New guy needs help please!

[Erik]

I am looking at a 1979 20' Seafari with a 140 hp Johnson for $6000. I've done my research on Seacrafts (and I'm impressed), but I'm looking for any info that might help me when I go to inspect this boat. Thanks!

[Bushwacker]

Originally Posted by Erik

I am looking at a 1979 20' Seafari with a 140 hp Johnson for $6000. I've done my research on Seacrafts (and I'm impressed), but I'm looking for any info that might help me when I go to inspect this boat. Thanks!

Erick,
Is that 140 also 1979 vintage? Definitely check the compression on the motor unless you just plan on replacing it! If original motor, that price sounds a little steep! If it's a late 70's/early 80's 90 degree V-4 cross flow motor (instead of later model loop charged, maybe 60 degree V-4), OMC boosted the 135 up to 140 by moving the rings closer to the top of the piston, which changes the port timing, sort of like changing a cam on a 4-stroke motor. That left a pretty thin land between the ring and top of piston, so with a load of bad gas and some detonation, that top ring can come off! It's real important to run premium fuel in those motors and don't lug 'em down with too big a prop! Should rev to at least 5500 rpm, so check to see what size prop is on it. A 115 motor will want a 13 3/4 dia x 15" pitch prop. The 140 might be able to turn a 13 1/2 x 17"p if boat isn't loaded too heavy. If it's running a 13 x 19, that's probably too big a prop!

The later Seafari's (post 1973) have some improvements relative to the earlier models, like a bigger fuel tank, a cockpit sole that's raised and inch or two, and a windshield and raised support area on cabin top that is moved forward about a foot, providing a little more cabin headroom and more room for the instrument panel. Downside is that the step down into cabin is just big enough to open the door, whereas on my '72 the step down is big enough to put a 72 qt cooler there, which helps get some weight up front for a better ride in rough seas.

General stuff to check: (See AB111's reply this morning to a similar question on a 23, lots of good advice there on checking for rot!) My boat still has a solid original transom and deck/hatch cores and gel coat, so an old boat doesn't ALWAYS have a lot of rot it it, but that depends on how meticulous and knowledgeable the previous owners were about sealing screws, etc., but I'd agree that the odds are probably against you there! However SeaCraft's were expensive boats when new, compared to their competition, and were often bought by pretty savvy folks, so if it's a one-owner well maintained boat, you might be in luck! The bow rail screws on my boat go thru 1/4" thick glass, so no worries there, but Potter cut corners in the late 70's trying to avoid bankruptcy, so maybe he used more core and less glass there on the later models. Jump on the motor's cavitation plate to see if there is any deflection of the transom that would indicate a soft core. Also check the motor mount bolts/washers to see if they've crushed into the glass, which would also indicate a soft core. If it has the live well under stern seat, there was a recessed plastic cup and screw-in cap right at the water line for the water inlet/exit that tended to leak, so that's a potential transom killer which I caught and sealed early on with my boat. The cap was bonded to the top of the transom with brittle polyester putty, so that joint tends to crack underneath the aluminum trim around the engine cut out, allowing water ingress under the trim. When I bought my then 3-year old boat, I removed the trim, routed out that joint and sealed it with flexible Life Caulk polysulfide sealant, which may be what saved my transom. Check the scupper tubes at the flared ends where they come through the bottom of the hull, as they tend to corrode, crack and leak in that area. Many posts here on CSC on how to repair them.

Some other Seafari-specific areas to check:
If boat was used hard, there may be some local stress cracks in the glass around the cabin door at the top corner, but they aren't serious. The screws at the bottom of the cabin bulkhead tend to come loose, allowing the entire bulkhead and door assembly to try to slide aft. Cabin door tends to bind at the bottom when that happens. Easily fixed by replacing the self tapping screws with toggle bolts/machine screws with blue loctite on 'em. The bulkhead under the bunks forward of the marine head was rather lightly glassed to the stringers and some Seafari's have had some delamination there, but the stringers are all glass, installed about half way through the layup, and have never been a problem. I wouldn't have a structural concern but it could be used as leverage to lower the asking price! My boat had a marine head installed and the front hatch under the bunks was open to the hull to access the thru hull fittings for the head hoses, so you can see that bulkhead if you stick a flashlight and your head through that hatch. If that boat doesn't have a head, there may just be a gel coated storage box under there like there is under the side hatches, so then you wouldn't be able to see that bulkhead.

If it has the Galley Seat, that's a rare option that was standard on the I/O models in some years. I think it's a neat feature, but if you didn't want it, you could easily remove and sell it to another Seafari owner and replace with a pedestal seat.

Overall, the Seafari is the most versatile of all the 20' models. There are also NO modern cuddy cabin boats with an opening windshield and a cabin hatch that turns into a wind scoop when opened, a great combination for camping in Florida or the Bahamas! You can do anything with it you can do with a cc model, but not vice versa! It has more weight forward than the cc models which helps it ride a little better; some friends that have cc's that have ridden in it said it feels a little more solid, maybe because the cabin top and bulkhead provide additional hull stiffness. If you'll PM me with an e-mail address I can send you an inspection checklist I put together for checking out boats for friends. I also have .pdf files of the Boating magazine test of the Seafari 20 that's more readable than the one in the Literature section as well as a couple of factory brochures I can send you if you want them.

Good luck and keep us posted on what you find on that boat! Denny

[Erik]

Thanks Denny! That's alot of info! I believe it's a late 80's evinrude that was overhauled and has 25 hours on it. It seems like all used boats have overhauled or rebuilt engines!

No matter what I get, it will be an upgrade from the 1969 Cobia my dad and I had in 1988...and it will definitely be an upgrade from the 1991 Seahart Corona I had in 2007.

I checked out a 1979 Cruisers Inc. Bonanza with a 1991 Evinrude 175 over the weekend as well. The transom looked good...I gave it the "shake the motor plate " test and it was good. I also checked out a 1985 Proline 21 WA with an Evinrude 175. Not bad...the Bonanza was nicer.

But...I really like the sound of the Seafari...gotta check it out.

[Bushwacker]

Erik,

Check your e-mail! Denny