18' seacraft help
 

Hi, im looking into buying a 1989 18' seacraft with a 2002 125 merc on it. Ive heard great things about the 20' seacrafts but dose anyone have any experience on the 18? Im mainly concered with the ride of the boat, do they pound? Are they wet rideing boats? Ive heard both sides about the 18 footer.

Re: 18' seacraft help
 

It is an 18' boat,the ride won't be as nice as the 20', yes it is wet, the ride will be better than other 18's in its class. hope this helps.

Re: 18' seacraft help
 

I have to disagree, I have an 18' 1976 seacraft, boat is very dry and the ride is great. The only thing I didn't like was the low transome so I had it closed in and had a bracket installed.

Re: 18' seacraft help
 

I have to agree with Vcsjupiter, I Have an 18 (Snookered's boat) and the ride is great and the only time it is wet is in a quatering sea 3' or more. This an be handeled with boat handling and adjusting speed a bit. Mine is powered with a Yamaha 2 smoke.
There was a discussion on this board, ( just looked and couldn't find it but it is probably still here) and I believe Carl Mosley said that "an 18 will do everything a 20 will do" my quotes but you can get the idea.
As long as i'm wasting time at work doing this, which is very important, I have a question for Vcsjupiter. Im slowly restoring my 18 and would love to put a Hermco bracket on it but would like a little insight as to performance before I take the plunge. My plan is to keep the Yamaha 130 since I bought 3 of them. A guy had triples on a older Mako 25 and was repowering with Opti bombs. with 3 motors in good shape, 2 in storage, hopefully I will have power until my boating days are past, which hopefully doesn't come anytime soon.

Re: 18' seacraft help
 

I also will have to disagree with the "wet" and "poor" ride of the 18.

I own a potter 18 and I doubt you can find many 18 foot cc's that will ride as well as the seacraft.

Is it wet? I dont think so, but like any center console if you are running quatering into the seas with a 15 knot wind your going to take spray.

Re: 18' seacraft help
 

The 18 is 18-10 actaully and yep will do anything a 20 will

Re: 18' seacraft help
 

Closing in the transom and adding Dons bracket was the best thing I did to that boat. I have a 1999 Evinrude Ficht 175 that I rebuilt, boat will run between 50 to 53 mph per GPS. Boat sits alot higher in the water and is still self bailing. I am so happy with Dons work, he is in the process of doing the same to my 23' sf that I bought last year. Let me know if you want me to send you some pictures.

Re: 18' seacraft help
 

seems like that first post got some hackles up w/ the 18 owners. i would have to agree the 18 rides great, i just took mine for a 70 mile trip this weekend on a very busy intercoastal; four people on board, got splashed w/ one wave. i will take her 10-20 miles offshore too if the weather is right. hands down the best riding boat in its size class i have ever owned. low transom does suck but is very easy to change.

Re: 18' seacraft help
 

Ok, im gona take it for a sea trail before I buy it. Its an 89 in pretty good shape with a 2002 125hp merc and an aluminum trailer for 4500.00 seems like a good price.

Re: 18' seacraft help
 

We would all like to see pics :) I sent you a PM VCS

Re: 18' seacraft help
 

just got back from the keys yesterday with my 18'. i just finished it in late july with a raised floor, closed transom and Hermco. it rides well even without trim tabs on yet. i would not say that it's any wetter than my dad's 20'(also in the keys with us) but the ride is not quite as good. although, his is an i/o, so it's not really comparing apples to apples.

i think the liner design is far better than the 20' has as it lends itself to more interior. the factory live well stinks in combo with the 20" transom and low floor drains but that's easily fixed on a rebuild.

i have 150 2s yamaha on the new boat and a 120 omc on my other 18'. i would say that 130 yamaha would be the ideal power for an 18'. i bought the 150 at a deal, but it's more power than the boat needs. did i just say that? :D

Re: 18' seacraft help
 

small, i just downsized from a 200 on mine if you want to talk about too much power...ive been trying to think of any design flaws all day on the 18, the one thing i dont like is how big the console is. w/ the original layout there is very little room on the sides. previous owner took 6 inches out of it, seems perfect now. it really is the perfect 18 foot boat; and to think i almost signed my life away to buy a new scout instead of getting my old girl.

Re: 18' seacraft help
 

yeah, i'm not a big fan of the original console either. i used one from a 219 mako bay boat on the rebuild. it has similar width dimensions but with the recessed toe kick, it feels much more comfortable to walk around. it also helps that my top mounts to the console not the floor.

i guess that 200 merc was alot of power! i saw 50.3 mph and climbing last week but i honestly could not hold her as i started to trim. i mean it got SQUIRLEY. i'm hoping trim tabs will help as i'm thinking it must be coming off the pad and the motor is about all thats in the water considering the bracket doesn't touch while on plane.

all and all, the 18 is great boat for everything but the long days going deep off the carolinas...thats farther than i'm comfortable with. athough we got into some pretty good seas fri. off of big pine key and she handled them beautifully for about 20 miles.

good thing you passed on the scout...it's fun when poeple realize that your 30+ year old boat will do as much or more than most of the new ones :D

Re: 18' seacraft help
 

Come on Egg, she's only 18'2. I've never been on a 20, so I can't compare it to one. I will say, that set up properly,the 18 is ideal for coastal fishing for 2 anglers. She's too small to be a family boat. Balance is the key. I've set mine up to where when fully loaded the floor is level. It will float with the motor tilted in 12", perfect for huntinn those bronze backs tailing on the grass flats of P. I. Sound. I can't run shallower, but I can float shallower using my trolling motor than most of the big flats skiffs with their heavy ars 250 + hp motors. It excells as an inlet/ pass boat because of stable hull design. I see some big boats in Boca Grande Pass rockin and rollin way worse than mine when the afternoon sea breeze hits a strong outgoing tide. That runs of most of the 22 and under crowd to catch their tarpon elsewhere. On good days I'll run offshore. I've been 20 - 25 miles out many times; the limiting factors being fuel capacity and lack of a buddy boat. If the spring or fall kingfish run is on, I'll even go out 2 or 3 miles on a nasty day and and troll in 3 - 5 footers. Thats about the only time I get wet. Usually in normal conditions,if i start catchin a little spray, I just go faster!No problem.
My only gripe is the rear in floor box. I use mine for storage, but to keep it dry, I plumbed it with an auto 500 gph pump.
Keep the motor light, block off the splash well and use the front box as a ballast tank (plumb it as a fishwell or store heavier items in it). Trim tabs are great, though I mainly use mine to set port/starboard angle of "entry".
I have read that the 18 can ride better than the 20. I would say that if set up properly, they could perform equally. Now saying that, I've also read that he who has owned an 18 has regretted getting rid of it. Some of those guys now own 20's ;)
Oh yeah, almost forgot, If ran at the proper trim it will not pound and is not wet.

Re: 18' seacraft help
 

Jees guys, you'd a thought I wuz bashing the 18', reread the post, never said it wuz a bad ride, just said probably wusn't as good as a 20', same as a 20' is not a good as a 23', simple waterline lenght math. I said is wuz better than anything in it's class, I'm sure you will be very happy with it, and since I have a 20' I can say that any more than two fisherpeople in it, you might need some more room, sorry to get the heckles up on the 18 owners!!!!!!!! Annnnnnnnd, my 20 is a WETTTTTTTT ride.

Re: 18' seacraft help
 

Nothing wrong with your post

Re: 18' seacraft help
 

it does suck fishing w/ more than two people on it, but so does any other boat smaller than a 23. ive got (just counted) 16 rod holders (counting outrigger style on the t-top) and there still just simply isnt enough room. that said, its a fishing machine for 2 people.

Re: 18' seacraft help
 

^^ true. but when you've got fish on, MOST boats are too small. but MOST baots are ugly. at least we look good being cramped

Re: 18' seacraft help
 

i have a 1979 18'Seacraft with a 150 Merc. and it is the best riding 18' in its class, hands down. However, the only thing i dont like is the low transom.

Re: 18' seacraft help
 

Here are some pictures of my 18 with hermco bracket
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...h/IMG_0496.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...h/IMG_0511.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...h/IMG_0510.jpg

Re: 18' seacraft help
 

I'll chime in here. I fished out of a 20 for years in south FL and it is by far the best riding 20' boat out there. Did you get wet in the 20, yes we did but we went out in just about any weather [img]/forum/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]
I now own a '89 18 (18-2 to be exact:D) and yes it's one of if not the best riding 18 I've been on. Does it ride better than a 20, I don't think so. The deadrises are different, the 18 having a little less so you'd expect a slightly rougher ride. But it's not a wet boat except if it's quartering you and blowing more than 15.
I think it is the best nearshore 2 person boat out there. Three will get a bit crowded but is fishable.
The console doesn't seem too wide on mine but maybe they changed it over the years.
It does sit a little low in the back, but I added some thin buna rubber to the top of the transom and it keeps a good amount of the water out. It's only an issue it seems when backed into heavy seas or backing down.
I too have had it out 25 miles and with the 50 gal tank it has and the 115 Johnny, I get just over 2 MPG so my range is easily 75-80 round trip with reserve.
I think the boat does need tabs (have them, love them) as when it gets a little testy, you just lower that beautiful bow and go.

Re: 18' seacraft help
 

Thanks for all the input so far. I hope the deal works out on the boat. I sold my old 1987 cobia sun skiff and was kicking my self for it. That little boat rode awsome and never got wet. I picked up another boat but got rid of right away because I didnt like it. Im hopeing the seacraft will meet my expectaions. Ill post after my sea trial. It will be sometime next week. The boat is in pretty good sahoe over all. I do have some pretty up work I want to do tho, but ill worry about after its mine.