My 1975 SeaCraft 25' Seafari rebuild thread

[Terry England]

Originally Posted by cdavisdb

Have patience, my son. It'll take a few days, I'm exhausted.

You better "walk it off" Brother. There's Marine A/C units "laid down" all up and down the West Coast of Florida and the First Mate's "make up" is running so bad it's got bilge pumps caked up. You better git right and git with the program or they're going to "Pink Slip" you dang L.A. azz, Bro'. I got people who know people and that's what I heard tell. Plus we got to save up enough for them pavers to park the "Blew By You" on.

[FLexpat]

Originally Posted by Terry England

Frizz, Go Cautiously. Conner's right. I had a good friend in Clearwater who pulled a couple of pushrod 6 cylinder Volvos out of a 25 Safari and put a bracket on it with two 200 Mercurys. The thing would go along and just roll over on one side because someone walked around, then trim, trim, trim, nothing - then it would roll over on the other side. Weird! It was very difficult to keep it "upright".
I think the 25's like "Iron in their belly". They'd be happier with a Cat 3208 amidships with a surface drive, I think. If you stay with the outboard plan, see if you can find some K-Planes. That might give you some stability, underway.

I know it's probably some sort of mortal offence to ask - but has anyone ever converted a 25 Seafari into a 25 Savage with a big block under a step up console (to see over the bow, kinda like the Rybo runners) and a jackshaft to a high power drive like a Bravo 1XR? it would wreck sleeping on the deck but it seems awesome for Bahamas & Dry Tortugas trips. CG would be lower and more forward and with twin tanks you might help the roll. That being said, the only 25 I have ever actually touched is Blue Heron's and I was stunned by it - amazing boat.

[flyingfrizzle]

Thanks for all the responses,

Far as the motor outboard/bracket idea, I have spent some time thinking that one threw. I really would like to keep it an I/O for the obvious reasons but cost, ease of use, space gain, and the fact that I just don't like an I/O keeps me thinking of trying the bracket. I do have a 400 four bolt main standard bore block sitting around but it would cost me 10k to build it the way I would want it plus that is my motor for my 69 short bed Chevy. I also have thought about an 383 stroker EFI mercruiser with an bravo 3 but then again im looking over 10k easily. If I could find a donor boat for 5k or so with a newer MPI 350 or something like that before the bracket gets built I may still go this direction. I am considering this as an option:http://eastnc.craigslist.org/bod/4556443191.html

Terry, - "They'd be happier with a Cat 3208 amidships with a surface drive"

I would love to do one with a set up like this and after seeing BigFluke's 25' in Hawaii with the surface drive it makes one cool looking set up that would work well but I don't even know what it would cost to do something this. Im sure it would be the cats Meow, but far out of budget.
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5323dd0c.jpg

seafari25 & cdavisdb

I have been checking out post on your rigs and like the idea of a nice top to keep the bugs and sun out. The full tops are defiantly cool for camping and I will be studying more on how I want to put something together for sun shade. I have some wide range of ideas, from copying your tops to full pilot house top that will mess my CG up. I would like to go with some type of hard top but know the weight will kill me.

Flexpat,- "I know it's probably some sort of mortal offence to ask - but has anyone ever converted a 25 Seafari into a 25 Savage"

I have sketched up a hard top/pilot house idea that will be cool but the purest up here will slap us silly for modifying this rare bird too much from original...
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7ce52369.jpg

Bushwacker,

I will be defiantly going with the shortest set back possible to help with the GC & weight issues. I would like to go with some 2.5 merc twins or a single v-rod but don't know how much setback I can cut out while still being able to tilt the motors out of the water while clearing the hood. I hate to change the looks of the curved transom but thought about doing a small cut out/ well to clear the power head when tilted forward to help keep the motors inward while still keeping the added room in the rear plus the wall to keep the water out. On the coring, Coosa is what I am wanting to use but I am having a hard time finding it at a fair price. Shipping is killing me on it and some suppliers need me to get like 6-8 sheets to get a good price on it or to order at all.

GFS, "You are a sick Redneck of the highest order"

You could call me that but my old lady has used a bit of choice wording towards me a little differently for picking up another project, She is actually supportive believe it or not. Im not sure why but she is.

I will be printing coupons for the showing of the nautical history of SeaCraft hulls as soon as I can manage to get the grass mowed from under all the examples and get the ropes up around them. If the museum doesn't work out I may start a rental facility...

To all the others: Sit back, strap in, hold on and let the journey begin!

[cdavisdb]

kmoose has a nice rig on his Septre, very short setback. Works mighty well on that boat.

I'm pretty sure the very best setup for a 25 Seafari is a 383 stroker with a duoprop or bravo 3, unless you turned it into an openfish inboard or jackshaft.

[FishStretcher]

Originally Posted by cdavisdb

kmoose has a nice rig on his Septre, very short setback. Works mighty well on that boat.

I'm pretty sure the very best setup for a 25 Seafari is a 383 stroker with a duoprop or bravo 3, unless you turned it into an openfish inboard or jackshaft.

I haven't ridden in another 25 and have but an hour on mine so far, but I really like the 350MPI and bravo 3.

[Blackfin26]

I think a short 15" setback bracket with a slightly notched transom is the way to go. It preserves the curved transom (probably going 2/3 way through the cap would allow full tilt up). Fab a neat cutting board to fit in that spot for normal use. 15" would probably give you enough real world tilt to clear most obstacles or beaching.

[Terry England]

Originally Posted by Blackfin26

I think a short 15" setback bracket with a slightly notched transom is the way to go. It preserves the curved transom (probably going 2/3 way through the cap would allow full tilt up). Fab a neat cutting board to fit in that spot for normal use. 15" would probably give you enough real world tilt to clear most obstacles or beaching.

Blackfin, I think you are correct. Both I/O to outboard conversions, I am familiar with were with 30" brackets. I was thinking the same thing - maybe a 30" shaft, big prop Zuke on a stubby Vertical Hydraulic Jack Plate with a high notch that would let you run the jack plate up and then tilt the motor might work. It would keep the weight forward. My friends both left the I/O motor boxes and filled the engine box up with fuel tanks or dive tanks. When they eased of the throttle too quickly the engines would partially submerge - not good!

Check with Conner or Dave but I think Carl Moesly's original 25' Safari design had a forward water ballast tank to make the boat ride right with a cast iron Mercruiser INSIDE the transom. When you start moving the CG (actually the Center of Buoyancy) away from the original water ballast tank location in the bow, things get funky quickly.

Go easy, I know enough to be dangerous and like any good Democrat I have no problem spending someone else's money on theoretical shit.

[DonV]

"and like any good Democrat I have no problem spending someone else's money on theoretical shit"

Just what I thought , you came in top of your Obammy civics class!! Kenya dig it?

[Terry England]

I ran into a drunken US Navy sailor in Barcelona and he was pissed that citizens compared his spending habits to Democrats. He said "Hell, eventually he runs out of money - they just keep printing their's!!"

Originally Posted by DonV

"and like any good Democrat I have no problem spending someone else's money on theoretical shit"

Just what I thought , you came in top of your Obammy civics class!! Kenya dig it?

[Bigshrimpin]

Originally Posted by Terry England

Blackfin, I think you are correct. Both I/O to outboard conversions, I am familiar with were with 30" brackets. I was thinking the same thing - maybe a 30" shaft, big prop Zuke on a stubby Vertical Hydraulic Jack Plate with a high notch that would let you run the jack plate up and then tilt the motor might work. It would keep the weight forward. My friends both left the I/O motor boxes and filled the engine box up with fuel tanks or dive tanks. When they eased of the throttle too quickly the engines would partially submerge - not good!

Check with Conner or Dave but I think Carl Moesly's original 25' Safari design had a forward water ballast tank to make the boat ride right with a cast iron Mercruiser INSIDE the transom. When you start moving the CG (actually the Center of Buoyancy) away from the original water ballast tank location in the bow, things get funky quickly.

Go easy, I know enough to be dangerous and like any good Democrat I have no problem spending someone else's money on theoretical shit.

Terry - Any idea on the size and location of the water ballast tank?