Topaz 24'

[mpwitte]

I was sure the pod boat would raise a few eyebrows! We had a very nice gentleman ask us to engineer and build an unusual design idea he had and put up the money to do it. Bob Seidelmann designed and built the molds and I put it all together. It was a completely modular and bolt on affair using a standard hull. Stringers in the hull and box were in line but did not run through the transom. I had huge aluminum angle brackets made up that bolted through the stringers inside both hull and box and then through bolted clamping the transom and box face together. Oh, and 50 half inch stainless bolts too! Air intake and all mechanicals were ducted in from the main hull near the top of the box. Seperate bilge pumps in both areas. The box was built with seperate hull and deck molds and a large power opperated top hatch heavily gasgeted with over center latches to cinch it down. It was watertight. The boat ran fantastic! It was bizzare how smooth and quiet it was. Almost seemed like an electric motor. The water was all that you heard or felt. I had the boat off Manasquan one fall day after a storm in long period 5'-6' rollers and it was one of the best rides of my life! With the trailing fins on the pod it would turn quick enough to throw you out of the boat if you were not ready. It would plane instantly with NO bow rise and only lost 2-3 knots from a standard boat. Power was a 5.7 / 300. The molds were still at the shop in Berlin last I knew but were owned by the owner of the boat, not Topaz. The boat was displayed at the A.C. show the year I finished it. I'm afraid it was too different for people to take it seriously.

AS for the yellow twin hp o/b, I built that boat for Rich Coty, / Coty Marine in North Jersey (a Merc HP dealer). It was a hoot but he had ongoing problems with the motors. They were set at around 275 hp and he had toasted at least one powerhead and one gearcase that I was aware of. Notice the holes he had me bore in the K-Planes for scupper drains! We mounted two 1,000,000 kp remote spots on the t-top for him. He told me he was so busy that the only time he would get to run the boat was at night and his eyes were not very good at night! Last I knew it was just sitting in his yard.

Mike.

[Bigshrimpin]

Mpwitte - I remember getting on the cuddy Silverhawk at the Boston Boat Show. That boat is one of my all time favorites . . . absolutely beautiful.

[Rich]

Hey Mike,

Would you happen to have any wiring schematics for the Silverhawk in any type of CAD format, preferably AutoCAD? I have been working on a full detailed wiring schematic for the SeaCraft 23 that could be used as a basic "this is how to rewire your boat". If you had any schematics to share you sure would save me and a few others a lot of time.

Please let me know.

Thanks,

Rich

seacraft(nospam)@snetsol.com

of course you have to remove the "(nospam)" [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[gbf03]

mpwhitte,
That sure is a nice boat!!! I wonder what that boat would look like with twin verados on it?
Did they ever build one without the casting platform in the front?

[strick]

I wish I could get my wiring to look like that. I like how you made the engine bracket for the merc's contour the step's in the hull. Is that a aluminum or fiberglass bracket

strick

[mpwitte]

I hand drew (?) a complete wiring diagram for the boat at one time because the dealers were asking for it. It never made it to digital. I may have a copy around that I will look for, but it will take a while. Most of my stuff is in boxes as I move it from my garage to the new shop. You may try contacting Ship Shops on Cape Cod or Brennen in Brick, NJ and see if they ever got a copy.

All of the Silverhawks built had the raised bow platform. We talked about making a mold insert to remove it but never did. Because of the amount of flair and taper, you would gain very little actual space and the sides would lean out too much or the gunwales would be massive wide.

The O/B bracket was glass that we molded in color to match the hull. A huge amount of labor to build but they sure did look nice. The first few o/b's used an aluminum bracket but none since then.

The twin o/b boats had weight and scupper issues if common sence was not used. Everyone thinks they need huge motors today. The boat ran fine with a large single or with twin 135's and was about perfect with 150's. One New England based boat some of you may know of ran 600 - 650 hours / year with 135 mercs and 140 suzies if I remember right. Twin 200 hpdi's were ok because they were built on the smaller blocks. The hot rod ss200's were cool because they were very light. I built one with twin 225 fitch's and it was just too much weight although it was fun when they ran right! Twin Verados just wouldn't work without a larger bracket chamber.

By the way, thanks to all for the kind words on these boats. They were my life for six years and it was hard to walk away but thats business sometimes. On to bigger and better things!

Mike.

[Scott]

Scott: The Topaz rep was very vague about any IB set-up...and I think he just didn't want to say no to me as I disclosed my IB rig..... He also mentioned a "new" 28/29 footer and that this project would be the focus and not the 24', which kinda makes you wonder why they bought it...It makes no sense to not bring the 24' to AC if you were at all serious

Jeff ... My friend seemed to get some vague comments from them at the show also ... I guess almost different from discussion he had had with them earlier ....28 CC with the SeaCraft shape would be sweet !!!

You heading to the AC show ??

Jigolo ... Capt Chuck did post them ..and That Birdsall post does look awesome !!! Great looking boat ..and welcome to CSC!!

Mike ...That pod boat I remember!!! Wasn't to sure what to make of it however !!! Thanks for the pictures ...
All those boats just look good!!

I like where you have the sending unit on the tank ... How was that working out ??

Finny ...the Vette needs a "POD" [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[JIGOLO]

I know I don't have a SeaCraft now but after my 18' SeaCraft was sunk by the Marina personnal Capt Chuck and I ran into this Silverhawk down in Miami and just had to snatch it up [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img] I have been very happy with the boat and how she performs. It appears I'll have to stay here on the SeaCraft site since Silverhawk has not gone "CLassic" yet. Real Nice site you all have created. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Here's a shot coming back from the Bahamas. The second one was taken at the house. I'll get the hang of this picture posting yet, Thanks hommie (chuck).