Does anybody have any reference material (pictures, spec etc.) relating to my latest project a Shakespeare Starfire in need of some TLC and an engine?

Thanks in advance.

Here's a link to the site:-

http://people.dsv.su.se/~klas/Boats/Sta ... rfire.html

They were originally powered by the 120hp Mercruiser I believe.

Yes thanks, managed to find these pages through Google, difficult to find anything else.

Yes, only ever seen yours and blue one that was a near bare shell. Can imagine they were very expensive when new and very few built, quite apart from the comments re. the heavy motor.

Well the strip down process and restoration is well on it's way but I wondered whether anybody can offer some advise in terms of deck preparation before painting.

When the boat arrived it seems that the last attempt at restoring the boat was done by applying a primer/undercoat coat on top of the original metallic red gel coat and then painting the final top coat. Two subsequent problems seem to have occurred, firstly the paint had lots of bubbles on the surface and in other areas the paint was simply lifting from the primer that was greasy underneath.

I've spent quite a lot of time removing the loose top coat paint and sanding back the bubbles which have now revealed pitting on the deck (as per first picture attached).

Can anybody offer any advise in terms of how to best get the deck surface back to a position where I can undercoat and top paint, i.e. if the rest of the paint surface is sound can I filler/primer the pitting or is it the worst case scenario and having to sand the complete deck back to the previous undercoat and then re: undercoat & top coat?

I haven't painted yet,but I sanded all the old paint off and filled wit a marine epoxy.

For comparison before I decided to sand old paint off

Great to see another member restoring a Starfire "PopeyeShellard" and nice to get in touch Nick.

Thought it was about time (embarrassingly given the date of my last post) to share my collection of restoration photos for anybody else out there trying to restore one.

https://plus.google.com/photos/10816237 ... qLGzome_AE

Hope they help someone and please get in touch if you want to share any info.

Do hope I can get to see you all on the water at some time just need to get the engine in and commissioned, respray top and fit interior. Seems easy when you say it quickly, any volunteers in the Worcestershire area that can help (yours desperately!)?

Cheers
Simon