Can't sleep...

[Bushwacker]

Don't know what they're asking for that boat, but I'd be inclined to deduct the price of replacing the bracket with a Hermco bracket before I bought it, as that would fix most of the issues's you've described!

That bracket doesn't provide much flotation, which you need when you hang a relatively heavy motor that far back off the transom. (These boats were designed for a motor of approximately 300 lbs hanging on the transom!) It also doesn't distribute the engine load across the full width of the transom like it would if it had a swim platform on it, which may explain some of the cracks. However if that's gelcoat, they may be just cosmetic, particularly if the gel coat is very thick. It's so brittle that it doesn't take much stress to crack it. Also don't know why someone would go to the trouble to fill in a transom and not make it full thickness in the area of the most stress!

Check out Capt. Loyd's bracket fix. He had a similar low flotation bracket with an engine of almost identical weight, and he did a lot of work to correct the self bailing and submerged motor issues related to it. However the CG of that boat has still been shifted aft quite a bit, and the CC model is already more stern heavy than my Seafari. More flotation won't fix that when you're up on plane and flotation tank is out of the water. I'd check min planning speed, because many stern-heavy boats won't plane below about 20 mph! You may need to add a 4 blade prop and Doelfin like I did to get min planing speed down to 12 mph. Moving batteries and fuel tank forward will also help.

That motor height doesn't look much different than mine, but the Hermco bracket acts like a big trim tab when you're coming up on plan because it goes down to about 4" above bottom of hull. (It was designed by Bill Potter to fit the SeaCraft hull).
I raised motor 2 holes from where it was mounted in this photo; cavitation plate is 3.5" above keel and it could probably go up a little more, as cavitation/anti-ventillation plate is still slightly under water when on plane.

BTW, my boat will just barely self bail with a full tank of gas and no one in boat. Do a search for the "Vortex" scupper plug check valve that Fellowship invented, which does a good job of keeping deck dry at dock.

[NoBones]

Welcome Toofly to CSC...
Just my .02¢ worth, that may have been an
I/O that was converted to a bracket...
Maybe some of the crew here that has a 20
I/O may chime in with pics of their rear ends!

See ya, Ken

[Bushwacker]

Hey Ken,

I think it was originally an OB version because:

1. It has the recess for the Merc O/B steering drag link aft of port seat.

2. It has the flat surface across the back below the stern seats like my boat. The I/O's had a molded in box that extended forward of the seats.
Denny

BTW, welcome to the site Toofly . . . lots of good SeaCraft info available here!

[TooFly]

Welcome Toofly to CSC...
Just my .02¢ worth, that may have been an
I/O that was converted to a bracket...
Maybe some of the crew here that has a 20
I/O may chime in with pics of their rear ends!

See ya, Ken

Thanks for the welcome, bro! Yeah, this boat, as far as I can tell, has always been an outboard model.

[TooFly]

Don't know what they're asking for that boat, but I'd be inclined to deduct the price of replacing the bracket with a Hermco bracket before I bought it, as that would fix most of the issues's you've described!

That bracket doesn't provide much flotation, which you need when you hang a relatively heavy motor that far back off the transom. (These boats were designed for a motor of approximately 300 lbs hanging on the transom!) It also doesn't distribute the engine load across the full width of the transom like it would if it had a swim platform on it, which may explain some of the cracks. However if that's gelcoat, they may be just cosmetic, particularly if the gel coat is very thick. It's so brittle that it doesn't take much stress to crack it. Also don't know why someone would go to the trouble to fill in a transom and not make it full thickness in the area of the most stress!

Check out Capt. Loyd's bracket fix. He had a similar low flotation bracket with an engine of almost identical weight, and he did a lot of work to correct the self bailing and submerged motor issues related to it. However the CG of that boat has still been shifted aft quite a bit, and the CC model is already more stern heavy than my Seafari. More flotation won't fix that when you're up on plane and flotation tank is out of the water. I'd check min planning speed, because many stern-heavy boats won't plane below about 20 mph! You may need to add a 4 blade prop and Doelfin like I did to get min planing speed down to 12 mph. Moving batteries and fuel tank forward will also help.

That motor height doesn't look much different than mine, but the Hermco bracket acts like a big trim tab when you're coming up on plan because it goes down to about 4" above bottom of hull. (It was designed by Bill Potter to fit the SeaCraft hull).
I raised motor 2 holes from where it was mounted in this photo; cavitation plate is 3.5" above keel and it could probably go up a little more, as cavitation/anti-ventillation plate is still slightly under water when on plane.

BTW, my boat will just barely self bail with a full tank of gas and no one in boat. Do a search for the "Vortex" scupper plug check valve that Fellowship invented, which does a good job of keeping deck dry at dock.

HA HA HA. Capt. Lloyd's thread was an entertaining one. I especially like that y'all can rib each other without the fear of hissy fits.

The boat has a new-ish 53 gallon aluminum fuel tank in the original spot. There's not much I can do about that now. I will, however, look into a 4 blade prop, the Doelfin and I'll move the batteries as far forward as they can go in the console.

First, I need to run the boat to see where things stand. It'll be a fun project over this winter.

Thanks!

[TooFly]

Do a search for the "Vortex" scupper plug check valve that Fellowship invented, which does a good job of keeping deck dry at dock.

I did an all forums search of "Vortex scupper plug check valve" with/without "Fellowship" and found nothing.

[Bushwacker]

I did an all forums search of "Vortex scupper plug check valve" with/without "Fellowship" and found nothing.

Here's the Vortex thread ! I've found that they work best if you use the fingers from a nitrile glove, which is much tougher than vinyl.

[TooFly]

Here's the Vortex thread ! I've found that they work best if you use the fingers from a nitrile glove, which is much tougher than vinyl.

Thank you, sir.

Ah yes. The fingers from a nitrile glove... I find they work well. Hmmm.

For their intended use, of course!