floor question

[gchop]

I have a 1976 23 cc with soft spots in the floor that I will be replacing. I hear alot of people talking about raising the floor. What advantage(s) does this give You? Has anyone done a below deck livewell in front of the center console?

thanks, George

[FELLOW-SHIP]

Hi Gchop

This is a if you answer from one man’s opinion who has a 23 CC with a single motor. If you are going to run your boat with one engine I would not raise the deck because you really don’t need to. You could keep at the same height with or with out a bracket. If you are going to run 2 motors I would raise the deck. SeaCraft 23 is a 8 foot beam boat and today’s motors are a lot heavier than they were when the hull was built that’s why all new boats that run 2 motors now a today have beam around 9 feet. Since you cant make your boat wider you can raise the deck 3 inches and compensate for twins with or without a bracket. The 23 has a lot of freeboard and 3 inches would not cause a safety risk by someone falling overboard. There are a lot of guys on the board that run twins and have not raised the deck but for me if I had to re do that deck anyway AND I was planning on running twins I would.

FellowShip

………………………….

Just for the Grins

Official Antique Classic SeaCraft Owner

[gchop]

thank you for your response. I have a late model 4 stroke 250 suzuki on the back. I have been told that the transom had been redone and from what I can tell it has. The rear livewell has been removed and the batteries have been put in the console. I am thinking of putting a livewell in the floor in front of the console there is about 18 inches before the rise in the front deck. there is no compartment their like I see on the spec. sheet. the deck is soft and in need of replacing. any suggestions are appreciated.

[FELLOW-SHIP]

Hi Gchop

I put my live well just behind the leaning post. You might have a gas tank under there it would depend on how big is your tank. I had a 18 footer and put a above deck live well just in front of the CC worked OK but can splash water into the CC where your wiring is or splash water on you or your fishing equipment.





FellowShip

………………………….

Just for the Grins

Official Antique Classic SeaCraft Owner

[gchop]

My gas tank goes all the way back to the splash well. There is a hatch there. It was my original intention to put it there. I wonder if I could move the tank foward and utilize that space.

[FELLOW-SHIP]

Hi Gchop

I bet you could But you will have to first build a sub floor for that live well to rest on water weighs approx 8.5 lbs per gallon and if it is like mine it would probably hold 45 or more gallons of water. Does it look like this?




FellowShip

………………………….

Just for the Grins

Official Antique Classic SeaCraft Owner

[gchop]

there is nothing there now.someone has modified this deck for the worse at one time. I can look through the console seat where there is a deck plate and see that there is open space in that spot. I only have about 18 inches between the console seat and the rise in the floor on the bow section which has also been modified.

[FELLOW-SHIP]

Hi Gchop

My 23 is also a 76 with the large CC. I can’t tell you what to do I can only tell you what I did.

First I moved the replaced my gas tank with a 120 gal and moved it forward approx 18' to the deck plate that you can see in my pictures just in front of the live well. I removed the old sub deck the old tank was sitting on and installed a new one the old one was rotten my beat so is yours.

Then I build the live well as you can see in those pictures. Then re did transom, and deck, removed the cap and re did it, repaired CC and on and on and on.

If you go to the picture gallery and look at 23 footers then scroll down to Fellowship there are 30 plus pictures of my rebuild.

Personally I would not put a live well in front of the CC because I like the access to my wiring there and I like to put a fish cooler in front of the CC. Look at the pictures they will answer a bunch of questions.


FellowShip

………………………….

Just for the Grins

Official Antique Classic SeaCraft Owner

[gchop]

I am thinking that what you did is the ticket. I dont like a livewell in the front of the boat either. I am glad to hear that you had the room to move the fuel tank fowar, that is what i would like to do. I notice some 23's gas tanks do not extend into the other compartments were their options for bigger tanks? I will check out your pictures in further detail for more ideas. thank You for your help. I have been involved in a Mako 23 project this winter that is ongoing and has been prety cool. check it out at www.skimmeroutdoors.com under refurbishing the skimmer on the home page.

thanks again, George