Another 1976 23' Inboard Restoration
 

Ok, I have been asked by a few people to post my plans for my SeaCraft over the next year or so and here goes. I bought the boat 2 years ago this past November. It is a turn key boat with a pretty new, low hours FWC vortec 350 and rebuilt transmission. However, after fishing the boat for two seasons I have come to the realization that the boat needs a lot of work. The gunwales are balsa wood cored and rotted to the point that I had a blue shark almost tear out a rod holder this season. The 37 year old decks are so spongy they feel like a trampoline. The foam filled stringers are now filled and saturated with more water than foam which adds significant weight to the boat. The scuppers are down right scary. They are pretty much 2-1" holes on each side of the rear deck that go through to the bottom of the hull. In theory they worked well right out of the factory but now that my boat weighs a lot more than it did 37 years ago the scuppers let more water in then out. In fact they let so much water in that I have resorted to plugging them. The previous owner tried to remedy the scupper situation buy installing 4" scuppers through the stern. The only problem is he drilled them from the out side in and they are about 6-7" above the deck. If you have 6-7" of standing water on the deck of a 23' boat you better be calling in a "Mayday". So they are pretty much useless, in fact I capped them with 4" PVC caps this summer.
I am all of this because after running this boat for 2 seasons I can tell you all with out a doubt this boat is the best riding, most versatile, and cheapest 23' boat in it's class and I plan on keeping her for a very long time.
So my list of stuff to do is long and looks something like this.
1. Remove gunwale cap, strip out rotted balsa core, and re-core with 1/2" plywood, and re-install rod holders.
2. Demo the deck, remove rotted plywood core and re-core using coosa board or something similar. While the deck is removed I want to remove all the wet foam from the stringers and replace it and also paint the bilge. At this stage I am sure I am going to find other "skeleton in the closet" type project that will require a lot of time.
3. Transom. I want to remove and fill in the existing scuppers and reroute them out the stern. I'm not yet sure how I'm going to do this but I no longer want 2-1" holes through the bottom of my boat. I also want to permanently plug the previous owners attempt at making the 4" scupper system. While I'm doing all that it would only make sense to remove and re-core the entire transom. And if I'm going to do that then it would also make sense for me to try and install a transom tuna door. Again like the scuppers, I'm not yet sure how I'm going to put a tuna door in but I know of a few 23' SeaCrafts that have them so I know it's possible.
4. I want to fix up and redo my pilot house. It has been rock solid for 2 seasons but I want to spruce it up a bit. Sand it down and try to smooth out its appearance and maybe gel-coat it instead of paint. We'll see if I have the funds at that point.
5. I would like to strip the previous owners multiple layers of bottom paint and refinish the boats bottom. I'm sure I would gain a little performance by doing this. While I'm at that I would also like to repaint the entire boat. I'm getting sick of red. I'm not yet sure what color I would want but I think it's time for a change.
So I'll try do document the entire build here for you guys. I wont be able to start the project until the early spring because I'll be working outside. i do not have an indoor space large enough or cheep enough to start this work now. I'm also sure I'll be asking A LOT of questions as this will be my first boat restoration project. Any help, pointers, tips, or any leads on cheap materials, fiberglass, epoxy, that will be greatly appreciated. Also if anyone has any left over glass or core materials they need to get rid of let me know. Thanks.
Here are a few shots of how she sits currently.

Good luck Dan, looking forward to seeing your progress. Do you plan on raising the deck any?

I'm not sure yet. I've got to see if she sits any higher after I de-water log her.

Sweet, nice looking boat to start with!!!

Suggestion, go with the highest density 3/8" scored divinycell for the recore. If you have specific areas where you will be using screws then maybe some plywood or hardwood there. I am working on my port gunnel right now, the divinycell is nice. I've not skimped on the resin and I'm positive it will never have to be done again!!

Good luck!

Good luck. Without you airing the laundry you would think she had already been restored...

The previous owner did what he could mechanically. He re-powered it in 06 with a marine power vortec 350, rebuilt the tranny, changed out the tanks, and cosmetically painted her.

should buy mine
 

Lol i'm here to help let me know Dan. Also if you need anything let me know i can get a deal for you

I will, thanks Phil. I'll need to talk to you about using the port supply account and about where you got your rolls of glass and your composites. I'm thinking of using plywood to re-core the gunwales and composite for the deck and transom?

When you do deck panels let me know I'll come help you or come do them at my shop we can make them in a couple days

Dan,
That's a very ambitious list of repairs and upgrades. My only suggestion at this point is to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. You're looking at probably two years worth of weekends with quite a few summer evenings thrown in to boot. Either that, or paying someone else to do a lot of it. The results are very rewarding, but a lot of guys that take something like this on find out in the middle that it's just too much. Good luck with the project. It's definitely worth it if you (and your wife) can stick it out.
Dave

Thanks for the concern. I knew when I purchased the boat that sooner or later it was going to need an overhaul. I'm going to start with pulling the cap and re-coring that. While that is off I was going to check the transom which I am almost certain is wet. I also want to put in a tuna door so it only makes sense to re-core the transom while adding the door. The scuppers also need to be fixed and I'm planning on running them through the transom. The floors are soft so the deck has to be redone and I'm sure when I tear that up I'm going to find soaked foam in the stringers. My wife is actually for me doing this project and doesn't want me to sell it. It's a boat that once done the way I want it will be in the family a very long time. I got my father, brother, and a few friends that are willing to help and put their time in as long as I take them fishing when it's done. I'm not striving for yacht quality. It's a fishing boat and will always be a fishing boat.

It's a fishing boat and will always be a fishing boat.

Amen brother! That's my theory too. Build it strong and pick away at the little stuff as you fish it

If you're using plywood with polyester resin for your project, prime the plywood with resin thinned 20-25% with styrene and an appropriate amount of hardener ( Make sure that the plywood is fully aired so that any residual chemicals evaporate off the surface.) Give it a couple of coats and let it set in and dry. Your glasswork will then adhere to the plywood with a much stronger bond.

you can try that,but...

polyester bsed resins,contrary to popular belief are not the best choice when working with wood

epoxy is allways the best choice...


a smart choice is to use composites - a quality composite like penske/coosa board will give you a core that will last,versus wood.composites,a quality composite is allways a better choice...

no need for wood - the area where fasteners will be located,just remove the core t the inner skin,fill that area with a thickened epoxy - west sytem mixed ith 403 adhesive additive is an excellent choice.after doing this,"machine" screws can be used,versus self tapping "wood" screws,example,you want to use a 1/4 - 20 screw,jut drill the epoxy @3/16",dab of caulking,run the fastener in - it will "thread" the epoxy...

thru bolting and sleeving are the preferred methods for composites...

i've seen this quite a few times - work starts,and the owner gets in over his head - it happens...

material costs add up quick:
quality composites/glass/resins/primer/paint

electrical supplies/hardware/misc supplies - all these add up quickly

owners attempt to do these kind of jobs,without a work place,meaning,working outside - bad move,especially in your area...


performing all that work,and not using the best materials available,and performing the job to the best of your abilities,is a very bad mistake - a quality rebuild,should appear that way through the entire job,from what you will never see,to the finish coat of paint - when you take a shower,you don't put your dirty work clothes back on,right ??


be sure to go into a project with a realistic operating budget -honestly evaluate your skills,the work isn't rocket science,however,it does require "skills"...

I'm sure we all appreciate the great advice, but just let the man work. It's his boat, he's got plans for it, he thinks he can get it done and he's got help from friends. Dan, good luck, looking forward to seeing this project.

Thanks, no harm no foul. I'm looking at it all like constructive criticism. Everyone helping with the project including myself is mechanically inclined so I think we'll be able to figure it out. The only issue I see is money but if that becomes a problem it will just take a little longer to get finished. I don't have the money to pay someone to do the work and the boat is getting to the point where it would be irresponsible and unsafe to continue running it in it's current condition.