Call me crazy

[Locke N Load]

The day has come, finally. I picked up my title to my 1971 Seafari 20 yesterday after months of effort. To be expected when it is a pre-'72 with no HIN, an out-of-state title in someone else's name than the person who is also out of state and a different state I got the bill of sale from, for free. But it is in my yard and I legally own it.

Now the fun part; the rebuild. Tell me if I am crazy or my plan is accomplishable, albeit with a lot of time and effort.

I want to convert the cuddy cabin boat to a center console boat. I know. If you want a CC get a CC, but when free boats were being given away all I could get was the cuddy. Additionally, I want to raise the deck a few inches and have it all one level, raise the gunnels to match for safety, no liner, add a formed in bracket, a Lefty Kreh style coffin box in front of the console and then the real kicker, stretch it a foot and a half to make it 21'.

There are two ladies in my family, wife and daughter, who will be very disappointed if there is nowhere to pee. So, a larger console with a step down for a porta potty is very important. I am kicking around the idea of two 40 gallon tanks, one in front of the console and and one behind. This will mean deck space and bilge space will be very tight. Solution is extend the hull twenty inches and I will have the room I want.

I am on no timetable and budget is flexible. I will try to do all the work I can myself so I know the boat inside and out and also will not be paying for labor I can do. I have lots of ideas and want to make it perfect for my uses. It will be for inshore fishing in MA, runs to sandbars and waterfront bars/restaurants and when conditions allow offshore, but not too far. I do not plan to sell it. Ever.

Oh, I have no experience building boats, working with fiberglass, plumbing or electronics. But I can learn and I do have some skills. I didn't know how to build a fishing rod until I built my first one. Now I have a bunch. I work on my cars too when necessary and in my range of ability.

So, am I crazy? Go for it? What the hell, if I screw something up I will redo it until it is correct or worse case scenario, pay someone to do it.