SeaFari Mods

Bigshrimpin · #1 09-09-2007, 07:38 PM

Here's a few seafari mods that I just completed this week.

The scuppers were leaking badly . . . about 3gph, so I replaced them with 1" PVC . . . had to make some custom scupper plugs, but they worked great!!.

Also I got tired of removing the electronics panel, so I put in a hatch and installed the breakers on the side and kept the original 35 year old switches.

Then I put 30miles on the boat down river along the way the dog dropped a big Poo on deck.

My wife's Friend April (in the pics above) made the new cushion covers . . . I haven't washed them yet, so they're still a little loose. The boat is really coming together.

Oh yeah . . . I dropped the hammer on the way . . . 5800rpm with the 17 mirage plus . . . 47mph tops with a full tank 3 people and a dog. I cruised back at 40+ mph for 13 miles. The boat really lifts out of the water at the higher speeds.

Bryan A. · #2 09-09-2007, 09:11 PM

Lookin' good!

Thanks for the poo info, it will come in handy on my seacraft work. [img]/forum/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

strick · #3 09-10-2007, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Oh yeah . . . I dropped the hammer on the way . . . 5800rpm with the 17 mirage plus . . . 47mph tops with a full tank 3 people and a dog. I cruised back at 40+ mph for 13 miles. The boat really lifts out of the water at the higher speeds.

Now are you glad I talked you into building a bracket

strick

Bigshrimpin · #4 09-10-2007, 12:37 AM

Strick - Yes I am!! The boat feels like a rocket especially above 45mph . . . nice and stable almost no wake at all when it lifts up out of the water. Gonna say bu-bye to the 20MA soon.

cSickNick · #5 09-10-2007, 03:48 PM

Nice job shrimp!

Been following all along, nice job with the bracket!!

Curious, but how does the ride compare to the V20 Wellcraft.

Do you agreed now that Seafari's rule?

- Nick

Kahuna · #6 09-10-2007, 10:12 PM

Big,
Looks good! Wow, what a rocket!!! If I remember that motor is old but new, right? 150hp? I'm impressed, you really did actually scare the crap out of the dog!! HAHAHAAH Seriously, outstanding. My motor may be rated at 140 (that is what it says on the valve cover, and the serial numbers), but with speed like that out of your ride, I have got to only be putting out 120hp. Now you really have me thinking about a bracket. Speed/performance like that is very impressive. Are you satisfied with the trim of the boat empty/loaded with the bracket? Does the bouancy of the bracket offset the weight of the motor? I'm thinking of the senario of slow trolling with 3 people in the boat in a following sea, in a mild rip. With the amount of free board at the transom with I/O its no problem, since you are the only one I know with first hand experience in the same hull, didn't know how you felt with the new mod.

Bigshrimpin · #7 09-12-2007, 01:58 PM

Nick - I totally agree seafari's rule . . . I slept on the boat a few nights ago, woke up and went fishing. It was really comfortable. The seacraft's ride is better than the v20 all around . . . I also got a chance to let the prop breathe at 40mph into 2-3ft chop along the old Berkley Pier. . . All I can say is WOW!!
I'll get some pics one of these days.

Kahuna - It's got an old 200 vertical reed merc powerhead. I think someone shaved the heads at one point, b/c the compression is at 135psi in all 6cylinders. I never got a chance to drive the boat as an I/O, so I can't compare the two. I did back the boat up 300ft into the chop the other day (rescuing a kayaker that flipped over) . . . the bracket provides enough flotation to keep the engine dry. I can also put the scupper plugs in when I'm standing in back corner w/o water coming in. My only two complaints are backing up and excessive spray at slow planeing speeds.

Otherwise it's a real nice ride.

eggsuckindog · #8 09-12-2007, 05:49 PM

Nice horn

hermco · #9 09-12-2007, 06:23 PM

Backing up is greatly improved if you trim the motor up a hair so the prop wash doesn't hit the transom since the motor is higher mounted on the bracket and the prop wash will bounce off of the transom.

Bushwacker · #10 09-12-2007, 11:25 PM

Great looking rig! Your performance numbers are similar to mine. I've seen 49.9 mph with bimini down and light load. Your waterline at stern looks a little higher than mine. Do you know how much your motor weighs? I assume your bracket has same 30" setback as it looks similar to mine. The I/O cg is probably a little further forward due to smaller fuel tank (30 gal? vs. ~34-36 on O/B) that doesn't extend as far back.

Regarding the V-20 vs Seacraft ride, I have a personal data point. A V-20 was in the group in my first crossing to the Abaco's and we had some pretty rough stuff on return across the gulf stream: 2-3' at start, reaching 6-8' (steep & breaking!) in middle of stream with a 10 kt wind that went from NW->N->NE. Took about 4 hrs to make 60 nm. Post trip inspection on my Seafari revealed only a few loose screws at bottom of bulkhead. Similar inspection of the V-20 revealed: 1. Back-to-back seats had disintegrated. 2. Crack in cabin bulkhead. 3. Both saddle (fuel) tank brackets had broken loose at the welds! 4. A 4' crack in bottom of hull - one of the plywood stringers, tabbed to the hull with just one layer of glass and not adequately saturated with resin, had come loose from the hull. The V-20 was a very popular boat in our area, and I personally know of at least 4 others that met the same fate! The owner of the Seacraft 21 that led this and 50-60 similar trips described the V-20 as the "Best Looking/Worst Riding Deep V ever made"!