1979 23ft Sceptre Rebuild
 

Hey all. Long time forum lurker/Classic Seacraft admirer. I've been wanting a Seacraft Sceptre for years- absolutely love the way they look, but none EVER find there way up to the pacific NW. Stumbled upon this one in Los Angeles while I was browsing CL for my next project boat idea. I HAD to have it, so yes, I trailered it 1100 miles back to Seattle. Probably needs a floor, transom, re-core gunnel caps. Maybe stringers too, will need to dig around a little bit once I get it cleaned up, fuel tank out etc. Its complete- even has cuddy cushions. Windows, teak, everything in decent shape. Going to put a bracket on it with probably a 250 for power, and a hard (or maybe canvas) top.

23 Seacraft

Congratulations!!! Welcome to the Ward! Bad arse!

Vezo, Part II

Got about half the floor out with a circ saw and crowbar before the batteries died. Will get back to that this weekend. Foam was not wet but the floor is mostly rotten. Looks to me like the original stringer grid. I will inspect the foam in the stringers this week.

I have a couple questions about the transom replacement. Looks to be 2 inches laminated thickness. Was thinking of using 1 1/2 inch Coosa BW26, I think I could get away with one 4x8 sheet. Should I cut the transom skin off from the outside? Seems like easier access and cutting. Did my last boat from the inside and it was tight and hard to access- had to install the new transom in two pieces. Is one way better than the other(cutting inside vs. cutting outside)?

Do the transom from the inside. A lot less fairing doing it from the inside. Make a cut across the cap where each of the hawse pipes go then remove that back section of the cap. It will give you plenty of room to do the transom from the inside in one piece. The coosa BW26 1.5” is perfect for the coring.

Ok thanks. I cut the cap by the hawse pipe holes and removed the screws from the section. Any trick to popping the cap section off? It doesn't want to budge. Seems like maybe its bonded somewhere to the inner transom wall.

There is probably some type of sealant in the joint between the cap and hull. Usually you can just run a knife along it and it should break free. I’ve also used one of those vibrating multi tools which work good to cut any sealant

Mine had a bead of silicone and was screwed together, although it is an 18.

Got the transom cap and floor removed. That's the good news. Bad news is that the stringers are wet from about midship to stern. Transom is rotten but I figured that. I will be cutting off the tops of the stringers and putting new foam in. Question is- since the stringer foam is dry forward, do I need to replace that too, or just leave it and re-foam/re glass the wet part? The goal here for me is to NOT remove the cap.

Leave the dry ones alone. You might be able to dry out the wet without removing. Drill some limber holes and let it wick out. The center is PVC not structural so leave it alone.

Ok thanks for the info. There is no water coming out of any of the test holes. The foam I pulled out in the bottom one-inch of the stringers (where I drilled test holes) is damp in places- like if you push on it with your finger you can see water seeping. The foam from about one inch and up to the top of the stringer is dry. Maybe I dont need to replace the foam...

Remember, the glass is structural, not the foam. Try to dry them out. You can fill in / glass over weep holes. Go on to deck/ hatch repairs or other fixes for now. Give a few days to dry out then assess the dampness with a moisture meter.

Ok so Im back on this thing. Question- What was used to secure the floor to the stringers originally? Appears to be a pink putty-like substance.

The floor is bonded to the stringers with just the putty you see.

Since the floor is getting rebuilt I was thinking about possibly raising the floor. Especially since there will be an outboard and bracket going on, with weight cantilevered farther behind the transom, possibly causing the stern to sit lower in the water than before. If I was to raise the floor, could I install the new sole on top of the existing "tabs" that I left from cutting out the old one... Could get 3/4+ higher this way. I would also add the same height to the stringers (height of 3/4 inch plywood old floor).

Greetings guys
I will be following this boat progress very closely bc selfishly it’s what I own. Ha. This is exactly what was done to my boat to the T. I do have a few questions so far.
1) I didn’t think that these boats had a coffin box that the tank sat in. This one looks like it did before you removed it. Did you notice if it had a factory drain hole in it for unwanted water or fuel to get out?
2) capt chuck, what are you referring to about the PVC in center stringer. I’m interested about that.

I would definitely raise the floor and put drains out the side. That’s what mine has and it works pretty good but I leave mine plugged until I get a rain storm or need to drain a cooler.


Keep up the good work. Sorry I’m not much help.

Thanks

I would go more than 3/4 on the deck. Add an additional 3/4 space to the existing deck lip with strips of nidacore or coosa. And build the stringers up to that height. You’ll never regret doing it. I have 3” oval side scuppers and with 3 big men standing in the back along with a 300 OB on a 30 inch bracket, zero water comes in.

kmoose, would you mind sending me a few pics of the interior layout of your boat? Maybe they are here on the forum but I couldn't find them.

The fuel tank was not in a coffin box. It was however mechanically fastened and encapsulated in foam. Not sure if this was original or not? Tank looks to be original.

Are there any really detailed pix/ direction of a raising-of-the-floor, or a straight-up floor job ?

An progress? Enjoying these pictures

Any advancements on this project?