Post 1980 Seacrafts
 

I used to have a 20' 1974 Seacraft and am considering getting another one. I always hear that the quality post Potter (1980?) is not as good. Does anyone know the specific concerns/disadvantages with the more recent manufacturers compared to the Potter built years?

Re: Post 1980 Seacrafts
 

Very happy with my 81

Re: Post 1980 Seacrafts
 

The early 80's boats built by CSY were good boats, I think your good all the way to 85 ???

Re: Post 1980 Seacrafts
 

I've got a '85 Scepter and no complaints except a weathered gelcoat!

Re: Post 1980 Seacrafts
 

The early '80s 23' boats were made by CSY, the 20s were made by Seacraft Industries. I've heard CSY used Potter's molds.

I have an '83 20SF. At 20'-4", it is 8" longer than a Potter 20 SF. It has a very slight hook in the rear of the hull, and I think that makes it a little slower than a Potter 20 SF with the same horsepower, but the ride is Seacraft all the way. I don't know if the hook is unique to my hull, or typical of all the Seacraft Industries 20 SFs. It's slight enough that you need a 4' straight edge to see it. Other than that, I would say the quality is similar to a Potter. The hook, if typical, may have been introduced intentionally to keep the bow down at higher speeds. Just a guess.
Dave

Re: Post 1980 Seacrafts
 

i'm happy with my 86 23' cc 87 is when tracker bought the line and who knows what happened after that but most brands got "cheaper" in the late 80's and early 90's
but like anything that is older it depends on how it was cared for and what inprovements have been made
http://i617.photobucket.com/albums/t...Picture029.jpg

Re: Post 1980 Seacrafts
 

my 23 is an 87. i have not run it but im going to rebuild it. ive taken it apart a little bit and ill tell you there is alot of glass in that boat still. i dont see anything seperating structually yet so it cant be that bad.

Re: Post 1980 Seacrafts
 

I have an 1988 18' - no issues what so ever.

Re: Post 1980 Seacrafts
 

I run a 1998 Seacraft 23CC with a 2006 etech 225 on a bracket. I am thrilled with the set up. Boat has held up very well and continues to perform. I had the bracket added but have done little in repairs since.

Re: Post 1980 Seacrafts
 

In late 1987, we got in an '87 Tracker SeaCraft 23 WA at Lake Worth Yachting Center, where the transom had been severely damaged in a rear-end collision while being trailered. As part of the repair, the entire transom was removed. I was then shocked to learn that the stringers in that boat were fiberglass-encapsulated plywood, unlike Potter hulls. And though the hull was just one year old, the plywood was already wet and separating inside the stringer.

Re: Post 1980 Seacrafts
 

i guess i will be drilling a few sample holes in my stringers.

Re: Post 1980 Seacrafts
 

I've been in the hull of a '92, and it was all 'glass.

Re: Post 1980 Seacrafts
 

The WA looks to be an unknown design. I will not defend Tracker`s riggers or cheap hardware. I had a slight delam of about 1 1/2 ft by 4 " of the top layer of the inside of my port stringer , but they are the big box foam stringers of the `72/73 design change on my `89 20.

Did tracker own another boat co. that made the WA and just rebadge it? Ah, the onion.

Blue Heron, where is the hook in your hull?

CSY`s may have been the heaviest, but I bet the Moesly`s were the most consistent.

Cheers,
GFS

Re: Post 1980 Seacrafts
 

My '88 Tracker built 23' WA has foam filled stringers.

Re: Post 1980 Seacrafts
 

I was hoping you would chime in. Any idea who designed it?
Is the family enjoying her?

Cheers,
GFS

Re: Post 1980 Seacrafts
 

That's a first, I have never seen a SeaCraft with wood in the stringers. Maybe the cap on the WA made them have to "adjust" things to make it work. Who knows.

The older these boats get, the more wear and tear there is, so there is a tradeoff with older hulls, although they might of been made better, time and wear causes other problems.

I have crawled around a lot of these boats in FL, and I have seen some manufacture/assembly glitchs in a few, but nothing consistantly wrong/bad across any models/year from about 1989 and back.

I think the only thing I have seen is the attachement of the hull/cap/liner losens up on all of them after 10 or so years of use. The transoms on almost all of them are wet in areas, but these boats were so overengineered/built that most are still safe and servicable.

All the rigging and wiring dropped off fast in the late 80's but that seems to be the way of the industry.

The design and ride are pretty consistant across all years. I believe the late 80's boats are heavier than most other years. T

Re: Post 1980 Seacrafts
 

I have no idea who designed the top sides. The plaque, and from what research I did before I bought the 23WA said it was built by Tracker in Tampa, FL. It's not the best layout, but it's a walkaround, and it's a Seacraft hull, just what I wanted.

Yes, the family loves the boat, but the Merc blew at the end of last summer, and now it's a project boat. I got a sweet deal on a used Suzuki 250 4S w/ only 135hrs from a friend who upgraded to a 300hp. I'm in the mist of replacing the fuel tank, transom, wiring, etc (the usual suspects in any boat over 20 years old), and we all know how projects go. It's especially slow since I'm running a yacht 1000 miles away from home.

But we get out in 20SF as often as we can :) (BTW, this eats into project time, but it's worth every second ;))

Lloyd

Re: Post 1980 Seacrafts
 

Hot up there eh?
The topsides of that era were more function than form. Does she ride nicely?
Every minuite on the ocean is bonus time. :D The work to get there just makes it a little sweeter.

Cheers,
GFS

Re: Post 1980 Seacrafts
 

She rides GREAT!!!!

Re: Post 1980 Seacrafts
 

Of course she does! They seem to like a little weight forward. Sorry you didn`t hit the Jersey gathering. How`s the big boat and the soft grass treating you? We should think about Long Point for the fall. I was in Melbourne lately and it sure has grown.

Cheers,
GFS