Seadog back on the water!

[CaptLloyd]

I've seatrailed over the past few weeks, and I'm proud to say another Seacraft refit has successfully been performed. Tramsom replaced and totally closed in, B-Bracket installed (slight modification after initial seatrial), Suzuki 140 4-stroke for power (44 mph top speed w/ quite a good hole shot!),replaced leaking 50 gals fuel tank with new 60 gals tank, hull painted "Fighting Lady Yellow", and completely rewired.

I can't describe the joy of taking one of the guys for a ride down the Banana River after 4 months of hard work (and the look on thier faces 4 months ago when I started this madness).

I still have some loose ends to tie up, and I let some of the costmetics slide, but I'll be fishing by May!

As always, tell me how, and I'll send you pics.

Lloyd

[Briguy]

CaptLLoyd,

Do you have and 18' or 20'? How do you like the B-Bracket? Is the bracket a flotation model and if so, did it provide enough bouancy?

Thanks.

[TUGBOAT]

Sounds like a 20 MA ?I could sure USE a HAND on the RE-Wire,!!!!!!!!!! Keys sure are Beautiful right now !!Although its too late now !I really wanted a bb on Mine .PLEASE TELL ME IT IS NOOOO GOOOOD !!!!!!!

Scream'n Reels'
C.Brad [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

[CaptLloyd]

Briguy,

It's a 20' and let me say I'm thrilled with having a B-Bracket on the boat, the versiatility it provides is fanatastic. But the B-Bracket's floatation is just barely adequate. With the new motor's added weight and distance aft, I've added an extra 1" of draught. And I did have to add a wedge, which I fabricated out of starboard, to the bottom of the floatation chamber to eliminate the motor being drowned while coming up on plane(all things seems fine once on plane). I talked to the guys from B-Bracket about my problem, but they seemed clueless about my situation, so I designed my solution on my own, and I got lucky on my first try. I'll send pics when I can.

Capt Brad,

Wiring jobs can be big, or small, pretty, or ugly, all depending on your tools, supplies, and patients. I'm very busy for the next 3 weeks, but a road trip after that could include a "snake", "T-strippers", crimpers, and heat shrink. Keep me posted if help is needed, it well cost you a few beers and a boat ride.

Lloyd

[SECF3114M73J]

A friend of mine has a B-Bracket on a-I think-'71 20 fter. He has a 135 Merc. He had to add about 100 lbs. of ballast up in the bow.

[JohnS]

Lloyd,
I had that same problem when I first got mine with the bracket. I installed trim tabs and, even though it may sound a bit off base, they worked great and fixed that problem with the motor getting drowned, both while getting up on plane and when coming to rest. I used the Bennett Sport Tabs and I can honestly say they were great!!!

John

[TUGBOAT]

I've got the answer on Your trim/list ! Before I got trim tabs,I carried Dog Bones & My Dog !!When I was running over a shallow area I would throw one to the Bow,Up comes My stern.Port list, bone to the starboard !!
Worked Great,Just don't run otta bones when Ya gotta go back the same way.Want to use Him for one weekend let Me know it'll only cost Ya FOOD for the Time !!Sure beats the $Doggie Hotel$
By the way "HOOVER' weighs 186#s w/ 34" neck !!
Scream'n Reels' [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

[CaptLloyd]

Capt Brad,

My version of your boat trimming comes in 2 units(1 Yellow Lab Mix and 1 Golden Retriever Mix), but between the two, I'm still 50 lbs lighter than yours! (By the way, what you have may be considered a "Pony")

But seriously, I do have Bennet sport tabs on the boat, but they don't alter the shape of the water off the bottom of the hull as it flows aft from the keel toward the motor at slower speeds. Once on plane, there are no issues, but it's the transition when the water behind the transom goes from "boiling" to "skimming". In any case, I'm satisfied with my "wedge", and we'll see how things work out after the first couple serious fishing trips.

Lloyd