Outboard Options for Classic 20

[countshock]

We're holding our Annual Regatta here in Edgartown, at the EYC.
We have 6-8 Shields racing right now!

[Windrider]

Thanks for that first Samson post pic, Frank. We always thought it would be great to have one, but this really helps visualizing how it can be done. We could have something like that made quite easily by the shop on campus.

Anyway, after much discussion amongst the program's coaches and the Shipyard maintenance guys, we have decided to go with the 90hp Etec. Now I expect some to say this is going to be an underpowered boat, but if I list what this boat's "job" is, you can see why we chose it.

This is a coach boat, a safety boat and support boat for sailboats that almost all the time are able to get themselves around just fine, thank you very much. Towing is the most heavy-duty job this Seacraft has, but it is a very rare job. We had to remind ourselves that before we were fortunate enough to score a free Seacraft we managed to tow the Shields around okay (but not pretty) with a 16' Whaler with a 25hp.

This Seacraft's job:

1. Coach Boat. Follow several Shields - or sometimes our whole huge fleet of Lasers (130lbs each) - out of the Bay into the ocean (average speed, 8 knots) and then provide a stable platform so the coach can yell at, er... I mean coach, the students.

2. Committee Boat. Same as above except the Seacraft might actually have to get up to planing speed for a mile or so while running upwind to reposition a race mark.

3. Safety Boat. If for any reason, students are in the water and need to be fished out, the Seacraft comes to the rescue. We have more often had to rescue members of the general public who were NOT in our classes. But the fact remains that this boat very often has too many people aboard (also when coaching and being race committee boat). This is the main reason we went with the lighter outboard, there have been many times with this 130 when the deck was slightly awash due to water coming in the scuppers.

4. Tow Boat. If a sailboat breaks down (uncommon), the Seacraft will have to tow it home, no more than three or four miles. She also tows if the wind dies completely while a class is out. If the heavier sailboats (like the Shields) get caught out in extreme Santa Ana winds and need to come in, they will need to be side tied one at a time to the Seacraft in order to be eased down on what in those conditions becomes the windward side of the dock - without scratching that expensive shiny new black paint we've put on them. This is also uncommon. On rare occasions we've had to tow the sailboats to race locations due to lack of wind - this can be a fairly good distance down the coast - but usually the sailboats can get themselves there with windpower and the Seacraft is just the escort.

5. Escort Boat. A few times a year, we do sail the Shields to Catalina Island (23+ miles) and the Seacraft is the escort. This is one of the few occasions when that boat is powered on a plane (unless whoever is driving wants to troll while being escort).

6. Multipurpose Boat. Okay, I'll admit we do sometimes use this boat in ways not in accordance with her stated purpose in our program. We have been known to have covert wakeboarding sessions (loved the nasty looks we got from the ski boat owners showing up with what is obviously a fishing boat). We have actually been known to FISH from this poor boat. She is also an excellent dive boat, but again, too much weight aboard has been a problem for this in the past.

So you see, we need safe and steady rather than fast and powerful - even for towing. We've been advised that if we find the 90hp needs more "guts" for towing, we can always change out the prop for more low-speed power.

Thanks for all your input, guys! I appreciate it!

[Fr. Frank]

You really need to begin by propping for "max of max at max" with the new motor, once through the break-in period.

Propping for "Max of Max at Max" means you can turn the maximum of the Maximum range at maximum load. The Max RPM range for the 90 Etec is 4500-5500 rpms. Since the Maximum load of that hull is 1508 lbs including the motor, "Max of Max at Max" means you want to be able to turn 5500 rpms with 1200 lbs of people and gear in the boat.

If you prop it so that it just turns, say 5000 rpms running light with only one person, when you load it up, you might be really bogging the motor, and seriously shorten your motor life. Since, like the Optimax, the Etec has over-rev protection, over-revving really isn't an issue when running light. A good operator won't over-rev anyway.

[Windrider]

Hi all, I'm reviving this old thread to give an update on the restoration of our Seacraft coach boat.

We had some serious delays getting started; this is a state university and our restoration grant was from a state agency. You know how quick the government is about getting things done or getting funds to those to whom it is promised.

Anyway, we've got the old Seacraft hauled out and mostly restored. I've got some "before" pictures for you now and I'll get some "after" pictures later this week. I missed getting pictures of the "during" process due to my teaching schedule, the holidays and abnormal torrential rains we've been getting (I know, most of you guys have snow to complain about).

Here is our poor, neglected (but free!) Seacraft 20CC just hauled out.


I have supervised the restoration of many of our school's sailboats, but this is by far the worst bottom I've seen! Sometime when she was in the Marine Bio Dept, someone thought it was a good idea to put layers of primer between the layers of bottom paint. It was coming off in sheets everywhere (note the ground under the boat in the pic). The white you see here between the blue is not the bottom of the boat - it is primer with another layer of blue under it - and another primer and paint layer under that.



Cockpit shot. Notice the red portable gas tank. Yeah.... this boat's permanent 40 gal tank had about an inch of sludge in it when we got the boat. We've been running her off of three 7 gallon tanks and just swapping the line around as we drained each one. The 40 gal tank has since been removed, cleaned, and inspected and is good to go again.

Stern shot with the old 130 Yamaha - to be replaced with a new E-Tec 90. The lift has never worked for us (also to be replaced), so the Yammie is looking a little beat here. Also note that the cheap plastic vents are crushed. Yeah.... we are sailboaters and none of us can seem to get the hang of how powerboats make turns, and we keep bumping the corners against our slip. I am looking for some hefty flush stainless steel ones that can hold up to some bumping.

The rail on this boat has been just barely hanging on since before we got it and very little glass under it to reattach it, one of the many things to be repaired. Can anyone tell me where to get this type of replacement rub rail for a Seacraft? It is nice and soft black rubber instead of this hard plastic everyone is using now days. For a tow boat, the soft stuff would be much better

Thanks!

[McGillicuddy]

Good to see you back,Windrider. I've been looking forward to your re-power results.
Seems me CSU-LB could sell me the old motor - no? let me know if they auction it off...

Rex Marine is in San Dimas I think they carry Taco Marine/Taco Metals Products. They are at www.rexmar.com

Also www.tacomarine.com and www.rubrails.com

While you're at it you'll probably want to re-adhere the gunwale cap to the hull and re-rivet. Your be amazed how it will stiffen the boat and keep water out...

Might check the brass scuppers out too as they are often the source of water ingress and a quick and very inexpensive fix...
Good luck and keep us posted. Happy New Year!

[Windrider]

Good to see you back,Windrider. I've been looking forward to your re-power results.
Seems me CSU-LB could sell me the old motor - no? let me know if they auction it off...

Well, we already traded the old motor to the Shipyard towards labor and new parts. Sorry! We do a lot of trading, since our funding leaves a bit to be desired. When we first got the Seacraft, that Yamaha had been sitting for five years all frozen up - steering was frozen too. We traded a couple tiny beat up donated outboards that we couldn't use for the labor and parts to get this one working. We do the same thing at our local sail loft with donated sails we can't use. Let's hear it for the barter economy!

I took a look at the sites you gave for rubrails. Nope, that is the stuff I've already seen. Everyone sells "flexible" vinyl rails, but that stuff is still pretty hard. What this boat has is just plain old rubber, I think. Like they put on many of the sailboats of that era. Except this is two parts and has an insert, also rubber. Seems to us this rail would be far more kindly towards our sailboats when side-tied for towing (yes, we use fenders, too). I would hate to put this old one back on, though, when everything else will be all new and shiny.

While you're at it you'll probably want to re-adhere the gunwale cap to the hull and re-rivet. Your be amazed how it will stiffen the boat and keep water out...

Already done! Yeah, we were having problems with water coming in the seam when the seas got bumpy.

Might check the brass scuppers out too as they are often the source of water ingress and a quick and very inexpensive fix...

I hear you! When we first got this boat, we launched her and she promptly began to fill with water from brass through-hull leaks (do you powerboaters call them through-hulls?). So she was immediately put back on the trailer and those were replaced. What we've done this time around is probably sacrilege here; we've glassed over all the through-hulls for bait tanks and such. We will never use those anyway. We only kept the two aft scuppers. I don't know about powerboaters, but we sailors try to keep through-hulls to a minimum.

Thanks for the pointers, though. All of us in our program are pure sailors, so this powerboat stuff is a learning process. Note that this boat's name under the Marine Bio Dept was "Naturalist," but our sailors have been jokingly calling her "Necessary Evil."

[lost2a6]

I hear you! When we first got this boat, we launched her and she promptly began to fill with water from brass through-hull leaks (do you powerboaters call them through-hulls?). So she was immediately put back on the trailer and those were replaced. What we've done this time around is probably sacrilege here; we've glassed over all the through-hulls for bait tanks and such. We will never use those anyway. We only kept the two aft scuppers. I don't know about powerboaters, but we sailors try to keep through-hulls to a minimum.

Thanks for the pointers, though. All of us in our program are pure sailors, so this powerboat stuff is a learning process. Note that this boat's name under the Marine Bio Dept was "Naturalist," but our sailors have been jokingly calling her "Necessary Evil."

Here in south MS we call you guys "Blow Boaters", just kidding. Good luck with your project. I had a 20 Sceptre with a 200 Yamaha 2 stroke and it sat fine, however I had a larger tank built for it and moved it farther forward. I also didn't really load the stern down with people gear etc.

[Fr. Frank]

The brass through-hulls I think Gillie was talking about are the aft deck-drains, which are brass tubing, and normally drain vertically straight down through the hull. They usually end up leaking like a sieve.

[McGillicuddy]

Looks like you're ahead of the curve, damn academics ... Check with Wefco Rubber Mfg in Canoga Park re. rub rails. Try Wefcorubber.com.

Oh, yeah, if you haven't yet taken delivery on the motor you might consider replacing the transom or at least raising it to take a 25" shaft motor.

Caring for classics like those Shields I guessing you're far more savvy with maintenance than most...

[Windrider]

Looks like you're ahead of the curve, damn academics ... Check with Wefco Rubber Mfg in Canoga Park re. rub rails. Try Wefcorubber.com.

Thanks! This looks like the place! I'll have to get a cross section on the old rail and try to match it, although it looks like Wefco carries many that will work well.

Oh, yeah, if you haven't yet taken delivery on the motor you might consider replacing the transom or at least raising it to take a 25" shaft motor.

I wanted to have this done. Really. I thought for sure that the whole transom would have to be replaced due to rot and we'd have it done at that time, but the Shipyard guys did all sorts of tests and found it to be quite solid still. Plus, there was the funding issue, you know. So she is going to have a stock transom and a pretty basic boat everywhere else, too. None of these awesome upgrades I've been reading about here. We're just making her into a more sturdy version of what she was already.

Let me see if I can remember everything that has been done so far:
Bottom stripped and re-faired
Gunnel cap resealed and riveted
Deck reinforced (but not raised)
Extra bulkheads (?) installed in the forward area (under the gunnel) to stiffen that section up
All extra holes glassed (how do boats always end up with so many holes everywhere?!)
Stress cracks glassed and those areas reinforced
Full paint job in school colors
All new hardware, gauges, motor, etc. (She is currently a totally naked boat that just got her new paint)

This week, I will be taking the console over to get a new windshield fabricated. I will also be looking for reasonably priced lean posts. You know a boat is hardly ever used at full speed when its crew is using plastic lawn chairs (yes, we are totally embarrassed about being so tacky).

After everything is put together and the boat is in the water, we are going to see if we have any money left and then look into having a samson post made like that one on the towboat Frank posted.

Caring for classics like those Shields I guessing you're far more savvy with maintenance than most...

Well, yes and no. We are finding that the stresses on a sailboat are quite different from a powerboat. You never worry about the transom on a Shields - all the stress is at the chainplates and that is where they usually fail. That said, since we all admit we know very little about powerboats, when Evinrude gives us the instructions for breaking in that E-Tec, we are likely to do EXACTLY what they say.

The brass through-hulls I think Gillie was talking about are the aft deck-drains, which are brass tubing, and normally drain vertically straight down through the hull. They usually end up leaking like a sieve.

Those were replaced back when we first got her, oh, back in '05 or '06, otherwise she would have been a SinkCraft. The original ones were quite corroded. Do they need to replaced again now? They haven't been giving us problems.

There were two other through-hulls, going to what I think were the bait tank and the fish locker? Those are the ones we glassed over.

Here in south MS we call you guys "Blow Boaters", just kidding.

Yes, we also hear the term "Wafties." But we call you guys "stink pots." And our students often comment, when a overpowered and overloud powerboat races by, that the powerboat's (male) owner is making up for a lack in another area (this belief is especially dear to the female sailors).

(On a funny side note, we were donated a Laser that proclaimed in big letters that its name was "Blow Me." We coaches stripped those graphics off about five minutes after taking possession of the sailboat).