1986 Starcraft Mariner 220V rebuild

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Ahhspray
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1986 Starcraft Mariner 220V rebuild

Post by Ahhspray »

I purchased this boat off Craigslist in the spring of 2021 and completed the rebuild in about 6 weeks.

I kept meaning to post it here in case there was any interest in seeing a job like this done. We saved it from an eventual trip to a landfill, I think. Whether the job was done well by other folks standards, I don't know but I tried to do quality work so that it wouldn't have to be done again soon. Prior to this hull, I've owned quite a number of boats and have always done all of the work on them myself since I wouldn't be able to afford them any other way. While I'm by no means a marine mechanic, I try to research, learn, and ask questions about how the work should be done and then do it the "right" way ...within my budget, time and personal skillset restrictions, of course.
Anyway, I'm not sure how long it will take me to post the pics i took of the process or to figure out how much commentary to add along the way but if you enjoy it, or have any questions or suggestions, please let me know.
FYI - anytime I say "I" what I SHOULD be saying is "with the help of my very understanding wife and kids", because they sure helped me a lot! Hopefully I figure out the image uploading process too.
Cheers
Ted

Here's where we started on March 24th, 2021:
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Here's where we ended up by May 19th, 2021:
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Totally rebuilt - 1986 22' Starcraft 220V CC T-top w/ 1986 Evinrude 140hp and 1978 Merc 7.5hp kicker
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Ahhspray
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Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2013 9:12 am
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Location: Northern Vermont

Re: 1986 Starcraft Mariner 220V rebuild

Post by Ahhspray »

March 24, 2021

My first boat was a canoe. Then a 12' jon boat with a little 2hp Evinrude that taught me a bit about 2-strokes. Sold em and bought an 18' 1978 Starcraft SuperSport (fished the DYP with Raz in that boat once with only the kicker running :shock: ) I didn't know enough to bring gifts and food for others at that time - Sorry Everybody. Did all the work (and a lot of it) on the 1978 Merc 800 80hp and added a 7.5hp kicker. I rebuilt that boat over the years too but didn't document any of it.

I wanted to go bigger. Found a 26' 1986 Sea Ray Sundancer I/O on CL that spent most of its life in Lake George with the PO. That was a fishy boat! Got my PB landlock in that boat in Memphremagog - 10lbs. One of my sons and I stayed on it and fished the LCI a few times with it and made some great memories but it was heavy to tow. By the time I sold it, it looked and ran like new with everything working on it finally.

Now I had two boats! One boat that wasn't big enough for me and the boys (Starcraft) and one that was too big for most inland lakes (Sea Ray). Neither was an awesome setup for fishing. I realized I needed a boat that was between these two sizes and was set up more for fishing than either of these two were. I started looking on CL and LCU. Couldn't afford any of what I liked. I loved my Starcraft. Also loved the aft deck space in the Sea Ray. Found that Starcraft made Center Consoles in several sizes. Knew I wanted something in the 20-24ft range. Trouble is, there weren't many Mariner 220V made, I guess. Or at least I wasn't seeing them. I was planning on settling on an 18' or a 21' if I came across one. Lucky for me, I stumbled across a 220V on CL that needed a LOT of love ...and work.

Found her on Craigslist. Picked up my soon-to-be dream boat in the Chimney Point area in several pieces. The boat and trailer were in one spot. Powerhead on the boat couldn't be test run since there was no battery and no lower unit. Lower Unit was at the marina down the road ...in pieces also. Housing was cracked with gears and bearings in a plastic bag and the rest in a box. PO did have another lower unit that went with the sale but only after I got home did I see that it was for a 90hp and not the 140 Evinrude Looper on the back of this boat. No worries, I was interested in the hull. On the drive home with her, I picked up a used T-Top in Milton area.

Here's what she looked like on day one. The ENTIRE thing, inside and out, including the engine, was spray painted in flat olive-drab. Spray cans were still in the boat. We were off to the races...

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Totally rebuilt - 1986 22' Starcraft 220V CC T-top w/ 1986 Evinrude 140hp and 1978 Merc 7.5hp kicker
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Ahhspray
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Re: 1986 Starcraft Mariner 220V rebuild

Post by Ahhspray »

March 26th, 2021

Got the console out. Started ripping out the vinyl "carpeting" that was everywhere and the actual carpeting that was glued to the sides, under the gunnel. Kept me warm during a cold spring in the NEK working in an unheated pole-barn.
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By the end of the day, everything but the marine ply was out of the boat. That was wet from being stored outside by PO so it was going to have to come out too. Hopefully the foam underneath wasn't a sponge and could stay. Finished the day looking like this:
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Totally rebuilt - 1986 22' Starcraft 220V CC T-top w/ 1986 Evinrude 140hp and 1978 Merc 7.5hp kicker
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Ahhspray
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Re: 1986 Starcraft Mariner 220V rebuild

Post by Ahhspray »

March 30th, 2021

Didn't get much done today, but was able to pry up a few of the pieces of marine plywood. This exposed the gas tank and some of the foam. Foam seemed dry. It also got me a better look at the transom. The transom was NOT dry. ...not solid either. No bueno.
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Ordered some penetrating epoxy to treat the plywood once it dried out since it was still in decent shape. I had priced out new floor vinyl and decided on good paint instead but I wanted to really help preserve the plywood. I stickered the sheets, put weight on top to keep flat, and set them aside to dry. The epoxy arrived, but didn't survive the shipping very well. They reshipped it for me. Good service still exists.
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Totally rebuilt - 1986 22' Starcraft 220V CC T-top w/ 1986 Evinrude 140hp and 1978 Merc 7.5hp kicker
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Ahhspray
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Re: 1986 Starcraft Mariner 220V rebuild

Post by Ahhspray »

April 8th, 2021

I had to set this project aside for a week while I attended to life maintenance such as work, ugh. And plowing wet, late-spring snowstorms, UGH. When I finally got back to it, I was ready to make some progress. I was able to inspect the foam. It was dry except for the bottom inch or so in some areas. I decided to leave it with the hopes that better care(keeping the boat out of the weather), and time, would allow it to dry out. Plus, the cost and labor needed to pull it all out and re-pour new foam seemed like too much. It's been two years now, and I haven't noticed it being a problem but in a few more years, I hope to spring for a new floor made out of CoosaBoard for a total rot-proof future. When I do that, I'll likely replace the foam.

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One thing I did see was that at some point the gas fill tube to the tank had been replaced and they used expanding foam to seal it in. Trouble is that the spray foam had absorbed water, had black mold, and had almost completely rotted the rubber fill-tube. That had to go. I also replaced all fuel lines, fuel level sender(wasn't working), and ran new wiring from transom to where the console would be. Old wiring wasn't all marine-grade. Cleaned up and vacuumed for the next step.

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First look at the engine powerhead didn't look terrible. A mouse party, but the wiring was surprisingly intact. The more I read about these old V4 Loopers, the more I was thinking this thing might be worth rebuilding.

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Got the engine off using a chain hoist and load equalizer off the tractor bucket and set it aside on a pallet. I'd come back to that later if I could find a lower unit for it. Pulled it out of the barn for the final step of the day. The BIG FLIP!

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I got everything out of the hull that could fall out. Took any hardware off the gunnel that was sticking up, vacuumed out the bilge and pumped all the old fuel out of the gas tank. She was ready to lift and pull the trailer out so I could restore the trailer and also flip the hull over onto another trailer and repaint it properly. Tractors are wonderful tools ...wives are wonderful helpers!

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Halfway there, easy does it.

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Dropped it a little harder than I hoped due to slack in the chain as it came over towards the tractor. The chain left a ding on the top of the gunnel that I had to bang out later. Can't be perfect. It was like the slack when the downrigger releases and I just didn't "Reel, Reel, Reel!"

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Lifted the bow so we could back a flatbed trailer in underneath the hull.

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The sun was going down and we were at the end of our day. Mission accomplished!

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Last edited by Ahhspray on Thu Mar 23, 2023 6:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Totally rebuilt - 1986 22' Starcraft 220V CC T-top w/ 1986 Evinrude 140hp and 1978 Merc 7.5hp kicker
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Ahhspray
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Re: 1986 Starcraft Mariner 220V rebuild

Post by Ahhspray »

April 10th, 2021

We got the hull backed into the barn and sanded it down by hand. Probably my least favorite part of this rebuild. Cleaned it with solvent and put the first coat of Topside paint on it. I trailer everywhere and have found Topside paint to work well since I never sit in the water for more than 48 hours if we go camping or something and the boat is usually in the water for far shorter. It's economical, easily touched up, and leaves a pretty nice finish. We used the roller and tip method. That's where you use a roller to apply a thin layer of paint and then use the tip of a "dry" brush to sweep the orange peel texture out of it. It works well and left a pretty glossy finish for us. When I've tried to use just a brush, no matter how "dry" I try to keep it and how much paint I get off the brush before applying, its always too much paint and ends up leaving drips. Roller & Tip is almost as good as spraying. We ultimately applied 4-6 coats of each color in all areas.

I had EXCELLENT help! Got the first coat on the hull today.

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Totally rebuilt - 1986 22' Starcraft 220V CC T-top w/ 1986 Evinrude 140hp and 1978 Merc 7.5hp kicker
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Ahhspray
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Re: 1986 Starcraft Mariner 220V rebuild

Post by Ahhspray »

April 13th, 2021

Let the 1st coat dry for a couple days since it had been cool out. Sanded the whole boat by hand. ...not a fan. Cleaned with solvent. Applied second coat. Repeated this several times. Last step was tracing the original Starcraft stripes I could make out through the paint with masking tape so that they could be painted on. Painted a coat, sanded, ...you get the idea. We had 4-6 coats of paint everywhere on the hull except the transom. Even more coats on the stripes.

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During this time, the trailer got a makeover as well. New wires. LED lighting. Plastic "sliders"(not sure what they're called) on the carpeted bunks. These REALLY help get the boat on/off the trailer and don't damage the paint the way sand in the carpeted bunks can. They're super slick. Also pressure washed and sanded the frame, primed and spray-painted several coats with quality paint.

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Totally rebuilt - 1986 22' Starcraft 220V CC T-top w/ 1986 Evinrude 140hp and 1978 Merc 7.5hp kicker
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Ahhspray
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Re: 1986 Starcraft Mariner 220V rebuild

Post by Ahhspray »

April 20th, 2021

A week to let the final coats dry (and the backyard yard solidify) before we once again married boat and trailer. Again, some excellent help from my family. Couldn't do much without these boys.
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Holding one side of the transom back while the tractor flips up the other side.
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Trailer in position
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Totally rebuilt - 1986 22' Starcraft 220V CC T-top w/ 1986 Evinrude 140hp and 1978 Merc 7.5hp kicker
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Ahhspray
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Re: 1986 Starcraft Mariner 220V rebuild

Post by Ahhspray »

April 21, 2021

Today the real work begins. The original transom plywood is wet and rotted. I can look across the transom from gunnel to gunnel and see that the weight of the motor is bowing it out. The structure of the splashwell is the only thing holding the stern together and even so, there are cracks opening up between stern and splashwell. The work today was all deconstruction. You can see the cracking at each side of the splashwell/transom in these photos.
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Here is where the through-hull fittings were leaking and helped to rot the plywood structure of the transom.
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All of the rub rail sections needed to come off to begin the separation of splashwell & transom. There were lots of screws, bolts, and rivets that needed to be removed. I took lots of pictures and put the hardware in labeled ziplock bags so I could put it all back where it goes after the repair. I almost didn't do this. That would have been a mistake. I ended up with FAR more hardware than I thought I was going to have.
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Totally rebuilt - 1986 22' Starcraft 220V CC T-top w/ 1986 Evinrude 140hp and 1978 Merc 7.5hp kicker
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Ahhspray
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Re: 1986 Starcraft Mariner 220V rebuild

Post by Ahhspray »

April 23rd, 2021

Transom removal day. Big day. I got out the last of the hardware that was holding the rubrails, splashwell, and transom portions together and was able to separate them. The hardest part was tying to remove the splashwell drain hole liners. They are inserted through the plywood transom and then fluted on both ends, wrapping around the stern side and the splashwell side. I finally did this by using a chisel to bend these edges back into the hole and then hammered a long socket wrench socket into the hole so that it compressed the liner into the hole in the plywood. This meant it would not stick out as I tried to pull the plywood panel out.
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This allowed me to slide the splashwell forward and exposed the transom plywood on one side. Quite a number of the screws holding the splashwell onto the transom board just came right out since the wood was so badly rotten in many areas.
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After the splashwell was out of the way, I screwed a couple of big eyebolts into the top of the 1.5" thick 11-ply plywood where I could find good wood and connected them to a chainhoist and equalizing bar that I hung from the barn rafters. To keep the boat in place, I ratchet strapped it to the trailer.
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It didn't want to come right out but it would move a little at a time. I didn't want to rip out the eyebolts and then have to chisel the thing out or I'd be left with no template. ...not to mention it would be a lot of work. So after tensioning it. I grabbed a beer. Then I tensioned it more. Another beer. A little more tension. A little more beer. You see the pattern. I drank as much tension (hic) and beered the chainhoist as much as I could that night. :mrgreen: The next morning, I started in again on the tension (skipping the beer) and had success!
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Totally rebuilt - 1986 22' Starcraft 220V CC T-top w/ 1986 Evinrude 140hp and 1978 Merc 7.5hp kicker
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Ahhspray
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Re: 1986 Starcraft Mariner 220V rebuild

Post by Ahhspray »

April 24th, 2021

I now had a transom template. I had already driven to Maine on a day-off to pick up sheet of Coosa Board I paid a lot of good money for. The stuff is NOT cheap. I used the Bluewater26 grade. The difference in price over the long haul, doesn't make it make sense to skimp and save a hundred bucks just to buy the lower grade. Bluewater26 is made for transoms and marine structural building. It is lighter than plywood and absorbs almost no water. Even if it does, the fact that it is foam with fiberglass matting and shredded fibers means that it will never rot or change shape. I've done three transoms with it now and I couldn't be happier. Mostly because it performs so well, but also because I know I'll NEVER have to do this job again. The cost savings of marine grade plywood (don't ever use PT plywood due to corrosion) is also lost when you consider the cost of labor and adhesives needed to marry pieces together to get to 1.5" plus the fact that it will eventually rot and need to be redone again. Even if your through-hull fittings never leak (yeah, right), condensation and rain/splashwater will get to it. My advice, if you can't already tell, spend the money. It only hurts once.
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Not sure why a good manufacturer like Starcraft doesn't make these out of a single piece. Actually, it's probably because doing it this way allows less waste out of 4'x8' sheets when done in pieces. The upper "wings" may not add much to a stiffer or stronger transom, but I still cut mine out in one piece of Coosa Board. My repaired transom is now better and stronger than new I'd think.
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Here is the finished product. Yep, there was waste since I had some left over from the 5'x10' sheet (8' beam on this boat meant an 8' sheet was just barely too short). I figured this all into the cost of my overhaul and was able to help a neighbor out with a transom repair where we both then ended up benefitting.
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It slid right in. No need to hammer it or anything. I don't have pics of it, but I also cleaned all of the minor corrosion on the inside of the metal transom sheet and primed it with aluminum primer, then painted it before sliding in the Coosa.
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Totally rebuilt - 1986 22' Starcraft 220V CC T-top w/ 1986 Evinrude 140hp and 1978 Merc 7.5hp kicker
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Ahhspray
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Re: 1986 Starcraft Mariner 220V rebuild

Post by Ahhspray »

April 27th & 28th, 2021

There were a LOT of fasteners that needed to go through the transom. I also replaced all of the through-hull fittings and added a second splashwell drain. It seemed silly to me to have only one drain on one side of the splashwell. I used the clamps to make sure nothing moved as I drilled holes and applied hardware.
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A view of the inside where the through-hulls come in.
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Every fitting was sealed along with every screw and bolt that passed through the transom. I wasn't able to screw directly into the Coosa Board so every screw hole to attach the splashwell on the inside, needed to be pre-drilled. I suppose that is a drawback over using plywood. By the end of the second day, the transom was back together!
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Totally rebuilt - 1986 22' Starcraft 220V CC T-top w/ 1986 Evinrude 140hp and 1978 Merc 7.5hp kicker
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Ahhspray
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Re: 1986 Starcraft Mariner 220V rebuild

Post by Ahhspray »

May 2nd & 3rd, 2021

Today I finished with rivets and rubrails along the top of the gunnel where I needed to open it up to get into the transom. I also took out the old floor supports that went from stringer to stringer across the top of the gas tank and bilge area down the centerline of the hull. Not a ton of work to see but a bit laborious. There was also some planning work to look and see where I wanted to add floor fittings to later access fuel fittings underneath, extra storage space, etc. I measured and cut those holes in the plywood flooring and also used the penetrating epoxy around this time in preparation of putting the floor back in. It's worth mentioning that I was also reading the forum fishing reports at this time, wishing this project would wrap up soon. The salmon season on Memphremagog had been open for more than two weeks and I was jonesing.
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Totally rebuilt - 1986 22' Starcraft 220V CC T-top w/ 1986 Evinrude 140hp and 1978 Merc 7.5hp kicker
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Re: 1986 Starcraft Mariner 220V rebuild

Post by Reelax »

:D that is gonna be a special trolling platform…


Thanks for sharing!!!!!
Matt B
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Ahhspray
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Re: 1986 Starcraft Mariner 220V rebuild

Post by Ahhspray »

May 5th & 6th, 2021

Got the floor back in with new access ports cut into it. Both sides received multiple coats of penetrating epoxy including on the cut edges for the access holes. Plywood was still solid. Once it was dried out, it stayed flat since it was stickered in layers with weight on it during the first part of the rebuild. Painted the inside of the hull below the gunnels.

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Also got the console painted and the other interior floor trim. My "new" lower unit arrived from some folks in Maine. Doesn't look like it saw saltwater. I redid the seals and replaced the impeller and water pump housing. Shifts properly and seems to be in fine shape. Ordered a new prop since it didn't come with one. Had to do an educated guess on the weight of the boat for the prop so I would hopefully end up in the right rpm range at WOT. Still gambling that I'd get the powerhead running.

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Totally rebuilt - 1986 22' Starcraft 220V CC T-top w/ 1986 Evinrude 140hp and 1978 Merc 7.5hp kicker
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