TOPIC: 14' Starcraft Mustang - 1968

Hello All;
I'm new to this forum and also to boats. After fooling around with antique motorcycles and cars for many years, I recently bought a 14' Starcraft w/ 50HP Evenrude. The boat is in pretty good shape and running condition so I'm just correcting some smaller issues.

Here is a novice question which I hope someone can answer for me. The bilge well at the tansom has three holes in the sides of the well. One forward, one starboard, and one on port side. Those three holes vent into the area under the boat floor. All three holes had rubber grommets in them and 1/4" bolts stuck into the grommet to plug the hole. When I pulled out those bolts, and evevated the bow of the boat, some water drained out from under the floor into the bilge well. There are eight 3/4" holes in the floor of the boat where old seats had been removed, so I think the water was rain water which came down through those holes in the floor.

So, finally, here is the question. Should those three holes be plugged (the way I found them) or should they be open to allow any water below the floor to drain into the bilge well? I have now installed a 600 GPH bilge pump in the bilge well so there will not be much danger of the under-floor area filling up from the bilge well.

Thanks for any input.

I would say plug them up if it was my boat.unless someone have a reason not to they can tell your why.welcome aboard,,,,

Welcome aboard CW, share some pics of your setup with us when you get a chance. Ideally the drain holes should be open with the bow up when stored to allow draining, and plugged off when you're on the water I believe.

Yes welcome aboard CW. Mark is right pics will help a lot. you should always store your boat with the bow up so any water that could have gotten in can get out.

Bob

IIRC, Starcraft didn't have a bilge 'well' at the back of the boat, it was designed as a sealed deck.

Might have had a 2nd drain plug thru the transom down low at the keel, and another drain plug thru the transom at about deck height.

Any chance there's been previous work done on the boat before you bought it.

The 3 holes were to either let trapped water out (if added by previous owner), or prevent condensation that forms on the interior of the bilge from becoming trapped (if factory).

Leave them open when stored bow high. If you get a lot of water in the bilge while using the boat, you might leave the 3 holes plugged while in use. Keeps water from going INTO the holes. If the bilge remains fairly dry during normal use, I'd leave them open when in use.

If you get a lot of water in the bilge while using the boat, enough to be worried about it entering those 3 holes, I'd investigate that thoroughly...

Thanks to each of you for your feedback. It is certainly helpful.

After thinking about this some more, and considering your input, I will leave the holes plugged when on the water and open the plugs between outings to see if any water is collecting under the deck (and, if so, pump it out).

Incidently, the boat appears to be fully original, including the bilge well. That well is about 12" X 6" and 6" deep. The holes I mentioned are in the well, approximately 1" up from the bottom, and the entire setup seems to be part of the original design.

I have attached a photo of the boat which was taken on the day we acquired it. The lovely spokesmodel is my wife.

Happy New Year!

Nice boat, like that color. Hopefully rain water won't go down in there, normally during boating you shouldn't get a lot of water in the boat but maybe after a good drain and dry tape them up unless it's covered.

I've looked at and referenced this Starcraft fiberglass boat cross section and until today NEVER noticed the drain plug handle sticking up in the bilge well:


And this 1964 SC Bahama also has a well:


So I clearly didn't remember correctly.... Nice original model and the boat's not bad either

I've never understood putting drain plug holes ABOVE the bottom of whatever area they're supposed to drain.

Have a great end to 2014

cwdavis58,

WELCOME ABOARD. - NICE rig, too.

yours, satx

Thanks very much for the cross-section diagram and also for the photo of the boat with the floor removed. I have been wondering how that was all configured and now I know!

The floor in my boat is pretty solid but it does have a few small soft spots. Perhaps next winter I'll replace the floor. Seeing the configuration makes that prospect much less intimidating.

Happy New Year to All!

cwdavis58 wrote:

Thanks to each of you for your feedback. It is certainly helpful.

After thinking about this some more, and considering your input, I will leave the holes plugged when on the water and open the plugs between outings to see if any water is collecting under the deck (and, if so, pump it out).

Incidently, the boat appears to be fully original, including the bilge well. That well is about 12" X 6" and 6" deep. The holes I mentioned are in the well, approximately 1" up from the bottom, and the entire setup seems to be part of the original design.

I have attached a photo of the boat which was taken on the day we acquired it. The lovely spokesmodel is my wife.

Happy New Year!

Nice looking boat cwd. That is a great color.