Starcraft hull splash in waves

[OakdaleFMR]

I own a 17' Starcraft Starfire with a 90 merc. My boat has a deep interior which is nice in big lakes and makes me feel safer with the kids. However in any waves I get pounded with water in the face. It's like the hull design causes this and I am almost ready to sell the boat because of the problem. My question is does anyone else have this problem with their Starcraft? If so did you do anything to effectively help the problem? Or does anyone have any suggestions? I am wondering if there is something I could add to the hull to deflect the waves outward????

Thanks.

[Eric Wettschreck]

I have a 1979, 16 foot starcraft and if I hit a decent sized wave we're getting wet. I'm looking for a windshield. Other than that, I know of nothing that can be done. I'm pretty sure it's the hull design.

[JDM]

I have the Starfish SC and I fish big water with it all the time. In certain waves at certain angles, you will get wet. For the most part, though, I think it is a pretty decent and dry ride as long as you are on plane. I have been in plenty of other brands of boats and I haven't seen one yet that can completely keep you dry in that size of hull. My boat is 17 ft, 8 inches long.

[OakdaleFMR]

My starcraft is also 17' 8" with 8 1/2' beam. It does a pretty good job on plane, but it is horrible at any speed under that. My friend has a lund where you sit way out of the water and I rarely get a wave splash even though I am more exposed than in my boat. Wondering if there is something you can add to the hull to make the waves bust away from the boat.......

[Rivernut]

I have a 1996 16 1/2 ft. Fishmaster. I love the boat but my one complaint is you get wet in certain waves. One time it seems to be fine and the next YOU GET WET.

[marine_man]

As others have said, there are two things you can do - buy a windshield and make sure you're running on plane as much as possible - I understand that when the waves are big that's pretty much impossible, but it dramatically helps keeping the splash down.

marine_man

[tipup]

I too have a Starcraft with a 60Horse Merc and yes at times it can be a wet ride. But as for selling just for that reason I say no. It is a good boat with everything that I want in a boat. I can deal with it

[VMS]

My father had a starcraft FM 160 for a long time.. He under powered it, but it had an extremely blunt front end. So...in any type of waves, it was a killer...you got bounced hard and when that bow would come down into a wave, you'd almost get thrown from the seat to the front.

At least with his boat, the main problem I felt was the lack of power...but I also feel that the hull design played an even bigger role in how wet you got. The placement of the gas tank (in the bow area) made for problems as well...you could not raise the bow out of the water so it always plowed...even at trim. (again, based upon a well underpowered motor).

As such, he rode in my boat a few years back on some bigger waves, and now he has one just like it. I have since upgraded to something a bit bigger, but there is a HUGE difference in how the boat handles and feels in the water.

I don't know about your boat, but if that front end is blunt, it will NEVER perform well enough to keep you dry...

JMHHO

Steve