Update
 

I am ready for the fiberglass work. There is nothing left other than the hull and the windshield. My new bracket should be delivered later this month.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...pse29f250a.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...pscf713349.jpg

I still have a couple of challenges with this boat that I am struggling with.

1. I can't get the spots off the windshield regardless of what I use. Also, the frame around the windshield is not in the best of shape but I am more concerned about how to restore the glass windshield.

2. There is just very little room to flush mount electronics on these boats. I want the ability to install an 8-10" screen for a GPS/plotter and the same size for a sonar/fish finder. I am actually thinking about modifying the glove box on the port side dash and installing the sonar there. I am considering having it modified so that it is angled towards the helm. We'll see. I have thought of a few options. None of them really appeal to me too much.

Consult your local glass dealer for some tips on polishing glass. Might be able to compound them out. Good luck!

I had a glass shower enclosure that was badly etched and was told the only option was a very expensive full replacement. A shower door ain't nothing compared to restoring a Seacraft, so I got out my mega-buffer and some 3M Finesse-It. An hour and some very tired arms later, the glass looked like new. It really becomes a question, like happens so often when working on a Seacraft, of how much trouble you want to go to to save some money.

This picture may give you some ideas for your electronics. Modifying or moving the glove box is not that big a job, but you have to remove the windshield and frame, which you may end up doing anyway to fix the glass.

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...ps814a2be6.jpg

Update
 

Refurbishment is coming along nicely. We decided to completely re-do the transom before installing the bracket. It was a necessity, actually. The wood in the transom was rotten so we went with this composite. This was the right thing to do as it will ensure that the boat will have a sound transom for the rest of the boat’s life.


http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps7c8a34f2.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...psff3fd8b4.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps3a324432.jpg

I am going to remove these small platforms that the batteries sat on. I will relocate the batteries up forward so they are not necessary.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps2ebea805.jpg

I want to start purchasing all of the stainless hardware I will need when I start putting it all back together? Where would be the best place to purchase this? I will need numerous hinges and cleats and all the other stuff that is needed for this refurbishment.

Should I just purchase from West Marine or Jamestown Distributors or is there a better supplier for high quality stainless?

I don't know about moving batteries foward. I have found that my Tsunami does not like any additional weight foward. The more you can keep at the back the better in my oppinion. For reference, mine is equiped with a 12" non-flotation metal bracket with a 30" 250 Suzuki 4 stroke and the batteries in the transom.

Update Pics
 

Work is coming along nicely. Here are some progress pics. I really like the arched transom and how we were able to maintain the arch. I am not sure I will be able to fit the rub rail over the arch but we will surely try.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...psc4aad08f.jpg

Because these Sceptres had that tub in front of the motor, the stringers in the middle of the boat did not go all the way back and connect to the transom. We went ahead and extended the stringers to tie it into the transom. This will give a lot of needed strength since we will be bolting a bracket to the transom.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...psf1e9ed58.jpg

We also extended the deck that fuel tank sits on so I will have the option to go back with a larger tank should I choose. I am not sure if I need more than 100 gallons, but I guess it is better to have it and not need it than.....

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps4690a119.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...psc0258c97.jpg


There was a soft spot under the floor on the port side where the seat was screwed into the deck. This repair caused us to re-gelcoat the entire floor.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps1a751ab8.jpg

Getting some good progress there!!

I would not move the batteries forward. I have done it on mine due to minimal locations to do so. My boat rides bow heavy, and among some other issues I need to sort out. My 87 rides the best with a 150qt cooler full of ice on top of the splash well with water in splash well. Otherwise I'm tabbing and trimming to make it handle right.

My two cents, find a way to make a hatch below deck back aft while everything is open. I think with the bracket back there it exaggerate the weight distributed forward. I want to do this on my boat but I have a 94 gallon fuel tank that runs across the entire deck along the center line to the baitwell that prevents this.

Will you be putting a livewell or fishbox in the transom? Always liked that setup and would love to convert mine to a bracket and full transom. Keep up the good work.

Lookin' good! What bracket did you choose? Have you decided on your power yet?

Jim

I have a Hermco bracket that we will be installing. As for power, I am not sure exactly what I will do. The bracket is designed for a single motor. I am thinking I will most likely go with a 300 HP Suzuki or Yamaha. Here are some additional pics that I took on Friday.

The top of the transom ended up being 22" across the top. It is wider than I expected, but I like it.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...psabcfb500.jpg

This is the cut-out for the live well that will be in the transom.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps879cf488.jpg

We ended up extending the hatch for the fuel tank all the way to the transom. This will enable me to install a larger fuel tank should I decide to do so.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps71017d29.jpg

I am not really sure what I will do with the helm. I am just going to have it completly redone and gel-coated and then I can decide how to go back with all the new stuff.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps5ccc894d.jpg

Looking good, keep up the good work!

Last Week's Pics
 

Here are a few more pictures.
Here is the back of the boat. The fuel tank hatch was extended. We will also put an access hatch at the very back end of the fuel hatch so that I can access the bilge to service all the stuff in there.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps6f929771.jpg
Drain to drain the cockpit. I am concerned about being able to dump water quickly out of the boat so we built these channels.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...psaeab0775.jpg
I’ve really struggled with what to do for seating. I had always intended to have 2 captains chairs on pedestals for the helm and companion seat but then I would have wasted space beneath the chair and it didn’t solve the problem of seating for the other passengers. With the help of Jim (77SceptreOB), we designed dual seat boxes. We will place a helm chair on the more elevated, forward facing seat and the aft facing seat will be lower to the deck of the boat. We are also going to insulate the box under the aft facing seats and incorporate a cooler. This will eliminate the need for a drink cooler on the deck of the boat.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...psf65b5a4d.jpg
The seat boxes will be glassed down to the deck of the boat and we will add drawers under the forward facing seats for tackle storage.

GEM Products Inc. has reasonable priced SS hardware and are good to deal with.

Or... www.prime-industries.com

"We are also going to insulate the box under the aft facing seats and incorporate a cooler. This will eliminate the need for a drink cooler on the deck of the boat"

To me, that's a good idea!! Coolers sliding around the deck are always a problem, I would spend some extra time on a method of sealing the lid, along with the insulation around the cooler. That's the difference in the performance of the Yeti, Engel, high price type coolers versus the Igloo brands....air tight seals on the lid.

Looking really good!!

Also
Marinepartdepot.com

A few updates…….
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps04e3f3f6.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps9542d562.jpg

Here are a few pictures of the unfinished seat boxes. I will mount some tackle drawers in the forward cut outs and the aft is going to be glassed in to be a cooler box. I really like how these are turning out and feel they are going to be very functional.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps27bb1eea.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps360ad5a9.jpg

The bracket will be mounted very soon. The bracket is a Hermco bracket designed for a single motor. Does anybody know where the water line will be in relation to the 2 boot stripes that run alongside the boat? Are those generally right at the waterline or are they above the water? The top of the bracket will be mounted just a bit above the blue masking tape that runs across the transom. I am just curious to know where the water will be in relation to the top of the bracket.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...psdbf38199.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...psa1240408.jpg

"The top of the bracket will be mounted just a bit above the blue masking tape that runs across the transom"

Was wondering what you mean by "just a bit", seems to me it would be around six inches above. I'm sure when you get Don's bracket it will give you exact mounting location instructions. I also feel with the bracket and either of the four strokes you mentioned will balance the boat very nicely!! Your boat versus the CC models is heavy in the bow and the bracket/engine will help "level" it out. To answer your question, I'm guessing the water line will be no higher than the top of the bottom stripe when full of fuel, etc. Looking very nice!!

DonV,

Hermco calls for the top of the bracket to be mounted 21" above the keel of the boat. In my picture, 21" is about 3/4" of an inch above top of the masking tape across the transom. I think it is going to work out well as the top of the bracket will be at least a few inches above the waterline at rest.

I agree, but probably the bottom of the bottom tape....IMO

Here are a few pics from this past weekend.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps8d946ec9.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps56c382f9.jpg

Some work being done at Trans in Texas?

Here are a few more pictures. The seat boxes are in and most of the fiberglass work has been done. The floor has been redone with the new non-skid surface.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...pse677d1b9.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...psc134bd30.jpg

I’m not sure why these photos have this funny look to them but I do know a 3 year old that had my phone and has managed to change all the settings.

I'm in TX, nice work, where is being done? I would be interested in them working on my 23 CC.
ET

It is being done at Transport in Palacios. They are doing good work and I would recommend them. They are pretty much done for the year but will be back the week of Jan. 6. My boat will probably be up there most of January if you want to go have a look. Tran is doing all of the fiberglass and gel coat work for me. Once they have done their work, I will finish it.

They also have another 23' Sceptre on their lot for sale if anybody is looking to buy one. I think it is owned by somebody in the area and they've asked Tran to sell it for them.

I was by there and saw the work they are doing to your boat. They do nice work and build good boats. I have been talking to them about a shallow water boat.

The boat was painted this week. I went with Awlgrip Stars and Stripes. I haven't seen the boat myself as these pictures were e-mailed to me. I think it is going to really look good once I add all the shiny stuff and the boot stripe.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps5de3dc84.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...psef5446b3.jpg

Great build. I so love the tsunami configuration. Thanks for keeping us up to speed!

Boat looks great very nice work. But from the photos in the beginning of this thread just out of curiosity the original gelcoat on this boat looked fantastic, why paint the boat?

You are right. The gel coat was in decent shape but there were some deep gouges where the boat had been scared by a boat lift. I just wanted to go ahead and have everything done that I couldn't do myself while the boat is at the boatyard. I certainly can't paint the boat so I went ahead and had it painted.

I am sure my money could have been better spent somewhere else but I admit emotion and the excitement of having a unique colored boat got to me.

Id love some specs on those box seats. Dimensions and lay-up. They look great and have always been something I think that my Tsunami needed.

Great job all around !

I have been looking for a Sceptre/Tsunami with original gelcoat and no bottom paint especially my whole life. This was one i seen before you bought it but was just too far for me to travel. Then i seen you painted and started crying, but the boat looks very nice and looks like it is in good hands.

Update
 

The refurbishment has finally made some progress. We have installed the seat boxes, the helm chairs and combing pads. I am really happy about how the seat boxes turned out. Thanks Jim! Here are a few pictures.
Next step is to try and improve the looks of the windshield and frame. It has about 40 years of salt build-up. I am armed with brass wool, CRL and muriatic acid. If none of this works, I will take it to a glass shop and see if I can get the glass replaced.
After that, I am going to load the boat up with 55 gallon drums and simulate the weight of an engine plus fuel and other stuff and see how she sits in the water. This will give me an indication of whether I can go with a slightly larger fuel tank or if I need to just have another 100 gallon tank fabricated.
Here are a few pics.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps449df100.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps53164108.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...psab0e09d2.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...psb36b266e.jpg

Awesome rebuild rufneck! I enjoyed speaking with you a few weeks a go about stainless steel hardware. Lets us know how it works out for you. This is a beautiful boat, can't wait to see the final product.

Float Test
 

Given that we enclosed the transom, added a live well in the transom and the bracket, I was curious about how the boat would sit in the water. I put the fuel tank back in the boat and added 100 gallons of water. I put another 40 gallons in the live well and used a drum to simulate the weight of an engine. Once I did all of this, the boat was a bit heavy in the back but not so much that it concerned me. I felt I needed to do this before continuing with the restoration so that I could determine if I could increase the size of the fuel tank and/or relocate the batteries to the front of the boat. The back corner of the boat was about 2" beneath the water but the scuppers were out of the water so I am happy with the results. I have considered a slightly larger fuel tank and based on these results, I think it is possible.

Here are some pics....

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps0d580881.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...psabdb639c.jpg

I also got a bit deeper into the restoration than I originally planned. Pretty much everything on this boat is being renewed but I could not get the 40 years of salt build-up off of the windshield glass or frame. I have new glass being made and I will have the frame soda blasted and possibly powder coated. This wasn't in the original plan, but now that I've done the work to get it done, I am really excited about having this look better.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps0a3230be.jpg

Did you price out a new windshield from American Marine? You may want to consider it if you're not already committed to the powder coat option. My old windshield had been painted and it failed pretty quickly around the opening center section. I was worried I would have the same problem with powder coat.

The boat looks great.

Seat Boxes
 

Those seat boxes look great! Would love the process you used and the specs.

Tompee,
I've sent you a PM. The seat boxes were designed by Jim (77SceptreOB) but I don't think he minds if I share with you the design.

I got the windshield frame back and installed. I had it soda blasted and then powder coated to match the gelcoat. I like how it turned out and removing it and then reinstalling it wasn't too bad of a job. I will most likely wait until it is time to splash the boat before putting the new glass in it. I could do it now, but that is just more to clean and work around as the rebuild progresses. The only thing I've struggled with is putting the venting window frame (the one in front of the helm) back in place. It was a tight fit taking it out and now the powder coating is preventing it from going back in. Next chance I get I am going to buff some of it off and see if I can get it back in place without getting too rough on it.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...psdc822c7d.jpg

Next project is to have a radar arch fabricated and installed. Once this is done, I can start doing some wiring.