Sandy, who cares it's a "Seacrest".
I think John bought a cheap copy of an Answer.
(That will help you sleep better!)

a little under powered out the hole with a load and no speed demon on top end but she did ok, with just 2 people she'd run 32mph.

I rigged a few with 20' Seafari's and SF's with 85 hp Johnson's and inline 4 cyl 85 Mercs back in the early 80's. They would cruise at 23-25 mph, and top out in the 33-34 mph range. With Bennett trim tabs, they even got out of the hole reasonably well, and could stay on plane down in the 12-13 mph range.

I did rig just one with an inline 3 cyl 75 hp Johnson "Stinger" in '83. Customer bought a used 20' SF hull with twin electric-shift 55 hp Evinrudes and brought me his old boat so I could de-rig his 3 yr old 75 hp motor off his old boat to put on the SeaCraft.

It was slow to plane, but actually topped out at 34 mph with a single person on board, the same top speed it got with the twin 55 hp's.

(I remember he asked for extra-wide 9"x18" trim tabs. He was another of those crazy SeaCraft nuts who took his boat to the Bahamas regularly, and he put a SeaGull 3.5 hp kicker right on the transom next to his main engine).

Another question for you 20' Seafari guys.

Lets assume I can get that engine running fine,and decide to use it,(although I doubt it)The transom cutout just seems awfully low.What is to stop any wave from rolling into the boat??? Wouldn't that happen with any mid rage outboard?.
I see no way of keeping water out.I know that i could do a new closed transom with a bracket but that aint going to happen.

If i was to fall into the water on the great lakes,I may die from hypothermia,but at least I won't become part of the food chain and be eaten by a sharkIt might be a different story in the Seafari when fishing the ocean.

In my Tsunami with the I/O I have that nice high transom that laughs at the waves.If it's real lumpy and blowing,I'll just put the ass at the waves and troll with them following me.Unless its extremely bad I feel perfectly safe.
I'm not so sure I'd want to do that with the seafari

Such is my life...

They don't call them SinkCraft for no good reason...😜

John, that's a very valid concern, as I think the low transom sinks more outboard boats than any other single cause! I felt the same way on my first return from the Bahamas during one stretch of NE winds with big following/breaking seas that I couldn't see over when standing at the helm! That's why I now have a bracket! Potter evidently had similar thoughts, because after the V-6 motors came out in the late 70's, he designed an add-on raised splashwell tub that was an option for the 20! (see pics below) Capt. Terry has a very nice teak-trimmed version on his '76 Seafari that he bought new.

A little over 3 years ago, forum members Pianewman and Jerry1 conspired to get Don Herman to pop a mold off an original tub that Jerry provided! Suggest you send a PM to hermco to see if Don still has that mold and can make one for you! Denny

When did John change his name to Ryan? I`m confused.

Could I get an Answer on the View?

Bushwacker, that is a great solution. I think there was another one as well. Mine had a splash well with a hatch in front of the engine(which leaked unless siliconed). The well was full of water most of the time(we loaded heavy) I don't think the well was nearly as high as you show, but can't remember exactly how it was shaped. Battery were in the stern on the sides,no seats. The boat was a Mosely.

So the Moesly outboard version of the Seafari had no seats at the back? First I've heard of that! I have a '69 brochure, but it only shows the I/O model. Maybe your boat had a splashwell like this Bowrider?

The original splashwell on mine, and I think on all the Potter 20' CC models except the MA, was no higher than the seats. (pics below) I cut a hatch in it for access to the fuel filter, bilge and trim tab pumps; I mounted some 1.5" chrome brass trim to edges of the piece I cut out, put some foam weatherstripping on it and used some "hold-down buttons" to compress the foam. It was fairly water tight, provided I replaced the weatherstrip about once a year!