Thanks Brandon . . . I have 2 175 2.4L mercs ready to go, but the transom is solid, so I feel guilty not leaving it as original. Bracket sure would be a lot easier, but I learning something new . . . so I'm gonna putz along for a while and try to get it running as is.

Be careful putting too much time into the ford motor. I had the 188hp in a Searay that I dumped way too much time and energy into it.

Most time's besides alternator/starter I was able to use a 70's era mustang for parts. But often times parts were either expensive heavily used or hard to find. But I also was coupled to a 888 outdrive too which was hard to find parts. I think you said you were coupled to a TRS. I think I still have a few parts off that old ford motor I think valve cover gaskets and the alignment tool.

You are doing what others understand. Think, think ,and think some more. They are deep and skinny. You`ve read the book.

Got to disagree with my distinguished neighbor down the road. Outboards have their place but not on a 25. Raises the CG too much on a boat that is already tippy. I have a friend that owned one long ago. He put twin outboards and a (nuts)tower on it. Lightning fast, but he said it rolled something awful (including a bad snap roll, which the I/O boats don't have). His wife refused to go out on it.

Offer me a good price on mine and I will replace it with a 260HP Cummins/Mercruiser/VW TDI that is lighter than a 350 chevy in a heartbeat. Or a small home equity loan... :D

From what I learned working for a boat builder- it is all in the props. A 300HP 350CID engine doesn't make 300HP unless you can absorb full torque at that operating point. And prop efficiency can be from the 40s to 74% (or worse). So a 60% efficent 200HP drive goes as fast or faster than a 300HP 40% efficent prop. Engine power is input, not propulsive power.

A $600 prop and magic bottom paint could be the ticket with that engine.

Volvo IPS props are SO thin, you would think they couldn't be fully machined from NiBrAl (Bronze) on a horizontal CNC machine. But they are. And at thousands each, they still seem to be worth it. They are transmission and tires all at the same time.

Cut the deck and put a straight shaft in there? Where we live makes perfect sense.
Still spinning,
Us
Yikes

Little more cleanup and 15 minutes with a 320 grit on bottom paint :)

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/...262_Medium.jpg
http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/...263_Medium.jpg
http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/...264_Medium.jpg
http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/...265_Medium.jpg
http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/...258_Medium.jpg

Wow, what an improvement! She looks very original. Nice to have a clean palette to work from.
Dave

That boat is way to clean to be yours ;) It looks awesome!

Shazaaam, that cleaned up nicely!

Someones got it bad right now!! Looks great Tim. Did you get my PM on the out drive?

strick

If the anodizing is as good as it looks and the gel coat is as good as mine, its going to look like it just came off the show room floor after a little wax. Really purty!!

This is one of the best quotes ever on CSC.

strick

Sexy is as sexy does, and . . . OH Myyyy. . . . .

mine is bracketed with big heavy Armstrong brackets and twin 150 mercs and I dont think the center of gravity is off that bad. besides I like the center of gravity a little to the rear, she rides like a dream, turns on a dime and hauls azz!

Bilge - Looks great in the water! What kind of performance numbers are you getting with the 2 merc 2.0L 150's?

speedo said 44mph @ 5700rpms with a real light load, and she rockets out of the hole , not sure on the fuel burn but she will suck up 17gals in a hurry! Im almost finished with My new fuel tanks then Ill see how she runs out loaded down with 100 gals of fuel

Bilge - Thanks! That is a great point of reference. Been reading about sprucing up the 351W . . . looks like you can get some decent power out of them (285hp - 300hp) without spending too much $$$

bilgerat,
In the picture, your boat is very lightly loaded. Once you've got your tankage and other pieces/parts back in her, she's going to sit right around where your bottom paint/boot stripe are.

This hull's handling changes a lot with changes in loading. With a light load and an aft CG in smooth water, she runs like a scalded dog. But she'll launch on a reasonable size wake. In bumpy water, she likes weight forward, or you'll spend a lot of your time in the air. That being said, a fresh water tank placed strategically under the cabin sole will serve the purpose nicely. Yours doesn't look too tail heavy to me, so maybe it's a more viable configuration than we've thought.

I've seen several of these boats converted to outboards on craigslist, but you're the only active member here with one. So it's good to be able to add your observations to the knowledge base as you're fitting her out. Hopefully, we can eventually get you to a gathering with the Florida crowd and compare notes.

Dave

It is hard to tell from that pic, but the bootstripe seems to be maybe 4" higher up the hull than mine. Mine is at or below the aft scuppers (there are multiple pinstripes), and bilgerat's appears to be a few inches above.

So that's how folks mount the captain's chair bases? Saw them off? Makes sense. I was considering welding something custom, but that looks easier.

Bigshrimpin's boat doesn't have the built in bilge flooding modification that many 25 footers do.

Many of the 25s have rod holders on the flat on the cap on the transom, just forward of the fuel filler ports, which are about 30 degrees from horizontal.

I think they get installed when people install new fuel hose. It appears to be much easier to tighten the double stainless hose clamps thru the rod holder cutout. Then you drop a rod holder in to the cutout and it looks neat topsides.

Problem is- the rod holders don't drain to the deck. They drain to the bilge. :mad: It makes tracking down deck leaks frustrating. And the very deep vee will hold 3 or more gallons of water right under your steel oil pan because it is quite difficult to get a pump and float switch to drain it dry, especially on both sides of the keelson.

I think cdavisb addressed this with a flat floor and custom pickup.

In the mean time, I need rubber bungs for rod holders on the transom. And maybe a few others do, too.

Tech service bulletin- For 25 Seafari owners (and maybe others). Get rid of the hinges for folding the engine cover and fill them immediately, and well. (not RTV- use glass).

This was the source of deck core rot, engine bulkhead rot and general delaminaton on my 25. I now have to rebuild all that structure upside- down and in place.

My approach is to use McMaster pultruded square poly/fiberglass tubing and divinycel, but even with that to pull it back into shape, it is a lot of work that could easily have been avoided by ditching those hinges.

Captain's chair location
 

Do you like the tube location for your cockpit chairs? I am hacking in that area now an debating putting mine there- in the step down, or on top of the deck.

I think on top of the deck must be nicer in terms of seat back clearance to the gunwale when you rotate left, but it might be too far back. I wonder if where yours is feels right to you?

Hey Fish - I haven't done much on this project (been dealing with some health issues). I plan on making boxes similar to Strick and Blue Heron and using the step down as a storage area / raised platform. I'll keep them in place until I have time in the fall.

I hope things get better with your health!