WILDFIRE MARINE Fabrication and Paint

[BarryCuda]

First let me get this out of the way, I do not own a Seacraft. Although at 12 yrs of age I enjoyed a family friends 19' cc in the Bahamas (ah the good old days). I did grow up on Boston Whalers.
Now, I want to give praise "Mr Seacraft" Mike at WILDFIRE MARINE in Stuart, Fl who took on the total bow to stern reconditioning of my 1989 Whaler Outrage 22'. I carefully choose WILDFIRE MARINE after a bad exerience with Treasure Coast Customs in Port St Lucie, Fl.
Mike and Debbie Sternberg are a unique husband and wife very capable Team working together. Mike has some 23 years of boat building experience. Debbie has some 12 yrs previous experience working for Pursuit Boats. They possess the knowledge and hands on experience that make them trusted true Craftsman not always found in the Marine repair business. Here is a summery of what WILDFIRE MARINE did for my Whaler:
* semi-enclosed port and starboard transom.
* design, fabricate, construct two aft seats port and starboard.
* recore large center deck floor hatch over fuel tank.
* recore both gunnel rail caps.
* raised taller the center console (I'm tall), filled big and small holes.
* total hull in/out sanded, primed and sprayed Imron quality paint.
* through hull plumbing install of a live bait well system.
Then Debbie took over on rigging and wire:
* rerig Evinrude 200 OB.
* VHF, compass, stereo, speakers, switch panel, ignition, trim tabs, under gunnel courtesy lights, nav lights, battery chgr., duel batteries and switch, fresh wtr system, bilge pumps. All in A Clean Neat Professional manor!

After a Very Bad Experience with Treasure Coast Customs in Port St Lucie, I was very cautious of who was going to work on my Whaler! I did in-depth research, asked previous customers and asked those in the Marine trade business about the reputation of Mike and Wildfire Marine before I trusted him with my Whaler project. I am Proud of WILDFIRE and my Whaler. So whether you have a SeaCraft, Whaler, Mako, Contender or another boat that needs fiberglass or paintwork, repair or recondition, you can trust WILDFIRE MARINE.
Barry #772-341-0111

[Islandtrader]

Well thats about as good as you can ask for on a recommendation ...

[Ryan]

Thats a more than generous offer from Mike. Fwiw I've ridden on and inspected mikes work on at least 4 different SeaCrafts, and his work has always been top notch. I also know the marina that Zach had the boat rigged and kept at. This is truly the first thing I have ever seen or heard about wildfire that was less than outstanding. I hope that lordwrench and Mike can resolve this.

[Flatbroke]

After looking at several restoration options, I am having Wildfire Marine perform a total restore on my '82 20' CC. I have been to his shop on numerous occasions and seen the quality of his work; it is exceptional. However, the best endorsement I can give Mike is the quality of the restoration he did on a friends Potter-built 23' CC. I had pretty much made my mind up that Wildfire was going to do my boat but when my friend told me that Wildfire did his 23' it solidified my decision. His restoration included a full transom, transom live well, Armstrong bracket, and paint (and much more). My friend hung two 200HP Etecs on the bracket. The boat looks new and it performs better than new. Oh, the restoration was done in 2006. Before passing any judgment on Mike's work and Wildfire Marine, we should have first-hand knowledge. I think his incredibly generous offer speaks volumes about his character. Frankly, I hope it's not accepted because Wildfire has plenty of work and I'm anxious to get my project moving.

[gofastsandman]

Originally Posted by Flatbroke

After looking at several restoration options, I am having Wildfire Marine perform a total restore on my '82 20' CC. I have been to his shop on numerous occasions and seen the quality of his work; it is exceptional. However, the best endorsement I can give Mike is the quality of the restoration he did on a friends Potter-built 23' CC. I had pretty much made my mind up that Wildfire was going to do my boat but when my friend told me that Wildfire did his 23' it solidified my decision. His restoration included a full transom, transom live well, Armstrong bracket, and paint (and much more). My friend hung two 200HP Etecs on the bracket. The boat looks new and it performs better than new. Oh, the restoration was done in 2006. Before passing any judgment on Mike's work and Wildfire Marine, we should have first-hand knowledge. I think his incredibly generous offer speaks volumes about his character. Frankly, I hope it's not accepted because Wildfire has plenty of work and I'm anxious to get my project moving.

I need to get me some cohesion.
Mike did Steve`s SeaVette. Just beautiful.

[Caymanboy]

Originally Posted by BarryCuda

First let me get this out of the way, I do not own a Seacraft. Although at 12 yrs of age I enjoyed a family friends 19' cc in the Bahamas (ah the good old days). I did grow up on Boston Whalers.
Now, I want to give praise "Mr Seacraft" Mike at WILDFIRE MARINE in Stuart, Fl who took on the total bow to stern reconditioning of my 1989 Whaler Outrage 22'. I carefully choose WILDFIRE MARINE after a bad exerience with Treasure Coast Customs in Port St Lucie, Fl.
Mike and Debbie Sternberg are a unique husband and wife very capable Team working together. Mike has some 23 years of boat building experience. Debbie has some 12 yrs previous experience working for Pursuit Boats. They possess the knowledge and hands on experience that make them trusted true Craftsman not always found in the Marine repair business. Here is a summery of what WILDFIRE MARINE did for my Whaler:
* semi-enclosed port and starboard transom.
* design, fabricate, construct two aft seats port and starboard.
* recore large center deck floor hatch over fuel tank.
* recore both gunnel rail caps.
* raised taller the center console (I'm tall), filled big and small holes.
* total hull in/out sanded, primed and sprayed Imron quality paint.
* through hull plumbing install of a live bait well system.
Then Debbie took over on rigging and wire:
* rerig Evinrude 200 OB.
* VHF, compass, stereo, speakers, switch panel, ignition, trim tabs, under gunnel courtesy lights, nav lights, battery chgr., duel batteries and switch, fresh wtr system, bilge pumps. All in A Clean Neat Professional manor!

After a Very Bad Experience with Treasure Coast Customs in Port St Lucie, I was very cautious of who was going to work on my Whaler! I did in-depth research, asked previous customers and asked those in the Marine trade business about the reputation of Mike and Wildfire Marine before I trusted him with my Whaler project. I am Proud of WILDFIRE and my Whaler. So whether you have a SeaCraft, Whaler, Mako, Contender or another boat that needs fiberglass or paintwork, repair or recondition, you can trust WILDFIRE MARINE.
Barry #772-341-0111

Any pictures of the Whaler?

Originally Posted by Lordwrench

Try again. Your buddy Mike and Wildfire Marine was completely complicit in unloading a disaster of a boat they built for a customer on me. I took a straight prison pounding from wildfire marine and zack sayers, their customer who ordered the build. helping their previous customer unload a poorly modified and known compromised hull, I think it lasted him 3 seasons? After ~60k in refurb costs paid to wildfire. Stay far away. Good ole Mr. Mike talked with me and my dad for an hour or so, real nice and old timey, while all along passing off an undisclosed, obviously known, severely compromised hull. The seller had me pick it up at wildfire because "they are fixing some cracks where all seacrafts crack." This was my third SC20,and the casting deck corners are common to crack a bit,they didn't mention the 8" split in the dead center of the keelson. It split on me after not even one season, revealing itself to be poorly patched from the outside only, and sold undisclosed. And at a premium price. The deck and rear bulkhead channel, scupper tubes and interior cap to floor supports cracking to pieces along the way before I realized what the root cause was. The boat was literally coming apart in pieces. After all that expense and hullabaloo(search around CSC, the build is documented in a thread, but not well.), the hull didn't last 300 hours. I don't know when it first cracked with their customer, but it re-cracked in less than one season of nothing but Charleston area sandbar trips.

The seller smugly confirmed after I sent him a photo of the crack that he had already had it glassed once, after the rebuild at wildfire. Zero mention of that defect. Ever. By Zach or wildfire.

This is only the cliff notes, I assure you, Wildfire was bailing themselves and their customer out of a disaster they designed and built together, by selling it to me, completely undisclosed, all the while looking me straight in the eye.

They are dishonest people.

I still have the hull, it's a truly gorgeous piece of garbage, wildfires specialty.

Feel free to contact me privately anyone considering using this shop for all the details.

I abhor drama have been reluctant to say all of this on this forum, I have said pieces of it before,but this post required me to respond and hopefully keep others from making a mistake with this company.

B

Wow! Sure looks like a pretty boat, I liked the way it came out.
I am sorry to hear that, always heard good things about them.

[Old'sCool]

Originally Posted by Lordwrench

Try again. Your buddy Mike and Wildfire Marine was completely complicit in unloading a disaster of a boat they built for a customer on me. I took a straight prison pounding from wildfire marine and zack sayers, their customer who ordered the build. helping their previous customer unload a poorly modified and known compromised hull, I think it lasted him 3 seasons? After ~60k in refurb costs paid to wildfire. Stay far away. Good ole Mr. Mike talked with me and my dad for an hour or so, real nice and old timey, while all along passing off an undisclosed, obviously known, severely compromised hull. The seller had me pick it up at wildfire because "they are fixing some cracks where all seacrafts crack." This was my third SC20,and the casting deck corners are common to crack a bit,they didn't mention the 8" split in the dead center of the keelson. It split on me after not even one season, revealing itself to be poorly patched from the outside only, and sold undisclosed. And at a premium price. The deck and rear bulkhead channel, scupper tubes and interior cap to floor supports cracking to pieces along the way before I realized what the root cause was. The boat was literally coming apart in pieces. After all that expense and hullabaloo(search around CSC, the build is documented in a thread, but not well.), the hull didn't last 300 hours. I don't know when it first cracked with their customer, but it re-cracked in less than one season of nothing but Charleston area sandbar trips.

The seller smugly confirmed after I sent him a photo of the crack that he had already had it glassed once, after the rebuild at wildfire. Zero mention of that defect. Ever. By Zach or wildfire.

This is only the cliff notes, I assure you, Wildfire was bailing themselves and their customer out of a disaster they designed and built together, by selling it to me, completely undisclosed, all the while looking me straight in the eye.

They are dishonest people.

I still have the hull, it's a truly gorgeous piece of garbage, wildfires specialty.

Feel free to contact me privately anyone considering using this shop for all the details.

I abhor drama have been reluctant to say all of this on this forum, I have said pieces of it before,but this post required me to respond and hopefully keep others from making a mistake with this company.

B

Wow

[Capt Chuck]

I don’t think Mike @ Wildfire would knowingly pass along a boat with known issues. That said, we are talking about boats that are decades old, and then putting brackets on them which those aging hulls were never designed for (pushing the center of gravity back and putting added torque on various parts of the hull, creating any number of additional woes). I never thought that a 20' with a bracket was an ideal setup.
I can contest that Wildfire did an excellent job on the transom enclose and Potter Bracket install on my 23'. The boat is enjoying a 2nd owner now after I owned it for 30+ years. I have seen cracks such as the pics above, caused by improper trailer alignment as well as misuse in uncomfortable sea conditions.
I also saw a 23' SeaCraft at Wildfire that the previous owner had hollowed out the foam within the box stringers and made an Island run after filling them with cocaine!

I received this from another CSC member via PM. I wish to share it with you.

It would not at all surprise me if there were significant cracks in many of these hulls and when you hang a 500# outboard, on a bracket, some of those sins are going to come to light when you head out the inlet on a day that has rough seas. 90% of CSC posters are obsessed with discussing WOT speeds and you can’t expect to put thousands of pounds of torque on an old boat and have it hold together like a brand new boat that was designed from the ground up to have a heavy engine 18-20” behind the transom. That crack might have been hiding for years and then put a fresh engine and bracket on it and “bang”, that crack comes to life again, three owners later.
However, if I was going to buy a boat tomorrow morning, it would certainly not be a 40 year old hull with who-know’s-what in its past. There seems to be this magical assumption that 30 year old cars are tired and beat but 30 year old boats are as good as the day they popped out of the mold. I’m not buying it.
I trust Mike and Debbie at Wildfire implicitly, but expecting these boats to roll out of that shop devoid of all past issues is unreasonable until we start X-raying the entire hull and I don’t know any economical way of doing that.

I knew good and well that the upper deck around the forward bow cleat on mine was less than 100%, 35 years sitting in the Florida sun is going to do that, and no amount of PPG paint is going to magically erase those years of wear/tear. I made a point of never stepping off a dock onto that area but someone might do that to my old boat next week and then blame me, Mike, or Bill Potter for scamming them into buying a substandard boat. No, it wasn’t substandard, it was just old.

The guy that posted the compromised boat in that thread has a hull I wouldn’t want. I bet there are actually a number of ticking time bombs on the CSC site and none of them are the result of having sat at Wildfire Marine, I doubt Mike has actually been on a running boat, in saltwater, in the last 20 years. Somebody beat that boat up, but I don’t think Mike was onboard when it happened and I don’t think he’s willing to flush his reputation down the drain for just one boat job

[Parker Yacht]

On the above post.
How very true.
I had a surveyor show up on a 99' Contender I had for sale with an Infra red camera. Said there was deck delam and moisture around the rod holders, I pulled them for the buyer, looked damp but fine.
Old boat, old issues.

[jorgeinmiami]

I'm not defending anyone but in reading what was said here if I were doing a build that involved adding a platform and large engine I would take the floor out and reinforce the stringers and everything else. The point of large engines on brackets flexing the whole boat is probably a concern. These boat were made when a "large" outboard was a 235hp maybe and more likely a 135/150 and weighed a lot less. Add to the stresses the boat gets pounded by the water even well built boats can have things to wrong