Questions about 1976 23' Sceptre

[Rufneck]

I am in negotiations to buy a 23' Sceptre and have a few questions before I do the deal.

1. Does anybody know if the 100 gallon fuel tank can be replaced with a larger tank without reducing the size of the fishbox?

2. What is the purpose of this void space just forward of the transom (see picture below)? Is it for a bait well? Currently the boat doesn't have a live bait well. I am sure this could be used as one but it doesn't seem very convenient to have to get bait out of here.

3. Has anybody ever moved the batteries from the back to forward? I am thinking somewhere near the helm would improve the environment (less moisture) and would better distribute weight to the front of the boat.

4. If I call Armstrong and tell them I need a bracket for this boat for twin 140hp Suzukis (for example), would they be able to tell me exactly what size bracket I needed and where to mount it on this boat? I don't want to have to guess on the height of the motors if I decide to go with a bracket.

5. Is there any place that sells replacement Seacraft dash panels where the gauges and switches are mounted? I am referring to the brown panels in the helm picture below.

Thanks in advance. I hope to be able to tell you all that I have joined the Seacraft community very soon!!

[77SceptreOB]

Clay,

Welcome to the club. Hope you are successful in your upcoming purchase/Neg.

1) I think 100 gallons is the max you can go without affecting the fish box or having to place another remote fuel cell

2) Yes, the area in front of the transom is for the baitwell. There should be two pipes coming up from the bottom to serve as the plumbing.

3) Yes.

5) I have never seen "new" original style replacement wood grain dash panels for sale. I used Plexiglas to replace my original ones. See below.

[Dilligaf]

just moved my batteries to the floor storage place inside the cabin

[floorboy]

I have both my deep cycles in the front compartment in the cuddy, Works great.

[McGillicuddy]

Originally Posted by Rufneck

4. If I call Armstrong and tell them I need a bracket for this boat for twin 140hp Suzukis (for example), would they be able to tell me exactly what size bracket I needed and where to mount it on this boat? I don't want to have to guess on the height of the motors if I decide to go with a bracket...
Thanks in advance. I hope to be able to tell you all that I have joined the Seacraft community very soon!!

Regarding the bracket, do yourself a favor and call Don Herman at Hermco. He possibly has more knowledge of SeaCrafts and experience with building brackets for SeaCrafts than any of the commercial builders. Check him out at www.hermco.net

His brackets offer the flotation you'll need for a pair of modern motors.

Good luck with your purchase and welcome aboard.

[Rufneck]

McGilli, why are the Hermco brackets better than Armstrong? I see they are fiberglass. Aren't the Armstrong brackets aluminum? Are they lighter or more durable or less expensive than the Armstrong? I am just now starting to explore the bracket option so any info you have would be appreciated.

Thanks to the rest of you for the info. I will load you guys up with pictures once I get the deal done.

[DonV]

I'll let Gilli and Bushwacker go over the many details of why the Hermco is better, however I like the Hermco because it just looks nicer!! Smooth round edges, things like that.

[McGillicuddy]

Originally Posted by Rufneck

McGilli, why are the Hermco brackets better than Armstrong? I see they are fiberglass. Aren't the Armstrong brackets aluminum? Are they lighter or more durable or less expensive than the Armstrong? I am just now starting to explore the bracket option so any info you have would be appreciated.

Thanks to the rest of you for the info. I will load you guys up with pictures once I get the deal done.

I don't know if they are better or not. That's kind of subjective. Hermco brackets are favored among SeaCraft owners for their excellent craftsmanship, their custom fit to the SeaCraft hull and if I'm not mistaken, Don has been involved with Bill Potter (the guy who introduced the SeaCraft 23) in several fiberglass designs including These brackets and SeaMark pilot houses. They are, as you know, fiberglass - meaning one less thing to corrode. Stainless bolts on aluminum structures don't fare so well in a salty bath once the make contact and are hit by stray current...

Hermco brackets offer superior flotation qualities. This is very useful as modern 140 zukes are about 100 lbs heavier than the the old OMC and Merc 140s of yesteryear. I believe Hermco brackets are designed to sit a little lower on the transom offering more flotation, in addition to having a larger cavity.

I don't know what the going rate is on these brackets but I'm sure they are comparable in price. I don't know their relative weights. As far as shipping goes, both companies are geographically pretty close to one another one being in Jensen Beach FL and the other in Stuart FL.

I only recommend that you talk to Don at Hermco about your needs. I think you'll find his attention to details about your SeaCraft project is 2nd to none. And the quality is well represented by many on this forum who have ante'd up for Hermco brackets.

Good luck with your purchase, the Sceptre 23' is a great choice. Look forward to seeing pics your new boat should your deal come to be.

[Bushwacker]

Amen to what Gillie said! I also prefer Don's rigging kit for the Hermco bracket, thru the tub and then up out of the swim platform, like Cayman Boy did on his, instead of running everything out the transom and across the swim platform. Swim platform is a lot cleaner without having to step over all those cables.

[Rufneck]

Thank you gents. I'll have a look at them. I got the deal done yesterday and delivered her to her new home last night. I'll post complete pictures with my tentative plans later today.