Raising transom to 25\"
 

I’m jumping the gun a bit here, but I’m due to take delivery of a 1976 20Sf at the end of next week and I’ve begun to develop a mental list of improvements that I’d like to do before the start of next season. Got my positive hat on here, and I’m assuming that the transom is rock solid, but I’d like to raise it to 25”. I’ve done a lot of looking on this site and the Mako site and there is a ton of information/opinion on replacing transoms, but I have not found a lot on just raising a good transom to 25”.

I assume there is a better way than doing a complete a new transom @ 25”, and that it probably involves cutting back (routing out) the existing core in layers so the new material could be installed in an overlapping manner.

I’d appreciate any opinions, suggestions and thoughts on the matter.

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

Dan,
If your 29 year old transom is really rock solid you should run out and buy some lottery tickets. No sense in letting that kind of luck go to waste. FWIW, i've seen a few transom modifications to 25" and they've all looked bad and cracked around the seam. I'd plan on a full transom replacement.

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

Look, I did say I had my positive hat on!

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

Dan-

Congrats on the new boat.

However, I agree that replacing the entire transom is probably the best way to go in the long run.

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

Ed,

Thanks. I'm scheduled to meet michigandave this Friday in PA so I should have the boat in the driveway this weekend.
BTW, please keep your eye open for a Yamaha 130 for me. I understand that's a very good engine for the 20' Seacraft SF hull.

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

I have a 130 Yamaha on my newly restored boat, and it is a great engine for the hull. I think it is the best option unless you are going new, but that is close to $14K.

Plan on a full transom job, BTW.

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

alarie,

Thanks for the message.One of the reasons I bought the SeaCraft this fall was because Evinrude was coming out with a 130 E-Tec (2S performance, 4S econmy and low noise, good HP to weight ratio). Now I understand that that engine has either been dropped or delayed a year. Anyone know what the real story is?

My options are 115 to 140/150, depending on what brand I chose. A local Suzuki dealer is saying the 140 is actually rated at about 130 (shaft), based on "dyno" testing, and their 115 actually puts out 120-125HP. He says the best deal he can offer is on the 140 (<10K), but the best buy (Suzuki) for the SeaCraft is probably the 115 (6.5-7K+/-). Any opinions on his comments?

If I go with Susuki, I'm concerned about the weight of the 140 since I'm not planning on raising the deck anytime soon.

Regarding the 115, I looked at a 20MA with a 115 Suzuki a few weeks ago and the owner/seller was very happy with the performace and economy of his rig. Alao, I think I remember a thread sometime ago on the merits of that engine on a 20 SeaCraft, but I couldn't find anything using the search feature; anyone else remember that thread?

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

Dan my friend has a 20 with the 140 Zuke and he swears there isnt a better motor for that boat. Have you tried Atlantic Boats in Wareham for a price? I paid 15,650 installed, new gauges, new controls, cable, out the door sales tax and all for a Zuke 250 October 04 I was waiting to see the price on the new 150 Zuke [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

Dcobbett-

Csicknick runs a Suzuki 140 on his 1979 20 Seacraft Seafari. And Trayder and Mark both run 140's on the 20 Seacraft C/C. I dont think you can beat that motor for peformance, price and longevity. Do you know that Nat & Derek at First Light put over 3000 hours on their twin Suzuki 140's before they traded them in for a new pair.

Also. since you are a North Shore guy....you should definitely speak with J&W Marine in Salem. They are Suzuki dealers and are very good guys. Remember service after the sale is important....

Ed

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

Ed,

Thanks for the information. Jay and Walter at J&W have been taking care of my current Suzuki for the last 2 years and we have talked this fall about a new 140 or a 115 on a SeaCraft. I know Derek and Nate quite well and am aware of how please they are with their engines. It's the weight factor that has me concerned; I think Seafari's tend to be bow heavy which may offset the 420+/- pound son engine, the deck in Trayder's hull has been raised plus the hull is very light, and Mark, I think, will be the first to say that what makes the 140 Suzuki viable on his modified 20 is the fact that he raised the deck.

An example of how good the 140 is. I fished with a friend from M'head last season. He has a 140 on the back of a 1975 22-2 Aquasport. Left Marblehead looking for SBFT's. Did the chase around the dump, the B and BF buoys, down to and well east of the H, worked back to the BF, and from there back to M'head @5,100-5,300 RPM (32mph+ on the GPS)just to blow it out a bit, all on 14.6 gal of gas.

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

Dan,
You may not have an issue with self bailing with the 140. I was pleaasantly surprised to find I had no problem evacuating lots of wash and rinse water when I had my boat recently in a slip. As you know, I have that Honda anvil on my transom along with the two 20# trolling motors on the tabs.

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

Roger,

Having fished your boat, I agree. The other contradiction to my concern seems to be the redo of a 20 by "riffraff" that is posted on the SeaCraft Photo's forum; he said he has good drainage through his scuppers with a 200 Yanaha on the transom. Tha only thing I can say about that project is that the drains are near the boats centerline, but they seem to work well.

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

Is this boat completely restored? If so, I talked with him out at Stellwagen this season. He swung by to see if we had seen any SBFT. If it's the same one, it is a beautiful boat.

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

Couple of things:

1: the Suzuki 140 is LIGHTER than the 115 so if you are concerned about the weight it goes for the 115 as well. the 90/115/and 140 share the same block.

2: There have to be 10+ classic 20 seacraft CC's in chatham harbor with 115-140 Suzuki 4 strokes on the transom. Call Ryders cove ( the local Suzuki dealer) and see if they have had any issues.

3: you will have to re-do the entire transom

4: Congrats and good luck with your new 20

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

I am not sure why, but it seems like Zuke dealers are pumping up the price on the DF140. When i purchased, prices seemed to be within a $1K. Now it seems more like $2K+.

Is it just the DF140 demand? Or they trying to clear out DF115? What's the deal? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

I can testify that the DF140 has been a great flawless motor [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img], but if repowering today ... $2k+ ... i would rethink my options ... [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

Well, at least us 4-stroke Zuke guys have hundreds of thousands of hours before our kids think about the next repower! [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

- Nick

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

I can tell you that my boat drains fine with the 200 HPDI Yammy, I do have the rabuds and they work great. I did not raise my deck, I did raise the transom to 25. If you stand near the transom, a small amount of water would enter (before installing the rabuds). I know a lot of you guys like the 4s 140 suzukis, but personally, I would get the biggest motor that fit into my budget. I paid about 11k for my motor new in the box..Good luck, lots of decisions to make! By the way Dan, I am sorry I haven't gotten you the info on the trailer, just haven't made it up to the boatyard to get it.

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

Dan - my 2 cents

A full replacement 25" transom will not cost that much more than a proper strong patch job, which will not crack at the joint (they almost always do). To make the 5" extension strong/stiff enough to be structurally integral (equivalent to a complete new transom) with the original transom requires adding several whole layers of fiber grass over the complete modified transom inside and out. Adds more weight than a complete new transom

A complete, new, well-done 25" transom adds a lot of value to a SC, I don’t think extending a 30-year-old transom makes a lot of financial sense.

The 140 Suzuki 4S is a great engine for that boat, good usable speed with good economy - I don’t see any advantage in getting the 115 hp. A new engine in the 130 - 150 hp range is considered sweet for this boat and adds a lot of value. Many consider 115 hp a little underpowered.

My SC 20 has a 150 Merc EFI that suits me.

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

fishstu,

I agree. It's just that the proper way to do the jod seems to be from the inside, and then you end up with a lot of cutting and patching of good fiberglass.

riffraff

Your boat is very interesting (looks great, too). It's really one of the first SeaCrafts that I'd heard of that has a heavy engine and a relatively dry, standard height deck. BTW, no problem re: the trailer. Boat is now home and in the driveway.

cSickNick,

If you don't mind me asking, how lond ago did you buy, and how much did you spend? The price ranges I mentioned includ mounting and controls, tach, etc., and, at least right now, it looks like Suzuki is below other brands for comparable HP.

Trayder,

Thanks. I'll get in touch with someone at Ryder's.

ScottM,

I wouldn't call it completely restored, but it is in great shape. Hull color is off white, original off green rub rail, very small leaning post with removable Todd post and flush deck plates.

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

dcobbett,
That's the boat.

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

The previous owner of my MA had a transom cap made up from 1/4" welded aluminum plate made up that spans the entire transom notch. The plate raises the original transom 5" to 25". I have a 225 Merc on the back and it's rock solid (just friggin ugly).

My other MA had it's transom raised 5". Here's a shot of their work.



http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/...6/P1010176.jpg

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

Bigshrimpin,

The second picture is ugly as well. Not much connecting the 5" riser piece to the rest of the transom.

Attached are some pictures of the plate on the transom of the boat I just bought. I'm told that it was installed when the boat was commissioned. It's the full width of the cap, the outer edge is bent and the inner top edge is welded. It's 23-1/8" from the bottom of the hull to the top of the plate, and the width at the cap is about 2-1/4".

The 175 mariner didn't create and visible movement or stress on the transom. Also, the rest of the transom is very clean and absent the usual array of holes and devices. The holes in the lower starboard side were for a depth finder, and they appear to have been properly sealed.

I'm told the current bolt pattern in the plate is consistant with OMC's current bolt pattern. At 23" to the top of the plate, can I buy/install either a 20" or a 25" engine for this transom?



[image]file:///C:%5CDOCUME~1%5CDaniel%5CLOCALS~1%5CTemp%5Ctemp-image-0.jpg[/image]

[image]file:///C:%5CDOCUME~1%5CDaniel%5CLOCALS~1%5CTemp%5Ctemp-image-5.jpg[/image]
[image]file:///C:%5CDOCUME~1%5CDaniel%5CLOCALS~1%5CTemp%5Ctemp-image-2.jpg[/image]

BTW, sorry for the white stuff in a couple of the pic's. Mother Nature's contribution for the day.

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

Dan,

Just to jump in on the engine thread, I put a Suzki 115 on the back of my '72 20 footer. Initially I was concerned that it wouldn't be enough power, but that certainly wasn't the case. It cruises happily at about 30 and has enough power to pop the boat right on plane. Plus, its light weight takes a load off the transom. Sure, a 150 would probably push it along at about 45, but unless it's flat calm (and how often do we see that in New England) you'd be airborne half the time and hanging on with white knuckles.

I'd also go with the full transom replacement...

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

Bigshrimpin,

Sorry about the pictures. I have an account with comcast and I thought I could "share" off of that. I'll figure it out or use photobucket or similar in a while and repost them.

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

Bigshrimpin,

Here's another try at the pictures:


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ts004Small.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...F0005Small.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...F0002Small.jpg

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

Stripernut,

I'm interested in and agree with what you are saying. Is your 115 a 4 stroke, and what year is it?
Also, what is your rpm and speed at cruise and WOT, and is the speed measured with a GPS? Any idea of fuel burn?

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

Dan
Just read this thread and also the Fisherman. Two new motors are advertised by a CT Marine company. A F115 TXR ( I beleive 4 stroke and a 2 stroke 150 (150TXR)Both are listed for $7,695. Dink

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

D - if you want to do it the easy way . . . a mechanical jack plate (cheapway) or Hydraulic jack plate (more expensive) will do the job especially if your transom is solid. Hydraulic Jack Plates also allow you to maximize your speed (several MPH)

http://www.bobsmachine.com/Products/..._hydraulic.cfm
http://www.land-and-sea.com/marine/het/why_jack.htm

http://www.insideline.net/2005/bassnrig04.jpg http://www.overtons.com/graphics/pro...ium/37978M.jpg

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

Dan,
Congrats on getting her home safe and sound.

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

Bigshrimpin,

Do you think I can bolt on a 25" shaft and set it up a few holes to set the plate near where it should be relative to the hull without getting into too many problems or lose to much performance from the engine?

thedink,

Thanks for that info. I'll follow up on the ads.

Roger,

Thanks. It is a good feeling to have the boat in the driveway. The trailer towed great; no problems at all, except I now know what some people are talking about when they discuss road/pavement induced harmonics. I dealt with that for about 40 miles eastbound on RT 78 between Harrisburg and Allentown, PA. The trailer would start bouncing up and down, and I had to slow to 40-45mph to get it to stop. The problem seemed worse if I was in a sag curve in the road's profile. Don't know if there was just enough added compression in those conditions or what was going on. It was an old concrete road surface that had been paved over (bituminous concrete) and hadn't been well maintained. East of Allentown, the road's surface was in better shape, and the problem seemed to go away.

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

[QUOTE]
Bigshrimpin,

Do you think I can bolt on a 25" shaft and set it up a few holes to set the plate near where it should be relative to the hull without getting into too many problems or lose to much performance from the engine?

Looking at this pic . . . The holes on the bottom will only let you go up one notch (1"). 24" is still too low . . . You've got 3 choices . . . Drill new holes, get a jack plate (manual jackplate $200 bucks, or redo the entire transom to 25" correct height.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...F0002Small.jpg

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

Bigshrimpin,

Thanks. I appreciate your comments and input.

Re: Raising transom to 25\"
 

Hi Dan.

Knowing where you fish, I think you will be glad to have the extra security of a solid 25 inch transom then keeping a 30 year 20 inch transom with a funky jack plate setup. My 25-inch transom gets more then enough water over for my taste.

A good condition "turn key" SC hull is very desirable.
A documented new 25-inch transom brings the boat up to modern day standards and will be worth much more and be easier to sell.
If it was me, I would get a new 25-inch transom and be done with transom issues. If on a budget look around for a good low hour motor (can be 1/2 - 1/3 the cost of new) from a reliable source. The used motor should last at least 5 years, probably 10 or more. Then you have a much more valuable "Turn key" hull to deal with.