1966 Crestliner North Star project

Dave Church

Dave Church

Well-known member
I will be posting the restoration of my "NEW" 1966 Crestliner North Star here. The object is to bring this classic aluminum boat back into use and convert it into a Sea Duck Zone vehicle that will work the waters of the Chesapeake Bay.
Some fun facts:
Year built - 1966
Material - Aluminum
Length - 19ft
Beam - 88 inches
Max HP - 120hp
Passenger/ Cargo - 8 people or 3000#s
Price New - $1575

I picked the boat up locally from a guy who had around 15 boats (all from the 50's, 60's, and 70's) and it came with a trailer in pretty good condition.
At first glance, the trailer needed new lights and tires. The boat needed a new floor, an engine, a crack repaired on a corner, some corner caps. It looked like it had great bones and something told me for $600 I needed to drag it home.

The floor had great bracing in the floor and EVERYTHING (except the floor) in this boat is aluminum so rot wasn't a concern.
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The center window plexiglass was broken but I did get the original frame and hardware so the fix should be pretty easy. I started ordering parts and worked on items as they came in. While waiting on parts, I sanded the outside of the boat and became very acquainted with my cut-off grinder as numerous things needed removed. First was a CB radio and an old flasher depth finder.
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I cant tell you how many bolts, brackets, and antennas I have cut off of the boat and the bolts that were cut off of the trailer. Why does a galvanized trailer get put together with so many steel bolts and nuts? Geez
Next, I began working on the trailer since parts started to come in. A new bow roller and strap winch to replace the old electric winch was the first improvements. I also added a "last chance chain" to keep the boat in case the winch strap failed. The old winch still works. I tore it apart on the bench and added new grease, hooked the leads to a battery and BINGO! Not going to use it on this trailer but I might be able to find a use for it somewhere.
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I replaced the lights and wiring and went with LED.
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Safety chains were added to the tongue.
[URL=http://s1373.photobucket.com/user/dcducks1/media/1966%20Crestliner%20North%20Star/0206161259a_zpszwihjrlo.jpg.html]
A few parts came in for the boat so I added a new bilge drain.
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The boat had a couple of small drill holes in the bottom of the transom, but no drain. I added a drain and will repair the hole when I repair the other holes and the one crack on the corner.
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Corner caps are impossible to find for this boat so I bought some universal caps and altered them with a cut-off wheel to fit my boat.
[URL=http://s1373.photobucket.com/user/dcducks1/media/1966%20Crestliner%20North%20Star/corner%20caps_zps8dfvexio.jpg.html]
Trailer guide-on kit showed up and was installed fairly quickly. I know the brackets look wrong in the photo....and that's because they are. I had it up there just to get a feel for the positioning. The brackets are now properly crisscrossed on the trailer frame.
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I had an instrument panel that was given to me years ago which I had hung onto in case I ever needed it. Well.....I need it now. I fitted it to the dash and it will power a depth finder, bow flood lights, horn, Nav lights, bilge pump, stern lights ( to help set out the decoys), and interior lights.
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The transom support brackets had corroded hardware so I replaced everything with stainless. Just need to cut off the excess on the bolts (can't seem to get away from that cut-off wheel).
[URL=http://s1373.photobucket.com/user/dcducks1/media/1966%20Crestliner%20North%20Star/stern%20support_zps8btbgcao.jpg.html]

New side lights
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While cleaning up the exterior, I peeled several layers of registration stickers off. The most recent was 1981. I thought this was pretty cool to get down to 1970
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So, even with cold, snowy, crappy weather, I have been able to get this much accomplished in the past two weeks of ownership. More parts continue to show up and I'm just waiting on a few warmer days to pressure wash the inside and outside, put a foot or two of water in the boat to check for leaks, and then I can start on the interior and floor.
 
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Wow, what a project!
I think you have one heck of a hull there, cant wait to see it done.
 
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Thanks Carl and R T! This should keep me busy for awhile. I have several trailer rollers that need replaced or the brackets need raised to touch and support the bottom of the boat. Laying on my side under the trailer (on dry asphalt) while working the cut-off wheel (it's becoming permanently attached to my hands) was starting to "burn". I couldn't figure out why until I went in the house and realized my skin was bright red and I was close to getting frost bite from the ice cold asphalt. I decided to finish tearing out old electrical wire and give the boat a break for a day or two. Yesterday a friend and I made a 10 hour trip to nowhere. We left at 830 in the morning and headed for Delaware to go to Cabelas. We looked hard for birds and was rather disappointed. A few fields held some snow geese and a few Canada geese were seen here and there. The store was packed with shoppers who must have had cabin fever like we did. I purchased a few swivel rod holders (8) that will serve double duty on the boat. Spring and summer will have them holding fishing rods, but my idea is to build lightweight, removable/stowable concealment panels. The frame will be from 1 1/4 PVC with three "legs" which will fit into the 3 rod holders on each gunwale. The sides will be roughly 10 feet long and the frame will be covered with 600-900 camo Denier cloth which I think I will install grommets and bungee cord them to the frame or use snaps. Snaps might be a pain because denier tens to tighten like a drum when the sun hits it. The back panel would have two rod holders and the panel would be roughly 5 or 6 ft. wide. The rod holders would have the panels leaning in some which will also help conceal from above. The height of the panels will be determined once I sit in the boat and determine site and shooting clearances. The panel legs will have a block of some sort attached so that the rod holder locks (the mechanism that swivels over to lock your fishing rod in place)will hold them in place. When underway, the panels can be lifted out and stowed against the inside of the boat. Sorry, picture is pretty rudimentary.

After a quick lunch, we headed to Bass Pro Shops outside of Baltimore but it was so packed, we passed and headed on towards Lowes (you can never have enough cut-off wheels). We finally pulled back into town around 630 after a great day of talking ducks, boats, dogs, wives, the usual nonsense.


Dave
 
Dave,

Quite the project you have there. One suggestion I might add; In the photo of your new LED trailer lights, I only see twp wires (brown and yellow) coming from the light. If you add a dedicated ground wire, you will greatly reduce any future lighting problems. Using LED lights is a big improvement but a dedicated ground wire is the second step in trouble free lights.
 
Huntindave - good eyes. The photo didn't show it, but they both have dedicated grounds. I don't like fighting with trailer light problems.

 
Thanks Zane, plenty more to come. Here is a look at the transom and I hi-lited the areas that need patched or filled. It looks worse than it actually is. Most are screw holes which held up the old transom board. The new board will not extend the full width as the old one did. The worst is the crack/dent on the far left corner where something ran into it. It will all be pretty in time.



I also finished rigging up the guide-on brackets correctly.
[URL=http://s1373.photobucket.com/user/dcducks1/media/1966%20Crestliner%20North%20Star/0214161024a_zps3b4j2oey.jpg.html]
 
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Dave,

A dedicated ground wire does not ground thru the trailer frame. Your ground wire should run all the way to the trailer plug. Grounding thru the frame is asking for problems. The connection you show in your photo is exposed to all the elements and will start to degrade from day one. The ground wire needs the same respect as any "hot" wire. The electrons must make a complete circuit so the ground path is just as critical as the "hot" path.

Yes, there are many many trailers and vehicles operating on the roads today that use their frames for a ground circuit. There are also many vehicles and trailers using incandescent bulbs. In both cases, there is a better way. (1) LEDs for bulbs and (2) a ground wire all the way back to the battery or in the case of most newer vehicles back to the tow vehicle wiring harness.

What you have done will work and my suggestion is just that, only a suggestion. Not trying to start an argument, just wanted to clear up what having a dedicated ground wire means.
 
Agree 100% with Dave on grounding back to the trailer plug. Tom Scholberg suggested this to me after I seemed to have trailer light issues every year. Since running a dedicated ground wire to each light, I have not had a problem since. Can't even say how many cussword induced hours this has saved me over the years.

Mark W
 
Dave, I understand exactly and must admit that my memory is horrible. If I would have thought for a minute, my other boat (family pleasure boat) had numerous lighting issues until I ran a dedicated ground back up to the plug. I will find the time to run a dedicated wire back up to the plug for both of the lights. I admit I am not a very good (or patient) electrician. I was a jet engine mechanic for 23 years and can probably get this boat to fly.......but the lights might not work on it. Thanks for getting me straight. The object of this project is to get it right....the first time.....or the second.....but definitely before I start using the boat, motor, and trailer. Thanks


Dave (not an electrician).
 
Dave, I was wondering how it would work out with you outside on the coldest days in the decade! Looks like a great project. One thought -- given my lack of balance, the first time I got pitched around and grabbed one of those panels being held by a piece of frozen PVC pipe, I would undoubtedly snap something! Would thin wall conduit give you some flexibility in the survivability department? Just thinking out loud -- and you are probably far more graceful afloat than I am!
 
Dave, You won't get that one to fly with the HP motors you were looking for earlier. Maybe you have changed your mind and I have not studied your posts well enough yet. You have a good hull all welded and BIG. I had a Crestliner years ago and it was a very fine boat. Just adding to the trailer wiring info, don't worry about wiring- it's just one wire in and one wire out. And I might add solder and heat shrink tubing will really make it a job you won't have to do again.
 
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Good morning, Dave~

Thanks for posting all the details - I love watching every little step along the way.

Also, I wanted to reinforce RT's thoughts about the PVC. My "relevant" experience stems not from gunning but from pond hockey. For many years - before the kids grew up and fled the nest - we played hockey here on what we call Home Pond. I made at least 2 sets of goals from 2" Schedule 80 PVC. They were fine when everybody was small but shattered once the players had some heft. I certainly began to understand why all "real" goals are made with steel.

All the best,

SJS
 
RT and Steve, the PVC framing is a "experiment" at this point. I used conduit for the blind on my last boat and I was never happy with the weight, strength, set-up......you name it! The frame I am building is from 1 1/4 pvc and I'm trying to keep the frame broken into smaller/stronger areas to remove the chance of breaking. The good news is that the boat has very high gunwales which should help with people looking for things to lean against or hold onto. I had big plans to work on the boat and trailer today since we didn't have any weather coming in until tonight. Well, I woke up with 5 inches on the ground and it doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon. So, I have bought all the PVC yesterday and will work on the frame today to see what it turns out to be. With everything, it was only about a $60 expense so if I have to go back to the drawing board, so be it. In my mind (as small as it may be), lightweight, and stowable are still the main features I want this frame to have. I also think that cantering the panels inward with the rod holders might make them more accessible as hand holds or support so I still have the option of cantering them outward. If I see anyone getting in the boat with hockey sticks, the hunt is OFF!


Dave
 
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Tom, still going with the 40hp. Thanks for the wiring tips. I have heat shrink and I have a solder gun, now I just need to use it.


Dave
 
Well, other than some set-up work for the frame and some other stuff I can work on, doing anything outside is a bust with the snow. So today I will try to get smarter on lighting. I like boat lighting and never realized how much help interior LEDs were for the boat until I put them in my last boat. All the lights were underneath a panel or ledge so that no light was directly shining in my eyes, only towards the floor. This gave me great night vision and untangling decoy lines became a breeze. This boat will also get a full compliment of interior LED lights, but I also want to add some spot lights. A spot/work light off of the back seems like it would be very effective when putting out diver lines and I was wondering about putting a couple of floods off of the bow too. My dilemma is the legality of it. I need to do some reading to see what is allowed and what isn't since I have heard that you can get fines for having spot lights mounted to the bow but I'm thinking this is if you are running them continuously during navigation. Any thoughts. Here are a couple of lights I was thinking about incorporating in the back to help put the decoys out.

 
Not sure where this snow came from since they were still saying about an inch until about 9 this morning. The boat had nine inches on it by that time.



Oh well, still brushed off some snow in the splash well area and cut off some trim screws that the heads had broken off. Drilled new holes and put in new screws. Also, looked at the 5 holes that are in the splash well (4 were for controls) and was able to cover 3 with electrical box plates and used marine Goop underneath to help seal the hole. It's an inexpensive fix and should work fine. Any thoughts? The one hole for the controls has a rubber boot and ring on order and the other hole (still trying to figure out why it was even made) will be covered with some sheet metal and some rivets.





Dave
 
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