My 18
 

Ok, I lurked on here for a while before approaching a friend about this 78 18. It sat for about a year after it swamped while being beached at the local party island. The water was only 2ft deep. Every one was ragging him so he parked it and bought an almost new sea boss 23. He wanted $1800 for it so I decided to take it for a ride. The landing at my house is a lil steeper than most and when I went to back it in, the water came over the short transom and swamped it again on the trailer. This also destroyed the trailer it was on. The trailer looked as if it belonged under a jon boat anyway. After I explained to him what happened, he said "KEEP IT, I DONT WANT IT AT MY HOUSE!". That is how I got my first Seacraft.

Here are some pics.

$400 Craigslist bracket. Never mounted.

Plans are:
Repair soft floor and raise 2"
Install bracket
Enclose transom
Refurb console and move forward. Not sure how much.
Remove that thing behind the console and install a leaning post.

This will be a new learning experience for me. I can build about anything out of steel but never worked with fiberglass. I read strick's thread last year and plan to reread before starting.

Check to see if you are comfortable where your knees hit the gunnell if you raise deck 2"

Later down the road, if/when you begin to address those teak hatches and any other teak still there, give me a shout. Mine were coming apart just like yours and I re-glued them, skimmed enough of the weather off the face and put 8 coats of epihanes varnish on them and they look spectacular. :)

Why can't i have friends like that !!!!!!!!!! love that well behing the console... Cnograts on your first !!!

I will keep that in mind. Not sure what I'm going to do with the back. Once I enclose the transom I'm not sure if I'm going to run the floor back to the transom or add some seating or enlarge the openings for bigger hatches. Lot to think about.