STV deck

[Krazymaan]

So I was reading here on screamandfly that the early STV's had different decks.
Pro Comp had center seat and the side rails ran flat.
Pro Comp Ski had two seats and the side rails ran uphill towards the gauges.
I have two seats and my side rails seem pretty flat to me.
Could it possibly have been a 1 seater?
Its a 1986 Sprint bottom with stepped sponsons as well.

Appears to be flat and not running up hill

Hard to see but has the step in the sponson

Shape of back side

Are all floors stepped down in the center of a two seater?

Definitely a Sprint Bottom

[speedinstream]

That is the first design sprint top and bottom
there were 3 pickle fork tops threw all the design changes after the needle nose

[JPEROG]

89' was the first year of the "more modern" deck and the forks were swept up. The 89' floor did not drop like yours is.

Joe

[Krazymaan]

Does anyone else know any more info about this particular style, I'm very interested being I own it and information is few and far between.
Its between 18 and 19 feet long, depending where your measuring from.
Maybe how fast are they capable of
Does this version "hook" and if so what do you mean.
I somehow feel like I have the old racing style boat but the one that was made into offset steering to qualify for the offset steering drag race class
Maybe it was one of those narrow deck boats that needed to be a wide deck for whatever class of racing.
I hoisted it up in my garage and hooked it on my digital scale and came up with 1105 lbs. with the 2.4 and 20 gallons of fuel, battery and upholstery.
You can grab a sponse with one hand and lift it right up.
I do have a hole dead center as if it had a steering wheel there, but someone stuffed a speedometer in it.
Just looking for your educated opinions. Highly appreciated.
thanks
My cockpit rail is straight and flat like a narrow deck, doesn't run uphill like a wide deck pro comp even though its a wide deck with offset steering.

I inverted my photo so it was facing the same way as the gold boat. This isn't the original paint on my boat either. I accidentally gouged a chunk off at the back it was a faded 80's aqua blue color.



The real race boat is the identical shape as mine but its a single cockpit and the rails are flat like they are suppose to be with center steer.



Although probably not relevant, buy my trailer is home made too and from the same time period.

[coffeeguy]

The race boat has a built in set back in that picture. I don't see that in yours but it could be the picture angle.

[Krazymaan]

Its the angle.
You mean this setback.
I reversed the photo so it was facing the same direction for a comparison

[speedinstream]

Google stv sprint and look at the pics there are lots like yours just the first design after the needle nose nothing special be careful going into fast turns it will hook

[Krazymaan]

Its a great boat. But it seems as if it was designed for you to be seated in the middle down in that valley. With the side steer I am throttling with my left foot because the throttle is down in the valley. If you try to put it up on the side where it should go, your leg would be literally straight, even uphill just a touch throttling. Then look how High I sit in the photo, I'm 6'2". I feel like I am driving a flat bottom boat V-drive with a blown 454. If thats how they are, then thats how they are. I'm considering moving my seat to the middle so I don't look like a giant driving a go cart. Then I can sit down in the hole with less of my body sticking up. I still think the boat is great and very light and very fun. Just trying to solve whats going on, unless thats normal for this generation boat.

And what do you mean my boat is nothing special. My dog peed on the tire the day I got it. So I know its special.

[speedinstream]

lol I ment not rare

[PARKER RABE]

i like the style of your deck , i think the other one is awful , all of a sudden it turns up at a 60 degree angle? worst looking deck ever made. ive never seen one like yours but it looks great. wish they would of made them all that way.

[STV_Keith]

Here's some info.

[Krazymaan]

Great info for me to learn from Keith. Clearly the ski deck in your photo (is that you) is closest to mine. except for the gunwale (<- learned something new) that runs upwards towards the front. The photo next to the Scarab I don't see any step in the sponse. But I also know that step doesn't photo very well but I don't see it. I heard some had it, some didn't, what I do know is that I don't know.
If thats you, I see you sit much lower than I do, unless you only 5'4 then that would explain it. What year is that STV?

I'm just trying to find the answers why mine is "different" than most. When someone says "hey, what kind of STV is this, I don't want to give the typical teen answer "I dunno".

So when Parker Rabe says he really likes my deck and he's never seen one like that, I can at least tell him what it is
Too bad the hand engraved serial number on the back doesn't help. Assuming they were all hand engraved back then. Looks like someone was hanging off the deck trying to write upside down and backwards while going 90+ in choppy water was giving it the seal of approval.
If you think I'm kidding, look at this. Lets hope they all aren't like this.


By the way I love the seat back cowl. I guess mine is lying on the bottom of a lake somewhere. Would you happen to know where I can get one, I still have the hinges so I'm half way there. maybe your tired of yours and want to sell it so someone else can enjoy it.

[johnmiffco]

when roarke made the 1st yr race and ski version decks
they were too low profile,,,,
so he redid them for the next generation of the 2 decks and added higher fairing to help deflect wind and mainly other boats in mod vp racing
his 1st pickle fork version full race was flat top deck with tiny fairing for the single seater driver in center
think only 2 were made as the 1st 1 raced and was a bad outcome when another boat went across the top deck
2nd ro yale drag raced for a couple yrs and I don't know where it went from him
so 86 and a couple listed as 87 had the lower fairing by 88/89 both decks were raised fairing versions

so u have the 1st version of the pro comp ski deck

[Krazymaan]

I've stabbed a wake twice now and its not fun or funny, seriously. Its like having a 200 gallon wall of water trying to eject you out the back of the boat. Like a stuntman with a ripcord to pull him backwards.
I bet that higher fairing helps deflect water from ejecting you out of the boat as well.
So as you said, this would explain why this boat sits so close to the water surface.
Thanks for the info John.

[johnmiffco]

shows my age as I was around back then
I had 1 of the 1st race deck versions with a drag layup
bottom in Kevlar and top 1 layer glass was thin and light
think was 86 a model

when u see a swell coming best to slow,,,way,,down before hand
slow enough to lift the bow but not too fast to jump the wake
trim up a tad and tap throttle to lift the bow before the swell
as stated very low pickles,,,,got to lift them up,,,as stuffing it is not good for the hull
and as u stated the wall of water not good for u,,,,