Replacing Benches- Starcraft Seafarer

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mmarz4evr

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Hi,

I'm going to replace the benches on my Starcraft Seafarer and am wondering if anyone has a recommendation of what type of wood I should use. Whatever I use I'm going to triple coat in spar urethane and possibly cover with carpet. So appearance is not as important as strength and durability.
 

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My first choice would be marine plywood, but that's expensive. My second choice is exterior grade plywood. Use lots and lots of spar.
 
c-ramey said:
My first choice would be marine plywood, but that's expensive. My second choice is exterior grade plywood. Use lots and lots of spar.
What he said....+ no carpet (doesn't hold moisture to rot your hard work over time) my 2C....jerry :)
 
I was hoping I would not have to go with the marine plywood because a. its expensive b. i really didn't want to have to cut it down to the bench size. I think they're like 12 inches wide so I was hoping to find 12inch boards and just cut to length. i don't think they were originally marine plywood, but i'm not sure what it is. I will forget the carpet, It was for cosmetic purposes mainly, but I'd rather see the wood hold up longer.
 
I've used cypress and white pine. Keep in mind that traditional lumber measurements are a bit off. So if you think you'll need 12 inches, and buy a 12 inch wide board, it is probably going to only be 11 1/2 inches wide.
 
c-ramey said:
I've used cypress and white pine. Keep in mind that traditional lumber measurements are a bit off. So if you think you'll need 12 inches, and buy a 12 inch wide board, it is probably going to only be 11 1/2 inches wide.


Thanks very much. Each side has a bit of a lip so the 1/2 inch should be ok, but i'll double check. I know home depot sells variations of pine- not sure if they have white, but I'll check. I doubt they have cypress. I may have to check out a lumber yard if i go that route.
 
muskiemike12 said:
The original boards that come in that boat are cedar. A 1x12 will work just fine.


Thanks very much- Now all i have to do is find a place that sells cedar around here!
 
Save and mark the old boards so you can use them as a template. All the bench tops on my boat were cut with a double bevel. I found Cedar 1x12's at Menards.
 
The Home Depot near me carries cypress lumber. White Oak would also be a good choice as far as weather resistance, too.
 
Home Depot will always have a wood that is native to the area or close by. Our home depot does not carry cedar, or cypress in dimensional lumber. I wish we did have cedar, like back home...it is a great wood for outdoor projects.

I had to use yellow pine for my benches. Not ideal but relatively inexpensive and the benches are fairly easy to replace in a few years if need be. Just coat it well with spar urethane. Thickness is not much issue with benches...they used a very thin wood for my valco, originally...I went to an inch for the new ones.

I also had to get x12 because it was the widest they sold...this did create a little bit of metal lip showing on the front two benches...not a big deal to me, but if you wanted you could grind it back.
 
The bench seat tops on our '67 Starcraft Mariner V never had a rot problem, just a splitting problem. Replaced with exterior grade plywood.
 
muskiemike12 said:
The original boards that come in that boat are cedar. A 1x12 will work just fine.

That cedar is not easy to come by in my neck of the woods (NJ), but i found a local place. They want like 8.58 pr sq ft. Is that around the going rate or should i keep looking?
 
If it is considered a hard to come by wood in your area that sounds about right. Back when I lived in Atlantic Canada it was much cheaper than that.

I would just do a different wood...that's expensive benches.
 
Whats wrong with the wood on the seats now. From the picture they just look worn? or are they rotted ? If all they need is refinished or turned over? You could even carpet over them perhaps?
 
the benches werent in horrible shape. I bet i could have restored them, but ended up replacing. Turns out they are not cedar, they are mahongany. Not cheap, but look really nice. I was given advice to use teak oil vs. varnish on this wood. Any comments on that?
 
I think teak oil is a somewhat standard application on sail boats...but I am partial to a few coats of spar urethane. Varnish does not hold up being exposed to sun and water.
 

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