1972 20 Potter Hull - How Far Should I Go?

[boatervalpo]

I had this posted for sale and have now decided to restore it as I just couldn't let her go. I had too much interest in 1 day over this boat and some people said I was crazy for selling it, so I will keep it and move forward with a restore. This thing is in GREAT shape for a 72'. It hasn't seen water for the past 20 years and has been in a garage collecting dust.

My top 3 Questions. My goal is to have this project started mid October.

1. Transom: is Solid (no thuds), should I raise?
2. Floor: there are NO soft spots ANYWHERE on this boat. Should I be worried about stringers, tank, foam if this boat hasn't been out on the water and has been in a garage for the past 20 years?
3. Originality: How far should I modify the boat? I like the idea of a lean post, new switches, speakers, T-Top, but would this affect the "Classic" aspect?

I look forward to your input and will keep you updated.

[Blue_Heron]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. You won't improve the value of an original condition Potter hull by cutting into it.

I would not recommend raising the transom if it's solid. With that light 4cyl Johnnyrude on the back, 20" will be fine. If the deck isn't soft, it's because water hasn't gotten to the wood core. Make sure any holes drilled for fasteners, existing or new, are sealed so water stays out. Do this and your deck will last indefinitely. No worries about the stringers. It will probably need new wiring.

If you're concerned about the tank, you can remove the console and the deck hatch and inspect the tank. If it's not foamed in place, it's probably fine.

If it were mine, I would clean the boat, clean out the fuel tank, put some gas in it, get a new battery, and see if that old motor will start. Then I'd run it a while with the old motor to get used to the handling. Once you've used it, you'll have a better idea what you want to do to customize it.

[Caymanboy]

Originally Posted by Blue_Heron

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. You won't improve the value of an original condition Potter hull by cutting into it.

I would not recommend raising the transom if it's solid. With that light 4cyl Johnnyrude on the back, 20" will be fine. If the deck isn't soft, it's because water hasn't gotten to the wood core. Make sure any holes drilled for fasteners, existing or new, are sealed so water stays out. Do this and your deck will last indefinitely. No worries about the stringers. It will probably need new wiring.

If you're concerned about the tank, you can remove the console and the deck hatch and inspect the tank. If it's not foamed in place, it's probably fine.

If it were mine, I would clean the boat, clean out the fuel tank, put some gas in it, get a new battery, and see if that old motor will start. Then I'd run it a while with the old motor to get used to the handling. Once you've used it, you'll have a better idea what you want to do to customize it.

X2!
The only thing I would say, being a 72' I think the tank is mounted on the deck under the console, no? If that is the case, do as Blue heron says and at some point you may want to install a tank under the deck. If it is not the case, do as Blue Heron says.

[flyingfrizzle]

Make sure you seal up the screws that holds the transducer bracket so the transom won't rot and any other holes you may find. Then get her running and enjoy!

[Fr. Frank]

Okay, X3. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Seal every bolt, screw, and their holes that you can find going into the hull, deck, or transom, INCLUDING the ones that have screws in them currently, inside and outside of the hull.
Use a polysulfide/polysulfate sealant like Boat Life, or 4200 by 3M, NOT silicone. If you never, ever want the the thing attached to come loose, you can use 5200 caulk by 3M.
Back the existing screws out carefully, seal the screw and screw hole, and replace carefully.

Keep the motor if it runs well. That hull was originally designed to have a single outboard motor weighing between 220 and 320 lbs, and from 70 to 140 hp.
I sold more new 20' SeaCrafts with 85, 90 and 115 hp motors back in the 80's that any other hp range.
I can tell you that in 1984, the #1 most popular motor we sold on the back of a new 20' SeaCraft Superfisherman was the 297 lb, 115 hp Mercury inline 6 cyl. The #2 in popularity with new owners was the 301 lb, 85 hp V4 Evinrude/Johnson.

If you do choose to repower, at 337 lbs the 90 hp Tohatsu/Nissan 4-stroke is the closest to the originally intended hp & weight for that hull.
The 90 Yamaha is next at 366 lbs.
If you want more power, but still want to stay under 400 lbs, at 375 lbs the 90/115/135 Etec and 90/115/125 Optimax are only 9 lbs heavier that the Yammie and you can get 135 hp for that weight. (The Etecs and Opti's both regularly dyno at 4-7% more than their rated hp, too)

My last 20' SeaCraft had a 90 hp Optimax and performed extremely well, AND GOT 5.7 MILES PER GALLON.

[RUSTYNTABATHA]

Got I word for that ... WOW !!! very Envious !!!!

[fdheld34]

X4....use and enjoy

[Bushwacker]

Welcome aboard! VERY clean original boat! I agree 100% with Fr. Frank's advice! Those old V-4's are very simple reliable motors . . . I ran a 115 I installed new in 1975 for 34 years!

If it were my boat, I'd do two more things:

1. You have the original Moesly-designed circulating live well under the port stern seat, which is very clever design that works well with NO PUMP! However, IF that inlet/outlet fitting at the waterline with the screw-off cap starts to leak, it will kill your transom! That cap seals a plastic cup that fits thru a hole in the core and is bonded to the outer skin with brittle polyester "Potter Putty". They drilled a 3/8" hole in the center for the water supply, which is a copper tube extending down below hull and cut off at 45 degrees; a bunch of 1/8" holes thru it let water slosh in & out at rest and provide the overflow when you're up on plane. If that putty cracks, water will seep into the core but you'll never know it till the transom gets soft!

Mine had started to leak but I caught it before it got too bad a few years after I got the boat. I removed the cup, dried out the wood around it with alcohol, and treated the rotted wood with Git-Rot. I then got a ~4" diameter slip/threaded PVC pipe adapter fitting, cut it to ~1" length, attached it to the transom with epoxy and filled the area between it and the rotted wood with thickened epoxy. I then screwed a flat pipe plug into that and installed a Phye plate that seals with an O-ring over the whole works. I'd fix this first because when you get in there it'll give you a good idea of what shape the transom is in!

2. The next thing I'd do is to pull the motor (after you've gotten it running to see if it's worth keeping!) and pull the aluminum trim around the motor cut-out. Bought my boat used from Frank Brown of Brown & Hauptner Marine who was a SeaCraft dealer, and he suggested I do what they did on all the new boats they sold . . . the gap between the top of the transom and the inner liner is also sealed with Potter Putty, so they pulled the trim, routed out that gap, and caulked it with a good flexible polysulfide caulk like Life Caulk. In 2006 when Don Herman filled in my transom and the live well inlet, which was covered up by the bracket, he said it was the driest original transom he had ever seen in a 1972 boat, so I think fixing those 2 areas is why my 41 year old original transom is still in good shape!

I liked and used that live well so much that I replumbed it as shown in the pics below so it's still functional with the bracket!

[hermco]

Boat is beyond repair. I will take it off yer hands if you want.

[DonV]

Don....what a guy!!! You are sooooo nice!