picked up a bracket

[martin]

Originally Posted by flyingfrizzle

Yea that's the one, I made the swim platform mold and cut the top half off of the dusky bracket and modified it to look like a more modern bracket. If I remember the dusky bracket was 210-230 lbs to start with (twin Bracket). It had 3/8 solid glass outer skin with a 1/2" balsa core with a 1/4" of glass on the inside of the cored tub. The tub was a 1.5" thick with the balsa core in it and that was the entire tub except the back that had two 3/4"plys for the motor mounts. Some places were 1/2 thick. I believe after cutting most of the weight off that I could and added the swim platform back it ended up being around 180-190lbs. A lot heavier than I wanted but it still works very well. I forgot to put the plug in it when I unloaded at the ramp and the platform sat down in the water 2.5"- 3" lower in the water with the lower lip almost touching. So the floatation value helps a lot. I sat it low as possible, all the way to the bottom of the keel low as possible with outward 3" mounting flanges instead of inward flanges like most made the tub about 3" up from the keel. The one I am building now for the 25'seafari will be 2" up from the bottom of the second steps of the bottom. The lower the better but I think you need at least the 2" so the water will not drag on it and cause issues and also a little angle upwards to the rear if that low. I tub on 20' came all the way out to the third step almost so there is more flotation value than some other flotation brackets like Armstrong's and it being a twin bracket converted to a single made it have a lot more volume. I calculated the air space one time and it was enough that it floated its own weight but that was about it but like I said before that was almost a 3" difference in height at the rear in the water.

What are you pushing your 20 with and how r the numbers

[flyingfrizzle]

Originally Posted by martin

What are you pushing your 20 with and how r the numbers

I am running a mercury 225 3.0 liter outboard with a tagged weight of 428lbs. It is a little heavy but with the weight forward of the sceptre model it helps even it out.

Performance- its fast, 63-mph and backed out of it. May do 3-5 mph more. I wanted a cruse speed in the 50's and got it. I tried several different props and liked the rev-4 for normal use. After getting the motor height right it handled much better. It rides well so far but I have only ran it twice and for short periods. More wheel time and I will have a better idea on how she will behave. I do know with the motor too high and lots of trim she got loose and will get a little out of shape but most seacrafts do that over 60. All I can say is balance balance balance. Once I get the tank in it and full that will add 50 gallons of gas at 300lbs of weight that will be all the way forward, should help a lot. Need to get it in and get some time on her to be fair but a very fun boat to drive. With the rev-4 it will glue you in the seat and has very fast low end to top end pulling well across the rmp range up to 6000 quickly.

[martin]

Holy Moly that is fast....thanks for the info. I want to get on the 20 when I get this 23 done