Looking at an 18' Sea Craft, ... need some help...

[Old'sCool]

Where are the pictures???

[Capt Chuck]

Welcome to CSC Virgin Islander

There's a pvc pipe tunnel (actually, a half moon shaped piece of 3" pvc)that runs along the keel and ends about 3" short of the transom. The pump just fits into that little space. ... I'm guessing this is a normal part of the contruction?

The half moon glassed PVC running fore and aft was normal construction in '78. It really serves NO structual purpose. Channeling the water aft and preventing water ponding in the center under the fuel tank seems the most logical. The old wood glassed center stringer (still apparent in most earlier models) was meant to "Beef Up" the keel as most boats had roller type trailers before the float-on bunk types hit the circut

BTW: I cut mine away to install the thru-hull transducer @ centerline and complete the transom inclose.
Good Luck with your refurbishing !

[VirginIslander]

Well, it's been a week from hell here, getting this thing together, between monsoons.

Just the way you always want to be spending your vacation time.

It was a classic case of everytime I fixed a couple things, another thing needing to be fixed revealed itself. Jeeeeze, I hate when that happens.

Anyway, I launched it Wednesday for the first time, and it idled away from the pier just fine. It's really easy to launch and retrieve. As I gave it some gas, it was fine at first, but as the rpm came up to about 3000, the warning horn would come on. ... Back off and all was fine. Tried this a few times and each time the same results. The temperature was fine and it was pissing out a good stream, so it had to be a fuel restriction warning. I settled for a liesurely trip around Christiansted harbour and then loaded her back on the trailer. I was pleasantly surprised that the fishfinder and VHF that came with it actually worked. (I did have to replace the antenna and coax for the vhf though)

Back at the house, I started to dismantle the fuel sysytem to see what may be causing a restriction. (I'd already checked the spin on filter/seperator and it looked good) Anyway, when I pulled the inlet hose off, and looked into the hose, there was a big wad of aluminum shavings that was jammed up at where the hose barb would have been. I pulled out quite a pile with a pair of needle nose pliers and a small screw driver.

I recalled the seller telling me that he had a new tank put in a couple years back, ..... if it had been cobbled together by the local blacksmith, that would explain all the shards of aluminum. Anyway, I cut an access hole in the floor under the console over where the hose connects to the tank. I blasted air thru the hose to purge any additional debris ... another big wad of shavings came blating out. Then I added an auxilliary filter a few inches from the pickup so that when this happens again, (and I just know it will) it'll be a quick, easy thing to deal with. .... Clean out a few inches of hose and replace the filter.

It would have been a lot simpler if the fuel pickup was removable and I could just shorten it a bit, and add some fine mesh screen to the end, but noooooo, the pickup is a tube welded into the tank with just a 3/8" pipe by 3/8 hose fitting screwed on it. .... Another fine example of local engineering! ... That's why I figure it'll all happen again with the aluminum shavings.

I had it all already to go for this morning, but it seems the rain gods were against that plan, so maybe the floods will subside by tomorrow and I can try again.

I'll get some pictures if the freakin' sun ever comes out again.


From the waterlogged caribbean,

Darlene

[eggsuckindog]

The only good thing to say is it didn't take long to figure out the problem Congrats on getting it wet and just think the next trip will be better. I know whats its like trying do things with the weather, here in Tampa in the summer as soon as you get every out here comes a thunder storm and you scramble to get everything put away again, plus its hard to see with all the sweat pouring in your eyes [img]/forum/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[VirginIslander]

Well,
It finally stopped raining here, and I got it in the water Saturday morning.

Purred like a kitten at low rpm's, and ran super on the top end. Was a very nice morning on the sea, .... untill it was time to put it back up on the trailer when the motor refused to tilt up. It would go farther down, but not up. What a pain that became. Finally was able to loosen the manual release screw so it could be tilted up to get it home.

By Sunday afternoon I worked up the courage to go see what was wrong this time, the problem turned out to be in the tilt limit switch. ... Now she's ready for the water again .... Just as my vacation's over. Now if I can get a day off after the next couple weeks! (since some one else is on vacation)



Darlene

[eggsuckindog]

You seem pretty handy with tools there Darlene