1974 23 CC - project

[Fr. Frank]

RDS duplicated the 28 gal. tank in my Seafari. I'm very happy with it.

[thehermit]

Well I have made little progress on the lawn ornament.

I did get in my plexiglass sheet in from estreet plastics. Professional plastics would not send a 6’x 18” UPS. I sent a pm to estreet and they sent me a link to the exact size I needed…..it was about 70 bucks to my door. The original windshield was lexan and the local glass shop wanted $420 to make it! I had also found lexan (bronze) online for about $150 ish cut to fit but went with the plexi.

Getting ready to bend:


Bent blank…comparing to original…looks like its gona fit:


Sides cut, edges beveled with file and its ready to install:


Before:


After:



I am happy with the way it came out.

I have also been doing some little stuff like pulling wires and re-doing thru-hulls. With the arrival of a few key parts in the upcoming weeks I should be able to really start putting her together.

[Basspond]

Hermit if you don't mind me asking, who made your SeaCraft decals? Great resto BTW!

[thehermit]

Hey Basspond,
Thanks. The boat was in great shape so its more like a refresh rather than a restore.

Decals came from this guy a while ago.

[wtenglish]

Was there any trick to bending the plexi? That looks like a heat gun in the picture so I'm assuming you just heated to it was pliable and bent as required??

[thehermit]

Yup...use heat gun...heat evenly...when it gets nice and hot it will start to sag..then slowly bend..even slightly over bend and kill the heat while holding the plexi. Getting the bends on your line with a cruel jig like I used takes some practice. You could make a more detailed jig with router and roundover bit etc..

[thehermit]

Well time to post a few more pix. I have been plugging away at mostly rigging but it looks more like a boat every day.

The tank came and was epoxy coated and installed. Its 80 gallons. It was installed on lexan strips all in a bed of 5200 then screwed into the stringers. Just like the one I took out.



My boat was a twin I/O and came with the large console. I think this was a unique option because it had a storage bin in the console and a livewell in the floor aft of a 50 gallon tank. It also had a 50 gallon tank in the forward storage locker from the factory.
The previous owner acquired the seat door for the large console. SO…with the new tank aft and that large seat. I applied the Strick piano hinge method to access. I do like all of the storage.


Uhh...and this is what it looks like inside the door right now. Still a work in progress.

and the console is put back fairly original for now.


I went with this for a thru hull setup:

Basically after reading about it here I decided I liked it. It went in nice and I think it will do just fine.

I started rigging the 2 pumps I had. A rule 2000 and a rule 500 automatic. Its tough keeping my bilge clean in the yard but the pumps seem adequate. Here they are with the installed thru-hull.

.....and the test:


On the hard..


I ran some battery cable (I believe 2awg). What have others done to get Bat power from the CC to the outbaord on a bracket? I am planning on breaking it with a switch at the transom.

[Blackfin26]

Looking good...Any progress is progress ! You've now surpassed the Hiliner resto. Congrats, Steve

[strick]

"What have others done to get Bat power from the CC to the outbaord on a bracket?"

The cheapest way is to go with welders cable... cant remember the size but I like to use the biggest stuff I can find I'm think #1? and its around 1/2 inch think. If you run it from the cc and break it at the transom to another Pos and Neg terminal then you can power other things if you had to. The only hard part about using extra large battery cable is getting it thru the rigging tube.

Boat is looking good...when's that bracket going on it?

strick

[Old'sCool]

I would change the discharge thru hull to SS. The white plastic go away in a short time.