Help! Researching Seacraft, lend me your wisdom!

[Bombora]

Aloha everybody,
No question, a SC is one of the most beautiful hulls afloat. This infatuation all started when I pulled up next to a guy in a 74 (18? 20?) that had been restored, and I was hooked.
I've had lots of boats, including SeaHunt, Whaler, HydraSports, and they were all great, but not as aesthetically pleasing. Im going to sell the HSports, and I want my next boat to be a SC.
CAn anyone direct me to a place where I can get info on: 1.What hull/year NOT to buy. 2. What hull/year do you WANT to buy. 3.What problems are inherent with the design.
And from what I have heard and read here, I make this assumption.
1. The transom(on older hulls)are prone to rot and often need replacing. 2. Seacrafts SINK! 3. Seacrafts SINK LESS when the deck has been raised, and the scuppers have been modified.
4. Potter built hulls appear to be the ones you would want. (what years are Potter hulls)
5. Raising the Transom mount area will decrease your SC's SINKING probability.

In normal harbor and light offshore fishing use, will a SC sink that easily? (3-4 ft seas TOPS, back hurts too much to take any more)
Due to the high degreee of dearise angle, is it nececcary to have trim tabs?
Man, thats all I can think of rigt now, Im sure there will be more questions.
A great big Thanks and a Beer of your choice when I repay ya!
Thanks!
JHW

[buzzcutt]

In reply to your inquiry;

Your in a place to get good info on SeaCraft boats.
What hull to buy? The bigger the better. 18 is kinda small for a family or three guys to fish from(not impossible just more crowded) 20 is still on the small size with less deadrise than the 23's which gives it a stiffer ride in sloppy(3-4 foot seas) conditions. 23 has more room with greater deadrise for a smoother ride. 25 was a cabin boat (not a walkaround).
as far as what years to get, it's all personal preference. Rumor and general belief was the Potter boats were the best. Potter sold in 80(?) so my choice is up to 1980. Others will have reasons for different years.
It sounds like the new boats are the ones to stay away from. Read story of the current problems on the 25's.

inherent problem with design, only one i new of was it was a wet boat. it threw spray from the hull up so the wind could blow it back on you. kept you cool in South Florida summers, but up north it could be a nuciance.

Transom rot on older hulls is more prevelant due to leakage around bolts holding outboards on. if they were unsealed, they would let water into the plywood of the transom which after twenty years would turn to mush. mine was a 1978 which Rybovich initially installed the outboard. transom began showing signs of water intrusion late 93. raised transom to 25" at the time and replaced bad wood.

Any boat will sink. over time the foam under the decks of the seacrafts will absorb water increasing weight of the hull. more weight means reduced height self bailing deck is over waterline. when waterline height goes over deck height, chance of sinking is increased and deck is no longer self bailing. more attention needs to be paid to water on deck and condition of scupper plugs.

I raised the transom to keep water off the deck and out of the motor well while drift fishing over the reefs of South Florida. it kept more, not all the water out. with the 140 it was self bailing with two guys fishing from the transom. with the 150, the baitwell (30 gallon) could only be filled half way before it took water on through the scuppers instead of letting it out.

Normal harbour and light offshore fishing, no it won't sink that easily, you will need to work at it. keep an eye on the water in the hull and on the deck and you should be ok.

Trim tabs were not required with either motor I had. they will improve the ride in a head sea at low speed. they can let you put the bow down to cut the seas better. I would see how the boat rode and performed with just the power trim of the motor before dropping the cash on the tabs.

I hope i answered your questions. if you have more, ask away. the people here share a common interest in the boats and seem very interested in how others keep and use their boats.

Good Luck if you decide to pull the trigger.

BuzzCutt

[Bombora]

Thanks Buzzcut!
That was fast. Its been my experience that the more V a hull has, the more roly poly it becomes at trolling speeds, but also becomes very sensitive to weight shift, i.e. your 250lb fatas* buddy going for a beer on the other side ofthe boat. So, if the trim tabs arent needed so be it. I'll cross that bridge laster.
What I dont want is a total restore. Screw that, I dont have enough time to work sleep and eat much less fully restore a project. Besides Transom issues, anything else you can tell/warn me about would be great.
Next time yer in Chasn SC, I'll make good on the drink!
Anyway,

[DonnaSea]

[QUOTE]
In reply to your inquiry;

"It sounds like the new boats are the ones to stay away from. Read story of the current problems on the 25's."

Could someone direct me to where I could find the story on the 25's?

[buzzcutt]

http://forum.classicseacraft.com/sho...b=5&o=&fpart=1

Copy this and paste it in your address bar. makes interesting reading. draw your own conclusions.

[DonnaSea]

What a horror story!! What was the final outcome? I just bought a 2004 23 foot - anyone know of any issues with this model?

[Finster]

oooppsy. [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

[Captn C]

DonnaSea,
I am the owner of the 25' SeaCraft in the link. I have been all over the new 23' SeaCraft and so far they seem to be very solid. I truely think they are designed/assembled a little differently than the 25' SeaCraft. The bad thing is you WILL become Tracker Marines next victim if you have any problem with the hull. They will not stand behind their product 100%. They will, at best, do all they can to just patch/hide any problem that arrises. They would rather do that then satisfy you as a customer. They have a track record of this type behavior and I see no reason for them to change. They have even argued with the USCG about their products (the Mako recall). I would think if the Coast Guard says your boat has a problem...it must have a problem.

[SECF3114M73J]

CaptnC,what was thr reason for the Mako recall?

[Scott]

Coast Guard recall


There was some talk a year or two ago about a 23 having a problem with a bulkhead (If I recall forward of the console under the deck) also some talk of voids (air pockets) in the hull. I think these were two isolated problems in two separate boats ... never heard anything more about it.

Captn.C’s 25 seems to be the most extreme “failure” to date …. Well other than that mako…

A little off topic …but wasn’t there a report of another Mako splitting open along the keel and taking on water while offshore?? Was that for real ???