1974 seacraft 23 ....looking to buy

[downeast25]

looking at a 1974 23 inboard the boat in question looks like it might need an engine. knowing it might need a repower what should i look for structurally other then the obvious. anything i should look out for? are these hulls cored should i be worried about hull being "wet" ? thanks in advance.....Downeast25

[aldo]

I have a 1976 inboard that I re-powered about 10 years ago. Great boat. From what I know, the inboards are not as fast as the outboards, but the ride is better due to having the weight of the engine in the center and so low. I cruise at about 20-23 knots using about 6gph. Good luck with your purchase.

[oldfielder]

Solid hulls-no problem there. Old transom- may be wet-not such a big issue with the i/b. There have been some extensive restos of inboards on the site. Go back and look at the photos of Miles Offshore's repower and I think the other major project that I remember was Chance-I'm pretty sure that was his screen name.
I'm sure one of them will chime in.
Don't expect a speed demon, but count on a great ride.

[Miles Offshore]

hey downeast- there are several inboard guys on the site- you can do a search and find lots of stuff- my boat is a 1978. i dont have a lot of talent like most of the guys on the site to do total restoration but i do try to keep mine looking good and fishable all the time. here is a post from last year and a link to a photobucket album of an overhaul i did to my sled last year. like the other guys said- slow and steady, i cruise anywhere from 20 to 23 knots depending on current and load and normally burn from 9 to 11 GPH.

http://www.classicseacraft.com/forum...=&fpart=1&vc=1

[aldo]

Looking at the photos of Miles boat was like seeing a twin of my 76 In Board. That rear hatch is a monster. Had mine up this season to replace the strut. Considering they only made about 20 of these inboards a year it's nice to know there are a few others still out there. I am running a Marine Power 350 with throttle body injection. I re-did all the mechanicals about ten years ago.

[oldbluesplayer]

the inboard 23 is probably the most devastatingly impressive ride of the bunch, that v8 sitting low amidships sets up the balance just right.

I had the experience two years ago of traversing Cape Cod Bay in a good chop, in the company of one, travelling side by side, while I was in my Seafari 20 OB. While I was rising and falling, nearly launching off the waves, our brother in the 23 IB just simply -Crushed- the chop. It was impressive.

The hulls are straight glass, not cored like some other boats - you might be thinking of SeaBird, my brother has one, they're balsa cored hulls. The stringers are large glass boxes, foam filled - sometimes the foam can get waterlogged, a few have reported seperation of the stringer boxes from the hulls - you have to remember these are 30 year old boats, that handle big seas well, and some boats have quite probably literally been beat to sh*t with hard use - so it would be best to look carefully, but not to fear that hard use - the boat is Most Definitely worth it - true believers come, only after, the first ride.

Bill

[JohnB]

I agree, those inboards are wave crushers, and are very stable at rest when fishing. It's like standing on a dock. You give up speed, they usually cruise at 22-25 and top out at 30-33. The only thing about them is they seem to be heavy in the back. They usually have 2 50 gal saddle tanks right in the back. If you can move anything forward it helps them. At the very least, put some big bennet tabs on it, and you can help get the back end out of the water.

[downeast25]

thanks for tips and pictures . great looking boat miles