Help with '75 18 ft Seacraft project

[adamcannon]

Whats up Tyler. Yeah I bought a seacraft and am in the middle of redoing everything. You will have to come take a look at it sometime.

[fishhuntNC]

Hey man were did you get the penske board and let me know what your doing about the live well.I'm thinking of getting rid of my livewell too its a pain in the ***.Dad had an 18 when I was a kid had lots of fun in it.

[adamcannon]

I am not putting the live well back into the floor. I might put one in the seat in front of the console or a small one in the new full transom. Not sure if I put it in the transom it might add to much weight right in the stern. My brother-in-law ordered the penski board for me from somewhere, I'm not sure. What size motor did your dads have on it. I am trying to decide what I need to look for.

[fishhuntNC]

Dads boat was I think an 1986 or 1987 with a 150 mariner.I want to say close to 50 top end.The only reason I remember the year is a guy my dad knows got a 20 the next year it was a tracker model like mine I think 1987/88 was trackers first year.I believe I read that somewere when I was looking at my boat.Anyway I remember dad racing his buddy in the 20 with a 175, dad beat him.My 20 had a 150 yamaha on it 2 stroke it self bailed fine had good power to.

[fishhuntNC]

I'm no expert but I don't think a small livewell in the stern of the 18 with a floatation bracket and a 130 2 stroke or something like that would not hurt.It's your boat but a set of tabs is a great thing to have.I am Going to get a set this winter if it's the last thing I do.

[fishhuntNC]

One more thing. I dont have a closed in stern & bracket but the new four stroke 465lbs. or somthin close and the above deck 30 gal livewell full in the stern is 2 much weight.Since i have no tabs I have to trim engine up and down to keep from loaping and in the ocean this still sometimes isn't enough.Also you might want to raise your decks a little.My 20 with the big engine and the well full will self bail if i'm not in the boat.That to me is not that big a deal as I mostly live bait cobias and trout flounder and other inshore stuff so i just plug the drains.But in the ocean I would want to be able to keep them unpluged if there was any kind of sea.I admit that i plug my scuppers and go in the ocean all day but its nice to be able to get water out quickley and I dont like pulling plugs every time I jump the boat on a plane.

[adamcannon]

I probably should be fine with putting a small livewell in the transom. I am going to raise the floor about 1 1/2 in. Plus my drain holes are going to be out the side of the boat in the corners. That will make them that much further out of the water. Keep your eye open for a real good deal on a outboard 115 - 150 hp. I'm going to get a used motor for now and maybe upgrade in a couple years. We just got the materials in this week and I am going to get started on it hot and heavy in a couple of weeks. Just have to balance work, boat rebuild, and most important, hunting. Its a tough time of year to be working on a boat.