23 CC Power Opinions

[TwoWisemen]

professor,

Yes, it sank sitting right there. We were storing it in a slip at a new subdivision that had yet to be developed so it was unpopulated. We fished on Saturday and came back Sun morn to find it starting to roll. If I would have gotten there 2 hrs earlier, I think I could have prevented it. Now, what caused it? Weighted bowlines. Each of the lines I tied to the bow were tied to a five gallon bucket of cement. That provided enough lift on the front to dip the back under water, filling the baitwell, and then the bilge. Still not sure as to why the bilges didn't come on, but I've solved that problem. After we started raising it, they came on and pumped out the bilge. I had 3300 gph worth of bilge pumps because I knew the open transom was a problem in rough seas or if I had more than 2 people fishing off of the back. FYI - My fuel tanks (180 gals) run from the rear inspection hatch all the way to the front step-up and my 4 batteries were under the console. Not telling you what to do, but a single with a kicker may be safer than twins with an open transom. Just be careful! I was lucky this didn't happen to me 30 or 40 mi offshore!

[FELLOW-SHIP]

Well I might step on a few tows on this one but I will start off with “My opinion” and I could be wrong BUT.

First off these 23’ boats haven’t really changed from the first one out of the mold. They are 8’ beam and 23.4 long variable dead rise hull.
What has changed is the weight of the motors from a inline 2 stroke 6 carb merc. to now a days 4 stroke 60 degree V that weigh approx 150 to 200 lbs more that the originals.
Has any one seen a NEW 23 SEACRAFT in the showroom with twins on the back??? No
You got to go with a 25’ with the integrated bracket for that.
I know everyone always wants to make their boats “just a little bit bigger or better that what they are. But a 23’ Seacraft boat is Just a 23’ boat and you got to Except Your Limitations.
When the new Heaver motors started coming on to the market what did the boat builders do???? They built wider boats to accommodate the new motors. Well we can’t widen our boats so what can we do??? Not that much, we can CUT THE WEIGHT and try to add some buoyancy how do you do that???

You can:
Use one motor.
Move things forward.
Use lighter materials
Put a flotation bracket on.
And most important EXCEPT YOUR LIMITATIONS………
I know we all want to try to make our 23’ a 27’ but it ant going to happen. It is Just a 23’ and that’s the way it is.
For me I have One 225 on the back on the transom. MAYBE you can put Light twins on the back with a bracket if you do this and that. But if you start off excepting your limitations you could save your self a lot of problems trying to push the envelope beyond safe boating. Or just buy a bigger boat.


FellowShip

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My motto: Just for the Grins

[strick]

Strick didint I see a pic of a 250 Suzzi being bolted to your 23. I was waiting to see a update on the motor.

stay tuned.

strick

[RUSTYNTABATHA]

HEY STRICK ITS NICE TO HERE NOTHING BUT THE WATER COMEING OF THE HULL AND THE WIND IN YOUR EARS EAY.

[goodpen]

I really appreciate the forthright manner of your opinions. I am familar with having a "heavy" motor on the transom as I have '99 130 Honda on the back of '73 18' Forcast DC. The motor is set back and raised on a fixed jack plate for running the shallow water in Florida Bay. The boat sits a litte lower in the back but it is not as bad as I thought it would be. The splashwell keeps the water out of the cockpit during heavy backups. Also this is an inshore boat and does not have the hull for any seas over 1 foot.

As I mentioned earlier I am not totally sold on having that much weight on the transom on the Seacraft but the security of offshore running is desired. As much as I would like to enclose the transom and put on a bracket, it does not look like it is in the cards at this time.

Anyone know of 300hp Yamaha on the back of a 23 CC Seacraft?

[Ikan Besar]

I'd suggest re-reading Fellow-Ship's post again and again until it sinks in. And then read it one more time.

[James Tackle]

Hi there Prof!
I have a pair of 115 Johnsons on my 23'. In order to do that, the transom was raised 5" as you want to do and I have 25" shafts. Excellent setup indeed. The 115's are all the weight that I would ever want back there. When I repower in the future, I will go with 130 E-Techs

[Capt_Mac]

Ok, lets see if we can clear up this weight issue, both motor weights are directly from the website with a 25" shaft legnth and do not include the extra rigging parts(oil reserve, batts, steering and etc.).

E-Tec 150/175 427lbs
Yamaha 4 stroke 150 466lbs +39lbs

E-Tec 200/225 524lbs
Yamaha 4 Stroke 200/225 583lbs +59lbs

E-Tec 250 524lbs
Yamaha 4 stroke 250 603lbs +79lbs

These weight differences are really not that far apart if they are accurate since they are all 20 lbs apart. Lets say you hang twin 200 4 stroke, most likely it will be on a bracket and you'd be looking at 120 extra lbs 3 feet from your tansom. The bracket will off set the weight plus add more floatation because their full of foam and water tight(until you let your wife drive under the seven mile bridge). With that said I will be adding a seamark bracket, 2-200 4 stroke yams, enclosed transom w/live well, batts under center console, dry storage(life jackets, throw cushion, fenders)in stern on my tsunami23 open fish(Tsunami Inc.), as soon as I get some christmas money, that is.

[RUSTYNTABATHA]

sounds good lets see pics on the progress ... my buddy has the yammy 4s on a triton they run pretty well and apear to be fairly tuff we/ ie /he missed a left turn @35 knots and put the boat 40 ' up on the sand (oops) had to get his big boat to pull it off. they fired back up w/ no problems very lucky
ps just a little tip when running radar in tight areas @ night dont go 35 knots we out ran the radar screen. i was riddin 2 miles to get the truck @ the marina and leave the boat

[Capt_Mac]

Speaking of running up the sand bars, I happened to come across some one who did something like that as well next to the seven mile bridge. So I drove over their to get him off and managed to get his boat half way off and the stinkin marine patrol shows up and tells me to stop. These marine patrol guys were the biggest peices of you know what... So they then told me to get lost and that they were going to write them a ticket for being on the sand bar(protected grass) and that sea tow had to take them off. Every body who is out fishing the flats or lobstering in shallow water should get this ticket as well, right. I think next time this happens I'll just leave my motors trimmed all the way up and hit the throttle and give those SOB marine patrol a bath.