23'1975 SEACRAFT

[HCLEONARD]

I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A 23'SEACRAFT FOR 2 YEARS.I FOUND ONE THIS PAST WINTER.IT SEEMS TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE,MEANING THE TRANSOM IS SOLID AND FLOOR.NO SOFT SPOTS.THE ENGINE IS BLOW AND IT COMES WITH A TRAILER (MAKE NOT KNOWN).I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS,(1)I CAN GET IT FOR $3500.00 FOR EVERY THING
IS THAT A GOOD PRICE??(2)SOMEONE PAINTED THE HULL BLACK AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF COATING THIS IS.DO I USE A STRIPPER TO GET IT OFF OR DO IS SAND IT?? INTERIOR IS DIRTY BUT A GOOD CLEANING SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THAT.I CAN USE ANY HELP I CAN GET.NEVER HAD A BOAT BEFORE. OH YEA, ONE MORE THING.HOW MUCH DO YOU FEEL IT WEIGHS WITH TRAILER I CAN TRAILER UP TO 5,000 LBS MAX. THANKS FOR YOUR IMPUT.CHUCK

[Ikan Besar]

yes, that is a good price. then again, if you have never owned a boat before, you may want to take a ride in a similar craft to see if this is really what you want to jump into. If this is truly your very first boat, you might find the 23' to be a handful.

Also, if you can only trailer 5k# max, I don't want to be on the highway the same day you are towing an SC23 down the road with a full tank of gas in the boat.

[HCLEONARD]

I WILL BE TRAILERING WITHOUT ENGINE AND FUEL.THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT.

[Ikan Besar]

I don't know if your tow vehicle is rated at 5000# or if that is allowing for a safety margin on a vehicle that is rated to tow significantly more. I know someone who recently towed a 23' SeaCraft that did not have an engine on the back with a Jeep Grand Cherokee, which is rated to tow something like 7800#'s. The tongue weight was quite heavy due to not having an engine back there, and everytime he would go over a significant bump, the front end of the car would nearly pull off the road.

If you search in the archives, there is a lengthy thread on what size vehicle is needed to pull 23' SeaCraft's in the opinions of the members here. It would be worth your time to go find and read that.

If your vehicle is inadequate to tow the boat, maybe you could rent or borrow a more appropriate setup.

[Bigshrimpin]

Sounds like a good deal to me especially if the floor and transom are solid. I would leave the black paint on the trailer . . . when you are feeling rich sell it and buy another one.

[Mark]

...I think he was asking about the black paint on the boat, as he didn't mention the trailer being painted? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[ScottM]

Chuck,
Sounds like a good deal on a sound boat with a decent trailer. But like Ikan says, this may be more than you bargain for if it's you're first boat. Not that these boats are a handful to operate, it's just that there may be a good deal of work involved to get it seaworthy. However, if you have friends with experience that can help you out, I don't think you'll be disappointed. Obviously you know about SeaCrafts or else you wouldn't have spent 2 years looking for one.

Trailering...the 23 CC weighs around 2,700# dry, whereas the 23 Sceptre (cuddy) weighs in around 3,000#. Add 1,000# for the trailer and you have a cushion of 1,000-1,300# on your tow rating. I'd say you're vehicle is up to task as long as the trailer has operational brakes. However, with full fuel and an engine, I wouldn't attempt it.

[ocuyler]

Chuck,

It's mandatory that you determine the condition of the transom and floors. Most of the guys here would probably bet money that they'll need work. That includes the fuel tank. Assume nothing.

Sanding off the black paint will go fast with a Dual Action sander and 180 or 220 paper.

As indicated, if you remove the motor and fuel, you'll pull it fine just to get it home. But the brakes MUST be in working order or you should borrow a bigger truck. Be really careful checking the bearings and tires too. I think you can visualize the broken down on the side of the road worst case senario.

The price is fair. Budget carefully before you pull the trigger. There are 23's available in the $10,000 - $15,000 range renovated and ready to go. Think about that.

One last comment. As previously indicated, the 23 is a serious offshore hull. She will take you out into offshore situations that a first time boater should NOT find himself. If you are thinking in-shore or near-shore, a 20 may be a better choice.

Wow, I sound like my father! Don't worry, I didn't listen either... Best of luck.

[HCLEONARD]

THANKS FOR YOUR REPLAY.MY FRIEND HAS HAD BOATS FOR MAY YEARS AND SAID A 23' SEACRAFT CENTER CONSOLE IS A REALLY GOOD BOAT AND HARD TO FIND IN THIS GOOD OF SHAPE.THE TRANSOM IS SOLIS AND SO IS THE FLOOR.HAS A NEW FUEL TANK.JUST NEEDS A REALLY GOOD CLEANING UP AND NEW PAINT.IT COMES WITH A DUAL AXLE TRAILER IN GOOD SHAPE BUT I DO NOT KNOW ABOUT THE BRAKES.(HAVE TO LOOK INTO THEM.)I JUST DO NOT LIKE BLACK ON A BOAT.NO BIG DEAL I'LL CHANGE IT.EPOXY OR AL-GRIP?? JUST TRYING TO GET SOME IMPUT ON THIS DEAL. THANKS ANY IDEAS WILL BE HELPFUL. CHUCK

[Ryank]

Hi there I just thought id put my 2 cents in. My truck is rated at max of 5000 as well. I pull a 20 seafari with about 6 dive tanks and all kinds of ungodly gear down to the keys about twice a year . I recently purchased a 23 Mach1 that has a very deep v and a ton of freeboard with a 454 and bravo one I would guess its weight around 4500 with trlr give or take a bit. I had to tow it home without trlr brakes and was still able to control the vehicle and even tried a few emergency stops. No problems up to about 55mph.
Just use your head, leave alot of room for braking cautiously as you should always do towing boats and for sure look into trailer brakes for safety its well worth it if you plan on alot of towing.
Ryank