1973 23 project
 

Started rebuild 3 days before hurricane Irma and getting back on it

More pics
 

Moving slowly

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New parts

Jeeez......you have a month's salary in the back of your pick up truck!!! Looking good!!!

I was thinking the same thing lol. Looks like its going to be a nice sled

Yea spending way to much. No turning back now. I have been working in the keys since the hurricane so not much time to get on it

1973 23 oldboat
 

Did a little work today

I am planning the belly/bulk heads on my 20 right now. Will water be able to drain from for forward bulk heads into bilge? Everything looks sealed to me?

What type of hatches are you using?

23 seacraft
 

Yes I have marine hose that will come out the bottom of anchor hatch going down along keel I leaf opening under the forward bulkheads to drain under tank coosa board. You can’t see but I have drains in the back of main stringers and will be drilling more after foaming.i don’t want to drill drains anywhere Above tank board for I don’t water draining between tank and coosa.

Drains
 

Please understand this is just how I am doing it. There are a lot more ways others have done it. I am not a boat builder just a back yard builder hoping for the best.

Drains
 

Pics. Still more 1708 to be added to bulkhead

Drains
 

As far as tank area I have run a 1/2 coosa board on top of keel stringer the full length of stringers and put an additional one under the 85 inch’s of tank. This will give@ 1/2 step down to drain if water ever gets in there and also bulked up to 1 inch under the tank itself. There will be drain hole to rear the f tank past the small step down. Hope this helps u to understand my plan

23 seacraft
 

Other thing that helped me was I made my tank lower and longer witch gives me 3 inch between new deck and tank so I run additional wire chase strait back. My brother in law did not do this and he had clearance issues for the deck. Plus a littler thinner on tank for the stringer boxes are not strait so no clearance issue, for me it was a good place to pay attention and tank fits perfect

Thanks for the reply. Also plan on leaving 3 inch gap between deck and tank. Still thinking about the flow of water..

I would consider sleeving the drain line running the length of the bilge in PVC just in case you had to replace it in the future.

Drain
 

Capt Chuck makes a good point. When I took my step/fish box out there was a pocket of about 2 gallons of water that the foam was blocking from draining, it was nasty black water. The other thing I found is when the last tank was foam in foam got past tank board support and was blocking water from draininin properly along keel. I think at this point I’m going to just put a drain in out the bottom front of anchor box were door use to be since it will be above deck since I took step out . I am taking door out for anchor locker and moving it on top of deck as others have done. This will make it possible to when I rinse anchor locker to have water run out on deck no worry about issues down the road. I will create channel still in bow along keel so water will drain don’t won’t not xtra weight and lot water back in there. Will post pics when done

Few more pics
 

Heading to the keys for 2 weeks of work so did a few things this weekend. That is my 12 year old rabbit that stays under boat all day when I’m working

Pics
 

Bait well drain

What weight coosa are you building with? Bluewater 20 or 26 or a mix of both? I’m assuming you would have used 26 for the transom but was curious what you’re using for the other panels.

Coosa 26
 

Coosa 26. The transom is 2 pieces of 1 1/2 bonded together .decks 1 inch

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Trial fit consal and leaning post: needed to trace both to coosa deck to cut wire chases in right spot and mark for fill and drain on live well etc.

What brand LP/LW? Looking good!

Leaning post consal.
 

Birdsall. Kids like to live bait and spearfish a lot so tried to build it toward that. Only issue people need to consider in the 23 footprint is that door opens up so u have to have decent space between consal and cooler/ coffin box so u give up deck space. I have a few more things to button up under deck this week so that I can start glassing in deck boards. Once there in itÂ’s hard to do anything more so get it all done. Other thing is make sure you can get to lower bracket bolts you will want to check torque after 10 hours and do require checks and main. Just so happens that the second bolt down on bracket lines up perfect with new deck so I will have to notch the deck on both bolts left/right to put nut on and tighten. ThatÂ’s the kind of stuff u want to deal with now

Hatches
 

Got 2 hatches from gulf stream they are very nice

I've never seen a SeaCraft CC open like that.

Console
 

My son picked it

Rubrail
 

I see a lot of discussion on rubrail but can’t find any info info on the original black rubrail that came on 1973 seacraft. Any info on who may have it. It looks like the ridged will stay more strait on install.

I reused my old original black industrial rub rail but I think Taco has it new.

Rubrail
 

I like the original look but mine was changed to one with the stainless insert that looks nice but want to keep some of the old school look on this rebuild.

Your 23 looks great!!
As far as rub rail goes I bought from Taco white with ss insert came out great.. Good luck

Few things done
 

Drilled for bracket got under deck stuff done starting to glass down coosa

Did you laminate the underside of the Coosa?

1973 seacraft
 

No I did not. I think/hope it will be ok. I’m hoping with one inch coosa decks and two layers of 1708 on top of deck full foam it will be ok. No turning back now. Feels like a rock and have not put the glass on yet. Time will tell and that is a great question for I thought about it a lot. Also I’m ready for it to be done lol.

This ^^^

I would suggest a seacock valve under that pump.

Morning. Both intake pumps bait well/rinse have valves under them. I will post better pics and if not correct I will change . Thxs

Pump valves
 

More pics

If none of the exposed coosa is subject to constant water contact you should be ok. BW 26 is 1000 times more impervious to water than plywood and there are many naked underside plywood decks out there that are doing just fine.

Thx hoping to be done ready for power by dec if rain work kids lets me. May want to talk to u about that Suzuki when I get closer. International marine is 15 minutes from my house.

Need updates brother

Have not done much. Foam the front that’s it