14' Starcraft Seafarer build

Hi all, I've been lurking around for the last month or so gathering ideas and information. I recently purchased a 14' Starcraft Seafarer with a 15hp '77-'81 Johnson outboard. Engine runs great, no leaks on the boat and cam with a really nice trailer. I've just gotten started on her and thought I would share the progress as I go. My idea is to be as plain as simple, but yet very functional. I will have front and rear casting decks with an open floor to walk through, and side lockers on either side. Dual batteries mounted in the bow with shallow center storage. Electrical will be front and rear lights, storage lighting (LED), fish finder and a simple sound system. Never tried anything like this before as I've only been fishing for just over a year. I am looking forward to it, and being in Wisconsin, I have a long winter to get it finished! I'd like to thank everyone on here for all their posts to help all of us others figure out what we're doing!

Hey Mark,
Looks just like the Starcraft we just finished. Ours is a 1981 Seafarer, how about yours? Looks like you've already gotten started. Get ready for alot of (very rewarding) hard work. We started our build in January and just got to the point about a month ago that we could put her back in the water for the first time. I am NOT trying to discourage you at all, but be prepared to put in alot of "blood, sweat, and tears". And if you anything like me, you'll enjoy (almost) every minute! Fortunately for me, my whole family helped in some ways so we can all call it "ours". There's something about a project like this that's special.
Check out my posts by clicking my link and maybe you'll see something that sparks more creativity. Can't wait to see/follow your progress
Bye the way, where abouts in Wisconsin are you? My wife and I are originally from Wisconsin right smack in the mddle of Green Bay and Milwaukee.

Go Pack Go!!!

Thanks Hahnzookeeper! I'm sure it will be quite a project. I'm very fortunate to have some friends who have some amazing skills with wood and with aluminum/stainless fabricating and welding. Mine is an '81 also! Your project, Atucks and one others are the ones who have given me hope and ideas for this project. I'll be sure to add pics as the project progresses!

We live in southeast wisconsin, right in between Milwaukee and Chicago, GO PACK GO is right! This season is in their hands to win it all! No one in the NFC is a real standout this year...

Well, it's great to see a fellow "Cheesehead" with similar interests. What do/will you be fishing for when she's done? My close friend and fellow "Cheesehead Transplant" has got me jacked up about Muskie Hunting. We both now live in N.E. Indiana and have quite a selection of Muskie lakes here. Both our Dad's still live in Sheboygan Falls, WI and we're trying to get them out on our boats for a Muskie hunt soon.
I wish you well and hope I can help. I'll be watching your progress. Have Fun!

So, i sanded and knocked off all the loose paint. Interior and exterior. I don't think I'm gonna go all the way to bare aluminum. A nice etching primer should do the trick.

The previous owner told me that he had checked for leaks a year ago and repaired them all, so I was gonna take his word for it, but then decided if I'm gonna put this kind of effort into this boat, I better do it right and check it myself! Guess what? 7 leaks found. :evil: Ugh. The strangest one is the one with the arrow on it. After I had filled it up completely (to the water line) all leaks had been discovered and marked. Once I began to try and push it out of the garage into the driveway to drain it, I was rocking it back and forth (that lil F'r got heavy quick!) it suddenly had a heavy steady stream of water coming out of the middle part under the boat :shock: . I don't know the name, but I put an arrow to it. The strange thing is, that for the amount of water coming out of that spot, you would think there would have been bubbles in the surface water on the top, but there wasn't. It began to slow down and then when I started pushing on it again, then it just flat out stopped. Now, there was water sloshing all over the place and being spilt all over. I wonder if it didn't follow the seam and start running out there. I couldn't see any evidence of that though, it just seemed to have sprung a leak, then sealed back up again. Very strange and has me a bit concerned. I could use a bit of advice on how to repair the leaking rivets, methods, ideas etc. if someone would be so kind! Thank you guys!

Next up, fixing the leaks and then redoing the trailer!

I don't know your knowledge level with woods, but if you're planning on using oak for the transom, I'd suggest you try to find some white oak vs red oak for the job. White oak holds up much better for exterior projects where the wood is exposed to lots of moisture.

Hey Mike, I know very little about wood. I have a friend of mine picking up the piece for me. If the piece is properly stained/weathercoated will it still make a big difference?

Thanks,

Mark

As long as you keep it sealed good, you probably won't see much of a difference if any. The white oak pays off when/if water happens to get through your seal before you realize it needs a fresh coat of sealant (which seems to happen to a lot of us it seems).

It's been slow going, but I'm doing a little here and a little there. Started work on some of the framing. Trying to do it in three sections so that it can be removed easily. Front casting deck, center walk through and rear casting deck. I've never worked with wood before so it is definately taking some time. Kind of stumped on how to build the front casting deck framing, due to the angles and such. I'll keep an eye out on other builds, but would love to hear any suggestions. Walking areas are 5/8" plywood, not standing surfaces will be 1/2". All of the plywood will be Weathersealed before carpet is installed. Here's what I've got so far.

My first suggestion would be to cut back on the number of 2x4's and try using some 2x2's. While the 2x4 may be needed for additional strength in some of the horizontal positions, a 2x2 in the vertical position has more than enough strength to support any load your likely to put on it. That many 2x4's is going to add quite a bit of extra weight to the boat so you need to keep that in mind as you build. Look at some of the other builds where wood was used for ideas and to see how they did theirs.

What a great site! I'm starting a build on my 1989 Starcraft 14 Seafarer Tuesday. Looking at adding a very large front casting deck and rear one as well. I'm planning on raising the decks fairly high, approximately 3" from the top railing. That way I can have plenty of storage under both decks. I cannot stand gear laying in the floor. I'll start a new topic on the board and also show before, during, and after pics. I'm wondering how much it will affect the "tippiness" of the boat by raising those decks that high. Any thoughts? Thanks, and I look forward to seeing the rest of your build.

Lyle

@JMichael thanks for the info. I do agree, the more supports to stabilize the rear casting deck I added the more I worried about the weight I was. Those were all a bunch of old 2x4's I had laying around from a basement room project a few years ago, so I figured I'd put them to use. The weight isn't too bad, I can easily lift it in and out of the boat as I did this about a 1000 times trying to get it right!

@Starcraft14, This site is awesome, can't wait to see what you build. I've seen others with high casting decks and all report it being stable... I guess I'll find out sometime in April!
Good luck with the build!

Well, after reading JMichael's post and thinking about it, I decided to scrap the floor and the rear casting deck due to weight it was a lot of work out the window but now the wife has some shelves in one of our closets she's been wanting for a while, hey it made her happy... Anyway, I went back and started looking at some of the other builds, and here's what I have come up with framing so far... The front casting deck is a blatant rip-off of Hahnzookeepers with just a couple modifications... So, here is what a day of work turned out for me!

Been a while since I've updated. I've only been working on this during the weekends lately. It has turned out to be a much bigger project than I anticipated, though I was warned early on! After much trial and error, trimmings, re-do's and splinters :? I FINALLY have the framing and decking done... Sunday I will take it all apart again, and waterseal all the woodwork. I'm debating whether to carpet it, or use marine paint and just paint all the surfaces. I'm worried that the carpeting will retain moisture during rains and such and will harm the wood faster. I welcome any thoughts y'all may have.

Next up, interior and exterior body... Pics to follow as I go!

Its been a while since I've updated this thread. Been busy working on her. Getting closer. I am always amazed at how challenging the simplest things can become. It has been a great winter project though! My goal is to have her ready by 3-28-13. Leaves me with just under 2 weeks. Here are some new pics, I added descriptions to most pictures for more of an explanation. Thanks for looking in!

Hey, I like your build and ideas! Keep going!

Thanks maestro! Getting so close!

Well, time just keeps flying by, but she is almost finished at this time. My hope is to have her in the water Sunday 4-14 Here's what I've done since the last update. I added comments above pictures if needed

Looks great! Do you have a hinge on your side storage compartment? What did you attach to the wall of the boat for the top to sit on and if you dont mind me asking, how did you attach it to the boat?

Very cool setup you have there. great use of space!