16' Princecraft project boat

[thill]

Picked up a 16' Princecraft utility boat off craigslist for $500. It is really beat up, with dents and dozens of missing rivets. Was a boat for a college campus, and the kids really destroyed it.

But I like the lines of it, so I bought it. It is wide and deep and has a nice V hull. CG tag says it is rated for 33 hp. Looking at the website, I believe it is a Springbok 20.

Here is what it is SUPPOSED to look like:
https://www.princecraft.com/us/en/products/Fishing-Boats/2016/Utility-Boats/Springbok-20.aspx

I have a LOT of work to do on this one!

Here is my plan:
1. Beat out the dents that I can
2. Replace all the broken and missing rivets
3. Check for water integrity and leaks
4. Fix any leaks found before doing any further work (lesson learned!)
5. Add a side console, lights and steering
6. Build a front platform from the front bunk forward
7. Add a flat floor to the middle and rear areas of the boat.
8. Install a sweet 2001 Evinrude 40 to the back and a MK Powerdrive to the front.

I expect this to take me about 80 hours. How long in real life will depend on how busy I am.

QUESTIONS:
1. Anyone have this model? Any tips or suggestions?
2. How does this boat ride? As good as it looks?
3. This boat seems kind of thin and not too durable. Is that true?

Thanks in advance!

 

[thill]

Here are some pictures:

 

[Catch Release Repeat]

Pretty nice hill to start with if you ask me. Guys have done a lot with a lot less. 80 hours is probably not s bad guess but when you piece them together two hours at a time it will feel like an eternity. I'd check the weight of your motor, make sure to not too much weight for the transom. And going higher then 33 you'll have to risk it with the CG.


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[thill]

Thanks for the feeback! It seems like a good start to me, too.

The 40 hp motor should be fine, as as the Starfish 20 is the exact same boat, and is rated for 40. The ONLY difference I can find are the two extra support brackets on the front bunk. I can easily add that. I'm guessing that by the time I add the decks and flooring and so on, I'm going to need the extra HP.

Take a look at the starfish and let me know if you can see any other differences:
https://www.princecraft.com/us/en/products/Fishing-Boats/2016/Utility-Boats/Starfish-20.aspx

Also, I believe adding the remote steering increases the HP rating, according to the CG guidelines. I'll have to look into that. Again, thanks for the feedback!

TH

 

[thill]

Okay, NOW I have it figured out!

After noticing the differences in the specs, I went out with a tape measure. 73" beam, 63" chine... Without a doubt, this is the Starfish. But why the 33 HP rating?

Looking again, I realize that the transom has been modified. And they did an excellent job! They used thick, square aluminum stock, stacked and TIG welded together. It is the most intelligent, strong transom modification I have ever seen. Someone had their thinking cap on that day! I guess it WAS a college boat. Probably the professor of the welding course did it. I'll definitely have to remember that trick!

That being the case, I'm now very comfortable with putting a 40 on this boat. I'll have to start working on it soon.

Any experiences with Princecraft out there?

-Tony

 

[slippin jimmy]

1998 PRINCECRAFT STARFISH 20 16'
4 sheets of 1/2'' plywood
3 sheets 2'' foam
18 hp Tohatsu 14 mph with 3 adults
I hope this helps.

 

[thill]

Wow, those were some changes! GREAT JOB!

And yes, THAT is the exact boat. Good to see another "real" boat like the one I have.

How are the sides of the boat at speed, when you hit chop, now that the bunks are gone? I'd like to take my center bunk out, but I plan to install a 40 HP, and I worry that the boat will flex and the sides will move a lot if I do that. I figure, that is why they added those diagonal supports

Any thoughts?

Thanks for the pictures, too!

-Tony

 

[thill]

Still looking for input regarding removing center bunk, as to how much flex I'll get with a 40 hp.

Any thoughts?

 

[lundwc16]

Still looking for input regarding removing center bunk, as to how much flex I'll get with a 40 hp.

Any thoughts?

I can't answer for Princecraft, but my buddy removed the center bunk from a 16' Duranautic, & it was a mistake. Lots of flex in the boat after that.
John

 

[thill]

Sorry for the delay, but I got busy, and put the jon boat on the back burner.

Then the other day, the bug hit me, and I pulled the jon into the shop. I took some measurements, cut out a front platform, and installed a side console and motor. I did it in two afternoons, with very little time invested. Here are some pictures...

The front casting platform with swivel base, installed over the front bunk and adhered to the perimeter with no supports needed, due to the "drum effect". Interestingly, it makes the front of the boat feel rock-solid, both when walking on it, and when going through chop. It really adds strength, and only weighs about 30 lbs:


Then I added a side console, controls and a good running Evinrude 35 HP. Surprisingly, I really like the dual handle controls:


Here are some pictures of the boat as it stands:




I'm still trying to decide on a few things.
Should I add a flat floor, just carpet it as it is, or leave it alone?
Should I extend the deck to the second bunk, giving a very large front platform, with huge storage beneath?
Should I add a hatch to the existing front platform, risking weakening it?
Should I add a platform over the seats in the back, to add more fishing space.

ANY SUGGESTIONS??? I'm all ears. Thanks in advance!

 

[derekdiruz]

I vote hatch to front platform, and I'd make middle bench storage too. Otherwiae, I'd leave the floor the same. In my boat I left the floor the way it is and it's fine!

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[thill]

Derek,
I just took a look at your project, and I really like your front platform that extends back to your second bunk. That is a ton of fishing space, plus huge storage!

Like you, I didn't want to put a lot of time into this, so I used the front bunk as support. But unlike you, I didn't add ANY framing to my bow area. I cut the platform tight and used industrial adhesive around the perimeter. It is absolutely rock-solid, BUT I'm concerned what will happen if I add a hatch. I fear that it will weaken the structure which is now so solid.

If I put a hatch up there, I will have to try and retrofit some kind of support, which may be difficult to do right. So I may just opt to extend the front platform back to the second bunk, and add the storage under that bunk, and leave the front alone. I have to give this one some thought!

Thank you for the good thinking and ideas.

How is your boat doing, by the way?

-TH

 

[thill]

I have made some progress recently. I added a back casting deck on hinges to access the battery and fuel tank area, and I love it. It gives it more useable space, and makes it so three adults can sit abreast when running, which is nice. And the second platform and swivel seat means that two can fish a shoreline comfortably, each in their own chair.

Also, I added a flat floor to the middle of the boat. The hull is deep up there, so it was tough getting up to the front platform. And there is considerable V in the floor, so with the smooth aluminum it was a fall hazard. In the mornings, when there was dew on the boat, you tend to slip and slide toward the middle of the boat. I have very good balance, and it was tough even for me. Others would bust their butts sooner than later.

I made the back platform from 3/4" plywood, with angle aluminum stiffeners in the front and center of the hatch area, and a continuous hinge in the back, to prevent warping. So far, so good!

The floor area was constructed of 1/2" plywood ledger board screwed and glued to each bunk, with two 1/2" plywood stringers running front to back between them. First, I found "level", popped a chalk line, glued and screwed the ledger boards to the bunks. Then I cut the stringers to run between the ledger boards. Where the stringers touched the floor ribs, I glued them via polyester adhesive, to keep them straight and rigid. This made for a rib system that probably weighs 2 lbs total, yet it broke the floor into 3 sections that 1/2" plywood can span comfortably. I used the poly adhesive to bed the 1/2" plywood floor, and used a few screws to hold in place until the adhesive set up.

The end result has surpassed even my own expectations. The floor is very light, yet very solid. The big test came the other day when a buddy who is 6'4" and weighs 375 lbs, along with his wife and two kids came on the boat. Even with the kids jumping and stomping around, it was rock solid. I'm very happy, and somewhat relieved. I put the 11p prop on that day, and it jumped on plane just fine.

Amazingly, because the mods have been so light, they have not changed my top speed at all. What a welcome surprise! In fact, with the new prop, I am hitting 27.5 MPH lightly loaded, which is 4 MPH faster than the empty boat, before the mods. This boat is really shaping up.

Of course, I added matching carpet to the new sections, so the boat is really shaping up. Here is a pic of the front deck and the middle floor section:


I ended up doing the work at night, when everyone else was asleep, so I didn't get any pictures of the process. I really need to get better at documentation.

-Tony

 

[thill]

A little more progress today...

I finally got to test out my new prop today.

The 11 pitch ran 22-23 mph... RPMs sound too high.
The 15 pitch ran 24-25 mph... RPMs sound too low.
The 13 pitch ran 27-28 mph, and RPMs sound PERFECT!

This is a factory OMC prop that I found as new old stock. I was mainly trying to get the RPMs right, the extra speed is a bonus. I haven't even tried tweaking the engine trim for max speed yet.

Amazing what the right prop can do for a boat. Slowly but surely, this is turning into a sweet ride.

-Tony

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

What RPM's are you actually turning?

 

[thill]

I don't have a tach installed yet, but I do have one on the boat that this one is replacing. Knowing the sound of this motor very well, my guess is that I'm turning 5300-5500. I'll be installing a tiny tach soon, and I'll post the actual numbers then.

But I'm really happy with this performance! I only burned one gallon of gas yesterday. The 50 on my boat last year would have burned 2-3 times as much, easily. But that motor ran almost 40, so it is speed versus economy. But I'm enjoying economy!

-Tony

 

[thill]

Sorry for the long delay, but I have not done anything to the boat for a while.
Something I've wanted to do for awhile is add running lights. I used an LED kit I found on Ebay, and I am impressed with them. They are about 8" long, are coast guard approved, and really light up well. Here are a couple of pics:




The lights are adhesive-backed, but I didn't trust that alone. So I cleaned the area well with 1000 grit paper and acetone. Then I put a thin coat of spray adhesive on and let it dry. Then I warmed everything with a heat gun before attaching the lights. The bond feels strong, but I guess we will see what happens after water is hitting it and so on. Unfortunately, the place I have it attached has rivets, so that might interfere with the bond.

But just in case, I bought two sets of these. So if one day I notice one missing, I can replace it. If that is the case, next time I'll attach the light to a strip of smooth aluminum, and then rivet that to the outside of the hull.

The light install took maybe 15 minutes, but the entire install took me over four hours. The hardest part was getting the wire inside the rub rail up to the bow. It's a small rail on this boat, and would barely fit a fish tape. Then I had to add a switch and fuse and the socket for the all-around pole-light. I made the home run to the battery, and everything worked and functioned properly. In this case, I used a simple terminal strip to terminate, but if I keep adding features, I'll swap that for a full fuse panel.

My next addition to this boat is going to be a bilge pump. When it rains, water tends to hide under the front deck area, and it takes awhile to find it's way out, maybe 10 minutes with the boat tilted up. I never have patience at the ramp, so I usually just bring a big towel to sop it up later.

 

[Lost Pole]

Looking awesome. I love the lights. Got a link?


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[thill]

Looking awesome. I love the lights. Got a link?

Yes: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Premium-Boat-Bow-LED-1-Ft-Submersible-Red-Green-Navigation-Light-Underwater-12v-/131735567571?hash=item1eac0d3cd3:g:ATYAAOSw65FXs0IH&vxp=mtr

There are a bunch of them out there, some more expensive, some cheaper, but I am pleased with these. I also like that these particular lights are USCG approved. The guy sells them from Florida, so shipping is fast, too.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Premium-Boat-Bow-LED-1-Ft-Submersible-Red-Green-Navigation-Light-Underwater-12v-/131735567571?hash=item1eac0d3cd3:g:ATYAAOSw65FXs0IH&vxp=mtr

 

[Johnny]

These lights were discussed here a few months ago.
the seller is off the hook with liability with his very last sentence.........
"100% legal as long as they are installed so they both could be seen
from the front and 110 degrees on each side".
it is the responsibility of the user as to the proper installation of all navigation lights.

This is the email I got when I inquired about his statement of Coast Guard Approved . . . .
"hey john they are not stamped Coast Guard approved and I do not have any documentation
that says they are. but ive spoken to quite a few officers here in central florida and they all tell me
they are plenty bright but need to be mounted properly (both need to be visible in accordance with the Rules of Navigation).





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