Noob questions

[Max_Florida]

Hi everyone. I've been reading the forums for a few days now. A little about myself... I live in Florida. My buddy and I spearfish and we are looking to buy a boat to take out of the Tampa/Sarasota area. Together we are going to have about a $4000 budget. We want to buy a fixer upper and do whatever work is needed ourselves.

I know nothing about boats, other than they are supposed to float. I am very mechanically inclined(taught myself how to fix cars, to include engine/tranny swaps) and am willing to learn whatever is necessary. We aren't planning on actually buying the boat until September or October. So between now and then I plan to read, read, read.

My primary question is... is $4000 a reasonable budget to purchase a 23' Tsunami/Scepter OB in decent condition, and get it sea worthy if we do all of the work ourselves?

My second question is... can anyone recommend some good books with the information I'll need to undertake this project?

I also plan on taking boating safety classes and learning about boat handling and anything else I can. We are probably going to be 9+ miles offshore and I would rather not end up a statistic.

I know this question has probably been asked before, and I have tried searching, but have been unable to find anything. Apologies if my search skills are lacking.

[basswacker]

I paid $2700 for a scepter and have put about 2-3k into it and its all ready.

[Bushwacker]

Welcome to the forum and a great source of information and good advice by some very experienced folks! If you haven't seen this thread, I'd start there! You can probably learn as much from it and the other threads in the repairs section as any book. Island Trader, Blue Heron, and others are also doing some great stuff on their boats. Beyond that, just post any questions on this great forum. The only dumb question is the one you DON'T ask!

BTW, the Sceptre is a great dive boat and they may even be a little cheaper than the CC's which aren't as good for diving.

[cdavisdb]

$4000 budget for a Septre, can you do it? Yes, if you are lucky and have enough knowledge to pick the right boat. You can also get in way over your head. I'm fairly knowledgeable and would not try it.

Suggestion: a 20 seafari makes a fabulous dive boat in your area. I fished/dived mine for years from Bayport to south of the Tampa ship channel, 20-40 miles offshore, almost every trip. Put 6 tanks in the well forward and she will go though most anything and be reasonably nice to your kidneys. About as close to bullet proof as any boat can be. Not as rough water capable as a Septre but close in that format. Dives three in comfort and 4 in a crowd.

The thing about the seafari is cost. Everything is cheaper, from fuel to engines to all the little stuff, to any major refurbishing you need. If you are on a budget, its hard to beat for your application.

[Bushwacker]

I second Connor's advice! You should come to one of our gatherings and see some of these boats up close and personal! If you'll only have 2 folks on board, a 23 is overkill! The Seafari 20 is more than adequate and would be much easier for a beginner to handle. They also seem to be cheaper in the used market than the CC models; most folks evidently just want to fish and don't appreciate the Seafari's versatility. Without the Sceptre's walk thru windshield, it's a little harder to get on the front deck for anchoring and docking, but you just need to have permanently rigged bow lines running back to cockpit, a good deck pipe to the rope locker and anchor chocked on deck or in a roller bracket to easily address those issues.

The 23 is a much bigger heavier boat, harder to handle and tow, requires a bigger thirstier motor and tandem axle trailer, etc. Figure a max towed weight of 4000 lbs for the 20 vs. 6000+ for the 23. I easily tow my Seafari on a single axle trailer (with brakes) with a mid-size pickup. With a 23, the tandem trailer has twice as many wheels, bearings, tires and springs to cause problems, is harder to maneuver, and you'll need at least a 1/2 ton pick-up to tow it, possibly with 4WD on bad ramps.

The Seafari has a 10' long cockpit, so plenty of room for dive gear for 2 guys. It also has a bigger better ventilated cabin than the Sceptre, with 6 1/2' long bunks vs 6' in the Sceptre. The 72 & earlier models have a big step down in the cockpit which is a handy place to put a 70 qt cooler when it's rough to get some weight forward to improve the ride. The later models have a small step down and a bigger gas tank. As Fr. Frank will tell you, it's incredibly seaworthy for a 20' boat. Getting the CG right is key for a good ride. If you balance it right, you can plane at 12-13 mph and ride through 3-4' seas very comfortable, sitting down! I ran mine 160 nm to the Abaco's a half dozen times back in the late 70's/early 80's with a light simple 115 Evinrude with no problems. I made one 60 nm trip back across the gulf stream from West End in seas up to 6-8' in 4 hrs, a 15 kt average. Fr. Frank has had his Seafari out in much rougher stuff than that. Have made some nice long trips around the state in mine the last couple of years, so search my posts (click on my username and then on "Show all users posts") and you'll see what can be done with this amazingly versatile boat! If you want more info on the Seafari, PM me with an e-mail address & I can send you some pdf files of old factory brochures I scanned. Denny

[Max_Florida]

Thanks for the info guys!

I understand what you guys are saying about the 20' vs the 23'. I think I will definitely be looking for a 20' Seafari.

Should I try to find a boat that is already in good condition for around $4k, or try to find one that needs work and fix it myself? What about the motor?

What work would you guys definitely recommend? It seems like the transom is one of the few weaknesses of the Seacraft hulls. Should I definitely plan on redoing that?

Again, thanks for all the information guys! You guys have probably already saved me from disaster, haha!

[BigLew]

Plan on doing whatever needs re-doing. Cosmetics can and will rip you and your friend a "new one" if chased to the Nth degree! If you don't know enough about boats to look at one like someone else is buying it and pointing out what kind of condition all its components are in; hull, deck, transom, motor, electronics, etc, etc., get someone who is and then add up what must be done and what would be nice to do eventually.

Now you're ready to make a decision to buy or not to buy or use the information to negotiate a lower price of sale. When you find a situation that is manageable within you budget- pull the trigger and proclaim yourself terminally ill with SeaCraft-itis!!!

Remember, Strictly from a dollars and cents perspective, "If it flies, FLOATS - RENT IT! Good luck.

[Max_Florida]

For me, cosmetics are definitely a distant second to the seaworthiness of the boat. I would love to have a good looking boat, but I'm going to be working with a $4k-5k budget initially and impressing the SeaTow guys with how pretty my boat looks when they show up is not my goal.

I definitely plan on hiring a marine surveyor to inspect the boat. I'm not going to rush myself on this. I plan on starting to look for a boat in September and having it ready for the water by April. I figure that gives me all winter to do any repairs that are necessary.

[Fr. Frank]

impressing the SeaTow guys with how pretty my boat looks when they show up is not my goal.

I definitely plan on hiring a marine surveyor to inspect the boat.

Hiring the surveyor when you think you've found the right boat is a great idea; essential, in fact. But that won't help you find the boat in the 1st place. I presume from your previous posts that you live somewhere within 25 miles of Tampa Bay (the bay, not the town). There are a number of CSC members who live close to there who will probably be glad to help you look at various boats that come up for sale, to help you weed through them before you involve a surveyor.

BTW, avoid the 23' Tsunami on the east coast with the twin Volvos. It needs complete repowering, and transom replacement and deck recoring. The cost will easily exceed $10k even if you put a cheap bracket and used OB on it.

Posting of Craigslist or any other Boat for Sale ad is against CSC Forum rules and will be deleted

[Max_Florida]

I actually live in Orlando, I also don't own a vehicle that can tow a boat, haha! This works to my advantage somewhat though because I figure I'm centrally located to both coasts, making it easier for me to get to boats on the east coast. I would definitely compensate any CSC members who were kind enough to help me check out a boat, when the time comes, with lunch and plenty of beer!

My plan is to keep the boat at a marina that has the dry storage shelves and a forklift. I figure the cost of storing it there won't be too much more than the gas it would cost to drive it back and forth to the coast twice a month(vehicle that gets 25mpg vs 10mpg). Also, I won't have to buy a truck that can pull it.

I figure I will only have to tow it twice to get it to the marina: once to my house when I buy it(if it needs work) and once to the marina. I will just rent a Uhaul or something for those days.

If my thinking is flawed feel free to let me know.

I like that Seafari up in tallahasee, but I'm not ready to buy yet(financially or knowledge-wise). Thanks for the tip though!

And that mash-up site is awesome!