1974 20' SF - Potential Purchase

[GWTHedman]

Afternoon-
Longtime lurker who is hopefully going to finally own a SeaCraft. Looking at a 1974 20' on Cape Cod. Current owner restored from hull up, raised deck 2", full transom, fabricated a fiberglass bracket, new tank, etc. Powered by a 1998 Yamaha 130 2S. On the surface all of his work seems to be top notch. Trailer is rock solid with new tires and LED lighting Sea trial won't be until the end of the week. Anybody on here know anything about this particular restoration? Any thoughts on what I should be looking out for? Lastly, any recommendations on a local knowledgeable member / surveyor who could assess the boat?
Not sure if the photos will come through sized correctly, haven't quite figured that out yet!
Thank you in advance-
Gary

[GWTHedman]

I should have thought to take some additional photos of the transom interior - let the wife take these while I looked it over. Steering arm and lockout on the yamaha show only mild rust and would be good to go for years with a little maintenance. The kiwi grip seems to be a great product - only one area of flaking where it was hit with a pressure washer.

[Vezo, Part II]

I LOVE that engine, and she looks great from the outside, too. Do NOT forget to check compression yourself. No regrets. She looks really nice. Not sure of bracket without a sea trial. Pay attention. Do some reversing yourself too. What kind of change are you starting at?

Vezo, Part II

[GWTHedman]

Yep, planning on compression check and a fairly thorough sea trial at the end of the week. Assume you just mean to back down on it and see how it behaves? Also hoping to line up an independent surveyor to evaluate the hull and restoration to the extent practicable. I'm likewise a big fan of the 130, it should be a good pairing for the intended use: equal parts flats and bottom fishing and day trips to all the local spots. Seller was asking 10K and we've moved down from there a fair bit, final price TBD. Its pricey for sure, but within the budget that we set for ourselves and (i believe) fair given the apparent condition, fitment, and workmanship.

[Vezo, Part II]

I like it. Not sure what the motors worth anymore, nice if it had a clock, but she's been put away nicely. Price sounds fair, ESPECIALLY if within budget haha.

Try to get a cold compression check, unless he has already run it prior to your arrival. Best of luck.

Vezo, Part II

[Billybob]

Looks good to me, that's just what I want.
Good luck, let us know how the survey goes if you get one.

[Bushwacker]

Originally Posted by GWTHedman

. . . Any thoughts on what I should be looking out for? Lastly, any recommendations on a local knowledgeable member / surveyor who could assess the boat?
Not sure if the photos will come through sized correctly, haven't quite figured that out yet!
Thank you in advance-
Gary

Welcome aboard Gary! Current owner made a wise decision by choosing a relatively light 2 stroke motor to use on a bracket!

One thing I'd be looking at closely is motor height, as it's hard to get that right on a bracket. The old rule of thumb frequently quoted on the internet of "raising motor 1" for every foot of setback" is totally bogus . . . in my experience, it should be more like 2"/ft! Even most dealers, who should know better, seem to mount the motors too low! So during the sea trial, when it's up on plane and fully trimmed out, take a look over the transom at the Anti-Ventilation plate . . . it should be above solid water. Some splash on top of plate is ok, but if you can't even see it, motor is mounted too low, causing unnecessary drag, loss of top speed and excess fuel burn. If it's too low, I'd also check to see what holes the motor is mounted on to see how much it could be raised, if at all. If it can't be raised enough, you may have to add a short jack plate to get the height correct. For an example of AV plate appearance at correct height, check the photos in my recent reply to Vezo about his 20' Seafari.

I'd also check to see if the boat seems to porpoise easily when motor is trimmed up. If it does, that indicates some weight needs to be shifted forward to offset effects of the bracket. (Check my post on the "Pro's & Con's of Brackets" for more discussion of boat balance issues.) Also, with motor trimmed all the way down, check to see how slow you can run and hang on plane. As originally designed, with a motor of 300 lbs or less hanging on the transom, these boats would plane at about 12-13 mph, which is a very good thing when you get into rough seas! If it won't plane below about 20 mph, you may need a stern lifting 4B prop and/or a fin on AV plate! And also check to see if it's propped correctly by checking rpm at WOT. Don't know what the optimum is for that motor, but probably at least 5500 rpm, measured by an accurate digital tach. Analog tachs can be off by 200-300 rpm!

[GWTHedman]

Thanks Bushwacker-
Just the sort of insightful knowledge I was looking for! The motor was moved up one hole-set from the lowest possible, so it appears the current owner already dialed it in after initial install. Looking forward to the sea trial and appreciate the advice on what to look for / look out for, great info about planing performance and weight distribution!

[Bigshrimpin]

Gary - I'll call you in a bit on my ride home from work. As bushwacker already mentioned the choices the owner made are the right ones for a 20 with a bracket. I'd be a little concerned about not have a fuel tank access hatch and the plywood console, but those are nit picky things.

For our fishing area . . . Are you sure you don't want to go with a 23? The 20 is nice for fishing barnstable harbor and beaching sandy neck, but we have such a short season. The 23 won't limit your fishing days unless it's really too rough to fish. I found that I outgrew my 18 and 20 pretty quickly. Just something to consider before you pull the trigger.

[FAS]

looks like a good one,lots of people love to have that sea craft