Re: 1973 23ft.seacraft
 

I already oferred my opinion on the I/O, and Capt Min's point on fishability is well taken, the engine boxes I've seen on Seacrafts are pretty unobtrusive as well.I don't quite understand why some of you want to go with a longer shaft on a bracket.Seems to me that raising a bracket higher to accomodate a longer shaft with the setback that a bracket provides may alter the attitude of the boat,especially at below planing speeds.I can see a longer shaft on a transom, but only to keep waves from coming over.I don't get it as it relates to a performance enhancement on a bracket.Is it common practice to run 30" bracketed o/b's on a 23'.

Re: 1973 23ft.seacraft
 

As for floatation or non-flotation I do not know why anyone would chose a non-floatation type bracket. I am not saying there is not a reason, but if there is, I have no idea as to what that reason may be.

As for shaft height. For twins on a bracket I think you would go with 25" where as a single you would go with a 30". The main reason being when coming off a plane with an engine on a bracket you want the engine's pwerhead as high as possible. Also, the design of the bracket lifts the engines up higher than if they were mounted on the transom because being 30" from the stern the props need to be up higher for the better efficency. From what I have been told engines on a bracket run in much cleaner water as opposed to the transom. I have yet to see a report where adding a braket degredated ther performace of a boat. All but a few improve performace quite a bit.

None the less it still boils down to your own preference.

Jeff, SeaBird, SeaCraft at least they both start with Sea [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] Your welcome here even if you have a floating Winnebago.

[ March 05, 2002, 10:30 PM: Message edited by: Trayder ]