20 Seafari

[cdavisdb]

You will find that running fast in snotty conditions, you will want to stand up and get your head above the windshield. I used to unstap and fold back forward corner of the bimini, its plenty strong enough. That can get a bit wet inside the boat, but I was diving and it was warm,so didn't care. Always wanted a zip out hole for my head, though.

I've got a 25 seafari now and set up the binimi so that is not a problem.

[cdavisdb]

Something to watch out for.

The black max engine cowl splits vertically, long seam along the top of the cowl. The damn seal can leak. On really snotty days when a lot of spray is hitting the engine, you may find it starting to cut out, especially a low planing speeds. Bring it home and all seems fine. What the???? You can waste a bunch of money on mechanics. What's happening is the coils are getting wet and shorting out. You can see spark in the wrong place running the engine at night on a hose with the cowl off. I used to tape the cowl closed, which helped, but never did completely eliminate the issue. It won't keep you from getting home, just annoying as heck.

[Bushwacker]

NICE rig! Welcome to CSC! The original navy top on my '72 Seafari had a zippered opening above the helm so you could stand with the top up, shown in the picture below from a late 70's Bahamas trip. A good canvas shop could probably add one if yours doesn't have it. The Weblon material in that original top is tough stuff and it lasted for years. It doesn't stretch like Sunbrella and it's watertight, although you may have to seal the seams occasionally. I also added a sun top to shade the back half of the boat when anchored. Can't have too much shade in the Bahamas or S. Fla. in the summer!

That anchor bracket is a real handy feature on a Seafari! Because of the limited bow access, I had my anchor chocked on the front deck for years, but with a roller bracket and a good hawse pipe, you can deploy and retrieve it much quicker! (Make sure the hawsepipe is centered over the anchor locker so the rope doesn't pile up on the flared part of the hull, and use about 20' of chain which also helps the anchor set quickly!) There are times, like trying to anchor over a good lobster hole, when getting the anchor down quick is a big deal!

You might want to check the bracket mounting to see if there is a backing plate under it, as it can generate huge vertical loads in the deck if you're anchored in rough seas! I epoxied a couple of layers of 3/16" plywood under the deck beneath the bracket and center cleat when I installed mine. I used a couple of thin layers so they would conform to the crown in the deck. Before installing them I installed some 1/2" plywood backing boards under the original bow cleats in the raised "toe rail" area. The bottom of the 1/2" boards were then flush with the rest of the underside of the deck, so I extended the large thin boards all the way out over those boards under the bow cleats. All holes through the cored part of the deck were drilled oversize, filled with thickened epoxy and then redrilled, to keep water out of the core. West Systems says you need 3 coats of epoxy on the plywood to waterproof it, but I used MAS epoxy because it's thinner. If you thin the first coat with about 10% with lacquer thinner, it'll soak into the wood a lot better. Here's a link to my photobucket album with some pictures of my installation. http://s188.photobucket.com/albums/z...chor%20Roller/

[Seafari78]

started stripping the "rabbit fur" out of cuddy as it was a little funky after 35 years.
removed floor panel as I wanted to replace the fuel sender wiring.
The 50 gal tank was put in about 5 years ago and when removed the panel I saw all this foam...it was dry, but should I remove it ?

And I added a pic from my office window for good measure

[Bushwacker]

Originally Posted by Seafari78

. . .
The 50 gal tank was put in about 5 years ago and when removed the panel I saw all this foam...it was dry, but should I remove it ?

Absolutely! The foam will hold water against the tank and cause corrosion! I hope that tank has some good epoxy paint on it! I'd pull the tank, check it for leaks, and remove any foam that's contacting the tank. Here's the right way to install it: http://www.yachtsurvey.com/fueltank.htm

[Seafari78]

Bushwacker,
Thanks again for the input....foam will come out.
I dropped boat off today to get the engine serviced, so as soon as I get it back work will begin.

[cdavisdb]

A truly nice one, congratulations, and thank the former owner for doing such a nice job keeping the boat up.

[cdavisdb]

Nice Office!

What do you plan as a mouse fur replacement? I have the same problem.

[Seafari78]

cdavisb...there was a post on here where someone and I can't remember who (sorry) redid the cuddy and used a very this almost felt like material that is available at Home Depot. You can't miss it if you look in their carpet/flooring area. Comes in several colors and is very easy to work with.

[Handful in NC]

Twice now I have used this Sailrite headliner in a forward cabin, and I cannot say enough good things about it. It is really stretchy and hides what's underneath, even windshield bolts/nuts, very nicely. Other than getting the old fur off, no prep work is needed with the recommended 3M adhesive. Sailrite has an installation video that is most helpful, but you should practice on a small simple area first as there are a few tricks to figure out for easiest and best results. (Like - it can be really hard to trim with a knife - scissors are better - and properly marking it for trimming takes a bit of practice.)

http://www.sailrite.com/HullBlanket-...e-Ivory-M93-72