turning a seafari into a CC

bilgerat · #1 08-23-2011, 09:53 AM

Im planing on starting the resto/rebuild on the old seafari this winter, Im thinking I might turn it into a center console , anyone else done this and is it worth the extra work?. or would it be eaiser to find a old CC and redo it?

Islandtrader · #2 08-23-2011, 10:27 AM

You better delete this post before Bushwacker aka Denny reads it.

Bigshrimpin · #3 08-23-2011, 10:29 AM

There have been a few people that started and failed after 2+ years of working on seafari to CC conversions. It'll cost you way more in materials than finding a CC and restoring that . . . give yourself a leg up and start with a center console.

Bushwacker · #4 08-23-2011, 11:22 PM

Quote:

You better delete this post before Bushwacker aka Denny reads it.

Too Late, I've seen it!

You're wise to ask the folks on this forum for their thoughts! I think you've already gotten some good advice from guys who have already done what you're contemplating. Here's a few other points you might want to consider.

1. If you want a fishing boat, the Seafari is no slouch, as CsickNick has AGAIN demonstrated with yet another HUGE catch! That's at least the 3rd time I've seen him bring back huge fish that most guys with much bigger boats would struggle with! That big cockpit is great for both fishing AND diving.

2. It's less stern heavy than the original CC design with the aft mounted console, so I think it's better balanced and tends to ride better. Sandy (GFS) has ridden on mine quite a bit the last couple of years and he says it feels really solid compared his CC in rough seas, maybe because the cap adds a lot of stiffness the hull. I suspect new boaters are attracted to the CC layout for ease of handling dock lines and anchoring, but if you add some cleats on the gunnel adjacent to the seats and permanently rig lines from the bow cleats back to the midship cleats and cockpit, that solves the docking issue. A roller bracket for the anchor combined with a big deck pipe to the anchor locker makes anchoring easier than digging the anchor out of the locker on a CC!

3. The Seafari is a relatively rare 20' model, made for only 10 years by Moesly and Potter. Subsequent builders Seacraft Industries and Tracker made NOTHING BUT CC'S during the next 30 years! Potter only made 741 Seafari's, while making 2311 CC's/SF's/MA's. If the subsequent owners built CCs at the same rate as Potter did, that would put the total CC numbers over 9000! I'm sure there aren't that many, but my point is that it should be a lot easier to find a decent CC model than a Seafari!

If you sell that Seafari to someone who appreciates it's versatility and put the $ towards a CC, I'll bet you can end up with a nice boat much SOONER AND cheaper than trying to butcher a Seafari to make it into something it was never designed to be. I was corresponding with a forum member some time ago that was looking for an outboard Seafari to do the type of cruising I have done in the last few years. Will send you a PM if I can dig out his forum name or e-mail address.
Denny

77SceptreOB · #5 08-24-2011, 12:09 AM

Well said.

gofastsandman · #6 08-24-2011, 09:45 PM

Quote:

You better delete this post before Bushwacker aka Denny reads it.

I hate it when he makes more sense than I do.

Sandy- 0
Denny- Manchester Unlimited.

To our friends up the coast, she`s large. Be good.
Cheers,
GFS

uncleboo · #7 08-25-2011, 09:20 AM

[/QUOTE]

To our friends up the coast, she`s large. Be good.
Cheers,
GFS

[/QUOTE]
I'll see if I can knock her down a notch or two before she heads up to our northern bretheren. [img]/forum/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] Take care everyone!

Fr. Frank · #8 08-23-2011, 02:56 PM

It would only make sense if it became a center console with a cuddy.

Wildman · #9 08-23-2011, 04:54 PM

I have done the math, changing a 23 cabin boat to a CC, it wasnt worth all the time itching, cutting, and grinding. Finding a stripped, cut up, CC hull was way easier.

bilgerat · #10 08-24-2011, 10:20 AM

Thanks guys, thats what I wanted to here, I think Ill hold off on cutting the seafari up and look for a CC. I really want a CC because it suits My style of fishing more than the cabin model, I did find a CC in a storage place here in N ga, I left a card on it to see if it might be for sale. Its a 74 with a old Johnson V4 on the back,