Starcraft Offshore-V 18' Updates & Help

[PunkR0ckz]

Hello everyone,

First and foremost, some of you might recognize me from my weird questions regarding this hull and my possible setups.

Here is a bit of a background and summary of my boat;

I have bought the boat this winter when it was all snowy, icy and extremely cold outside here in Canada for a grand total of 500$ CAD.

The boat was FULL of "trash" of which included a few goodies; 2 sawhorses, a portable cooler on wheels, a subfloor aluminum gas tank as well as something that resembles a bimini top (unsure as we didn't assemble it).

After cleaning it all up, I found that there were 4 holes on each sides just before the consoles (they were used for rivets for the bow seats, as this was an open deck design). I also found that the steering is adjustable in height, which is a big positive for me.

After inspecting it all up, I also found that there are a few missing pieces for the motor itself, and I can't identify it (the nameplate's gone), but that doesn't stress me much; I've repaired enough of them Johnson/Evinrude to know where I'm heading when I need parts for it. The control is garbage though, and I wouldn't know where to start with, its an old Evinrude Selectric control box which connects to what seems like an external CDI.

I've been lucky enough to find a perfect center console for me, it is 26" wide, which would give me right around 20" of clearance on either sides, and it is almost brand new (just a scuff at the bow side, it came in a charcoal color with the matching gauge plates, the windshield, the glovebox and the fire extinguisher frame/door (but not the extinguisher itself) for 500$ CAD.

I was able to trade in my old Mercury side-mount control box with 2 "for parts" Evinrude/Johnson motors (1 needed a lower unit and a CDI which I got for 100$ CAD, the other needed a CDI but got it for 0$ CAD) for a top mount + adapter cables for my '06 25hp 4 stroke Mercury that I got for 2000$ CAD.

I have just found 3 livewells from a Legend v-195 Sport Fish that the guy is selling, 2 long ones for the bow and 1 short one which has the bottom cut open, for 100$ CAD.

All in all, if we calculate everything I've been through to get this boat where it is at now, I have spent 12 700$ CAD, but I've sold for 6 800$ CAD and I have had about 2 000$ CAD worth of goodies with the various boats I bought to "finance" this project (everything listed above, a 35# Evinrude bow mounted trolling motor, a transom saver, and my uncle gave me a 35# transom trolling motor alongside 2 almost brand new 100Ah batteries, they're less than 2 years old with the receipt, from a boat I helped him get, he doesn't need that stuff). So, in reality, it is pretty much as if I "only" spent (12 700$ - 6 800$ - 2 000$ CAD) or 3 900$ CAD on the build (3 900$CAD = 2 850$USD). The only things missing is gauges, a sonar, a floor and the side compartments. I'll use my 25hp 4 stroke for now as my main one and see how far and fast it takes me (with it being fully aluminium, with no wood, I assume it'll be somewhat OK, I'm not a lover of speed anyway). I reckon I am underpowered as far as trolling motors goes, but I've never used a trolling motor before, so they'll do just fine for the 1 or 2 times a year I'll use them (most likely to navigate around the docks as its a pretty tight fit and to reposition myself or slowly moving along a bush pile or something like that to cover a wider area, won't be used as trolling motors per say).

What do you guys think of it so far, am I doing good or bad ? (Please keep in mind that this is also a price that doesn't reflect the reality; I have a bass boat fully rigged in that price; in other words, I have an 1984 Astroglass 154v outfitted with a 1988 Johnson 50hp, a 1968(?) Starcraft Offshore-V 18' outfitted with a 2006 Mercury 25hp EFI 4 stroke and an almost finished setup for a TOTAL of 3 900$CAD/2 850$USD, if I am able to sell my bass boat for 6 500$ CAD as I am planing to sell it for, I will be in the profit of 2 600$CAD or 1 900$USD to own the Starcraft dream boat)

What would you recommend that my next move be? I considered selling both trolling motors to buy a better one, but they wouldn't be easy to sell. I considered selling the aluminum tank, but that's also not selling that easy (I see a LOT of Marketplace). My next OBVIOUS move is to see if the Evinrude v4 that's on it starts or not and if I can use a regular remote instead of a Selectric, but what would be the logical next step ?

Note; I will be posting further questions and development on here instead of making new threads as I was doing prior to today.

 

[Boosh]

Sounds like a good deal if you have a lot of time to put her all together! Looks like a major project

 

[PunkR0ckz]

Sounds like a good deal if you have a lot of time to put her all together! Looks like a major project

In all honesty, it could very well be fished just like that. I have fished worse boats. Weld or rivet the few holes (about 8 of them) in the hull that comes from the previous owner removing the front seats, add a driving seat and install my 25hp 4stroke Mercury on the back and let her not-so-much rip.

On the otherhand, this is my dream boat; I tried a bass boat, I tried an open deck, I tried a lot of "chaloupes" (I think they are called rowboats in English? 2 or 3 transversal seats that you use a tiller with), I tried a runabout, none of them are my jam.

I need space, I need to be able to walk from one place of the boat to another without any obstacles in my way, this boat will do it all for me once I install the center console.