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Barn Roof fell on my Starliner!!!

Thanks guys. Yeah, I just pulled it in. I had originally thought the ice would melt in a day or 2 with ~50 deg. high's and that I'd be dropping it off for repair soon. I was wrong.

So it's in the garage with the nose jacked up with my propane garage heater cranked up. It's melting pretty good, but will still probably be a few days (and a few tanks of propane). I think it's going to be sunny and 60 on thurs.

I just checked the floor and on either side of the ski-locker, it's bowed up!!! Not far at all and I can't remember if it was like that. It's maybe 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch. Way less than what my pics. show.

I'm going to post another thread to take a survey and attach my pics. I'm DYING TO KNOW if it's normal. There are enough starflites/liners out there that I should be able to get a few people to lay a straight edge across that area and let me know if there are any gaps.

SIM - are you out there???
 
Hey Anthony-Yes, I'm out here. I've been doing some work on my floor and I don't think there's anything resmbling a bulge or bowing around the ski locker.
I'm leaving for colorado thurs. but I'll try to get in there before I leave with a straight edge and check. Oh hell, I'll go do it now or it won't get done. I'll be back in a few.
 
Anthony-Sorry to say- I just laid a straightedge from side to side and it's dead flat across the locker and everything.
My wife thinks I'm crazy. Thinks this site is obsessive.Wants me to go back to regular healthy computer activities like porn.
The dog, on the other hand thought this was a great idea.
 
UGGHHHH - but thanks!

Well that is not good news. May not be the end, but not good. Many MANY thanks for running out and checking. I noticed that the front "wall" of the bowrider area is heaved a little bit back towards the stern. Not bad, but I can tell where the ice level is. No real concern about that - not structural.

OK, I'm clinging to life here - but it's bowed up between the stringers, so maybe it's just the floor itself and it will come back down. No idea how many stringers there are back there. I'd guess just on the edges of the ski locker. If there are any lengthwise stringers between those and where the floor meets the hull, then obviously the floor is separated from those stringers.

My wife call this site boat-porn. This and searching craigshelper for boats I have no intention of buying and a newer jetski. Have fun in colorado Sim!
 
So true, hotdaddy, so true.
However I think the floor is gonna have to go in the next season or 2. Had to glass the floor under the drivers seat to unwobble the pedestal and saw the whole thing is getting a little rotty. Any body know any quickfixes?
How was the skiing in Vt.? I heard the powder has been a little chattery as of late.
 
Getting 'er fixed...

The boat is at Lakeway with Kevin Brown. I also talked with Kary and he is a great guy. I actually feel a little bad about not using him (and I owe him a call), but here's what happened the past few days.

On the way out to visit my family in Pittsburgh, I droped the boat with Kevin (he's about 15 minutes from Bucyrus) for an estimate only. It's only 30min off of the turnpike. I had every intention of picking it up and talking to Kary before deciding what to do. When I returned to Kevin on my way back a few days later, he had taken the boat to Checkmate, had a complete estimate done and had a complete WINDSHIELD.

He and Mike Combs had dug through old stock and found no starliner windshields. They cross referenced the dimensions and available stock and found that a 17' specta (I think that's what the box said) was very close. Imagine that. Kevin was going to cut it down about 3" to match exactly, but we held it up, I got behind the wheel and it is actually really nice for me the way it is. I can still look over it, but can also duck under and drive. It will block more wind, but is has a nicer angle than the tall starliner windshields. For me, it doesn't come too close to my face either. Pretty cool. It's silver, which will give the boat a bit of an older look, he'd paint it black if I wanted, but I think the silver will be different and pick up the silver grab rail.

So anyhow after all of that and some other discussion I decided to leave it with him.

We discussed the bow in the floor. He said that the consensus was that it was probably built like that - it was too symetrical and consistant (lengthwise) to be damage.

Kevin had a ~ 30 foot class B race boat on 4 jacks (yes only 4) there that he was cutting a foot off of the strakes from to give it more bow lift with it's recent repower. The boat happens to hold the record for top speed of a class B racer (108mph). I had the feeling that he knew what he was doing...

I'll keep you posted on what happens. Looks like my $1K deductable will get me a new carpet and a mostly new interior. Might turn out OK.
 
Glad to hear its coming together :bigthumb:, If you dropped it off at kevins and went to pittsburgh you must of took us30 if so you literally drove right passed my house.
 
State farm rules

I went back up 4 and grabbed the turnpike, but you're right in the (boat and farm) heartland out there. Holy cow, 4 with a trailer up near sandusky is narrow with absolutely no shoulder before that steeeep ditch. At least there are tons of semi's coming at you...

I spoke with my adjuster today. After sending Kevin's estimate ,tons of pictures of the barn, boat removal, damage to boat, tube, cover etc... and some "before" pictures the very nice guy said yup, looks good - we'll be sending you a check for the full amount, less your deductable, in the next day or so. This is good. I will get everything fixed/replaced with new / better stuff and have a very much freshened up boat. Of course there are a few downsides ($1000 gone for one) and the unknown of the ice in the boat - but Kevin wasn't too concerned with damage to the stringers so I suppose I'm not going to sweat it.

But then again, it's not supposed to be a good thing - a freakin' barn fell on my boat...

I did have a moment of cheapness when I learned that I'd be getting the check, and not Kevin: Maybe I just get the windshield done and live with some holes in the interior and glue up the hole in the carpet. Heck, those scuffs to the gel coat aren't too hard to look at.... Then I thought that I'd eventually get it all fixed or spend more time doing it myself. So I'm going to kick Kevin off tomorrow to fix 'er good.... and maybe toss on a nice little 5"5 setback slider... maybe.

I'll get some pics up when it's all done. Should be a clean 21 year old boat...
 
Good to hear that things are working out to your advantage after the misfortune of having the problem you did. As nice a boat as you have and as much as you love it, I think you are making the right decision. Finding someone with as much talent as the guy you are referring to is half the battle. If I were you, I would do that same thing and get er done and on the water. As you can tell by our weather, IT'S TIME!!!!!!!!
 
Thanks Heavy Handed,

As I posted in another thread, a few days ago I learned that my company would be having another round of lay-offs in the summer. So I've pulled back a little bit. I just need to beef up the rainy day fund a little...

Kevin is doing the windshield and the gel coat, but I'm leaving the carpet tear and the 8 small interior holes (ranging from barely visible to one nice 4" gash on the BR backrest area) alone for the summer. It ends up being close to $2K for the interior and I'd rather spend that cash once my job is a bit more secure (hopefully this winter). Plus it is probably something I can do myself over the winter and save $800 or so. Some guys here would be appalled to see an interior like that, some guys would be thrilled to have all great vinyl with only 8 small holes - it's all personal tolerance.

BUT, the boat will be functional in a few weeks. So far dealing with Kevin has been absolutely great. Of course, I'll keep you guys updated...
 
if your gonna leave that vinyl for the summer, i recommend a product called VLP. it'll keep it from getting any worse. ive used it on quad seats & lawnmower seats and had really good luck with it. Take your time with it pull the material good 'n tight and it bonds it right back together. you probably wont even notice it. just a suggestion to keep it from gettin worse...;)


this is the stuff, i get it at aco hardware.

http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/product.php?pid=288
 
Thanks a million for that post. I've got a tiny little tear on my bolster and I was just saying that I needed to find something to slow down the inevitable:thumb:
 
Yeah Mr. B - thanks!!

That should handle all but 2 of my tears!

The 2 big ones (about 3") will require a patch of some type, even just for the summer. I wonder if VLP and some vinyl material would work. Wouldn't look nice, but would work.

Now I'm getting really excited to dig into the boat. I purchased a couple of infinity 6x9's to replace those pyle's. They should be called pile's of ssss. But for $35, I shouldn't complain, they worked fine - just sounded HORRIBLE. Even with my budget constraints, I can't listen to them again!

I also found some rubber flooring in 6' roles, could be another winter project. I'll post it in another post.
 
its good stuff, i had a big screwdriver in my pocekt and got on the quad once...:brickwall: put 2 real nice rips in it..... i used it to fix it, it was like that for 2 years and still holdin' when i sold it, it was right where you sit so im sure it can take some abuse. i held the center of the cut together with a piece of tape, then glued it on both sides of the tape..... let it dry, peeled the tape off and glued the center where the tape was.
 
Well, this is all really good news! I'm glad to hear she'll float again soon! I'm a ways off from floating myself. I tore a ligament in myhand and fianlly got it fixed so i'm cooked for another 5-6 weeks. I can do some things, but i won't take 'er out until i'm through with rehab and such. Goodluck with the liner! glad to see it on its way back from the brink!
 
Ow! Sorry to hear about your hand Winter.
I picked up that VLP the other day to patch something in my starliner.Great tip Mr. Buss!
Gonna try it next dry day I have off.
 
Done on Friday!!

Well, it should be done soon. Bad thing is wedding Friday and guests in this weekend, so I can't really get it 'til Monday (unless I get up at 5am on sat to be back by noon... - which may just have to happen).

Kevin said I'll be "thrilled". I'll keep you posted. I'm dreaming of ending this long thread with some pics of nice buffed out gel coat and a new windshield. Carpet will be the same old (with a 6" slit glued down) - and the little bit of vinyl damage - but I bet she'll shine nice...

I'll keep you guys posted.
 
VLP...patch?

I am going to look into this product but I wonder for your larger tears if you could use some similar color vinyl patches under/inside the tear and then apply the vlp to keep them from ripping any further. Might look unsightly but who knows with the same color vinyl between the bottom of the cover and the cushion it could look way better than the holes. If you are going to replace the vinyl in the future you are the most dangerous guy around anyway - the guy with nothing to lose!

good luck
 
That's good news Anthony! You'll prob. beat me to the water this year. Mine is still in a warehouse all covered up although i was tinkering today with some electrical mods. Yup, lets see some pics when it's done!
 
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