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#1
03-09-2016, 07:07 PM
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Seafari/Scepter Bow Pulpit
My new to me Seafari requires a bow pulpit and a Lewmar windlass for grouper fishing the Gulf. The inaccessibility of the bow is just not conducive for anchoring and re anchoring over small structure, after attempting to calculate wind and tide. At least in my experience.
My plan is to fabricate my own using two 3/4" Coosaw Board and glassing myself. At this time I have no opening, or access through the bow and into the anchor locker. Minus cutting the rope with a hung anchor, how would I disperse load across the surface of the bow? Seems the strongest parts would be around the lip nearest the rub rail, or hull joint to cap? Any and all feedback is appreciated. Thanks in advance. Vezo Part II 
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#4
03-10-2016, 12:35 AM
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Even though I'm in my 70's, and not particularly well coordinated, I've found that bow accessibility on the Seafari is not that big a deal, especially after I figured out how to brace the Bimini top off the windshield (see first pic below) to make a firm handhold for going around the side deck. (I hope your VHF antenna is mounted on port side so it doesn't get in the way!) Don't remember if your boat has a bow rail on it; the bow rail sort of gets in the way, but I like having it in rough seas, as it's kept me from going overboard many times! Or as Connor says, just go thru the cabin hatch. You also don't need a windlass or a bow pulpit if you have someone with you (an anchor wench?!  ) Although I can see where you might want a windlass if you plan to go out by yourself a lot. What you need is a big oval deck pipe centered over the anchor locker, a center cleat and a roller bracket for the anchor. (I carry 300' of anchor line and 20' of chain; if you don't center the deck pipe, the line will pile up on the flare of the hull when you retrieve it!) I did a post of my anchor bracket install about 6 years ago but can't seem to find it, so I'll post some of the pictures here. My bracket doesn't hang out over the bow very far, but it's not hard to pull up the anchor without hitting the boat if you're carefull. When I'm in the keys for mini-season, I probably drop the anchor at least a dozen times/day, often trying to anchor within a few feet of a waypoint so I can use the scuba/hooka rig right from the boat without having to put the tank in an inner tube. My setup works very well, although I've found that GFS makes a real handy anchor wench, so that helps too! That roller bracket creates leverage that can put some serious loads into the deck, so I felt it was important to beef up the deck. I believe I used 2 pieces of 3/8 plywood, coated with epoxy and bonded to the underside of the deck with cabosil. I used 2 layers of thinner plywood so it would conform to the deck curvature and supported it from underneath with a bottle jack till the epoxy cured. I also used some 1/2" plywood backing blocks under the 2 OEM bow cleats, which fit into the raised "toe rail" section under the cleats, which made it flush with the rest of the deck so the big 3/8" panels would fit smoothly over it. Denny You'll obviously have to replace your bow light with separate red and green lights. I found some nice white plastic LED lights that I mounted in front of the cabin windows, although if I were to do it again, I think I'd mount 'em higher, just below the sides of the windshield. In the current location, they don't quite meet the USCG regs for viewing angles, since the sides of the cabin taper going forward and aren't parallel to the CL of boat. Denny
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'72 SeaFari/150E-Tec/Hermco Bracket, owned since 1975. http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z...Part2019-1.jpg
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#5
03-10-2016, 10:11 AM
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Thank you Denny, how are you? You nailed my question with photos!!! Thank you! Further aft of the reinforced center cleat, is the deck pipe and locking mechanism for the chain reinforced, or is that overkill? I had not considered the fact that this may not require a pulpit.
I've only been a guest aboard my buddies MANY different boats over the past 5 years grouper fishing out of Hernando Beach, but the structures appear to be very small, and if you're on it, you're on it. But anchoring has been a REAL PITA! His newest ride, a 25' Parker Pilot, hopefully his last boat (haha), has a windlass and I'M not the wench!!! Almost takes the fun out of fishing when you have to reposition four times to get on a rock only to find its holding shorts. With only 40 gallons and the 2006 Etec 150 I'm guessing my range will be about 100 miles conservatively. To get to 50' it's approximately 50 miles from my home port. I was thinking 10 or so feet of chain and 200' of rope. But I hope to trailer to the Keys, and the Rendevous, so I'd like to be prepared. Thanks Denny. Vezo
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#6
03-10-2016, 03:19 PM
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Carrying only 200' of line to anchor in 50' is only 4:1 scope, and that's pretty marginal, although maybe ok if you're not staying there long. I normally use at least 5:1 if anchoring overnight. 20' of chain will make a huge difference in how well the anchor sets and with that I can sometimes get away with 3:1 or even less scope down in the keys diving for bugs in 20-25'. However if planning a Bahamas trip where you''ll encounter 3+ kts of E or W running current in the 15' deep anchorage off West End, you'll have to do a Bahamian moor, i.e., set your bow anchor, let out 200' of line, then drop your stern anchor with chain and 100' of line, secure bitter end of stern anchor line to a bow cleat, and pull back on the bow anchor so you have 100' of line out in both directions. That way when the tide changes and starts running off the bank in the middle of the night, you won't drag anchor and end up in the Gulf Stream headed for England! I'd recommend 300' of line on the bow anchor and 100' on the stern anchor. There's plenty of room in the anchor locker for that much line - it only makes a pile of line about 6" tall. The stern anchor and 100' of line fits between/over my 2 batteries under stbd stern seat. And if you ever have to be towed in from offshore in big seas, you want a long towline to act as a shock absorber for when the towing and towee boats get out of phase on waves! Do you have the I-Command fuel management setup on that boat? (Requires a GPS antenna and a memory module to be added to the network.) It will keep track of fuel used/remaining and display range on remaining fuel. Error on fuel used is typically about 3-5% low. I understand the need for reserve fuel on an offshore trip, but one neat feature of the E-TEC is that if you get worried about running out of gas, just drop off plane down to about 1000 rpm/5mph, where you'll get about 8-10 mpg, better than any 4-stroke! The worst mileage I ever got was 3.3 mpg when I was cruising at 4500 and 30 kts, heavily loaded, so you should be able to count on a range of at least 130 miles (or over 300 miles at trawler speed!). At my typical cruising speed of 3700-3800 and about 25 kts, I can usually count on 3.8-4.0 mpg, heavily loaded (2 average size guys, 2 coolers and gear for a 1 wk cruise), but when you factor in idle zones, etc. on a typical trip, my overall mileage is better than that. On my ~700 mile S. Fl. circumnavigation trip I averaged 4.4 mpg heavily loaded, and I've made the 90 mile run up to Sebastian 3 times, normally burning about 20 gallons each way, although I did make it on 18 gallons one time, running by myself and only 2 coolers instead of 3. Of course most of that was in flat water, so I think assuming about 3 mpg would be very conservative for planning purposes. I averaged 2.8 mpg with my old carb'd 1975 115 over 6 Bahama trips that averaged from moderate to very rough seas, so I'm sure the E-TEC will beat that by quite a bit. What prop are you running, what is your WOT rpm, and is your AV plate above solid water? Although optimum RPM for my 2007 motor is 5300-5500, I believe it's 5500-5600 for the newer 150's. Although a SS 4B 14.5 X 15P BRP Cyclone prop turns about 5400 with a heavy load, provides a 12 mph min planing speed and is the best I've found to date for my stern heavy rig, a 3B prop might run a little faster on your boat, but I'd keep an eye on min planing speed, as that's critical for a comfortable ride if you get caught way offshore and the wind picks up! I'd also suggest joining the Owners Forum as there is a ton of valuable info on that site, very much like CSC!
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'72 SeaFari/150E-Tec/Hermco Bracket, owned since 1975. http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z...Part2019-1.jpg
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#7
03-10-2016, 05:41 PM
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Very informative, thanks bud. I understand rotating center cleat 90*, supporting chain off the deck and easier to wrap. When I drill for deck pipe, you are saying to center directly over locker, not just centered port and starboard, correct? That would make sense because the windlass would have to be centered and located aft of the deck pipe, correct? I'm going to take your advice with anchor line recommendations, and thank you for the Bahamian moor explanation. I believe I'm going to skip the bow pulpit for now. The 1977 has had the bow rail removed, yet the 1976 Blank Canvas in my yard here in SC has a beautiful SS original, should I feel the need.
I am so glad to hear that your Etec is a 2007. I have a 2006 and had some serious concerns about it being an early model. I was confused at time of purchase, but I think it was purchased as a left over in 2009, and saw it stamped 06 the next day. I do not know any history of Etecs, and my first ride was with you. This engine is estimated at 275 hours and MINT. Under the cowl she looks brand new. If it's taken care of as described and as well as his vehicles, and as the guys in his high and dry marina describe him, it should be a great engine. However, with the possibility of my first crossing, I could be easily convinced to sell this engine while it is still very marketable. Also, unlike the previous owner, he did not purchase the original (I-Command?) tach/gauge. That was an important part of my interest in your Etec. Thats all for now. Any chance you will be able to make the crossing with KMoose last week of June/first week of July? I really want to do it!!! Michael.
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#8
03-10-2016, 05:47 PM
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Oh, it is currently spinning its fourth and final prop per original owner. A LARGE three blade stainless. I did not make time to check out the hulls minimum planing speed and the analog tach could not get to 5600 rpms.
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#9
03-10-2016, 11:15 PM
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Quote:
If you're gonna install a windlass to eliminate the need for an anchor wench, I wouldn't go cutting anything till you actually have the windlass. You won't need a deck pipe; a rope pipe will be an integral part of the windlass. There is a triangular gel coated shelf in my anchor locker that's part of the inner liner which includes the bunks, but there is a vertical step that puts that shelf about 4-5" higher than the bunks; the bulkhead forming the anchor locker is wedged in between the bunk surface and deck, and retained by some screws into the vertical step of the inner liner. The bulkhead covers up a ~3" diameter hole that provides access to the bow eye. I think you want the anchor line entering the locker near or slightly forward of the center of that triangular shelf. If it's too far forward, the line will pile up on the flare of the hull; too far aft and it'll fall out thru the bulkhead opening on to the bunks, but I installed a net over the opening to keep the rope in the locker. For the type of anchoring you're doing, you might want to get a windlass with a clutch so the anchor can free fall instead of being lowered by an electric motor. Of course this probably means you'd have to have someone on the deck to release the clutch. If they make one where you can just push a button at the helm to drop the anchor, you might need a pulpit. The only reason my system works with such a small anchor bracket overhang is that I lower the anchor slowly until it's vertical, at which point it can be allowed to free fall. I haven't tried it, but I think if I just allowed the anchor to fall out of the bracket by itself, I suspect it might pivot about the forward roller and hit the hull on the way down. So if you go that route, you might need a pulpit or at least some SS sheet armor plate on the bow to protect the hull from the anchor! Although I bought my motor in March of '06, it's listed as an '07 model, which is first year of production. No such thing as an '06 2.6L 150/175/200 model. I actually prefer the earlier model due to it's lower Optimum RPM levels, because you can run props on it that might not spin fast enough on later models! There is a listing of all E-TEC changes made by model and year on the Owners Forum and it shows that very few changes have been made, indicating that the BRP engineers basically got it right the first time! I've had very few problems with mine in over 600 hours, so in your case I sure couldn't justify trading it in just because it's old, unless you want to spend big bucks to get a warranty! The only thing wrong with your motor is that it hasn't been used enough! If you don't have an I-Command gauge on that boat, that's the first $ I'd spend on it, as those analog tachs are notoriously inaccurate! I'd recommend getting at least one 3.5" and one 2" gauge because some useful parameters are unique to each gauge, The larger gauge also will display fault code info from the EMM in the event of sensor failures, etc. It will tell you what sensor is a problem instead of just turning on a warning light. As I posted on the gathering thread, I'm considering making the Bahama trip this summer, but if I'm gonna do all the work it requires to properly prepare for that trip, get my passport renewed and spend $300 for a cruising permit, I'm NOT just going to make a 3 hr. run over to West End, which is about like going to Riviera Beach in terms of culture and ambiance! I'm gonna go all the way to the Abaco's (Green Turtle, Guana Cay, Man O'War and Hopetown) to experience the real Bahamas Out Island lifestyle! The problem is finding somebody to run with for at least a week or more. One guy that I ran with years ago is talking about going, but he has less than a week available and only wants to go to Walkers/Grand Cay. Denny
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'72 SeaFari/150E-Tec/Hermco Bracket, owned since 1975. http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z...Part2019-1.jpg
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