seacraft 25 seafari- Owners

[GERRY]

I am about to begin a restoration/repower on my 1972 seacraft seafari 25. I have previously spoken to few of the members here that own them. I have never been on one of these hulls and do not know how they handle and perform. I have heard they ride amazing to -from an alleged dealer for seacraft that, they ride terrible, hard to handle etc. I have owned many deep v boats Bertram 25-26, Albemarle 24, cary 32, blackfin 24 , regulator 26 express etc. so I am aware of the ride and drift characteristics of these hulls.I have also owned an inboard seacraft savage that I sold to a member here on classic seacraft. I can guess you can see I love old classic hulls. The question is, would any current owners after rebuilding/purchasing one of these 25s wish they did not or what would you have purchased instead? I plan on this being my last boat and want to find the best boat for my needs-offshore fishing and bottom fishing. Would I be better off selling her and purchase a 23 seacraft which I am more familiar with? Ok guys lets hear it! go for the rebuild or sell her and move on? I also have been invited by a few members who own them to come out for a ride! this would be ideal, but work commitments at this time wont allow. I need to make a decision very soon so that the glass work can begin so that it will be ready for summer 2014.

[cdavisdb]

Having trouble making your mind up??? I think we been through this before.

No one I know who owns one is anything other than delighted.

For me, a diver who stays on the boat during long trips and needs to be able to run long distances into a head sea, its the perfect boat, I've owned and/or driven a bunch of others. I would not sell my 25 for anything, unless I was sure I could immediately get another one for a lot less.

Compare to a 23 Seacraft. The head sea ride is much better, landing after going airborne is much much much better. You can run 2-4 knots faster into the same head sea with equal or better comfort. It rolls more, has less internal space and I suspect, will carry less load. Ride in a following or beam sea, I don't have the knowledge to compare, can only say that the 25 is superb.

I think where some people might not like the 25 is an area I think is an advantage, sensitivity to lean. Different strokes for different folks. The 25 will definitely lean away from the wind, into turns, etc. It can scare your passengers, but the owner gets used to it real fast. Tabs are a necessity. The advantage is in its sensitivity to twitching the wheel. When its rough, you can bring down the bow at the perfect angle to minimize the jolt of landing. The boat doesn't slam or bang like most boats, even if launched all the way out of the water, but its a whole lot softer if brought down right. Its a drivers boat, not for someone inexperienced or who isn't interested in getting the most out of the hull. Give it the attention it merits and the rewards are amazingly rich. It took me several hours of driving in relatively bumpy conditions to learn what it wanted. I thought the ride was great before I learned how to drive it. The ride is beyond words now.

Roll is significant, but,as built, it doesn't have the vicious snap roll of a 23 formula or equivalent Albermarle.

It needs a lot of power if you plan to load it heavy.

[strick]

Like Conner says the ride is very nice once you get used to how to drive the boat. Everything he said above I feel is right on. I have had a 1975 23 Seacraft cc and currently have a 23 sceptre that I co own with another member. The 23 cc was the best and easiest handling boat of the three. I used to get wet once in a while on windy days in the 23cc. It is near impossible to get wet on the 25 seafari. I have a volvo 290 duo prop on mine. One thing that I did was put a aggressive hydrofoil on my out drive which helped lateral stability when up on plane. Last time I was out I had 4 people on it and it rode like a dream. We were out all day people moving all around all the time and no more leaning and adjusting the trim tabs. All this being said I would take the time to go for a ride before you dive into a long project. I have no regrets with mine other then I don't use it much and that's because I have a 20 seacraft that I like to fish out of for skinny water stripers.

strick

[FishStretcher]

I only have 40 minutes on mine, I am still rehabbing it.

It IS a tippy boat, very responsive. Nothing like the 20 footers. But my guess is that it would be quite dry. I might not want to sit in it and bottom fish as much as a flatter hull while in a New England slop. I suspect it will roll a lot more than a Whaler. But this isn't the boat for fishing 300 yds off the coast for scup, either. Or bumping along the shore. At least not for me, with an I/O.

I know there are plenty of times where the 20 doesn't have enough vee in the hull to deal with standing waves or river mouths (Piscataqua, Merrimack) at any real speed. I have gotten my butt kicked in the Piscataqua in a 34 foot aluminum "Alaska halibut" fishing boat. This would do better there. I don't know the other boats. So far, no regrets. That said, I am interested in the Big Fluke sponson modification. But that is dreaming on my part.


And it is a LOT bigger than a 20. I have never trailered a 23, but the 25 is a whole different animal. Light for its size, but the height alone makes it exciting.

But I really don't know much yet.

[GERRY]

thanks for all the replies.

[bilgerat]

I may not have have the best advice as the other as mine has twin 150 mercs on brackets and my center of gravity is further back than a IO but I LOVE the way mine rides and handles, its nor as light as a single eng io and it rides a little higher in the bow. it will turn on a dime but it does lean in a hard turn, I added dole fins to the lower units and it stopped a lot of the roll . Ive still got to fix My trim tabs and once I do I imagine it will Handel a lot better, good luck with the resto if you decide to take it on

[Blue_Heron]

We've talked, so you already know how I feel about mine. I pretty much agree with everything Connor said, especially the comment about the steering induced roll making it easy to set it up for the next wave. Makes beam sea handling a dream.

But I also agree with what strick said about taking a ride before you commit. I had never ridden in one either, and I don't regret my decision. But with the level of uncertainty you're showing, you may give up half way through, and you'll have sunk more money into it than you'll get back. Abandoned projects don't bring a good price, so you need to be sure it's what you want to do before you start.
Dave

[cdavisdb]

Ditto on what Blue Heron said.

Something else about the boat that comes with time. There doesn't seem to be any sea state or wind that the boat feels uncertain in. I've never had a boat like that before(with the exception of the 25 Bertram, but I never had it out in challenging conditions). Everything else always had some combination of sea state and direction that it didn't like, did not feel right in. Gets your attention instantly. My 20 Seacraft did not like quartering into steep 3 footers, the 24 Seabird wouldn't surf for crap on steep waves and didn't like quartering away from 4-5, 23 formulas occasionally develop a horrendous snap roll in steep 3-4 fters. There is always something. Except for the 25. Doesn't seem to matter, it can be crazy scary(I'm dumb enough to be out when I shouldn't) and the boat still feels just fine, totally solid and in control. Very odd and I did not trust it at all at first, but I do now.

[gofastsandman]

Originally Posted by cdavisdb

Ditto on what Blue Heron said.

Something else about the boat that comes with time. There doesn't seem to be any sea state or wind that the boat feels uncertain in. I've never had a boat like that before(with the exception of the 25 Bertram, but I never had it out in challenging conditions). Everything else always had some combination of sea state and direction that it didn't like, did not feel right in. Gets your attention instantly. My 20 Seacraft did not like quartering into steep 3 footers, the 24 Seabird wouldn't surf for crap on steep waves and didn't like quartering away from 4-5, 23 formulas occasionally develop a horrendous snap roll in steep 3-4 fters. There is always something. Except for the 25. Doesn't seem to matter, it can be crazy scary(I'm dumb enough to be out when I shouldn't) and the boat still feels just fine, totally solid and in control. Very odd and I did not trust it at all at first, but I do now.

I`ve been on all three. Only Capt. Chuckles and No Boner are willing to dig.
Sick twits went out when I thought Really? They came home.

My 20 slacker is not great in a big follow.

The 25 Seafari will just walk right by.

Just not fair. The 23 is right there and every hull can bring you home, but...
that 25 is just mind blowing. The logic train stopped at the station.

If you look at any of Carl`s designs, you can pull a straight edge along the
longitudinal axis and the chine will intercept the keel and all steps.

3,2, or whatever?

I was too jazzed to pull. I did sight the magic and it was there.

[Bigshrimpin]

Gerry - saw the boat up for sale . . . Did you find something new? Or just get cold feet?