fantatsic 23 restored seacraft- spray rails?
 

I just purchased this boat and here are some restore pictures along the way with the finished product. I am interested to see if anyone has used or knows where to get the correct spray rails made for this 1973 23 potter hull seacraft. Thanks, Baitrunner

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I love that gray color! Looks like its military or customs or something tough.

Don't need spray rails on a 23'

I agree . . .

X3

I've asked this question before and gotten the same answers. My boat is as wet as it gets. It's a 1998 hull so I don't know if somewhere along the line the shape of the mold was changed. Mine doesn't seem to have a very sharp edge on the chine at the bow. Their isn't much of a chine at the bow at all. It allows the water to slide right up the hull. Your boat looks great by the way.

Here's my humble call. You don't need them if you are going into, with or in most cases sideways with the waves, that being said if it's blowing and you are quartering into the waves you will get wet, very wet......with or without spray rails in any 23' sized boat on the market. If there was proof, 100% proof, spray rails would stop water coming over the sides of the boat I would have them. Shoot I've been on the fly bridge of 50'+ boats and got soaking wet, being at water level makes it exactly what it is, a small boat at the mercy of lot of water.

Here's my take on this . . . I may be totally wrong, but this is how I envision the difference b/w wet 23 and dry 23's.

Fuel Tank Size/Position and Hull Weight are very different when comparing Tracker and CSY to the Potter Hulls. Outboard versions of the Potter 23sf hulls have a smaller 100 gallon tanks positioned directly under the console and seat. CSY and Tracker hulls have 144 gallon tanks pushed to the front edge of the step up. This is 3+ft forward from the position of the potter tanks.

Tracker and CSY hulls are several hundred pounds heavier (listed at 2800lbs - CSY and 3070lbs for 1998 tracker 23sf) compared to the potter hulls (listed at 2650lbs dry). The extra weight (from the larger 144gallon fuel tank and thicker hull) pushed forward messes with the strake design in the bow. When the tracker hulls are in rough water I swear that strake gets burried and shoots water up rather than knocking it down.

http://www.classicseacraft.com/brochure/SF23Specs.jpg
http://www.classicseacraft.com/broch...edium/0007.jpg

See the strake in this picture.

1. Add 420lbs to the original hull (1973 hull weight (2650 lbs) vs 1998 hull weight (3070 lbs)
2. Add 277lbs for the extra fuel (44 x 6.3)
3. Shift the 907lbs (144gallon x 6.3lbs per gallon = 907lbs) of fuel 3+ft forward
4. Use a little trim tab in rough seas
_____________________________________________
you've got yourself a WET 23.

http://www.classicseacraft.com/broch...edium/0002.jpg

Not exactly to scale, but you get the idea.

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/...bum07/SF23.jpg

Looks like when R+R rebuilt this 1973 23 seacraft, the size (145gallon replacement tank - 2013 rebuild thread) and location of the fuel tank is very similar to the newer style CSY and Tracker boats. 400lbs of rods holders doesn't help either : ) . . . just kidding. Maybe you would benefit by adding some spray rails. I'm assuming it's somewhat of a wet ride now otherwise you wouldn't be asking about rails???

http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-...r-r-conch.html


http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...2&d=1499788395


http://www.thehulltruth.com/attachme...1&d=1377031333

smart rails is what I plan to use ...

My friend that I buddy boat with has an older 23' Mako CC, I've run alongside him when on my boat we were in our rain gear getting soaked, on his boat they never had to even clean spray off their glasses. His boat carries it's bow much higher than mine so I'm wondering if a bow lifting prop could help. Everything I've read says that you need stern lift props on a Seacraft. Maybe that's different on the newer models with a bigger tank moved forward.

Very well put

I think big shrimpin is right on the money about the CG balance. Spray rails, bow lifting prop, and anyway you can possibly put weight in the back of the boat. I have a Suzuki 300 transom mounted on my Potter 23 sceptre. I had duffel bags for five people packed with two weeks worth of stuff plus a ton of other stuff in the cuddy all the way up front on my Abacos trip this summer. The boat was so bow heavy that when I occasionally landed in a small wave trough, we took some water right in the face. I utilized my trim on the motor quite a bit and found a very nice sweet spot when the wave height was low enough or I had to slow down.

What's that clamshell on the side of the hull?

Tank vent.
Light is right.

200 lbs of rod holders.
Very funny.
Thanks for the laugh Big.

The race boat is almost back down to original glass now.
I`ll pick up again as things cool down here.