask.


----------



## bass427

I was leaning towards wood for frame but looking at yours seems aluminum is almost easier. I dont have any experience working with aluminum. How was it putting it all together? What was it there that you used to attach to the ribs the square tubing? Was that all you used plus the alum angle?


----------



## atuck593

Bass,

I never really worked with aluminum either until this project. I took my time, researched on this site, and then went to work on the build. It was not as hard/difficult as I thought it would be, just time consuming to get everything right. I think aluminum is the way to go since its lighter and you don't have to coat everything in a couple of coats of spar urethane. The only thing is aluminum tends to be expensive. I near died when I priced out aluminum angle at Lowes and Home Depot. I ended up buying my aluminum from a local scrap/surplus yard. They had a bunch of surplus aluminum pieces that I was able to use and it cost me less than a dollar per pound. I bought the pieces depending upon how I would use them. Hence why some is square tubing. Aluminum angle pieces would have been easier to rivet to one another but they did not have the size I needed. Instead the square tubing is riveted together with little angle brackets you can find at a hardware store. I think they were made for like shelving and decking purposes. I was able to put rivets in where the screws were meant to go and they have held up fine. In the end aluminum is less forgiving than wood, meaning everything has to be precise, but the learning curve is easy and you should catch on quick.


----------



## smackdaddy53

Aluminum is the way to go if you ask me, you will never have to replace it if you rinse it and watch galvanic corrosion/dissimilar metals. Just vacuumed out ten pounds of aluminum shavings and rinsed mine inside and out. Getting ready for float pods and cutting out my tunnel/hatches.
Instead of buying a bunch of clips just buy a stick of aluminum angle and cut your own at custom widths/angles and it is cheaper.


----------



## nlittle

Great build! I am constantly looking as I am just about ready to start. 
How many rattle cans did you use inside the hull?
Thanks in advance!


----------



## atuck593

Hey nlittle
Thanks! As for the rattle cans, I want to say about four cans of self etch primer and then four of the rustoleum gray. From hindsight of my build, I would recommend using the rattle cans of self etch primer (easier to find the rattle cans at an auto store) but use the brush on rustoleum rather than the rattle cans. It ends up being cheaper and I personally ended up having to re-coat the whole interior with the brush on kind because the rattle can gray didn't adhere properly. You can apply thicker coats with the brush on kind, just get a decent quality brush. I am also glad bought the quart can because now I have touch-up paint as well for the inside.


----------



## nlittle

Thanks for the info and advice!


----------



## bono327

I have a Starcraft Seafarer that I'm trying to sell. I do not know what year model the boat is, but it is in good condition. The boat still has the manufactor's serial and model number plate still on it. I need help getting the information on how much the boat is worth. I'm also having trouble selling it in the part of the region I live in. Everyone that has looked at the boat has been looking for a flat bottom Jon boat instead a mid-v bottom boat. Please email me any information you can give, thanks! Email address is [email protected] [-o<


----------



## atuck593

Hey Bono,

I am not sure where you are from, but when I bought my boat 3 years ago I paid $500 for the boat, cover, and trailer. The guy offered me a 20hp motor that he had laying around for an extra $1000 which would have put the package cost at $1500. I think this was a steal for $500 because most boats don't last very long on Craigslist around here, especially for that price. I am not sure what all you have added to your boat or plan to include in your sale because that would add or take away value.


----------



## bass427

Hey was wondering what kind of hinges you used. Piano hinges? Easy to install?


----------



## atuck593

Hey bass,
I used a piano style hinge that I picked up from the scrap/surplus yard where I bought my other materials. They were made from aluminum and pretty flexible. They were also very easy to put on.


----------



## tcampbell011

Hey first off I've gotta say great build. I am going to base my aluminum decking off yours.

I would like to know more about that center seat/base. I am looking at seat bases and I want one that removes easily, yet is sturdy enough to use under way with a 50hp motor. Do you think it fits the bill? If so do you remember what model it is?


----------



## atuck593

TC,

Thanks... I am not sure what model number the seat base and pedestal are. I believe the Springfield company makes the combo kit I used and I bought the kit from Cabela's. I do know that the seat base and pedestal were meant to be used as a passenger or driver seat in any boat so I believe that it should work for you with the 50 HP. The seat itself locks on the pedestal while moving fast and then unlocks to swivel when fishing. Just make sure to check the ratings on the pedestal before you buy it. It should say what speeds it is rated for on the packaging. I know the pin style pedestals I have for the front and back are meant for trolling only when the pedestal extension is in.


----------



## rodknee1231

I have the exact same boat with the same sportwin 9.5 lol even painted it blue ! I put a small floor deck in and was wondering how did yours do with 3 ppl and the deck seems like a lot of weight were all under 180 lbs my deck weighs no more than 80 lbs


----------



## atuck593

Rodknee,

I was really never able to get on plane with two people in the boat. The lil 9.5 would push with all it had but the bow wasn't able to get out of the water. I would estimate it moved two people about 7 or 8 mph (I didn't have GPS speedometer at the time). I quickly upgraded to the 18HP later that summer. The lil motor will get you there, just don't expect to win any races lol.


----------



## jggassert

I'm also from PA (Bucks Co.) and like what you did. I am 95% I also just bought a seafarer. Although the model information is long lost, my title just says Starcraft.


----------



## kooldecker

Hey tuck im lurking your mod and drooling. Im going to hopefully start one very similar soon. I was wondering how stable she is with the decks. Im thinkig about an almost identical boat for bass fishing and would love to know how you like it for fishing now that shes done.


----------

