# 12ft. (11.8) 19?? Starcraft V-hull fishing boat mod.



## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Sep 24, 2012)

Hey! So... I traded my non working dj equipment for this Tin junk boat i kinda got the crappy end of the deal but im trying to make light of it. Im trying to convert this into an all in one fishing boat.(Bass, Salmon, and bow fishing boat ext...) i want to put a fron n back deck and a floor, ive been checking out lots of posts here and decided to go with aluminum framing. Im trying to go as cheep and afficiant as possible, i figure if i can build it n save a buck its that much more worth it. Im haveing a super hard time stripping the paint ive used paint strippir wich is a frigin mess and doesent get the primer off and ive sanded with 40-80 grit electric palm sander. I plan on painting camo with stencils im makeing with my vinyl plotter. Hopeing when i prime i can over lay the vynal stencils and spray without peeling off the undercoats of paint. I was going to wait to post everything till i was done cuz im a man and i dont need no help lol. But alreighty having minor difficulties any suggestions will be very helpfull as i move forward. How do i post pics from my phone??? Thanks Terry.


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Sep 24, 2012)




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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Sep 24, 2012)




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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Sep 24, 2012)




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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Sep 24, 2012)




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## Josh in FLA (Sep 25, 2012)

Dig the work so far and the layout you have planned. You might look at flipping the rear seat mount and gas tank side-to-side. If you're using a tiller gas motor and don't have a funky manner of steering, because it looks like your layout will put the tiller arm near where the seat mount is.

Good call on putting the batteries in the bow, I've got a little 12' Sears of similar design, and it definitely needs the weight up front to balance it out.


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Sep 25, 2012)

Thanks, I think your right about the rear seating so i will flip them around. Any thoughts on a trolling motor? Pros and cons on placement? And can i hardwire my lighting straight to the battery?


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## Hanson63 (Sep 25, 2012)

Not to burst your bubble but that boat looks like a Meyers, not a Starcraft. (I own that exact same boat.) :|


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## Buddychrist (Sep 26, 2012)

Put the gas tank in the bow centered and place the batteries in sealed battery boxes and it will offset the weight of the motor and your weight.


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Sep 26, 2012)

Hanson im not saying your wrong but i broke off the old plastic starcraft emblems wich were rivited to both rear sides could have been an aftermarket thing? But either way it wont burst my bubble i could care less what the boat actully is but what in wich it will become . And buddychrist thanks for the input are you suggesting i put both batteries and the gas tank in the bow? Or the batteries in the rear and the gastank in the center of the bow like oppisite of what i have the lay out would make more sence for the weight of the boat so thanks!


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## Buddychrist (Sep 26, 2012)

You can put both the batteries and gas tank in the bow, gas tank all the way up front and the batteries a few feet behind that. 

So basically you could build a platform with a hatch for the gas tank and then a drop down step with a side hatch for the batteries.

The trick to V-Hulls is to get the weight evened out and the more weight you get in the boat the better it is going to ride and stability will be increased as well!

My 14' Mirrocraft is a Deep V-Hull and empty it's like trying to balance on a basket ball but with 300-500lbs of stuff to weigh it down it rides like a 19' SeaPro really grabbing the water at high speed and you can walk around at idle or completely still without falling over from no balance.


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Sep 26, 2012)

Thanks buddychrist! I will definatly take your advice, anything to make the boat more stable! What do you think about trolling motor placement?


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## Buddychrist (Sep 26, 2012)

As long as you have an outboard in the rear you're trolling motor should be mounted on the left side and drop just over the right!

If you don't plan on having an outboard you will need something on the rear in the water to create drag to keep the boat straight, kinda like a surfboard fin on the rear makes steering from the front while in motion possible by creating two points for drag. 

Basically it's like a unicycle vs a bicycle


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Sep 26, 2012)

Yes i will have a 7 hs outboard moter and sorry if i sound stupid and ask alot of questions. So are you saying to mount the trolling motor on the front?


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## Buddychrist (Sep 26, 2012)

Yep mount the trolling motor on the front! On the left side where when you drop it in the water it rolls over the bow and drops on the right side of the bow.


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Sep 26, 2012)

OOk thankk Thanks i keep trying to hit the like button lol


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## Buddychrist (Sep 26, 2012)

This isn't mine but a photo example of how it should look. I know it's not a tin but the mounting should be in the same location


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Sep 26, 2012)

Im pretty sure befor i ripped the pla\stic emblem off it said STARCRAFT?


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Sep 26, 2012)

Stripping this paint isbecomming a pain in my rear... any ideas on something easier? i used paint stripper, and then 40-80 grit sand paper


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## Buddychrist (Sep 26, 2012)

Next time just for understanding you do not remove the paint all the way to bare metal, you rough up the paint that is currently on it and then paint it with a zinc chromate primer and then pick a good military OD green paint.


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Sep 26, 2012)

Ook thanks again i wasnt going to strip it down all the way but i was afraid of the existing flakeing off and ruining my premo paint job but thats good to know cus i dont want to sand anymore lol!


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Oct 1, 2012)

So i didnt sand it down all the way and i used selfetching primer and i guess i missed a few spots while sanding because flakes are showing through so later this week im gonna re sand the spots that are sticking out and get some more primer


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Mar 31, 2013)

Does anyone know what the aluminum brim on the sides of the boat is called and maby where to get them? Or a good alternative? Mine is damaged on a few diff spots on the boat.


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## Jonboat Jerry (Mar 31, 2013)

Those are Strakes..... on wood boats the ones adjacent to the keel are called Garboard Strakes.
They are installed to aid in turning, straight line tracking and lifting the boat on plane.
It is possible that an aluminum boat manufacturer or fabricator could replace one but it is not a simple
task. Jerry


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## billhowardoutdoors (Mar 31, 2013)

It's definately a Starcraft. I'm building the 14ft version of yours into a fishing/hunting/bowfishing boat. I'm installing a trolling motor on the front and turning the handle 90 degrees to steer.

Im going to install 11 10w LED lights off the front (5 on each side, 1 submerged like a gigging light) for the bowfishing light source. Hoping to have it where I can run off everythign off the batteries rather than carry a genny. I'm also going to install an overhead camera mount to film it when I go out.

I like the setup, and we are pretty much doing very similar things other than I am not making a stern platform.


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Mar 31, 2013)

Thanks bill i cant wait to see your boat!, and jerry i think my question was a little misleading i mean the top part of the boat that goes around the edges. Like where you mount your rod holders over.


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## great white (Mar 31, 2013)

Ta' Beat-A-Banshee said:


> Thanks bill i cant wait to see your boat!, and jerry i think my question was a little misleading i mean the top part of the boat that goes around the edges. Like where you mount your rod holders over.



I do believe you're talking about the gunnel (gunwale). 

On most tinnies, it's an extruded piece specific to the manufacturer and the boat.

Replacement piece might not be easy to come across exactly like you vessel's specific gunnel.....


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Mar 31, 2013)

I think i just found them their called rub rails and their super expensive


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Mar 31, 2013)

See here is my problem I guess instead of buying the rail i could weld angle aluminum to it but it wont look as good


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## great white (Apr 1, 2013)

Have it tig welded and then touch it ip with a file and sandpaper.

Will be nearly invisible once done....


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## Jonboat Jerry (Apr 1, 2013)

great white said:


> Have it tig welded and then touch it ip with a file and sandpaper.
> Will be nearly invisible once done....


Roger the Gunnel....
As Great White said, have someone tig weld it. Far cheaper.


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Apr 1, 2013)

Thanks again Bill I personally have never welded but know many that do So i think ill take that idea and run with it, also i checked out your boat and you have done a wonderful job!


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Apr 1, 2013)

And thank you also Jerry, you guys are a great help! and your boat is amazing i couldn't imagine building something a vessel that beautiful


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Jan 28, 2014)

Sorry its been a while im a slow boat builder (actually just a broke one ) lol, After taking it out in the water this summer i found a few good leaks I went to The orange box (home depot) and picked up some leak-seal at 10$ a can, research shows that this stuff works well, we'll see. Heres a few pics of the progress....


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Jan 28, 2014)

theirs the leak-seal and where i sprayed. I also use some wire mesh screen to cover holes in the sided of the boat


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Jan 28, 2014)

After buying 1 stick of 1/16th x 1-1/2x1-1/2 x 8 ft aluminum angle for 30$ at lowes i did some online research and i can do the rest of my boat with 1/8th for less than 80$ shipped I also went to muy local re-store And picked up 30 ft of some random pieces of aluminum shower installs for less than 10 bucks, I will be using these for the legs as you will see in the next pics.


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## Gators5220 (Jan 28, 2014)

Lookin good sir!


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Jan 29, 2014)

Thanks Im really hoping i can get this boat done before it gets warm! haveing a hard time finding a cheep trailer on cl.


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## SeTh_PsE (Jan 29, 2014)

Where are you located I got a trailer I might sell


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## Ictalurus (Jan 29, 2014)

Hate to say this but I'm not sure I'd trust the spray stuff to keep leaks out.

Fill the boat up with water to identify leaks. Rebuck any loose rivets. For the holes, they can be welded or filled w/ JB Weld and then sanded smooth. 

Also, not sure how wide your boat is at the bottom, but I've had a 12' similar to yours (36" at the bottom) and I would not like to be up and moving around in that boat. I kept the main and trolling motors in the stern. And, like others have said, gas and batteries up front for balance.

Good luck.


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Jan 29, 2014)

Seth, Im located in Yakima Wa. Ictalurus, Thanks for the advice ive done lots of research on leak seal, its not like others that crack or peel, its plyable. But if it doesent work ill give you the right to say I told you so lol. I hope the boat is somewhat stable but if not its a learning exp. ive seen lots of other boats similar with this set up and decks were stable enough to stand on. but hey at least i can say i gave it hell


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## Kier (Jan 31, 2014)

My 12v bottom is 36 inches at the bottom and i decked it 3 inches from the bottom. It is pretty tippy. I would test your idea before making it permanent.


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Feb 10, 2014)

Got my Aluminum angle ordered and put in the boat this weekend, I ordered it all from https://www.onlinemetals.com and it came to a lil under 60$, well plus 20$ shipping and it came the next day Aluminum angle is 1 1/2 x1 1/2 x 1/8th woulda cost me 2ce-3 times as much at homedepot or lowes


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## rscottp (Feb 10, 2014)

Looks good! A weekend well spent!


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## mfbear (Feb 12, 2014)

Which side you mount your trolling motor is a personal preference. I mounted mine on the right. You just want to make sure shaft ends up as close to centerline as possible. You can check it out at this link https://www.trollingmotors.net/trolling-motor-mounting-guide


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Jun 30, 2014)

Finally Finished the boat! just got a few minor things got to add and fix, took it out and had a bad leak, apparently i drilled a hole all the way threw the boat when i was framing the floor to a rib. Also I used a lil bit of wood for the side storage for the framing because aluminum is just too expensive . Need to get a good motor and another battery and add some lighting but other than that just about finished! Thanks for everyone who helped out! Oh I also Bought the trailer and a 15 ft fiberglass for 100 bucks! great steal!, so im gonna need direction to a forum that does fiberglass boats


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Jul 7, 2014)

Has anyone tried durafix rods? for small aluminum holes in their boat? I just ordered a few to hopefully fix the hole that i drilled in the bottom like some feedback befor i just go at it thanks!


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## nctlspider (Jul 7, 2014)

I didn't have any luck with the Harbor Freight version of the rod... I think it had to do with too small of a torch and the rest of the boat acting as a heat sink.

Anyways, how big is the hole? Blind rivet with steel mandrel and 3m gooped around should fix anything 3/16 or so.


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Jul 7, 2014)

I think its a 3/16" hole directly on the botom of the boat and under a rib opn the inside of the boat so theirs no way of getting to it from the inside


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## nctlspider (Jul 8, 2014)

Blind sealed rivit is the way I would go, unless you can get someone to TIG weld it. You only need to access from the outside that way.


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Jul 8, 2014)

Thanks I believe I will try that rout, now only to find a place that sells blind sealed rivets in my ares


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## nctlspider (Jul 9, 2014)

Fill in your location and info, someone may have some close by or can even mail a couple since you usually have to buy in quantity.


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Jul 12, 2014)

Thanks Again!, I decided to use the durafix rods, filled the hole nicely, and ground them off flush, cant even notice their was a hole. I should have took pics but it was getting dark out.


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## shu2kill (Jul 13, 2014)

suscribed as your boat is very similar to mine and i really like what you have planned.... 

however, i have one question. have you put the boat on the water yet?? i ask because my boat is very unstable, and i would like to have a setup very similar to your design, but im sure on my boat it cant be done without some type of pontoons. maybe yours is wider, my boat is 48" on the widest part (right in front of the middle bench) and i have a hard time standing up while on the water just by myself, with somebody else it would be very risky...

EDIT: i hadnt noticed the rest of the thread, i had just seen the first page when i posted the above reply.... very nice work!! thats basically exactly what i would like for mine, however, im still unsure i could do it without pontoons.... 

do you know how wide is your boat??


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## MmmFishing (Jul 14, 2014)

This is perfect, you did exactly that I want to do, I searched the thread and couldn't find an answer to this question though. Have you had this in the water and used the deck to fish from? Seems like it may be tipsy, basically wanna know if I should omit the deck and just level the floor... Great job though, if I came across your boat I would think it was a 12ft pro bass boat! Nice work!


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## shu2kill (Jul 14, 2014)

what happened to the pics??


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Jul 21, 2014)

the boat is 53" in the center, Yes its a little unstable but not too bad where im too worried about flipping over (No Drinking in the boat) lol, And what happened to what pics?


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Jul 21, 2014)

Also to help stabilize the bow of the boat I have put all my access weight in the front evenly spread out ( the two marine batteries, and the gas tank). And Like I said before, the front center of the deck is removable in case i have 1 two many kids in the boat


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## swing&amp;amiss (Jul 23, 2014)

I'm a new member and my first post. Your boat looks like it is going to work just fine for you. I built a 14ft. Sylvan semi V years ago,,,I will dig up some pix of it for on here. I just re ently finished up my 12ft. Sea Nymph 12K semi v rowboat, only a few more small things to add to it. I'll share a pix of if for you on how I did mine. The boy driving around at slow speed in the one is loving it! The new Lowran e depth finder and new 40lb. Minn Kota trolling motor isn't in this one,,I will have to take some new ones. Someday I will get some auto paint and do the sides and new sti kers like my old boat was. So far so good and loving it. Holds 20mph on plane while fully loaded whi h is fine. Its an old 9.9 Gamefisher I found with very low hours. Very stable for two people and all our gear. We walk all over it while out fishing...Earlier posted about adding weight to a v bottom does mira les for them in the stability department. I only have the batteries and trolling motor and dekking weight up front. The outboard and 6 gl. tank for the rear and its balan ed very ni ely....Sorry my letter ( is broke,,lol! Good lu k with your build, and hopefully you will find a good 9.9/15hp Johnson/Evinrude or Merkury to power your boat..Keep us posted on how it goes.


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee (Jul 24, 2014)

Nice boat! cant wait to see your other pics as well


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