Tsunami/Sceptre 23....Inboard -vs- I/O -vs- Outboard
 

Hey all,

The wife has hinted at wanting to buy another boat, something we can go offshore fishing in, so I dropped everything and came here. I have only dreamed of owning a 23' Potter's hull, looked at one several years ago and determined it was in my price range because it needed a full restore. Fast forward to today and I'm in a better place to pony up for one with the work already done.

I'm on the east coast of NC and would like to get up to 40-60 miles offshore. Any suggestions as to which of the three...Inboard - I/O - Outboard (with bracket, can't see having an open transom in the Atlantic) would be my best option and with what type/size power?

Probably looking to get into a cutty with hardtop to drop a curtain from to keep momma and her chicks dry, but not opposed to an OF, have seen where they take a cutty and install CC, but it seems to eat up a ton of cockpit area.

Thanks...

Really perfect timing on your part and welcome to CSC !!
fishlips56 has this IB Sceptre which would be perfect for what you are wanting and looking for......
Barry is one of our long time members and my son's 23 Sceptre came from him about 9 years ago !!!! Bought a 20 Seafari last September from him as well..
Just do-it .....

Thanks for the reply Bones...I'm guessing your vote is for the straight inboard? I've always had outboards, but from what I've read here, the inboard has a nice steady ride when it gets snotty out. I beat myself up a plenty in the Gulf when I lived in Clearwater, but that's really no comparison to fishing off the Carolina coast. May take another 1/2 hour to get to blue water on calm seas, but it would be nice to know when weather turns, I can still make good time heading back.

My brother ran into a guy fishing the reef last week in the Keys with a 23' inboard, he said it was the best riding small boat he's ever owned.....oh yeah, NOT for sale :) Plus, the guy I bought my SeaCraft from had a '76 inboard he was doing a complete rebuild and had just installed a Yanmar diesel in it to cut his fuel bill running to the Middle Grounds. It was real sweet when he finished, he said not real fast but very stable.

In all my years of fishing the middle grounds, I never saw a 23’ out there....would have said they were “out of their minds” being there in a small boat. I sure miss those trips. :(

Hey guys - that was me fishing in the Keys.
Anyone I have ever had on the boat compliments the ride. The low center of gravity is key to the ride. For me, not having to fish around the engine of an I/O or over outboards is a major consideration.

HIGHLY recommend the inboard.

DonV. Your brothers boat was beautiful. I would have loved a tour and the story.

Yeah ole' cheap ass Don does not post a lot of pics of brother Bill's work of art,
cause his ghetto clunker, with da new Tohonda would have to live on the other side of the tracks.....:rolleyes:

Gotta say though Donnie can raise fish in his still functional relic ! ;)

That's right, my 'ol clunker likes it over here on the wrong side of the tracks! We meet nicer folks over here! :) And the BLM folks know not to come and mess with us!

Any chance we could see some pics of brother's boat?

I remember my first trip out there, the 23 - 25' Stamas was the boat to have, totally bullet proof, to the level of a Bertram, made in Tarpon Springs and that's what the locals always had. You would see six to ten every trip. 'ol Capt. Dave Markett from Tampa used to guide his fighting yellow SeaCraft out there all the time. Now you need a parking pass to go to the Middle Grounds.

Search "billsseacraft" on here or "seacraftrenovation1972" in IG, I'll get on his ass about getting back on the site more often and post some more pics. Maybe the goofy "SeaCraft Photos" moderator won't delete them. :)

SeaCrafts are no stranger to the MGs.

KMoose, how's that open transom do for keeping water out of the cockpit? I'm leaning towards a closed transom since it's a 40-60 mile run to the gulfstream from where I live in NC and am a bit nervous about having a giant hole in the transom.

That's an old picture. he closed the transom and installed a bracket. Search 'Finished and Clean'....

Actually the open transom was fine with the inspection plate glassed in but the motor would take a bath often. The big downer is all the room it takes up in the back of the boat.

On the boats first rebuild done after that pic got rid of the stock splash well for a much smaller one. Even though it was lower it never gave us a problem, even backing down in seas. It's a tough call on open or closed. If you close you have to go with a bracket for outboard power. In my case it was worth the negatives gaining space. On the flip side, the notched transom with outboard handles much better and allows for way less trim to keep the bow down in seas.

And in saying closed transom, I may be moving more toward an inboard after reading on their stability and handling in snotty conditions. I got caught in a squall that came out of nowhere about 10 miles off Clearwater in a 17’ d/c years ago and that sucked butt to put it mildly. Can’t imagine Atlantic squalls giving any sort of ‘heads up, get to the dock cuz here I come’ much less being any kinder...just not sure i want to give up that much room on the dance floor.

The first SeaCraft I even rode on was a 23' inboard Sceptre back in the 70's, and it was pretty amazing how well it rode in 3-4' seas. All that weight low and smack in the middle of the boat acts almost like a gyro stabilizer. Not a speed demon, but crazy good ride, engine box takes up a good deal of the cockpit, a little more work docking than an OB or I/O, and to my ears the IB sounds way cool.

The Mrs has voiced concerns over the noise and potential for the engine to be a hotbox for the inboard, not to mention taking up half the dance floor back there. I’ve seen where people turn engine boxes into seating area and bait/tackle stations among other things. Do the engine boxes get real hot? If so, I can see that being a plus in the winter but a dealbreaker in the summer.