seafarer reborn!

[den001]

hi,

i thought id share my project on this site with some fellow fisherman/boaters...

ive rebuilt my seafarer and turned it into a nice fishing platform for myself...

i have some pics of the boat and would like to share it with you. im pretty happy with it all as i have done all the work myself and i think its come out good...

heres some pics of it when i recieved it, i got a good 7 months fishing out of it before the old v4 let go.

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i knew it would require a transom when i purchased it but i did have plans for it, as its got so much deck space, i went ahead and purchased it, heres some of the transom work...
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this was my first rebuild of a transom and it turned out pretty good, added a big brace down the bottom for some peace if mind.

[den001]

once this was completre i took a overseas holidsy and stayed like that for a while. then got into full fitout and repaint... heres some refurb pics...

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bought some new hardware for the boat, fitted a 112litre under floor tank, and new live bait tank, and put in a vinyl non slip floor...

[Jabba_]

Nice work, you really turned her into a beautiful boat.

[den001]

built a new screen from scratch and other bits and peices...

heres the pics of how it is now..... 99% complete
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also has a dual battery setup with vsr, and a navman fuel 3100 fuel computer and 2x lowrance lxc17m units..

motor getting installed on friday, (95 175 black max, super super healthy) so cant wait to take it out fishing....


total time taken to rebuild was 85 hours. but it was a full on job and im glad its over, i took 10 years off my life on how hard i worked to finish it for this summer.....

i hope you all like it, im a happy man and its certianly alot better that when i bought it...

cheers
Denis

[ozscott]

Nice. Is that an old Viking? Like the way the bow topside were bluntEd off on the early seafarers. With the 175 V6 the only part of the boat in the water will be the skeg and half the prop!

Cheers

[mull dog]

nice job den. which product did you use on the floor?

[Jarrah Jack]

Well done Den, all the work will be forgotten a long time before the boat will need any more attention. I had a 175 black max on a heavier boat and it flew. Oz is right the prop and skeg was the only thing in the water sometimes.

Thanks for the pic's, can never see too many old boats being restored like that. The black works well with it. Interesting to see the amount of glass in the old transom compared to Oz's boat.

[stue2]

it'll add 10 years when you start to use it mate. Great work

[Fed]

After doing it den how do you think you would have gone using a seacast type product?

I noticed you originally had a single bung in the centre yet the 'keel stringer' appeared to go all the way to the transom, how did that work?

Were there any signs of what caused the rot in the first place?

Was the old transom thickness sort of stepped, thicker at the top & thinner at the bottom?

What year & model is it, sorry for all the Qs but you know what us seafarer nuts are like.

[deckie]

Terrific job Denis. She's got great lines, darker sides really look good. Looks like good freeboard too from those inside shots and love the snub nose on those seafarers.
So much work, u must be looking fwd to the day the new donk gets fired up at the ramp. That thing is gonna go like a scalded cat.
Sweet new petrol and bait tanks bud.
How was she underneath ? Did u have her upside down for long or do the work as is ?

Congrats. Hope she runs every bit the way she looks. There's now a decade or two more of good times in that hull.
Steve

[den001]

Thanks for your kind words guys!!!

Mulldog - the floor is a vinyl non slip 3 or 4 mm thick, guled down to a glassed deck with contact adhesive...

Fed - i did look into seacast and they were in the process of distrubiting to aus for a dealer to sell it, i know its available to buy now and i have the mans contact details if anybody is keen for a seacast transom...

i dont understand your second question.....

the rot was from a aluminum cap on the top of the transom which over time has de laminated from water ingress...

yes the transom was a 2 sized one originally, was approx 32mm balsa wood at the top, which was not really rotted, then it stepped down to 12mm ply that was completly gone in places... but not where it steps down, this is why i didnt cut the floor out and do a traditional transom, i added 38mm marine ply along the stringers which are rock hard and put that additional brace just for some peace of mind.... the transom is now 38mm from top to bottom and the cap has been heavily glassed in for strength and water proof...

its a early 80's maby even late 70's seafarer vermont 5.2

yeah im counting the days for this engine to be fitted (5 left), and im going fishing on saturday morning, if its hailing im going.....

[den001]

i have been told it will be a absolute fast machine, but i really didnt want such a big engine, but its such a healthy motor i was convinced by my marine mechanic to buy it....

the transom was originally rated for 160hp so im sure it will have no problems with holding this one on the back...

[Jabba_]

You have done well Dennis.. The only criticism I can give, is were you have attached the bimini / rocket launcher.. Given enough time it will cause problems with your side windscreens.. IE: bend the aluminum extrusion or crack the perspex...

[Fed]

You bet it's going to be fast, it's probably the same hull as the old 5.2 Viking and mine has seen 37 Knots GPS with an old bomb 90HP on it.
FWIW the Seafarer nameplate on mine says 175HP so I wouldn't think you'd have any problems.

[Jarrah Jack]

If you're insuring the boat there is no point giving the insurer an out if the hull is not definitely rated for a 175. You can get the transom re rated with the correct paperwork for insurance purposes easily now.

[den001]

the evinrude 90 that was a 84 model used to pusH it at 60/65kph on flat water.... so im sure another 100 ponies will make it crack close to 90kph.. i will most probably put 2 ski hooks on the back for some fresh water fun also...

jabba, the aluiminum i used for the screen is veryyyyyy strong and when i grab one of the bimini poles i can shake the whole boat on the trailer without the screen moving at all !. i have a left over 4 meter piece at my house and i cannot bend it, it is actually like H chanel aluminum, there is plastic capping that goes over the opposite side of the H chanell, and the perspex sits in the other side. there is special aluminum angles on every corner except the tight angle where the screen ends... all grub screwed and many many pop rivets.

i had this on the old screen which was rooted and it did move the screen around slightly but it was nowhere near as strong as the new one..

[den001]

If you're insuring the boat there is no point giving the insurer an out if the hull is not definitely rated for a 175. You can get the transom re rated with the correct paperwork for insurance purposes easily now.


i was thinking of insuring it but this did cross my mind... over powered....

will look into it.

thanks jarrah

[fandtm666]

looks great mate, where di you get the aluminum extrusion and cap for the screen if you dont mind me asking

[den001]

thanks mate, i got if from a man that makes shower screens, it was by absolute fluke that it was the exact same type of the original material. the capping was different from the original but this one is much better.

[den001]

i have a question, should i be concerned if this thing actually rides only on the skeg ???

is this a issue? im worried if its dangerous??

the motor is getting fitted tomorrow and im concerned if it will be unsafe???

[ozscott]

Mate - it is probably seriously overpowered to be honest. Just dont open the throttle all the way! Setting aside insurance issues, in term of safety its as safe as you want to make it. If you go flat knacker then who knows. If you keep her under control all good.

Cheers

[Fed]

No worries mate just take it easy until you get it sorted out.
I wouldn't put the foil on the new motor and I wouldn't try & raise the motor up at all to get more speed.
The only iffy part is you have bigger horses, mine and probably yours was rated 175HP in 1985 right at the cut off point from engine ratings to prop ratings so 175 engine HP would equate to maybe only 160 prop HP.

[den001]

fair enough, thanks guys...

[littlemac]

geez they have a good hull shape

great work

cheers

brett

[den001]

thanks mate,

today i fitted the motor and took it for a test run, it has a top speed of 84kph, and looks like a road bike popping a wheelie when the throttle is flattened.

the engine still needs to be lifted to its top holes and the mechanic says its got more in it...

pretty happy with it.....

[Jarrah Jack]

thanks mate,

today i fitted the motor and took it for a test run, it has a top speed of 84kph, and looks like a road bike popping a wheelie when the throttle is flattened.

the engine still needs to be lifted to its top holes and the mechanic says its got more in it...

pretty happy with it.....

Talk about understatement..

When I hit the mid 80kph my mates were $hitting themselves and the dog did! A whole new experience hitting those speeds in a boat.

Be nice to get 90 Den8-)

[den001]

it will get there i hope maye, as the motor needs to come up 2 holes, so its nowhere near the right spot atm, was out sydney heads today, it rides nose first so im hoping that the 2 holes will fix it all up...

these things are thirsty!!!!!!!