Looky what I found...
 

The Seavette left the driveway and is now in better hands, Wildlandsjeff is making progress, engines off and on a stand.

In her absence my Seafari has been feeling kinda down and that smiling Flipper snout has been looking like a frown.

So I found her a new partner just to bring that girl around and shes smiling like she used to 'cause this Moesly shares her ground. ;)

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/...craft21050.jpg

http://s1011.photobucket.com/albums/...Seacraft%2021/

Re: Looky what I found...
 

NICE find and intro Gillie! Hope you get her wet this weekend! Denny

Re: Looky what I found...
 

Just came back from fishing on the 20sf and I'm greeted with this :cool: Let me be the first to officially congratulate you. Nice to see she finally made it to her new home safe and sound. so when is the first sea trial!

strick

Re: Looky what I found...
 

Holy Fractured Fairy Tales. Sherman, set the way back machine to barn find. Please tell me you didn`t find this on google earth.

I was wondering why you were selling the `Vette.

We want the back story in all detail.

Amazing,
GFS

Re: Looky what I found...
 

Is there NO end in sight...... :eek:
This has got to STOP!!! :D
Or maybe NOT!!!! :cool:

You gotta love it....

WTG Gillie...

See ya, Ken

Re: Looky what I found...
 

Right on Gillie!

Looks like freshwater...possibly out of my back yard...Michigan perhaps?

Kinda figured something was goin on over there :D

Very impressive find!

Brandon

Re: Looky what I found...
 

Hey Ken, I can't believe Gillie was able to get to this before the secret slooth from "area 442" found it!! You must be slipping. :)

Great find Gillie!! Just too cool.

Re: Looky what I found...
 

Very Cool... :cool:

Gives me motivation to step it up and get'r done.

Re: Looky what I found...
 

Hey Gillie just got time to look at your pictures. I bet the guy that put on thoses downriggers wife was pissed when she found her kitchen applances gone She would look cool with totally retro 60's downriggers. Also I thought the motherinlaws chair went behind the transom?.

P.S. Got the port engine to fire today and will be replacing all the vacuum lines because of major vacuum leaks she want to run 3000 Rpm with throttles closed.

Re: Looky what I found...
 

Gillie,

What's the story on how you found that thing? Where was it located?

Moesly Era Seacraft 21
 

Well - Sandy, (et. al.),
Google earth is a cool tool, and I use it a lot (I wish they would have live updates as satellite passes allow). It did play a role in this sordid boat search. I figured If I could see my boat using it why not another model.

Like many of our fellow misfit SeaCraft enthusiasts, I've been scouring the listings in logical places looking for anything 15 inboard or 21 saying Seacraft, Starcraft, Searay, etc roughly once a week. For about 2 years, heh, heh... I found this boat in S.E. MI, in a rural community between Detroit and Toledo, OH. West end of Lake Erie. I think I found the listing in July. I sent at least a half dozen emails and never got replies. I had saved an MS Word copy of the Maybee MI CL ad and a month or so later I found it in my files. A combination of phone number, and aerial photography gave me evidence of what it was and I kept calling the guy until he finally answered in Sept. He didn't have a digital camera but said he lived in a rural area outside of Maybee, about 20 mins S of Detroit Metro Airport. I told him I was in San Diego so I wouldn't be able to just drive over but told him I'd call him back. I found the area on Google Earth and was pretty sure I had the right place. I've done a lot of research using satellite imagery and was pretty sure of what I was seeing. I got a hold of him again and asked if he had a cell phone that had a camera. He said it did but wasn't sure how to send the pics but said he'd get his kid to help send to my phone like a text. When finally he sent it I was at work and could hardly stay focused on the job.

I called him and asked if he'd hold it until I could get out to see it. He said if I was pretty sure I wanted it he would hold it for a bit. The following weekend I called and he said a local fellow had come by to haggle over the boat but he said it was spoken for. What and honorable man! A couple of days later I wired him the agreed price and the follwing day the title came by Express Mail.

A month after I got the key and title and the guy asked me to send him the key and he'd winterize it for me in case I couldn't move it until spring. Wow! What a cool guy. So I did. Offered to pay him storage and for the work, and he said he just wanted me to get the boat in the condition he advertised.

I finally got the boat delivered using uship.com and it arrived this past week. I fired it up and it ran just fine. I was going to splash it this past weekend but the best laid plans went astray and I started fixing things - the trim tabs weren't responding, so I tried to find the reservoir and upon removing the transom plate, I found a proverbial can of worms. Nothing major. Check out the half hitches supporting some of the transom wiring in the last picture. I thought that was pretty cool...

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/...1/IMG01353.jpg

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/...craft21048.jpg

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/...craft21044.jpg

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/...dengine010.jpg

Re: Moesly Era Seacraft 21
 

What a find and what a story! Hope you share lots of memories you'll be creating with us. Congrats!

Re: Moesly Era Seacraft 21
 

Gillie,
A lot of work in locating her and then persistence for the contact, but it paid off in the end ... congrats!

She looks incredible for a 45+ year old lady and so much still original ...
I'll be watching your progress to splash-day and then eager to hear about the result of your ride on the 21 !!! Make sure you have 6' seas that day for an incredible ride!!!

Re: Moesly Era Seacraft 21
 

Great Find!! Great job of sleuthing. The boat looks in remarkedly good condition. You should contact the CIA. they could use your help to find Bin Laden. Good luck with her.

Re: Looky what I found...
 

wow...what a bad a** boat. Nice find. Look at all those neat storage cut outs. Please post some more pix of this original beauty :D

awesome rig :cool:

Re: Moesly Era Seacraft 21
 

Nice find, Gillie. Looks very original. Congratulations. Is that the first Moesley out there on the left coast?
Dave

Re: Moesly Era Seacraft 21
 

Nice find!

Re: Looky what I found...
 

When you consider all that storage space (NO foam below deck in these boats!) AND the 7' bunks, it's clear that this boat is undoubtedly the WORLDS BIGGEST 21 footer! :D

Re: Looky what I found...
 

Hermit, It really is a Bad A$$ boat. I couldn't believe how big it really was when it rolled down my street. I'm really glad I didn't try to tow it from Detroit to SD. The wind that hull catches would probably have flipped my little truck on some canyon bridge.

Parked in front of the Seafari, it reminds me of your picture of your blue 23 next to the red 20. Serious contrast.

I posted this link at the bottom of the first post but it was easily missed so here you go:
http://s1011.photobucket.com/albums/...Seacraft%2021/

I'm not sure if its the only one on the left coast. It's my understanding that Fluke took the St Augustine boat to Hawaii.

Aside from its storied sea-keeping abilities, the 21 is a very clever design with an amazing amount of storage that doesn't clutter up space. I found 4 props in the cubbyholes, 2 classic electric down riggers, a vintage JRC fishfinder with a carton of paper rolls for it, a Hummingbird LCR, a ship to shore radio a regular marine radio, 4 life vests, a life ring, a 4 hp Evinrude trolling motor, a bunch of rope, 4 spring-lines, three anchors, 2 side planing boards, some anodized tubing that might be part of the trolling system or maybe even outriggers which I haven't pulled out yet, and a couple of boxes with a bunch of maintenance items including, plugs, points, filters, carb kits, etc. And I haven't even tallied what is in the in the floor hatches yet. The removable storage under the aft seats were empty...smelled like fish and there was a 12 v aerator in the top seat cubbyhole that plugs in at the outdoor sockets on the transom board/plate. Thought I had AC when I first saw that... Dude wired his downriggers with A/V plugs for simplicity...Won' fly in the salt environment but they work great right now.

It's like freakin' Christmas every time I board her.

Cant' wait to splash her but my I'm hesitant to dip her with my T100 lest my first memory be sinking my truck at the ramp. She's easily 1200-1500 lbs more than the Seafari, and I slip on the ramps with that... Looking for a bigger truck or maybe something more elegant like a 63 Lincoln Continental to tow my new girl around with :D :D :D

Re: Looky what I found...
 

Absolutely amazing!!! Gillie, keep the original engine configuration, but you should know that Mercruiser used that same 250 ci. inline 6 GM motor to push out up to 250 hp. So if you ever need to rebuild, it's a really strong motor, and can be easily done. Most of those 250 ci motors were either 165 or 185 hp after 1967. (The 250/250 motor had twin 600 cfm 4bbl carbs, and a high-lift long-duration camshaft and required high-test gas [img]/forum/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img])

Re: Looky what I found...
 

WTG Gilly! Thats the best looking 21 I've seen yet :eek:
I could not tell from your pictures but what is the year and hull number?

Re: Looky what I found...
 

WOW...what a deal and find :o
http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/...craft21045.jpg

Re: Looky what I found...
 

Capt Chuck,
The hull is #147. Title states 1966. Motor suggests earlier.

Fr. Frank,
I definitely plan on sticking with this motor configuration.
I believe the motor is a 230 c.i., and the stern-drive is a MerCruiser 1-C. I think the block is essentially the same as the 250 c.i., just different bore and stroke, maybe - right? I'd like to learn more about horsepower boost. I've looked into the electronic ignition and found Pertronix 1163A is the marine kit for this Delco distributor. That sounds like a maintenance/reliability improvement. Probably burn fuel better, too.

Is the stern-drive interchangeable with modern drives and parts? Thanks.
-Gillie

Re: Looky what I found...
 

Gille, you're right about the 230 and the 250 being nearly the same except for bore and stroke. The drive unit is not, however, compatible with modern units. But all the parts for your are still available, just mostly aftermarket. Changing over to a modern transom group and outdrive is fairly easy, as well. But with care that motor is nearly bulletproof.

Re: Looky what I found...
 

That's a really nice find!! Congrats!

Re: Looky what I found...
 

Gillie Let me know If you want to splash it I Have the truck that will tow it and I'm close.

Jeff

Re: Looky what I found...
 

Jeff, Thanks for the offer - that sounds great. I'm thinking Saturday. I'll give you a call if the schedule still looks good tomorrow...

Re: Looky what I found...
 

For the life of me I was trying to figure out why your engine box was so different looking than mine then it dawned on me.

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/...craft21003.jpg

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/i...r/IMG_2863.jpg





http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/...dengine002.jpg





http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/i...r/IMG_2962.jpg

When they did a engine swap 6 to V-8 they must of gotten a new box.

However when you look at this next picture the box looks like mine and you can almost bet that is a V-8 with those 2 exhaust outlets...Whats puzzling is that there literature never states a V-8



http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/i...CRAFT21004.jpg


Hey but that's why we love the mystery so much. :D

Re: Looky what I found...
 

Dammit Gillie now you got me wanting one :D

strick

Re: Looky what I found...
 

x20000

i think im in love

Re: Looky what I found...
 

One word AWSOME

Re: Looky what I found...
 

Yea...this boat is very cool :cool:

Gillie....remember seeing this?
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s...ncc/21vs25.jpg
You and Strick need to race :D

Re: Looky what I found...
 

That's definitely a V8. Even the 20' Seafari was offered with a V8 sterndrive.

BTW, those black protuberances on the transom? They're the Mercruiser "Silent Choice" mufflers for through-hull exhaust, only offered on V8's.

Re: Looky what I found...
 

Yeah Hermit,
I do remember that. I think Denny sent me a hard copy. Is that done on some engineering software? Looks like the 21 may be a little more stable at rest, no?
But I think racing Strick would be a mistake. Looks like he's got that 25 dialed in. One slick rig! How about it,Doc? Any performance #'s yet from that sleeper Seafari?

I tell you walking across the bow made me wonder if the leading strake on Potters 23 wasn't added to limit the bow from rolling -kind of tipsy up there on the 21.

Fr Frank, Tell me more about hoppin' up a 230-250 ci L-6 :cool:

Terry, I believe the 21 was offered with a V-8. The 1964 Merc Boat House Bulletin test were done with a MerCruiser "225" which was a 2 bbl GM 327 from '63-'67 and again '68-'69.
http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/...seacraft21.jpg

Re: Looky what I found...
 

41 mph with only a 225? The 20' Seafari test in '72 with the OMC 225hp 350ci "stringer drive" only achieved 45 mph as tested. No specs on the OMC 245hp 350ci

The Seafari w/ the Merc 228, however reached 48 mph.

Here's a 4 bbl manifold for that 250 ci I6.
4bb manifold [image]http://app.ecwid.com/image/2712429?ownerid=149402[/image]

Here's another:
4bbl intake [image]http://www.cliffordperformance.net/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/42-4501wh 300.jpg[/image]
(space in address won't let pic appear. you have to paste the links)

Here's a really good cam kit. Claim is 30% more hp than stock with a minimum 450 cfm air intake. Tech tips on HotSix.com is a recommended 560-650 cfm carb set.
Chevy 194-230-250 272 Hyd Cam & Kit

For more good straight six performance parts, go to Stove Bolt Engine Co or

or Clifford Performance 4bbl intake

Re: Looky what I found...
 

Gillies boat is a lot lighter then mine. I would get smoked. Still no numbers for the 25. Have not done a darn thing to it except take it fishing. Bill caught the first decent bass on it last Sunday. Still waiting to christen it with it's first sturgeon. I was starting to get lazy without a project to work on so I'm refinishing a 9 drawer dresser for my daughter. Gillie get us some in the water shots and a video.

strick

Re: Looky what I found...
 

41 mph with a 225 HP small block and Terry's putting a 350 HP small block in his. I can't WAIT to see the performance numbers on that. :eek: :cool: :D
Dave

Re: Looky what I found...
 

Me too.