'73 23cc restoration
 

So I started this project about 2 months ago. I first stripped the console, leaning post, and hatches. http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/h...y/DSCF0540.jpg then I got a buddy who has a bobcat to pull the engine off and put it in the back of my buddies pickup and then to the garage here at the house.
I decided to attack the transom first and opened it up to find what I had suspected: a transom full of mulch http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/h...y/DSCF0551.jpg
and

I found that ~30% of the inner layer of glass on the transom skin had never laminated to the outter skin, http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/h...DSCF0553-1.jpg so after a lot of carefull discection with hammer/chisel and sanding, followed by some quick glass work I was ready for the new transom.

my dad and i tried to get the transom in on new years eve and the epoxy on the bead around the edges kicked too quickly so I ended up having to grind out a lot of epoxy before we could try a second time. learing from my mistake I got another buddy of mine to help with the transom we finally got it in
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/h...y/DSCF0558.jpg http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/h...y/DSCF0570.jpg

It is 2 sheets of marine ply epoxied together and it got 3 layer of the biaxlecloth over top as well as getting tabbed in all around the sides. I also took out the fir blocks that were the old scupper and glassed over the top of the old thru-hulls.

I then started the grinding and stripping of the old patch on the bottom that the previous owner had done. this part ended up being a lot more work than expected because of some serious structural work that I had not anticipated. http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/h...y/DSCF0561.jpg
Istarted with 2 strips of biaxle on both of the chines, followed by a layer of biaxle and a layer of woven roving over that. http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/h...y/DSCF0567.jpg
then I started on the long patch on the bottom. because I was working by myself and was working with the boat more or less right side up, I used small pieces and overlapped them. http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/h...y/DSCF0579.jpg
then using some of the system 3 quickfair stuff, I built up the chines that I was repairing and shaped them with a fairing block. http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/h...y/DSCF0583.jpg the chines do still need some fairing, but they are looking pretty good considering what they did look like.

yesterday and today I have been sandwiching 1/4" AC ply with a layer of biaxle for the transom cap. I will probably work on the doghouse design done some this week and start building the plywood structure for it.

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

So I have a few questions at this point.
1. I need to replace that aft part of the deck this year and I am wondering how I should go about it. the span is a little bit bigger than a sheet of plywood. I think it is 49.5" to the transom. my question is: can I actually cut more of the sheet off and leave the stern part open from the transom cap to the hull that is inbetween the bulk head on the front of the transom cap and the transom, or do I need to extend the deck all the way back? I thought this might give me some more room to do the rigging back there. I also think though that I might be sacrificing some strength back there, and im gonna need all that I can get because I am planning on putting a suzuki 300 on it. will tying the deck into the transom add that much strength or can I leave this open?

my other question is about installing the bracket. I talked to armstrong and they said that they can give me a better deal if I go through the guys that are installing the motor. I ended up having J&W call armstrong and they can save me ~$150, they I can get it from them and install it myself, or I can have them install it for $1000. this sees kinda steep but then again I am putting a 20k motor on it. Is it hard to install on of their brackets or is it just a matter of getting it placed correctly and sealing the holes right?

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

(Bump)

I will be putting a bracket on my new-to-me 23 and wondered what the consensus was on extending the deck back to the transom.

It would be good to hear about the bracket installation too, but as I have seen a folks make and install their own brackets on this site, I wonder what the general consensus on point 2 is.

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

Nat,

I cant speak to the floor project but that sure was a nice job you did replicating the chine :cool: How is that boat coming along anyway?

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

See if you can talk to JeffS. The web site I linked is his and he lives on the lower Cape.

http://www.flyfishsaltwaters.com/ubb...c;f=5;t=003162

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

Nat,

Is the cap still off? It looked like in one pick you had pulled it.

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

Yo . . . nice work, but why are you spending 20K on a motor!!!

For 12K you can get a brand new 30" suzuki 250 from eds. That motor is perfect for your boat. 2mph difference on the top end and .5mpg better cruise is hardly worth 8K . . . also 30" shaft would keep the powerhead higher up out of the slop in the rips at quicks.

http://www.edsmarinesuperstore.com/suzuki_outboards.htm

8k = 2/3 of another suzuki 250 or a sweet radar, fishfinder, GPS . . . and 5k in the bank . . . or a full two seasons of fuel (with that motor).

Just looking out for yah!!

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

Also bracket install is easy . . . compared to what you've done already there.

The tips that I remember from when strick helped me with mine . . .

Find the center of the transom . . . and mark it.
Figure out where the top of the swim platform will line up against the transom and mark it.
plan for the motor to be 1" up from the keel mine for every 12" of set back.
Make a template out of cardboard that has the bolt holes in it.
Use the template to drill holes on the transom . . . instead of trying to hold the bracket in place and fit a drill into the tub.
Raise the bracket with a hoist or Jack or whatever you have.
Dry fit everything (every bolt) before you decide to fasten it to the hull with 5200.

That's about all I remember.

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/...2/DSCN6515.jpg

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

So, a little update on the boat. I came back up to the great white north and immediatly had 10 inches of snow in the boat for a while. needless to say, that put a bit of a damper on the hull work(no inside space to work on it here). as a result I started working on the doghouse for it. I ended up just building the enclosure right on top of the lip that goes around the console ~16" above the deck. the 3 sides are 1/2" ply and the roof is 2 sheets of 1/4" that has been curved and laminated with a sheet of biaxle in between and another on the top. it has a nice little 1 1/4" curve over 34" for the roof. I faired sanded and prime it last weekend, and am waitin on the windows which should be ready on monday. I will cut the hole for the windows and seal the endgrain and sandwich the lexan inbetween 2 frames made of ipe mahogany.

I also molded the transom cap after scibing the curve on the transom and sandwiching 3 sheets of 1/4" inbetween Biaxle. today I put in 4 supports for transom cap today.

as for the engine: I will be putting a 300 suzuki on the boat. right now I have a deposit on one here in MA @ $20k.

a little aside about the 300 at Eds: the yamaha that I have on my parker right now is from eds. that being said: the 13k is for the 300 engine only. it does not include electronic controls(required on the 300) and installation. that costs you another 4.5k. they do not let you take the 300 and install it yourself because it has to be hooked up to the computer in order for them to get the thing running. that puts me at 17.5k plus my fuel, tolls and time off from work to go down there to get the thing installed. this puts me at about 18.5-19k

Also: there is no service at all from Eds and no one likes to work on an engine from Eds. most places put you at the bottom of the list. I know this because I had issues with the ethanol switch the 2nd year I had the motor(2 weeks in the shop right after I took my summer break from my day-job). I am a charter/ commercial guy, so if I have any issues, I need it fixed yesterday! A week with my boat in the shop kills me during the summertime: 3-4 charters and 3 commercial days is a big hit. I made sure that if I bought an engine from them that I would be at the top of the list! for me that is easily worth the difference between the prices.

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

Shrimp,

Wait a second... how do you know about quicks? That's a state secret. Huge scary rocks in there, no place for fiberglass or 20k outboards!

I think nat runs enough that the gas economy on the 300 makes sense, a lot of sense when gas hits 4 bucks later this summer.

I will not be running as much, so the 250 makes a lot of sense for me. I think the 30" makes a lot of sense too, but on the other hand, does having the motor that much higher up and further back get in the way while fighting fish?


--
best,
Ken

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

Nat - I got no businesss telling people how to spend their money . . . so I apologize. Supporting your local dealer is a good thing especially if they take care of you well.

Ken - The 250 is a good deal if you want to save some $$$. You can find all the rigging you need for the motor on ebay for pennies on the dollar . . . I think you just need an authorized dealer to activate the warranty.

How do I know about the elizabeth's????

I had a MA commercial bass and fluke permit since 1995 (just gave it up last year). I even worked at Red Top in Buzzards Bay on summer in 1994. I didn't do too much bass fishing, but I can fluke fish with the best of them :) I'll be back there this summer, so . . . Nat look out for a red seafari following you around during commercial bass season :) . . . Just kidding ;) . . . I'll be fishing Chatham.

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/...im_bigfish.jpg

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

bigshrimpin

I didnt mean to for my post to be rude. I have dealt with Eds before and dealt with other dealers up here trying to get my boat repaired before, and I just wanted to share my experiences others about dealing with them.

oh yeah and I hope you feel comfortable in the rocks if your gonna follow me around the elizabeths :eek: just ask kenB. I will be east of chatham plenty this summer trying to find that big boy.

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

fish robinsons bigger fish more rocks makes it more fun!!!!

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

I look forward to meeting you guys this summer. Keep up the good work on that 23!! Should be real nice with the dog house.

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

Hey Nat how about some dog house pix. How is it coming?

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

Your work looks great and I am in a similar situation. I purchased a 1975 cc with twin 150 black max's. The hull is solid, and I have been doing various projects on the boat, console, T top, Epiglass, Interlux and such. The guy I bought it from had installed some marine lumber in the motor well and put a "seat" above the well. I wanted to get a decent bait well set up so I removed the marine lumber to see what I was dealing with. The 5200 did not adhere well to the plastic lumber so there is some rot in the transom. Although, it only flexes about 3/16" when you stand on the back of one of the 150's and jump up and down and I have been offshore with it several times since last summer. (Didn't even realize there was any rot till I started taking it apart for an upgrade and was able to stick a screw driver down in some places)So here is the question. Does anyone have some suggestions/plans for closing in the transome and setting it up for a bracket that will hold twins? I think I can do the work, if I know what to watch our for. Thanks in advance. New to the site.
Jaybo

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

So yesterday I tried to get the transom cap cut to fit and I think im gonna have a few small issues. I wasnt thinking when I molded it, and only put a form on one side of the ply. as a result one of the corner sagged a bit, so its a bit torqued. I think I can fix it by trimming a few of my supports, and then hitting parts of the cap with a beltsander in a few places, and adding some extra glass in a few places.
[image]http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh135/natchalkley/DSCF0614.jpg[/image]
here is the doghouse: I should be picking up the windows today and I will trace them and cut the holes this evening.
[image]http://s255.photobucket.com/albums/hh135/natchalkley/?action=view&current=DSCF0609.jpg[/image]
[image]http://s255.photobucket.com/albums/hh135/natchalkley/?action=view&current=DSCF0615.jpg[/image]
[image]http://s255.photobucket.com/albums/hh135/natchalkley/?action=view&current=DSCF0612.jpg[/image]

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

Here is your album.
73 23 CC Restoration

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

Nat, I hope to see you out this summer and good luck with the restoration. With fuel prices what they are I'll be spending more time dancing around rocks in Woods Hole. Like my dad always tells me don't travel over fish to catch fish. I have become a-lot more careful fishing the hole, Robinsons, & quicks now that I run a straight inboard though.

If you ever run into issues with your restoration and need professional help call Hunter Boat Works in Pocasset. They are very knowledgable and known mostly for restoring 31 Berts, but they have done a fair amount of work on SeaCrafts as well.

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

If the fish stuck around Woods Hole all summer, I would never leave(some of my largest fish ever have come from WH including a nice 48lber last fall), but its hard to do my limit in WH in August.

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

Agreed, August is the month I spend the most on fuel to get to where the fish are.

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

great piks cant wait to see the finished product. :cool:

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

so here is my most recent work:
the transom cap went on. it is 2 layers of 3/8 ply with biaxle inbetween. that has been tabbed in on the bottom to the 4 supports seen in the picture. I cut the top cap straight back on the inside. inbetween these 2 sides there is another layer of 1/4" with biaxle on it. the sides will be screwed down and caukled. I have toyed with the idea of putting Ipe across the top of the cap in the transom. the bulkhead for the front of the cap is all glassed on both sides and ready to be installed. http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/h...y/DSCF0625.jpg http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/h...y/DSCF0624.jpg
as you can see the deck is also in. I have not finished glassing in the sides yet. I am going to fill the channels on the sides with koma and glass over those.
I also was able to put some bottom paint on the hull. I went with white Petit Vivid free. 2 coats did a great job covering the black paint from before. http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/h...y/DSCF0629.jpg http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/h...y/DSCF0631.jpg

I have also milled, built and installed the 3 inside frames of the windows. the inside are vg fir and the outside are ipe mahogany. I dont have pictures at this time, but will get them and post them soon.

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

Thats a pretty nice leaning post! This thing has come a long way. Looks great.

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

So the boat finally went in the water a few weeks ago. Its not totally finished (still needs a bit of paint), but its in the water and it is catching fish.

Ill start with the windows. the windows I had cut by a local glass shop here in town. they are 3/8" lexan that are sandwiched between the vertical grain fir on the inside and Ipe mahogany on the outside. the frames are all biscuit jointed with west epoxy. http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/h...y/DSCF0622.jpg
the inside frames were epoxied to the inside of the doghouse and the outside were countersunk and screwed. everything was sealed with clear silicone. http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/h...y/DSCF0659.jpg
then I put the bulkhead and coming boards across the transom. no pictures at this point but coming soon.
next came the bracket, standard stainless marine bracket with no platform. my buddies Gray and Eric came over to help me install it. All holes were drilled, epoxied and redrilled. http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/h...y/DSCF0642.jpg
I put glass down on the deck and started painting. first came the transom and doghouse. I used an interlux hatteras off-white. http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/h...y/DSCF0645.jpg
I used petit easypoxy offwhite for all the interior in order to match what was there before.

Next came the engine: suzuki 250. the first prop that went on was a 15.5x17. this had way too much torque and it would hit 5800 rpms at only 2/3 throttle. they got me a 16x20 and it is awesome. It planes at 3400 at about 21 kts and tops out at 5800 doin 40 kts http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/h...y/DSCF0646.jpg .
first tuna trip: http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/h...y/DSCF0662.jpg

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

Nat,

The boat looks great...and Tuna blood on the deck already...at a boy....Did I see this boat coming in the Chatham Inlet 2 weeks ago? Annie P right? I was in my green skiff heading to the rip for the mid day tide. I am pretty sure Annie P was on the way in with a full compliment of Tuna gear aboard...anyways...sweet rig....catch em up!

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

that was me. we went 1 for 4 that day. few short strikes on bait, and that one fish on a bar. we ran her pretty hard that day: pushing 5000 rpms(32kts) in and out and she performed beautifully. ate up the chop in the morning and pulls a nice wake at trolling speed. needs outriggers though.

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

Hey . . . Way to go!!! Just in time for commercial bass :) PM me . . . I have my boat over in cataumet. I have a Rev4 19P prop if you want to try it out . . . I've been dying to see what it'd do on a 23 with a bracket and a 250 (making future plans)

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

The boat's looking good, Nat. :cool:

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

Nat-
Nice job. Great to see the boat staying in the CSC family ;). That 250 is sweet. Keep the pix coming......

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

Just did an evening charter with Nat. We threw eels at the elizabeth islands after dark. The bioluminesce was up. The boat ran well, and that 250 is perfect. Even with about a 15 to 20 mph "breeze" out of southwest (after dark!) that thing was rock steady and pleasure to ride around in. Bigshrimp was right on about the 250 having enough power.

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

Nat, I saw you in Woods Hole on Saturday going past the Steamship Authority docks, boats looking reel good. I was in the 23 Inboard.

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

yep I saw you out there. I was on a little cruise with my family. went giant fishing in the bay sat night/sun and had them all around the boat for 2 hours, but they wouldnt eat.

thanks for the complement. Ive always liked your boat too.

Re: '73 23cc restoration
 

Nat,
I know of a few other guys that had the same problem last weekend for giants, however I heard a guy out to Marshfield took 2 last week and one was in the 900 pound range.

I heard they were tuned into half beeks, when that happens it's difficult to get them to bite anything else.