On Fri, 26 Mar 2004 00:20:23 -0500, "johnagner"
vaguely proposed a theory
.......and in reply I say!:
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I'm looking to buy my first boat, and i'm on a limited budget. a friend
suggested i buy one with an outboard.

The only good thing about an old outboard is that if it's stuffed it's
easy to throw away. They are actually more higly tuned and stressed
than most inboards. 2 strokes in particular are out of favour and
parts could be a bitch.

You need to get the motor checked out jusy like any other mach
purchase. IKn fact if the car breaks down, you walk home....

i'd use it in a new jersey bay, for
some pleasure boating and perhaps a little waterskiing. I've seen good
prices

Yerr.........welll?

on old aluminum vhull starcraft boats from the 60s and 70s. would
such a boat be a good buy,

since aluminum doesn't deteriorate like
fiberglass,

crap. Corrosion. Weld cracking under flex. I make a generalisation in
big way. Fglass deteriorates, but sort of "spreads it" Points IMO kill
boats. Look at old wood boats. They get by because the problems are
small and spread, and people are willing to fiorgive and fix.

I have a kayak that is now 44 years old. The fibreglass is fine,
although the gelcoat is crazed. It's the joins and seams that are
stuffed. Many boat hulls have no seams. The kayak does because they
had to join two halves. Al does.

Are the star craft riveted or welded? Back then welding alum was
hmmmm...

If riveted, forget it. Read leaks, almost like a solid wood boat. If
welded and that old, they may well have been experimenting.

Where are you? We had a Star Boats in Western Australia who were
pioneers in alum building, and I remember a lecture by their chief
welder that impressed me "back in the 70s". But then, it was still new
stuff. We were all saying "alum.....He was a GURU.

and since these boats seem to go pretty fast with a 90-110 hp
outboard.

and may leak like a sieve.


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