1983 23ft seacraft cc Questions????
 

Hi i have some Questions about my project boat it is a 1983 23ft seacraft I have taken the gas tank out and all the foam cleaned out the bilge and installed a bulkhead then used bildge coat on the inside of the hull. Ready to start rebuilding!

1)what size gas tank should i get it came with a 144 gal ?Im thinking a 100 gal tank.

2)what size outboard motor? new one. Im thinking a 300 four stroke suzuki.

3)How much does my hull weigh?

4)I am replacing the deck any suggestions how it should be done and if i should raise it up a few inches?

Why would you want to go down in fuel capacity? If anything I would go the same or bigger.

I dont think i will ever fill a 144 gal tank but i am worried it will change the weight distrobution also i am getting a 4 stoke engine figure i can lighten the boat up a little with a smaller tank.

1) it all depends on what you want to use the boat for. Where are u located? Will help decide how much fuel you need. If you are up north and like canyon runs then 120 + should work.
2) If you go with a four stroke then u will have to raise the deck.
3) 2500 lbs
4) what is the condition of the deck? Soft spots etc...

A friend of mine reworked a 23' Seacraft....
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r73/PharmD2B30/6.jpg

He installed a 150 gallon fuel tank which is what I would put in mine too if I was reworking one. When installing it, I would try to push the fuel tank as far forward as will be allowed by the boat. Also, to accomodate the heavier 4-stroke engines you will need to raise the floor at least 2" to accomodate for the self-bailing feature of the boat.

As far as engine, I would go with either a Suzuki 300 or a Yamaha F300. I personally am fixing to pick up a 23' Seacraft thats already bracketed and enclosed transom and I plan on putting a new Yamaha F300 on it. My friend with the above boat installed a Mercury Verado 350 SCI on his. Said that it works, but it is really too heavy for the boat. Said that if he were to do it over again he would have installed a Yamaha F300 on it.

The deck is bad at least 10 different soft spots around the size of a football and the edges of the deck are chipped bad and the inside of the deck is saturated with water. I dont think i we be running more than 40 miles with the boat im out of manasquan inlet in nj. No canyon runs for this boat. i was thinking 3 inches for the deck?

Is a yamaha lighter than a suzuki?

The tank that came out of my 1985 23 was 115 gallons. We had an identical tank built for the rebuild. My power is an F250 yamaha on a 30 inch transom with no bracket. I have a bulkhead in the splashwell with a door that goes up. We left the deck the stock height and have no problem self bailing, and my deck stays dry all the time.

My boat has seen 47 mph with 2 men and light fishing gear. A heavy load, 42 is about it. Last season we steamed out slightly over 40 miles, trolled all day, steamed back in with a box full of tunas, and we burned about 47 - 48 gallons of fuel.

A 150 gallon tank isn't going to weigh that much more than a 100 gallon tank to make a difference, empty. Just because you have 150 doesnt mean you have to fill it. Better to have the capacity and not need it, that need it and not have it.

Think about what you are doing with the boat and make the appropriate decision. Have a buddy that has a 23 with a 90 gallon tank. Its strictly a nearshore boat and has a 250 4 stroke and he has no complaints at all.

FWIW - if you dont need to go 50+ mph, a single 250 is all you need on that hull. I cruise about 30 mph getting 3.2 mpg.

Here are the comparison specs.

Mercury 350 SCI ..... 667 lbs
Mercury 300 Pro ..... 20" ... 635 lbs (website notated lightest model, so Im assuming the 20" shaft)
Mercury Verado 300 ..... 20"...635 lbs (website notated lightest model, so Im assuming the 20" shaft)
Yamaha F350..... 25".. 804 lbs......30".. 822 lbs
Yamaha F300..... 25".. 562 lbs......30".. 571 lbs
Suzuki 300 ...... 25".. 604 lbs ..... 30" .. 615 lbs.

The Yamaha IS actually lighter than the Suzuki.

On my Sceptre I had a V8 Rude at 650 and had no issues - mine was a 78 and had 100 gal tank and I only filled it a couple times going to the Bahamas. Didn't even need it when grouper fishing over here, with a 4 stroke it would be even better. With an average of 3mpg a 100 would give 300mi range, seems fine to me and you might get a wet storage compartment.

I too don't think you need 300HP, mine scary fast on top end, might find a better deal on a 250 too

Maybe consider 2 tanks. A big tank, but not kept full, will tend to accumulate water through condensation, which could be a problem if you run e-10 gas. With 2 tanks, you could keep the forward tank full and only put gas in the second tank when you need the extra range.

If weight is a consideration, don't forget about the E-Tec! It's lighter than ANY of the listed motors, at 528/534 lbs for the 25"/30" 3.4L 300!

The 250/225, based on the 3.3L version of the same block, is 4 lbs lighter than the 300.

deck - penske/coosa board is the best choice

tank size: 125-130g should be ideal

motor size: 250 yamaha 4 stroke - more than enough power

hull weight: not sure...

Thank you you guys are alot of help! I will post some pics as i get the job done.

You might want to check out what some guys get for performance numbers with 175-225HP outboards, like Bigshrimpin. The lower weight on the transom is a plus for seakeeping. I have to think the mileage is good, too. The 25 foot seacraft seafari only came with 105 gallons of fuel capacity, so you might rethink what 1000lb of fuel would do to the handling of a 23 footer, and the lack of that 1000 lb when the boat is empty.

With a 1996 Johnson Ocean Runner 225on out 1984 cc we top out at 38kts lightly loaded and cruise at about 4400 rpm doing roughly 25kts. The boat has no t-top and an open transom. We have the 144 gallon tank and dont ever really need that much fuel, but when its full you can really feel it, the boat turns into an absolute tank!

I have a 77 Scepter with a 250 Suzuki 4s on a 30inch transom .Cruise in the low to mid 30s top end around 45mph. New 110 gal tank gives me plenty of range.Fish from Sandyhook NJ and run to the mudhole,gloryhole and further and burn only 40 to 60 gal. round trip.
Boat has stock deck and I have no problems with self bailing.

I haven't burned more than 40gallons in a trip yet fishing all day long. To me 80 gallons is a perfect size. The drop down inside the console will fit 4 old school Gott 5 gallon tanks perfectly. That's an extra 20 in a pinch out of the way. If you plan on fishing offshore (Bahamas, the canyons, georges bank, or some distant land) then you might want 100+, but for most folks 80 - 100 is more than enough.

I've got a '73 23 I'm reworking orig I/o cc that came with two 50 go tanks I had one 100 made and a 2nd 30gl tank made so don't think you can't have two different sized tanks made

Like a couple of responses so far, I went with two tanks 55 each, pushed them both forward about two feet. Have only used the forward tank, but fish the same waters as Bigshrimpin and like him, have never needed more than 40 gals. Love the way it sits in the water and the way it rides. I moved it forward because I added a minimal flotation bracket.

'73 23' here w/Hermco bracket, 250 yam OX66, Sunshine tanks 118 gal.....last time we fished ~135 NM burning 74 gallons = 1.8 You should do better w/4 stroke