New member, old owner, questions for the group.

[Bikecop1]

A little history. My dad just passed away and it looks like I may be getting his Seacraft. He bought it from his old boss who was the original owner. This was 35 years ago. It is a 69 20sf. It has been sitting for the last 20 years as is in need of some tlc. Rear transom Def needs to be done as the inside has separated from the wood. There are cracks in the gel coat so it will need some serious restoration. How desirable are these boats and what makes them so great. Is it worth having it redone? It is beyond my expertise to do it myself I think so how much am I looking to have it restored. Thanks for the help and I look forward to hearing from you guys.

[Terry England]

You Dad was a gentleman and a scholar and his intelligance was only exceeded by his good looks! If its a '69, it's a four stringer Moesly, just fix the transom and patch the floor and go fishin'. OR go crazy like Afishin82 and break out the saw-zall!

[kmoose]

I would say a minumim cost to restore would $1000 per foot including new power. And that would be cutting it thin. Worth of restoring your dads boat........ Priceless.
If you are of the right mindset and a little handy you can do some research on this sight and do it yourself. The level of accomplishment and pride you will feel will be well worth the effort and you will save some coin in labor.

[FishStretcher]

There is restore, and there is repair. Which is lots cheaper. Power wash it, plate the transom, ignore the floor and run it for a bit. Then decide what you want for a restore. You never know- if the motor was winterized- maybe it would run? Or find cheap older power for it. I have perhaps $0.35 a foot in mine. Half of which was purchase price.15 year old power, some modernish but mostly low end electronics. Mine is ugly and serviceable. I'll get around to a real restoration, someday. When I buy a light injected outboard for it- after I stumble on some money.

[Bushwacker]

Originally Posted by Bikecop1

. . . How desirable are these boats and what makes them so great. Is it worth having it redone? It is beyond my expertise to do it myself I think so how much am I looking to have it restored. Thanks for the help and I look forward to hearing from you guys.

Welcome aboard! As Terry said, that's a Moesly built hull, so relatively rare. Carl Moesly didn't start building the CC models till '67 and sold the company to Bill Potter about 1970, who built them till 1980. The patented Variable Deadrise Hull is highly regarded as one of the most efficient and softest riding hulls every built, so it's most definitely worth saving. They were built with fiberglass stringers and very high quality, so it may only need a transom replacement; worst case, the balsa core in the cockpit sole or plywood core in the top cap may need replacing if any unsealed holes let water into the core, but if was well maintained and there are no soft spots, you may only need a new transom. My '72 model is rock solid with all original transom and decks, so just because it's old doesn't mean it's not a good boat. In fact, it's built better with thicker glass than most modern boats! And the hull is so efficient that it performs very well with light 300 lb motors of 100-115 hp like you have on there! Don't know where you're located, but around here you can have a transom professionally redone for about $2K. If you let us know where you're located, some of the members on here can probably recommend some good fiberglass shops! Check out this web site for more info on Carl Moesly, the amazing guy who founded SeaCraft and dominated the Outboard Division in Offshore Power Boat races in the 1960's!

Your boat is one of the few I've seen with an original circulating live well setup under the stbd seat. If you unscrew that plate in the transom, you'll find a plate behind it with a bunch of small holes in it and a big hole in the center. That metal tube is the water pickup and slides down below the hull and rotates around to fit into the large hole. The tube is cut off at a 45 degree angle and scoops up water when you're running. The small holes are the water over flow and since they're right at the waterline, will allow water to flow in and out when you're anchored. It's a typical simple but clever Moesly design that circulates water without the need for a pump!

[Bikecop1]

Thanks for the replies and information. That is good to know about the stringers. I was worried that they had a wood core and were rotten. I am located just north of Atlanta, Ga near lake Lanier.

[Bushwacker]

Originally Posted by Bikecop1

. . . I am located just north of Atlanta, Ga near lake Lanier.

Sounds like you're close to forum member bilgerat in Buford, Ga.? Check out his 25' Seafari in the For Sale section!

[Bushwacker]

Here's an example of a transom repair from the outside which is the easiest way to do it. It's a good idea to also raise transom cutout from 20" to 25" as part of the repair, as most modern motors are made for 25" transoms.

[Old'sCool]

More worthy of a restoration than any other boat because your Dad kept it. It must have meant something special to him.

[JohnC]

That's a great old boat to restore and even more so because it belonged to your father. I looked for a late 60's model before I bought my 77 but I could not find one for a reasonable price. I think that if you spend an afternoon washing her you up may find you like what you see under the 20 years of grime.
I have a brush that my brother left me (he was a hair stylist) and a bible that my grandmother left me. They are simple things but they are precious to me because they came from people I loved and lost. I hope you find a way to get this boat going and play in the lakes around N. Georgia. Once you feel comfortable and everything is working it's not too far to drag it to the coast for some offshore fun. The hull will go anywhere you want to go and keep you safe and comfortable along the way.