Dave...After the fact information. In a general conversation with a couple of friends that have boats both mentioned that when they put epoxy down and then varnish over the top, the epoxy started to cloud after a few years and that the varnish did not filter out enough uv. One was over teak and the other over mahogany.:eek:

Now maybe since you thinned yours down and your boat is a trailer queen and not sitting out 24/7 you will be safe...however if it starts to cloud you will at least know why.

Yes. That's the risk with epoxy, and it's why I'm considering this an experiment. I used Raka's low blush epoxy because it performed well in the epoxy test I found here:

http://www.oneoceankayaks.com/Epoxyhtm/epox12m.htm

I plan to keep the boat covered, so hopefully it won't cloud for a long while.

Dave

Going back a ways here, but I need to give credit where it's due.

In email conversations with strick and Bigfluke over the past two years, it's apparent that the 25 Seafari needs plenty of trim tab authority to function well. For most boats, the closer you can mount the tabs to the chine, the longer your moment arm, and the more effective your tabs will be. But the outer step on the 25 Seafari is only about 9" wide, so if you go as far outboard as possible, only the outer 9" of your trim tabs comes in contact with the water as you start to lower them. As an illustration, here's the port trim tab on my 20sf:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_4253.jpg

The trim tab isn't much wider than the hull panel, so most of it is in contact with the water as you begin to trim it down. Contrast that with the trim tab on the 25:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_4247.jpg

On the 25, a significant fraction of the width isn't in contact with the water until you trim it down about 50%. This video is very short, so you may have to play it a couple times, but you can see how the water on the inboard side of the tab is out of the water:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...h_MVI_4195.jpg

So what is the solution? Well, Brandon's Gramps came up with a good idea. He scabbed a metal plate to his tabs that would follow the step in the VDR hull:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...023-1822-1.jpg

I thought about doing the same thing with some SS sheet metal I had, but I didn't think my material was thick enough. And trying to bend SS sheet to match the hull would have been no fun at all. So I decided to use my recently acquired fiberglass fabrication skills to make some trim tab extensions. I'm happy with the results:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_4249.jpg

You can see in the picture that I added a SS angle at the outboard edge to catch spray and channel it back along the outer edge of the tab. I'm not sure if it makes the tab extension more effective, but it does stiffen the edge of the fiberglass panel. This video shows the tab extensions at work:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...h_IMG_0490.jpg

There is a noticeable difference in performance. Trim tab response is much more pronounced. I was playing around with trim on the river last Sunday. With the tab extensions, I got the boat to stay on plane at at 13 mph with less bow rise than I was getting before at 14 mph. It's actually pretty sweet.

More to come... I'm doing the prep and finish work on my swim platform and engine cover. I hope to get those both done in the next week or so. I also need to get my VHF and stereo installed. The VHF for obvious offshore safety reasons, but it's a tradition to listen to classic Buffett when we're trolling for Dolphin, so I've got to get the stereo done in the next couple weeks.

Dave

Dave

Looks like they are working great! Do you mind if I copy that :) How do they behave in a hard turn?

strick

I'd be honored, Dr. Strickland.

I didn't notice any difference in the turns. I'm still getting used to the boat, though. I've only got 4 hours on the clock.

Dave

Cool thanks. I've been working on the interior of my 25. Have the head liner in place and finishing the wood work. I need to put some spreader lights in. May take it for a ride this weekend if I can get away from work.

strick

I added a little extra laminate on the underside of the swim platform at the bracket and swim ladder locations earlier this week.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_4252.jpg

Today, I got the swim platform and the engine box primed with 545 and patched the small nits.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_4256.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_4255.jpg

Tomorrow, I'll block sand them and shoot them with the final coat of 545.

I also shot the swim platform brackets with gelcoat/dura tech clear gloss.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_4254.jpg
Next thing is to drill some holes and they're ready to bolt to the transom.

Dave

Dave, I love the tabs! Gotta do something like that to mine.

I'd like to know how it handles in a very hard turn. Mine lays over on the V, the keel loses hold on the water and the boat starts to spin. Gets your instant attention(not in a good way), but she stays totally stable while spinning. I wonder how that outboard lip will affect the spin.

Strick,

Post some pics of what you are doing with the headliner. I'm still at a loss about what to do with my mouse fur.

Connor

Hey Dave,

Not only would Gramps be proud, he would also be very impressed, as I am!

It's nice to know, that I, thanks to my Gramps, have finally contributed some useable info to this site, instead of taking it all the time. :D

It didn't occur to me to make them out of fiberglass but I'm sure they're just as strong, and will probably outlast ours...we have 30 years so far:P Seriously though, great thinking and excellent work! It's tough to tell in the pics but is the forward edge of the lower panel, curved upward like ours? I think that's important to ensure no water forcing downward on the plate.

Also, it's great to hear your comparison, with and without. I have never operated ours without, but I can see by your experience, my minimum planing speed would be much higher, and sensitivity lower as I had anticipated. I'm glad Gramps was on top of that!

12 mph is pretty darn good!

Nice work!
Brandon

12 is outstanding! Close to Wahoo trim.

Cheers,
Looks nice for us chickens in the am. Come on with the big moon.

Thanks for the kind words, guys.

Connor, I haven't quite laid her over far enough to spin out. You can kind of feel it coming and I've been avoiding it. Brandon, The tabs don't curve up in front, but I mounted them so the leading edge is a little higher than the bottom of the hull. Seems to be working, they don't dig in, even in full up position. Minimum planing speed was 13 mph, but thinking back, I was going up river, so actual speed was probably closer to 13 knots. Still, not too bad.


I put in some more work today. Swim platform brackets mounted with 316 Stainless 5/16" through bolts and plenty of 5200:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_4258.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_4257.jpg

I drilled and countersunk all the screw holes in the swim platform and put the final coat of 545 on the platform and engine cover:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_4263.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_4261.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_4260.jpg

I hope to get the masking for the non-skid done over the next couple evenings, so I can shoot the Awlgrip and get the parts back on the boat. Next on the list is to install electronics and outrigger bases.

She's coming together.

Dave

I may have missed it but whats the hole on the top of the engine cover for?

strick

What happened to all that pretty new paint on the skeg?? Hehehe!

It's for the socket for a removable pedestal seat. The P.O. had a fighting chair mounted there and I decided to keep it. It's not pretty, but it's functional



I cheaped out on the paint job and didn't use etching primer, so the paint's flaking off where it went on bare aluminum.

Dave

Yep I'm probably gonna need glasses. That 13 sure looked like a 12 the other night:) Nevertheless, great minimum planing speed! I think I'm around 16 right on top, but not much bow rise with tabs down, when coming on plane.

Brandon

So, I've had a minor setback. One of the things I've had on my to do list was to pull the outdrive and check the engine alignment to make sure the engine hasn't settled against the mounts.

The good news is that the alignment is good, the bad news is that I discovered I've got a bad prop shaft seal and it leaked some gear oil and took on a little less than an ounce of water. I don't have time before my Keys trip to mess with it myself, so I took the outdrive over to a shop in Cross City to have the seals replaced.

When I pulled up to the shop, I noticed a variable deadrise hull poking its nose out of one of the bays. At first, I thought it was one of the newer copy cat hulls because the lines were a little different than what I'm used to seeing in a 20 SF. But the bow light and cleats looked vintage. On closer inspection, it turned out to be either an original Moesley 20cc, or a very early Potter, still with the original I/O drive in it, and still in original unrestored condition. Pretty cool.

Dave

Wow, nice job on your 25, she's coming along nicely. Hope my 20 comes out half that nice. Keep up the good work and posts.

Thanks, Hiliner. Good luck on your Seafari. You'll have a nice boat when you're done.

Here's the highlights of the weekend's work. If you've been following this thread, you'll recognize the 1/2" blue tape:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_4266.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_4274.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_4273.jpg

I've been doing some more rigging and hardware too. I'll try to get more pics up this weekend.

Dave

I like that you took the time to do the original factory deck paint scheme. I would not have had the patience to do all that. Almost finished with the trim on mine!

strick

Thanks, Chuck. The layout and taping only took about an hour and a half, so it wasn't too bad. An advantage is that the original pattern breaks up the inconsistencies you get in the non-skid when you use the salt shaker application method.

Dave

Absolutely spectacular from beginning to end.This is something that I'm sure you are extremely proud of.This thread was great in so many ways.
After spending three years rebuilding my 74 Tsunami,I swore I'd never wear a tyvek suit again.Now after being totally engrossed in your thread it makes me want to do another restoration.
If I wasn't such an old geezer,I'd give it another go.We should all get a shot at a redo of our lives.I would have started the SeaCraft madness at a much younger age.

As for your project,all I can say is, "Bravo"

Thanks, John. I've looked at your restoration work and it's nice to get positive feedback from someone who's been there, done that.

I'm not quite burned out on boat restoration. I've still got a Hewes Bonefisher I want to restore, and my 20SF will need a facelift before long. But I am ready to put down the tools for a while and go fishing.

Regardless, it looks like my next project will be a kitchen. My wife has been very patient and if a new kitchen is all she demands, I'm getting off cheap.
Dave

Quick update:

Engine cover complete and ready to go back in the boat:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_4275.jpg

Got a boat cover to protect that fancy windshield:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_4277.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_4276.jpg

Still a little rigging left to do, but almost ready for fishing:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_4278.jpg

It's been so long since I've taken my outriggers fishing, me bungees had gone bad. Didn't take long to replace them. All the electronics, stereo, VHF, Fishfinder/GPS combo, are installed. Just need to mount the VHF antenna. The list grows shorter...
Dave

Really like the windshield/frame!! Sweet!

Thanksfor the kind words, reelescape1. I like it pretty well, myself. I just hope it holds up to the elements.

So, I got the engine cover back in and and the VHF antenna installed, but forgot to take pics. The outdrive is back on and the swim platforn is mounted. The impressive fighting chair you see below is mounted on the engine cover.


http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_4281.jpg


And with the telescoping swim ladder deployed:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_4282.jpg

And with the underwater LEDs iluminated:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/IMG_4283.jpg

Thanks to FishMagnet for sharing his source for the LEDs. They were a good deal.

I haven't done anything else on the boat since Saturday. Tropical Storm Beryl dumped about 8" of much needed rain on us but the weather wasn't ideal for boating or travel.

We're heading for Islamorada on 6/11 to see if the Blue Heron Fishing Team can spill a little blood on the decks, so the weather provided a good opportunity to go through tackle and gear, respool reels, etc. to get ready.
Dave

One spoke at a time.

Wow nice work !!

I think I saw you heaing north on overseas highway thursday. Boat looks great!

Thanks, adensity, and welcome to CSC.

Ryan,
We were 30 miles offshore on Thursday, so it wasn't me. We headed north on Saturday.

Dave

Been a while since I checked in...wow! She came out beautifully.

Thanks, Sean. Have you finished your Radoncraft yet? I've popped over to West Coast Highliners a couple times looking for it but couldn't find it. Post a link of your latest updates.
Dave

Dave-still chipping away. I am all done with glassing etc. Currently sanding and polishing all of the topside gelcoat. Should start reassembly in a week or so. Getting close.

Westcoast got a face lift so its in a new spot. Heres a link to the latest...

http://www.westcoasthighliners.com/hardtop-rehab/

I've finally gotten around to making a door jamb so I can install the louvered cabin door I bought from Jim (77SceptreOB) at least a year and a half ago. My incentive was the upcoming Long Point Gathering. Since Julie and I will be camping on the boat, I'm thinking the cabin door will be key to maintaining an acceptable level of marital bliss.

I made the two jamb legs last weekend and then coated the jamb legs and door with penetrating epoxy. I'll varnish them sometime in the next few weeks, but they'll do for a weekend of camping.

Jamb:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...psb654b657.jpg


Door:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps1df16ea5.jpg

Will try to post pics when installed, but other preparations for the weekend may take precedence.
Dave

Looking good Dave! Enjoy the boat/camping trip.

Jim

I see there is "NO" available flat surface within your shop! :eek::rolleyes:;)

Makes me feel a whole lot better...:p I have to push one project
off the bench for another and another and another!!!!! :D

See ya this Friday Dave, ready or not..:)

Unfortunately, Mr. No Bones, your observation is quite accurate. I need to muster some motivation and just put stuff away. See ya Friday.

There was never ending Glass Eating, Sweat, Breathing Paint Fumes and Prep Work expensed on this Baby!!

The list of final touches goes on & on: Cherry Wood Windshield, Custom Trim Tabs with LED's. Panel, SeaCraft Emblems, Sweet Helm Chairs, Engine Cover, Live Well & Built in Coolers ................

Plenty of room in the cabin for those Sears catalogs :eek:

After being on board this weekend in person, I must say "You Done Good "

This 25' gets the Gucci Stamp Award! Enjoy Her Dave!

Yes! The coveted Gucci Stamp! Thanks, Chuck. It was good to finally meet you. I still have some things to do on her, but at least now she's got a cabin door.



http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps07de19ef.jpg

Absolutely!!!! Dave's Seafari has to be at the top of the Gucci list!!! Looks as good at speed as it does sitting still!!! One fine, fine SeaCraft!

Hey heron I saw you trailering that beast at the entrance to alligator alley last Friday. What a beauty and the excursion is sweet too!