Bolsters are in.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/yN...aEA=w1497-h695

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/y-...TNQ=w1497-h695

You will also notice the original teak rod holders. I don't like wood. Hate it actually. I generally replace all exterior wood on boats with fiberglass or starboard. However, I just couldn't stand to get rid of these rod holders! I can't even imagine what a large chunk of 1.5" thick solid teak would cost these days! So, I bonded them in with glass and filler, and caulked the corners to clean it up and give a good line to paint to. Before I did this I sanded them out. The ONLY way I like teak on boats is left bare, to go silver in the weather (or on rare occasions oil, but not on these). No varnish (PITA to maintain) and no Cetol or equivalent (also PITA to maintain). So, the rod holders stay as a nod to the "classic" nature of the boat and just so I have a little wood somewhere on the exterior :) I think they look pretty good against the white painted hull.

Oh I also shortened them. They used to go all the way down to the deck, but two were damaged down low so I cut that section off. It will be much easier to clean the deck and waterways now without that bottom section right in the way...

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zD...lDQ=w1497-h695

Lots of progress. Engine is hung. Pedestal and T top base bolted in. Almost everything is wired. Access hatch is cut. Pedestals have been laid out and pilot holes drilled. I lost the last package of battery lugs somewhere in the shop so I can't hook up the battery quite yet... Getting very close!

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-lP...p=docslist_api

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-lP...p=docslist_api

don't know about you guys , but I cant get these picts...

Huh don't know why they are not showing up. Always have had trouble with this forum style and pictures...

You can follow this link to see the entire gallery: https://drive.google.com/folderview?...Hc&usp=sharing

Well non-skid is done. Used Kiwi Grip again with great success. I blended the gray color darker than the standard KG gray, which is what is on the upper deck. Blending the KG was super easy, and it matches the upholstery color nicely. Now we are jonesing to re-paint the upper deck the same color! That will have to wait a bit though... At least I still have enough paint mixed up to do it.

Wiring is all done. Pedestals and seats are in (new seats are on order). Put oil in the Honda yesterday and started it up. Started right up and went right to idle after being stored for 2 months (and 4 months prior to that). I ran it for a few minutes to warm up, then checked the oil. Oil level was good, so I started it back up and let it run for a few more minutes. It was at that point that I realized I hadn't even put any fuel in the boat yet! It was running on the remains of what was in the fuel system during storage. I still can't believe it ran for that long with no fuel hooked up.

Today we are hoping to put the boat in the water and do a shake down run, check through all the systems. Hopefully finish up work early enough.

I still don't know why all the pic links are broken... They worked when I first put them up but now won't work at all. Anyway if you really want to see pics surf on over to the Google gallery here: https://drive.google.com/folderview?...Hc&usp=sharing

Well we managed to put the boat in the water this evening. Everything ran just as smooth as could be. No leaks in fuel system. No leaks in washdown. Electronics all work as they should. Pretty happy with all the systems.

Now, the big question was how was the boat going to sit in the water? Would it be stern down? More than it was before? Well, my expectations were met and exceeded with the result. The boat sits about 1.5" higher at the stern than it did before the refit. It makes my old waterline stripe look goofy. Now I am going to have to re-stripe the waterline again. Only 5 gal of fuel in the tank. Tomorrow I will fill her up and see how she sits!

Now, performance numbers. Honda BF135. Hustler 14x19 prop.

WOT got up to 6k RPM, 35 knots, 12 GPH. Didn't hold this very long cause it was quite cold and the wife didn't want to go that fast.

Cruised easily at 4k RPM, 22 knots, 4 GPH. This was a pretty easy cruising speed.

The boat stayed on plane at 3400 RPM, 16 knots, and I don't remember the GPH. It held pretty easily there, without wanting to fall off plane, which it would always do before when you tried to go that slow. I didn't have a lot of time to test this end of the speed range either, as it was getting dark and it has been a long day. I am thinking of putting trim tabs on which I think will allow me to plane slower, but maybe not much better fuel efficiency.

Hole shot was impressive. Not a lot of lift on the bow and the boat just rose up onto the water. Planing out was really nice, the boat stays very level throughout.

So, I am very pleased with the numbers so far. There is a lot of room to improve when I can find the proper trim. Of course this was without the T top as well, so that will change things a bit.

Got some more shots uploaded to Drive. https://drive.google.com/folderview?...Hc&usp=sharing

We did Race Committee last night in the freshly refurbished "Chaser"! Three of us on board. First Wed night race of the season.

I bolted the T Top on yesterday afternoon, and filled the tank. The stern rose another 1/2" when I filled the tank up. I was rushed putting the boat in the water, so I didn't get a chance to mark the transom. My plan is to mark the transom every inch on both aft corners, from the bottom up to the waterline. This way, I'll be able to tell how deep the stern is in the water and also how much it changes when I gain/lose fuel.

To say the boat runs nicely is a total understatement. It runs perfectly. Besides all the systems working perfectly (how did I EVER operate without a washdown before!?!) the boat balances very nicely.

I think a major reason the boat trims out so nicely is the weight loss program I put her on. After dropping off the old deck and tank at the dump a few weeks ago, and adding up the materials I used for the re-build, I estimate that the boat is minimum 250 pounds lighter than it was, and probably more like 300 pounds. Add to that that I moved the console and tank forward, and that most of that weight reduction is in the aft part of the boat (aft of CG), it more than makes up for the heavier outboard. Given the fact that I don't know how deep the transom SHOULD sit or DID sit when the boat was new, it is hard to make a perfect comparison, maybe someone on here can look at the pics and tell me how the transom immersion compares to other SC 20's... Once I put the marks on the transom, I'll be able to say exactly how deep the transom is sitting in the water.

My waterline stripe was parallel to the water with only 5 gal of fuel, albeit about 2" higher than it was previously! But now, with 35 gal of fuel, it actually rises as it goes aft!

We are running out to Orcas Island this weekend for work (probably take our bikes out there also for a ride) and should get a better idea how the boat runs for a longer cruise. Last couple of nights have just been poking around the bay, checking things out and setting marks for RC etc...

I also just got a pair of older but un-used Lenco electric trim tabs from a customer. He just gave them to me for helping him out. They are big, 12x24" so way too big for Chaser, but I am going to either cut one of them in half to make a 12x12" tab or buy just the planes, either 12x9" or 12x12". I figure I'll try cutting them in half first (got two chances to get it right :) and if that isn't going to work, drop the extra $ for new planes. At least I have all the hardware. Hopefully will get this project finished next week so will have an idea how they work once that is complete.

Besides the tabs, I have a few spotlights to mount on the T Top and that will be it for the projects! Then I can start gearing up for Ling Cod season!

I know you all probably think I'm a wanker sailboater (you might be right :) but the SC is the perfect small boat for around here and doing what we need (RC, work trips to the islands, quick weekend getaways). BUT, I am jonesing to do some fishing! And now I have the perfect boat for it! Ling Cod and Halibut open in May, but are open year round in Canadian waters, so we may be taking a slightly longer trip to enjoy some "international" cuisine :)

Cheers! Another awesome SeaCraft restoration!

So I finally dug thru all your pictures- nice rehab! Great work on weight loss and CG location on the boat. I do have one question- does the tank fill OK? It looks like the fill is by the port side stern and I can't tell if it is an uphill run to the tank or not. A similar setup on my 25 is problematic.

No judging on sailboating, either. I grew up sailing, and my father and grandfather raced them. I am probably a better sailor than power boater.

Thanks FS! It's so nice to USE the boat instead of grind, sand, paint, etc... Looks a little windy for our crossing today to maybe will get to really put her through her paces.

No problems filling the tank. With where the fill is I even had to install a 90 to turn the hose to the tank, about 12" from the filler neck on the tank. I was a bit worried that this would slow down the flow significantly but I had no issues filling her up the other day.

I did move the vent, which is what I always had problems with before the refit. It used to be led aft to where the deck fill is, and would always gets some fuel in it because it went downhill before going up to the rail. This would slow down the fuel flow a lot. Now it runs straight up to the rail up forward. No more vent problems.

A little update on performance numbers with T Top and windscreen installed:

WOT: 5800 RPM, 34 KTS, 14 GPH
Cruise: 4000 RPM, 23 KTS, 5 GPH
Slow Cruise: 3500 RPM, 19 KTS, 4 GPH

I can get the boat down to around 15 KTS at 3000 ish RPM, but below that speed it starts to fall off plane.

So I'm getting 4.5-5 MPG at cruising speeds, with T Top and windscreen.

Last weekend we cruised out to Orcas Island (about 1 hr running) in what started as moderate chop in 15-20 knots of wind. Boat handled great. I will say that the suspension seat posts are a HUGE improvement! We can now stay seated through pretty rough water with no issues being jarred around. The boat is WAY stiffer than it was, with the casting platform and cockpit sole fully glued and tabbed to the hull. The rod holder knees help with this a lot too, being very secure and solid now. No more feeling of crashing through the waves, more like pounding, but it feels very solid. On the return trip the breeze had died down and it was pretty flat with very slight chop.

I'm looking forward to installing the Lenco trim tabs, they should help fine tune the ride nicely.

Had a somewhat major fuel leak develop when the pickup popped out of the tank fitting. I fixed that this morning though and hopefully never have that issue again.

With regards to my original question of center of gravity and general weight distribution: I would say that IF you are re-building one of these boats from the ground up, focusing on reducing weight (especially in the stern) will allow you to run a heavier outboard with no decrease in performance.

Looking back I could probably have installed the tank a little further aft than I did. It does change the fore/aft trim of the boat with more/less fuel, which I was concerned about. Not a huge deal, but I'd rather it stay trimmed more evenly throughout the range.

I am LOVING the Honda. Quiet and certainly as powerful as I need. The boat is 5 knots slower than it was at WOT, burns half the fuel at all RPM's, and gets out of the hole better than it did.

Cheers and thanks for all the help from CSC on my project!

If I ever get it done, I will have a bond-in motor splashwell for a 20MA. Designed to allow full tilt forward. I am working on a solid MDF buck. Slowly. But if you have any interest, let me know.