Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Hello everyone, new to the forum and starting a restoration. Ill start a thread in the Restoration Forum, but figured I'd ask some questions here to keep that thread cleaner.

Boat is a 93 Starcraft Stardeck 240 DLX. Right now as is sits, it is bare bones. 2 toons and the stringers. I ordered a redecking kit which included 6 sheets of 3/4" CCA treated kiln dried wood, woven weave vinyl flooring, 2" stainless deck screws, riser kit, glue, and joint tape. You all probably know the kit.

Couple questions to get me going are as follows:

1. Do I need to seal this wood any? Maybe with an epoxy paint or some type of deck sealer? Ive read too many mixed opinions than I care to mention. I will be underskinning the boat and applying 3M 4200 to anything I put into the deck. Seems like sealing it would make applying glue/vinyl troublesome.

2. This deck joint tape puzzles me. I understand the purpose of it but it is basically 1/8" foam with only one side being sticky. I guess its supposed to go sticky side down and the top side has no stick so you can position the boards more easily? I just don't see it being very waterproof, but maybe I'm wrong. Seems like the boat was made with some type of tar tape? What is everyone using?

3. Are you all pre drilling pilot holes when using self tappers?

4. Any general advice/tips/tricks from those of you have travelled down this path? I'm sure I'm over complicating it, but I'm a bit of a perfectionist and hate making mistakes. Thanks in advance for any advice/help!

this will give you a starting point

1 no letting it breath makes it last longer, sealing traps water and makes it rot faster

2, its suppose to stop water splash through, i used a silicone adhesive when i did mine

3 i predrilled it makes a lot easer, use a under size bit so it still cuts in

4 a big one it to level and squire the toons before starting it makes it a lot simpler and easer

Remember that underskinning is the very last thing you do on your restoration. You'll need to get under the boat to bolt down fencing, seating and the control console.

I know the CCA that PS sells has a 40 year warranty. Might check. I am not sure where you got yours. It may be similar.

Squaring the toons and deck seems very important. Something I am trying to figure out how to do in my shop. If i had a scissor trailer it would be easy...but I don't.



My advice is to think it through well and get your plan figured out. Like with any project for me it helps to break it down into steps.

Getting the tubes coplanar is not that hard. Get 2 ten foot pieces of angle stock... aluminum is lightest obviously, but expensive. What you want are 2 good straight pieces of damn near anything the same size.

Lay one across the pontoons at the front and one across at the back. Shoot a laser level down one side so it just barely ticks one straight edge. It should just tick the one at the other end of the boat as well. Do the same on the other side.

What this does is make sure you don't build in a twist (like... nose of port pontoon a little higher or lower than starboard pontoon, or vice versa)

I use a similar method on a smaller scale to align separated rails when wood working. You can usually see quite easily if they're off by even just a little just buy eyeballing it. But the laser gets you dead on.

For square... measure from tip of one pontoon (at the bow) to center of the other pontoon's stern. Measure both. They should match. If one distance is shorter than the other you're not square (or your tubes aren't exact same length)

I actually do that trick too with woodworking Yardbird but a much smaller scale. My thing is it is on big trailer. I guess I could use a jack on each corner under the edges of trailer. I suppose that would still square it. I may have to shim under a log if the trailer isn't close to square.

Just trying to anticipate any problems that may arise.