Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

Well for those who didn't see the ealier post....I still have transom problems with my 1999 25' SeaCraft (I know she is not a classic, but she'll have to be re-built like one.

If I can get her though the summer, if I don't have to do it sooner, I plan to do-away with the euro transom....close the back of the boat and add a bracket to hold a pair of motors.

I feel pretty good with what I plan to do to the boat, but I am unsure which route to go with the bracket. I feel I could build one that would suite my needs, but would it be worth the effort....could a manufactured one serve me just as well.

I would like for it to have the swim platform and most definitly have floatation.

One reason I was thinking about building one was because I want the the LOA to be at least 28' when finished. The boat is 25'6" now, so I only need 2.5' to be there.

I am trying to get a solid plan laid out in advance so when I start the project I can get it done a reasonable time frame.

So....should I build or buy...any pros or cons on either choice?

BTW-I plan to hang 400hp on the back of her too....I might think about a pair of 225hp, but the stock hull is only rated to 400hp?!?!? I'm not sure if they would warranty 225's or not?!?!?

Re: Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

why not consider selling her and buying a new one or something else?

Re: Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

Not sure who you're referring to - bracket mfg, engine mfg or SC. It's your insurance that you need to worry about when going over the HP rating. Your carrier could deny coverage in certain instances.

Re: Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

Ryan,

I couldn't do that to someone....I'd have to take such a beating on the boat, I couldn't afford to buy another one.

I have looked around and I can honestly say I can't find a boat with as much fishing room for it's size.

Also The boat rides so well. Plus, I feel the way a lot of people here at CSC do....the 25' boat should have been longer....so we'll see!

ScottM,

I've heard that too, but I have also heard the motor manufacturers don't like it when you excede the boats power rating.

Re: Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

Sound's like a BIG undertaking. Not the bracket, but modifing the boat.
My alum D&D bracket was $1675. Twin's, bottom modified to match the deadrise V.

Re: Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

Ha Capt C
Yesterday I thought about your plan and even looked at some pictures of 25’s on the web. But didn’t see what I was looking for. I am Almost Positive that the bottom of your hull on the 25’ is straight to the transom like the Contender boats. If that is true than I think your plan is a sound one. If you use lots of epoxy resin work, moving thinks back and put a full transom in the boat building up the gunnels close to the stern to the same height of the rest of the boat and then a bracket attached to its back that would work.
OR you could even re do a euro transom bracket setup with a step like SeaVee boats from where the transom now ends and building a bracket yourself directly attaching it to the current transom design. Some guys have talked about this but I don’t remember anyone actually doing it yet. With your boat since you want to make it longer and you already have a euro transom boat this one would be a great boat for this type of work.
P.S. Have you been catching any tuna lately?
Fellowship [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Re: Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

Yes, I ran out on the 22nd of May 95nmiles and we boated two Yellowfin and 34 Blackfin.

Here is my fishing partner with her first Yellowfin;

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...-22-05_1st.jpg

Re: Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

Lets pretend I'm real good with photo editing...OK

This what the boat looks like now...oh and yes the running surface meets the bottom of the transom.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...04Portrear.jpg

This is what I want to make the back of the boat to look like. I have also traced out where the bracket will roughly be placed.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...rt_nomotor.jpg

I am thinking that I will use Cossa Board and bring the transom all the up to the rub rail and almost to the sides of the boat above the trim tab wells.

The swim platform will be lower than I have traced out. I didn't pay attention to how high I drew it in.

Re: Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

One other re-building question....

I have noticed inside the bilge area the transom material stops just short of the bottom of the boat. Why wouldn't you want the Airlite to go all the way to the bottom of the hull.It seems that I have seen some of the transom replacements bring it all the way down. I have alway wondered if that was not part of my problem.

Re: Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

Captn C You did great on the drawing. If it was mine the transom core would come to the bottom. Actually you would grind a slight radius on the outside of the core corners. This is to account for the fillet that you would run around the bottom and up the corners of the transom.

When doing as mush glass work as your talking about here, I'd pull those thru hull's and fill the holes. Then redrill them up higher with one in front of the other. Keep them as high as you can. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

That would be one badass boat! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] You could make your own mould but you should think about a transom door!

Re: Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

Looks like a great plan to me, I really like it. As for making your own Bracket Strick made his and it came out looking really good my guess you could make your own bracket for approx $500 + Beer compared to buying one for $3,500 ready to go. After you do your project my guess is that your boat will be the Best Off Shore SeaCraft design out there especially for those long trips you go on. I have always thought that the 25 should have been a 27, 28’ with that 8 ½’ beam you got. A two motor long range boat that is truly TRAILER ABLE. Ya the 32 is a long range boat all right but I sure would not want to Trailer it every weekend. I have thought on occasion about putting a bracket on my 23’ just to put 2 motors on her to get a boat that has a little more range on it, but then I keep coming back to no It’s Still Just 23’. If I want a long range boat I really need to go to a longer boat like 27-31” to get what I need for that type of range.
FellowShip [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Re: Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

If you really want a 28ft. Sell your boat and buy a contender 25.

That modification will cost 3-5 grand in materials and at least 6 months . . . if you want to recoup any of the floor and make the cockpit larger.

Re: Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

HA BIGSHRIMPIN
Why would you want to do something the easy way when you can do it the hard way?? Just kidding Capt C has spent so much time on this boat wanting to get it right doing what he is suggesting I just another drop in the bucket.
FellowShip [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Re: Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

I hear yah . . . don't forget the rigging another 2k including mounting and remounting the outboards.

Those material costs I posted are just for the mods to the boat . . . not including the materials for the bracket.

You're commiting to a 7k project and doing hard time grinding glass for 6months (if you do it yourself). Is it really worth the extra 2 feet???

I like the design, but you've gotta do a cost benefit analysis and be realistic.

Re: Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

Ok...how can I sell it? It's not in full usable condition right now...I keep an eye on it all the time....worrying the back end is going to fall off...well not really, but I do feel I have to keep an eye on it all the time.

Who would buy a fairly new boat that needs to have the transom replaced?

How much would you get for that boat?

I would be basicly selling the engines and trailer!?!?!?

That won't take you very far towards buying a new Contender and to be honest....I think I'd have more fishing room in the SeaCraft......

Re: Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

A few ideas:

Have the transom repaired by a professional and sell it.

Put it on ebay and set your reserve price to what you must have for the whole pakcage...make sure you disclose the transom issue completely. Somone who likes to do glass work and wants a big boat will buy it and fix it. Put lots of pictures and details. If the package deal does not work then break it down into parts and relist on ebay sell the motors sell the console sell the t-top sell the trailer and sell the hull.

There is a company in Dickinson, TX, American Yacht Sales that sells bank repos and other boats (I looked at a damaged Contender there several years ago when I lived in Houston) you could haul the boat down there and let them sell it for you as well (they have a website etc).
http://www2.yachtworld.com/americanyachtsales/

You could also look for a theft recovery hull that has been stripped and then move all of your equipment to the new boat and sell your damaged hull.

Re: Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

I am going against the grain here but I think the idea has some logic behind it. I like the idea of going with the flotation bracket and giving youreslf a 27+ foot boat. It would be one of a kind. This would be a major project and reselling the boat in the future would have it's own issues.

What would you like to get out of the boat $$$$? I'm sure someone on thehulltruth or ebay would buy the boat in the $40's.(hope I didn't insult you.) If you plan to go ahead with the project, plan to keep the boat a long, long time. Most of us here would agree your project is going to cost you somewhere around 8-12 grand not to mention a repower.

I'm a stockbroker by trade and its human nature to feel better about holding a loosing position rather than admitting failure and selling it. Selling it would close a terrible chapter in your life.

Re: Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

Capt C,

have you talk to Tran at TranSports down in Palacios, TX. if anybody can fix or extend you boat well, he can.

Re: Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

I guess we are now looking at this potential project in giving advice from two distinct points of view. The first is Could it be done and the Second point of view is Should it be done from the economic point of view. For me redoing a 1976 boat had nothing to do with a logical economic point of view it came from One Man’s Dream Boat point of view. If I re look at it today I still conclude that we all are one big group of Sick people to spend what we have fixing up old boats that took to much time, cost to much money, and are depreciating in their value. But never the less I Love my boat and it’s not for sale even if I could get more for it that what I spent fixing her up. Capt C your proposed project CAN be done and done right, the question is are you willing to do it or not because of the logical objections that you will have to deal with. If you sell and buy another boat you will spend lots of $$$$ if you fix her up you will spend less $$ but spend more time doing the project. “I hate making hard decisions”.
Ha Capt C you can always think of it this way, do your project put a Patten on your idea and when SeaCraft the Co. does the same thing on their new line of boats you can sue the snot out of them and recover the money they failed to pay to take care of your boat problems in the first place.
FellowShip [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Re: Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

Captc - You could always get a slip for Sept in Florida. Seriously how bad is the transom damage? Do you have any recent pics?

Re: Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

I am going to take some. The boat is at the shop right now....I lost power in the starboard engine Sunday.

I can't figure out why I can't get it to stop cracking. As most of you know I had to do some major repairs to my bay boat because of an accident with a 65' barge....those repairs are still in prefect condition and it is a very flexible boat....nothing has re-cracked.....

Any way I know how to lay glass and I am using epoxy resin. Where I have bonded the new knees to the transom won't hold....where I bonded the knee to the stringer is holding fine. And where I have tried to repair the cracks in the corner of the splash well keeps cracking....which I know will happen it the knees come loose.

I feel there is too much flex in the transom material...transom possibly too thin?!?! I have been informed the material is called "AirLite". I know the stuff is soft. I wish I could have got the knees to extend higher, but there isn't room to do it.

I have a new plan to get me though till winter and keep it from possibly tearing the skin of the transom....

I want to remove the splash well and put a aluminum plate on the inward side of the transom...it will act as a huge washer for all 4 engine mounting bolts.

BTW-When I do the major work on the boat this winter I plan to get with Tran about it. I hope to have him do some of the work as well.

Re: Floatation Bracket...Build or Buy?
 

Tran comes highly recommed in fixing things like this. someone once told me that he fixed a redesign a boat for a manufacturer as the were having "cracking" problems.