Another project: '73 Tsunami
 

Hey guys, been away from this site for quite some time as I have been out of a boat. Had started a 71 Hiliner but my partner in the deal lost interest as did I as time went by and we decided to go our separate ways with the boat ownership thing. Sold that one and been on the lookout: Saw this 23' Tsunami and couldn't pass it up. Picked her up yesterday.

Decks are perfect, transom is cooked. I know this is controversial but I soon need to decide if I am going to change the boat up for tuna fishing and do a CC conversion or leave it as is.

This is the first Seacraft Ive done for myself, I've done a few others over with friends. I have lots of questions about decals and some other riddles I never could solve but I'll start with this simple question first:

Anybody fish giant bluefin out of a Tsunami? Thoughts?

Here we go, back in the saddle...

http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...&pictureid=319

CsickNick does it in a Seafari. Lotta work to mess up a rare boat.

The way I see it, there are lots of GBFT guys, commercial and rec, that manage to successfully fight and land giants in non-CC boats. How many downeast and flybridge boats do you see out on the bank, PHB/backside, shipping lanes, etc. versus CC's (SeaCraft or not)? Unless you feel compelled to do a big project and must make it a CC, leave it as a Tsunami.

Keep the cabin . . . with gas prices what they are you can stay overnight at your spot in a dry space and save some $$$. I have a marine ply transom core cut for a 23 seacraft . . . 3 sheets 3/4" with epoxy b/w layers . . . sitting in my garage. PM if you want it $100 and it's yours.

I know a guy that fished for several years out of a 23 sceptre for tuna and had caught several giants in the boat.

You will have more room in that boat then the cc...having owned both.....just saying.

strick

Its not necessarily the room you need for giant fishing, more the ability to fight they easliy...Put the rod in the bow and chase them down!

Strick, I am very impressed with the size of the deck on the boat. What a dancefloor. My bro in law and I used to fish a CC model and though it had enough room for us, I remember dancing around the engine box and console to get at stuff. It is quite the consideration to leave all that room.

Shrimpin,

Looked at the cuddy and decided it was pretty small for sleeping. I love the overnighting idea but the cuddy may be a bunch of cumbersome space for me. I would just fill it with junk and then have to empty it onto the deck to catch a wink. I tend to bring along quite a bit of extra stuff. Heck of a thought though, even doing a single overnight you'd get two days fishing on one days gas.

So here's what has happened: I spent Friday night searching the classic here and found a couple good "sceptre to center console" projects and was completely inspired.

Unfortunately for the Bourne Landfill, I had the spare saturday and a sawzall. What have I done, day one of ownership and already sliced and diced.

The boat will beceome a center console. Ill get pictures up asap. Thanks for all the input Im sure I am going to need it to get through this project.

i rec. tuna fished with mine loved all the room. it is hard getting up on the bow to drop the anchor especially if rough seas, i would always climb up then have someone pass me the anchor. the cuddy is to small to ever sleep in and i easily filled it with gear. the boat rides amazing tho and i was in some scary sh*t. having the cuddy was good for when i was out when it was rough it kept my gear dry and the waves just washed off the bow.

that boat was my baby and i loved it but i would never buy another cuddy seacraft due to the small cuddy and getting up on the bow

Pics of early carnage.
 

Below gentlemen is the rough boat with no cabin. Everything got a steam powerwashing and cleaned up quite nicely. The mercruiser 888 anchor that was in the bilge is on its way to the scrap yard tomorrow...! Going to go very thorough on the boat before I consider power.

More to come...

http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...&pictureid=320

New Transom for the 23' Seacraft
 

Started into the project, will get more pics up as soon as possible but here are a few to start:

Dug out the transom which of course was rotten (why the boat was available in the first place) and also the engine beds. Never have I seen such saw dust as in the engine beds. Good for a laugh though. Here is the new transom laminated from the outside- has two layers of 3/4 MDO ply using all epoxy and biaxial cloth. Fillers I used were a mix of cabosil and 1/16" chopped glass fiber. Was able to remove the hull cap and slide it forward, making it very easy to install the new plywood by sliding down from the top.

Boy I'm getting excited:
http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...&pictureid=347

Another:
http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...&pictureid=346

Here is a donor boat/ motor/ trailer I picked up. Never liked a searay... time to cannibalize!
http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...&pictureid=348

Nice work. Did you inset bare wood and than glass it or did you glass it first and than add more once it was in place

Thanks Chance. Im really excited about the project. Ive done other boats but always wanted a 23' for myself. A few years ago I rebuilt a Sabre sailboat from bottom up which I still have. Sailboat may be on the market this spring but I am so far undecided.

The order of operations was something like this: First I ground down the inner skin which was left intact. Next I mixed up some cabosil and chopped glass with epoxy and troweled it with a 3/16 notched wall trowel. I added the first layer of MDO (after rouging the surface) and screwed two dimensional strongbacks from the inside. I then filled any voids around the edges with those empty calking guns from west system and the same filler mixed up like putty. After roughing the second transom cut of MDO, I thinned out the epoxy with heat and rolled it on to saturate the surface of the MDO. I coated both sided of ply with thickened epoxy and pre-drilled/ screwed the two together. The glass cloth you see is layer one. I just rolled and applied that on to get proper build up. One more layer and then I should be able to glass into the hull sides and fair in.

Engine beds are next and all the grinding is already done. Anyone have anything to say about using treated landscape timbers for engine beds?

more progress pics of transom tear down/build if you have them please. So your going to wrap the glass around the sides of the hull to tie it all together?

Final layer hits the transom...
 

Finally... The last layer has hit the transom. This is the fifth layer of glass. All 1708 biaxial/ stitchmat combo and epoxy. I would approximate the glasswork is 1/4" thick.

In the last pic Chance, you can see how I wrapped all the edges onto the hull sides and bottom- not too much, just 3 1/2 or 4". I just wanted to tie into the sides if even marginally. I've got more progress pics- i need to get them off of mine and my buddies phones (i'll figure it out someday) easy to take the pics with my phone. PITA to get them off.

This transom is so strong it is almost ridiculous, when you knock on it it sounds like you are knocking on a piece of granite. Though I suppose it should, there are five gallons of epoxy already in the transom.

All thats left to do is fair in with some epoxy filler and we are ready to paint the hull!

http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...&pictureid=351

http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...&pictureid=350

Coring the hull cap/ making the CC conversion
 

Last night, my nephew, brother in law and I spent some time prepping the hull cap for fiberglass (which happens later today). Here you can see the "mold" that was created from above.

First order of business was bracing the mold from side to side and front to back while on the boat using 2x4 8' and 16' screwed thru the hull cap from above, then we pulled the cap, flipped and started grinding...

http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...&pictureid=659

http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...&pictureid=657

http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...&pictureid=658

Pretty soon it will start to look the part. Pilothouse is coming along nicely as well.

looking good, any plans for a anchor hatch on the bow?

Major work! looks real nice. Keep the pics coming.....

strick

Glassed up and ready to go...
 

Got glassing Sunday afternoon and finished up around 1:00 am... :-O (went out for pizza in between) Was able to glass in backing plates of plywood for the rod holders that will be fighting giants.

Mold worked out beautifully, just one strip to glass and some fairing from the top. Definately alot of work but worth it for the outcome. Took almost exactly 5 gallons of polyester STYPOL CCP unwaxed resin, lots of yards of 1708 and two 24x48 sheets of 3/8 balsa core.

Here are some shots:
http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...&pictureid=662
http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...&pictureid=661
http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...&pictureid=660

Anchor hatch..
 

Kneedeep- anchor hatch will stay as stock. That wouldn't allow me the space to mount a rod holder in the bow! ;-) I am going to replace the forward bulkead and door though.

Painted 'er up
 

Here are a few shots of the Nason Ful Poxy Primer and then three coats of Nason Ful Cryl II (catalyzed) single stage. Decided this was an easy paint to lay down and repair etc. Shot with a Devilbiss Finishline FLG 3 1.5mm tip. Color is Dupont Fleet line Commercial Blue.
http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...&pictureid=716
http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...&pictureid=717
http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...&pictureid=718

Going with white boot stripe and green bottom like this: (boat used to belong to my brother in law)
http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...&pictureid=719

Looks Great...love the color choice.
Would you be interested in getting rid of the winshield frame...the middle part that folds..or is it in the dump.
Thanks,
Fred

windshield
 

Fred, if I had a place to keep the parts, I would have payed it forward but I had to bring it all to the scrapyard. Good news was I got $200.00 for all the aluminum (including the tank).