23 Self-bailing deck history ?

[ScottM]

Recently found out from the original owner that my 71 Seafari was a "sinker".

John,
Was the original owner with you Sunday morning in the Back River? [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] That was me in my father's SC, wearing the blue shirt, waving to you and your dad as we left the fuel dock.

[FELLOW-SHIP]

“BOATS ARE LIKE WOMEN” if you flat out ignore them, or if you don’t pay enough attention to the small details that they consider important, or if you don’t treat them with a loving relationship they will find some way to get your attention and when it is all over with “YOU WILL” wish you did pay more attention to them when they started trying to tell you something. As for the scupper thing I don’t know of any SeaCraft that drained water directly into the bilge they go from the deck through the bottom of the boat. If the Scuppers are plugged up then water will find a hatch that does have a hole that does drain into the bilge and if you don’t have a bilge pump that doesn’t work correctly Well Guess What? It’s kind a like NOT spending any time, money, relationship, dinner, and well you know, everything else that is needed to get you wife to respond to a smelly fisherman like everyone that is reading this post. Be true to you boat and she will never let you down. I went fishing Sat night and heard some one on the VHF in trouble ended up that his live well was running and filling up the bilge some sort of hose problem I guess, well guess what? The bilge pump didn’t work either and no flares on the boat. “On my boat I always have 2 bilge pumps”. If you don’t care about your self think of your poor loving sweetheart that right “YOUR BOAT” that you are treating like crap.
FellowShip [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Miles Offshore]

get you wife to respond to a smelly fisherman like everyone that is reading this post. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] I resemble that remark!!!

Seems to me live wells and those 19.95 float switches sink more boats than anything- ive been hearing plenty of horror stories from live wells it seems lately. worse yet when they fail to put a seacock inboard of the thru-hull fitting and the hose/whatever develops a leak !!!! [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[Doghouse4x4]

Attention is paramount when dealing with a boat in the water. I'd wager the majority of people on the water today don't spend near enough time or effort to properly maintain a boat. That's just from personal experiences with a good number of people who have docked their junk at my house. We've had to call several to tell 'em their boat was sinking and they better come do something about it quick. not to mention the puzzled looks from questions about the last time they changed lower unit oil or water pump impellers, etc....

[paulfurnari]

My '72 23' CC has the scuppers straight out the bottom. When the decks were replaced, we replaced the tubes rolled ends and all. Also increased the diameter to 1". The boat seems to sit high in the water with a single engine and they work real well!

[ocuyler]

Doghouse,

I have little tolerence for those types that think you can own a boat, keep it in the water and think (hope?) that it starts and runs when they show up. Unbelievable...

[Doghouse4x4]

I concur. I think it just comes from lack of knowledge, mixed with a good dose of laziness!! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[sokinwet]

Scott - Just saw your post; been out fishing or pulling my pots every night for the past week. Hey, someones got to do it. My dad wasn't the original owner, he stole it many yrs. ago from a guy who had to get rid of it to pay the Dr. bills when he had his 1st kid. I found out about the "Sinkcraft" because the guy and his kid are my auto mechanics! I think there has been a little payback $$$ going on when I bring the old GMC in for repairs! The "71" was "rode hard and put away wet" for many yrs. by my dad who felt that duct tape was the ultimate repair tool. I have progressed beyond that stage and have added 5200 to my preferred repair methods. P.S. Before some of you "purists" get down on my maintainance methods keep in mind that my "71" is all original, has been fished harder than most and is still floating! (as of this AM!)Hey I might even break down and replace the 85 Evinrude in a few years!

[SeaMaster]

my 1979 23 foot SC is self bailing through the scuppers. it is not a bilge bailing boat.

[red20]

You know what else lets water in that combined with a failing bilge float switch will sink you? Thoes darn bilge vents. On all of the 20's I have owned the first thing I do is fill them in. When I was 10 yrs old<1980> I was out on my dad's friends 1977 20' on a rough day trolling off of Miami. The vents let in more water than air and we ended up -- upside down 5 mile offshore.