Re: 23' rebuild progress
 

Looks like she's shaping up nicely.Can't miss those Tracker boot stripes.Your old tank looks like mine. The price for a new tank sounds attractive, how long did they say it would take?

Re: 23' rebuild progress
 

SECF,

They advertise 7 to 10 business days. We'll see...

Otto

Re: 23' rebuild progress
 

Otto, is that the vent that they ran back along the top of the tank? Projects looking good so far I wish I had an indoor place(warm [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] ) to work on the boat! Looking good !

Re: 23' rebuild progress
 

Jon,

Yes, it's the vent tube. It makes sence to push and pull vapors from the opposite end. I'll be interested to see how SP sets it up.

Thanks for the comment.

Otto

23' rebuild progress
 

Hey all,

The following are a few images of the current status of the project. Thank God that Tom (SaltyDog) was available to help with this project fulltime as the epoxy dematitis thing and extensive travel would have blown the project for a spring splash. Curses to Tracker for their crappy workmanship as we had to dig deep to make everything right. We start painting today with reassembly following over the next few weeks...

http://www.foodmachinery.com/SeaCraf...s/DSC03846.JPG

http://www.foodmachinery.com/SeaCraf...s/DSC03847.JPG

http://www.foodmachinery.com/SeaCraf...s/DSC03848.JPG

http://www.foodmachinery.com/SeaCraf...s/DSC03849.JPG

http://www.foodmachinery.com/SeaCraf...s/DSC03853.JPG

Oh, yea, we ended up ordering a 133 gallon aluminum tank from SPTanks.com. Best price by $200 (US $595) plus shipping.

Tom and Otto

Re: 23' rebuild progress
 

Otto, thanks for the info. My buds boat is done, hoping to get mine in the heated shed this week.Redoing the transom, deck, gas tank, new coaming bolsters and leaning post.Gotta be done by mid May.

Re: 23' rebuild progress
 

Hey OTTO

Lookin good. Obviously you're feelin' better - glad to hear it.

Did you notice some of the guys confused us becaust of our names ??? Can't see the reason for that - I'm the young, good looking one.

Some sad news. Looks like Otterly Cool will never get wet. Sick and tired over the arguments so I'm probably going to sell her when the weather warms up. You know, it's amazing how something you've looked forward to can be ruined by someone's attitude - to the point where you just don't want to deal with it anymore. Sorry for rambling on but I think you get the picture.

Keep putting up pictures - I'm living vicariously through you

BOB

Re: 23' rebuild progress
 

Bob,

Thanks for the comments. Good to hear from you!

Sorry to hear about the misunderstanding of priorities. There's a time for everything and yours will come. I had the same problem with competative golf. Competing at a State and occational National level didn't carry any weight against fatherhood, husbandhood, etc.

Elizabeth has been very understanding and ulitimately supportive, as she know it's my thing. As long as I get the important stuff done...

Keep the faith, brother. Let me know if there is anything I can do.

Regards,

Otto

Re: 23' rebuild progress
 

A few questions, Where are the stringers that go to the transom? What is that wood piece with the cutout you put in the transom? Are you going bracket and if so, what bracket and what power?

Re: 23' rebuild progress
 

maybe just a cupholder so you don't spill your drinks...

That wood looks like an excellent way to place a big 'ole bilge pump ...

And not what I've seen for shooting a thru hull...

Re: 23' rebuild progress
 

Brian,

There 2 wood pieces in there now.

http://www.foodmachinery.com/SeaCraf...s/DSC03854.JPG

The one with the hole is to get the RuleMate 500 down flat in the bilge and secure. The most water that will ever be in there is 2-1/8" right there. The other platform is for the RuleMate 2000 (just in case) and the Shurflo ProBlaster washdown pump where it is self-priming below the waterline.

The Shurflo pumps to the console where it gets married to to a HoseCoil 15' with flush mount in the console. The through hull fitting is in the transom (the old live well fitting) and is the the only below-the-waterline fitting on the boat other than the drain plug.

The bilge gets another coat of industrial enamel before moving on...

Otto

Re: 23' rebuild progress
 

Brian,

No stringers. That's how I found it. There's room for the Honda 1 Kw jenny down there...

I'll be putting the 200 Yamaha 25" back on. No bracket.

Otto

Re: 23' rebuild progress
 

OTTO

It's me again

Yeah! Where are the Stringers - the potters had fiberglass (no wood at all) box stringers that were filled with foam and went flat to the deck. They were sort of inverted, flat bottm "U"'s that were glassed to the bottom of the boat so that the flat portion of the "U" met, and probably supported the deck. In fact, my 1984 20 - (it wasn't a 1988 as I stated before on the site-that's when I traded it in. It was a CSY or something boat- I don't think it was a tracker yet) had the box stringers also - they went flush to the deck as far as I could see ( when I went "inside" to replace bilge pump)and they were filled with some kind of expandable foam. I know that to be true because they (CSY ??) never covered the expansion holes - I covered the holes with mat and epoxy because I was afraid the foam would eventually become saturated. (Sorry -kind of rambling tonight).

What am I missing in your pictures - or was I wrong about the stringers all these years.

Let me know.

KEEP WORKING

BOB

Re: 23' rebuild progress
 

Stringers? In the interior pictures the vertcal surfaces you see are the stringers(except for the transom). The stringers take a 90 degree turn and narrow down a few feet forward of the transom. I don't know for sure, but I think they are layed out to accomodate a V8 I/O engine. The I/O and O/B 23's have the same stringer layout.

[ March 06, 2003, 02:15 AM: Message edited by: SECF3114M73J ]

Re: 23' rebuild progress
 

Otter,

After being in this bilge and boat for the better part of a month fulltime, I have become pretty familiar with it's structure. The stringers run aft and terminate with a 90 degree at the end of the fuel compartment. Under the deck there is a second set of stringers that run from just short of the transom forward. The two are connected at the 90 mark with a side to side 2 foot stringer. I think that Otto posted some pics before we put the new floor in that show that second set of stringers. This other set of stringers is extremely helpful in giving the sole, out towards the hullsides, support. These as you all know were filled with foam. There are two weep holes at the end of the fuel compartment stringers were the ply base meets the stringer. when we took out the tank we had to remove the bulkhead at the end of the tank. This was glassed in over the weep holes in the stringer. These need to be open. After removal we noticed moisture coming from this area. When we looked further we noticed that they were holes and proceeded to open them up. With that out came the water that had been holed up in there. As we thawed out the boat more moisture was released. Again, these holes need to be open. They were cut out but glassed over trapping the water inside. The water diversion channels on each side of the tank were also cut off with glass by the bulkhead, again trapping water, now in the fuel compartment. You will see whan Otto posts the pics of the new bulkhead that we have cleared the channels and allowed for a much larger flow area.

Re: 23' rebuild progress
 

The "shop" we are using has plastic on 2 sides and a 250K "salamander" for heat. Loud and smelly and cold quick when it turned off. We have been having trouble getting the MAS epoxy to harden as nights are in the teens and twenties every (freakin) night.

So we decided to move it into the real shop with heat and insulation and lights and everything. We removed the door, hinges and one side of the jam to get exactly the 97" needed the boat is wide at midships. Touching concrete to gel coat ever so slightly on each side. Here are images of it's new cramped but cozy 70 degree 24/7 home:

http://www.foodmachinery.com/SeaCraf...s/DSC03855.JPG

http://www.foodmachinery.com/SeaCraf...s/DSC03856.JPG

We were conserned with (and warned about) the MAS epoxy not curing fully before painting. She's smiling now. So is Tom...

Oh, yea, check out the 2-1/8" diameter hole in the bottom of the transom that Tom installed a couple of days ago. Nice job!

Otto

[ March 06, 2003, 10:30 PM: Message edited by: Otto Cuyler ]

Re: 23' rebuild progress
 

Looks good ..Just don't forget..!.!.! Don't put the rub rail back on before you take her back outside, sounds like she may not fit if you do.... [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] C

Re: 23' rebuild progress
 

That is going to be one sweet ride when you get finished.....nothing like knowing the important stuff was done right when you are staring down the 8ft. seas. I just bought a '77 and will probably do the same thing next year....going to try and get one year out of her first. Looks great!