‘Rot ro’, late 90s Starcraft catalog says PT used for floor!

TinBoats.net

Help Support TinBoats.net:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

DaleH

Well-known member
TinBoats Supporter
Joined
Dec 12, 2014
Messages
3,582
Reaction score
399
Location
Eastern Mass
OK guys, I had just picked this 1997 rig up in ccccccold DEC, on a trailer in VG condition, with a Mercury 40hp that also is in VG to excellent condition! I got it for 1/2 or less of what it probably should have retailed for, as there are some pin holes in the transom from what I believe to be PT wood used in the transom. It looks like someone unloaded a few loads of turkey shotgun loads of #4 shot against the transom :shock: !

Well, I just had downloaded the 1997 ‘legacy’ catalog from the Starcraft site and saw this reference to PT wood also being used in the floor. Are there any other owners here of late 1990s boats that can comment on how their hulls are holding up?

I was and am prepared to put a new transom in ... but am now concerned about the floor too. I’m all set with the transom rebuild, as I’ve done a few already in my life; with exterior ply coated 3X in fully encapsulated epoxy and filled holes, etc., so I know the drill quite well.

The floor itself is sound and in great condition, as the boat wasn’t used too, too much and was always stored covered when left on a roller-type lift at the water’s edge at the day's end. But now I’m thinking that even if I don’t replace the floor this year … maybe I should remove enough pieces to “see what’s going on” where any of the PT wood floor contacts the aluminum structure or such.

I would add some insulating material in there, as needed to put a barrier between the aluminum and PT wood, just to get me through this year. With my new job et al, plus selling off my big Parker 25' toona boat ... and I just don't see me getting into yet another project this year :( .

Anyone have a 1997 or similar situation hull that has gone through this and can provide some details of what conditions they might have actually experienced with their floor?

Thanks!
 

Attachments

  • Catalog Photo, FishMaster Model 160 SC.jpg
    Catalog Photo, FishMaster Model 160 SC.jpg
    57.2 KB · Views: 1,506
  • Starcraft 1997.JPG
    Starcraft 1997.JPG
    43 KB · Views: 1,503
PA Delaware Fisher said:
I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure the pressure treated wood from the 90's was treated different than today's.
Could be ... but then what is causing the corrosion-type holes in the stern? Waves over the stern, whereas it was a saltwater boat :?: ?
 
I had the same thing on my transom skin. Plywood backing for transom was definitely not PT. A little research indicated cause might be unsealed plywood (regular stuff, not PT) picking up moisture. Moisture leaches out stuff from the glues/resins and corrodes from inside.

Don't know if that's correct, but seemed reasonable in my case.

My holes were pinhole variety - fixed nicely by scuffing to bright metal, wiping w/acetone and plastering a thin layer of MarineTex over.
 
Older pressure treated wood was Arsenic based, newer pressure treated wood is Copper based.
Then the pressure treated wood for marine use with aluminum is still done with Arsenic.
 
FWIW I just added a post to replace the wood in the transom using a pourable composite mixture (think Seacast, Arjay, NidaBond or CarbonCore products):

https://forum.tinboats.net/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=37548
 

Latest posts

Top