2000 23 seacraft
 

Have a 2000 23' seacraft and was wondering if anyone knows where it was built and also the quality of build
Thx

2000 SeaCraft
 

I have a 2000 SC21 which was built by Tracker and I bought new. I have heard all about the poor quality, etc. of the Tracker boats but I love mine and I feel the quality of the build, fit & finish is very good. I've had no problems or issues with that end. Now the design I have some issues with- such as the in deck live well that fills with water everytime it rains or you wash down and I hate the anchor locker that you must get on your stomach to access but those are design issues and not quality issues. Like I said, I think my boat is well made and has held up well. My 2 cents.

Thanks for the reply, after a little research i found that silver king built Seacrafts from 94 to 02. Anyway love the ride of the boat, dont think there is any other better riding 23 than Seacraft. Still trying to find the right prop for my 225 opti, running a mirage 17pitch right now not getting full rpm.
Thoughts?

Same thing as Tracker/BPS/Mako Marine.

Mirage or Mirage plus? Have you checked your motor height? Measure the height of the cavitation plate relative to the keel while the two are parallel. If the anti-cavitation plate isn't at least an 1-1/2" above the keel, you'll want to raise your motor a notch or 2. What RPMS are you getting now? How far from target RPMs?

I have a 2000 23 seacraft. It is my second seacraft; my first was a potter built master angler..... In response, it has been a very good boat. The gel coat is in great condition. I have been very pleased with it overall. It is obviously a great riding boat.

I also have a 225 opti and have found the 17 pitch mirage is the best prop. I think the diameter is 15 or 15 1/4 .... I also have a 19 pitch with a smaller diameter and it does not perform as well with that prop. It is my back up prop that I carry offshore. I will be buying a new 300 soon though.

I ran a mirage plus 17 pitch on my 200 Opti before I repowered with good results

Hey Pair of Jacks. I had the same problem with the in floor live well on my 2003 21'. I sealed the existing lid and installed a smaller access hatch with a flip up lid that seals when closed. This solved the rainwater problem but one of the best things is now it is a pressurized livewell. It fills completely now and keeps bait better. I hesitated in doing this because I didn't really want to cut a new hole in the big lid but as it turned out I have been real happy with the decision. I got tired of always having to empty and clean it as it was set up from the factory.

BJ, I like that idea with the below-deck livewell. I agree that it is a PITA keeping the water out of it. I have a relatively new and very good boat cover that was custom made (1500.00) which helps a lot. I also drilled a hole and made a small plug at the bottom of the livewell. I leave the plug out and let it drain into the bilge area when it is on the trailer. It does not leak and works very well, at least so far. I figure filling a small hole would be easy if I decide I dont like it........ I just got tired of constantly dealing with the issue. I may have tried your idea if I thought about it.

Ruge13 has the same boat. Not sure what year, though. You might ask him.

Paul

Thanks for the suggestion BJ- that sounds like something that's going on my list for next winter. I've been dealing with the water issue since buying boat and it's just a pain in the a@#.

I have a 2001 SC23. But, I thought it was a Trader hull... Check the hull #. Somewhere on here there is a key for the hull ID's.

Regardless, The only "issues" I have found (if you want to call it that) have been...

1. Breaker box - LAME. Should have used 2 prong panel fuses. In rough water the breaker switches occasionally trip when the boat bounces because the resistance in the switch itself is light. If you need to replace it, or check wiring they are a pain to work on because of the access through the side of the console. As an example, I was out in 4ft seas 2 weeks ago and slammed through a wave... my trim tab breaker fell closed and I lost tabs. Certainly easy enough to flip the switch again, but a annoying. When I got the boat I rewired most of it myself but left some of the factory pannel in tact. In hind sight it would be an ambitions project but I would have fully replaced it.

2. Deck latches - they are all plastic. They break, and they look cheap. I replaced ALL latches etc. with Stainless Perkos. Not cheap, but I like them better.

3. Front console storage cushion - The flip down cushion doesn't stay shut, and has no weather stripping so water gets in from rain or waves. The box is not water tight, so it drains on your batteries and electrical components in the console. Waves and Saltwater were my issue, I have a lot of electronics. So, I weather stripped it with 3 layers (about 1.5" thick) and then used perko hatch locks to hold it tight. Problem solved, stays shut and dry.

4. No drains on the electronics box nested in the console. I sealed it, but prior to that water would collect from Rain, spray over the T top etc. I would wipe it down with fresh water and mop up the collected water after each trip.

5. Make sure your gauges are sealed with silicone. If not, they will leak. When they do, it drips on to the aforementioned LAME breaker panel causing terminal corrosion. I am willing to bet the terminals are not using anchor heat shrink connections. I replaced mine when I saw that before it ever hit the water.

Other than that I have had zero issues and I love the ride. Fortunately all of these things I caught when I inspected the boat before I started running it so I prevented issues that would have surely shown up 40 miles offshore. I routinely have other boat owners and experienced anglers on board and have received nothing but compliments on the '01 SeaCraft hull finish.

About the Live well, if you keep the boat in the water, then yah I see your point on in deck wells. Get some weather stripping from West Marine to line the channel and plug the channel corner drain holes, problem solved. If you trailer, just yank off that stupid 500 GPH livewell drain pump. Get a 3/4" end cap for your threaded livewell drain plug. Use the well by capping the drain, and when you pull the boat out of the water just unscrew the cap and let it drain to the bilge and then out the hull drain plug. Its only a matter of time before the livewell drain pump fails on you anyway, one more thing to fix.

I am using the through hull from the drain pump I removed and its power switch for a second backup manual bilge pump.

I have a Mirage 17 on the 225 opti. With an empty well it likes to run high on the trim, the prop grabs really well even in high speed turns. With a full livewell I run the trim flatter as the boat tends to squat a bit with 2-3 people on board.

Another way water can get in your livewell is when your boat is at the dock water will seep past the flapper on the overboard drain back into the livewell. I purchased a rubber stopper (just like they use to use in the old bath tubs) and keep mine plugged. Mine is in dry stack so when it's put in the water and it sits overnight the livewell would fill. If I didn't remember to pump it out I would be riding around all day with an extra 200+ lbs. This may not be a problem for the 23' but it is for my 21'.

Yes I do the same thing- plug the live well overflow drain

The overflow drain should have a seacock on it, no? If not, you might want to add one. I keep mine closed, only open it when I am using the well.

Live well fill has seacock Live well drain goes thru stern scupper

Ahh ok, that is different than mine. My upper drain goes through the stern with its own through hull fitting and has a seacock so I can keep water from back filling when not in use. The lower drain (that previously had a pump that I removed) would have drained out the port side at the water line, with no seacock.