1987 seacraft 23' inboard 350 hp

[schipper55]

I checked out a 23' seacraft today with a 350 hp inboard under the center console/T-top. This seems in many ways to be a great setup, however, there were some little things which did concern me.

The engine being under the console seemed hard to access. If the engine needs major work, or a new engine, you have take the console/T-top off along with disconecting all the wires and cables. This seems like a major pain in the as_. I took my console off my boat and installed a pilothouse a few years ago, and It was not something I would want to do again anytime soon.

I know inboards are very efficient, but if its so hard to access would that be a concern. No boats are perfect, and everyone has different tastes and I may pass on this one because of this, however maybe someone out there can give me a reason overlook this pesky issue.

The owner said this boat cruses at 22 knots with 30 knots wot. This seems a little slow for a seacraft with a 350. He was also hinting that if he kept the boat he might go with a diesel in the future, leading me to believe that there may be sizing/operating issues with this engine.

thanks,

Jim

[gw24t]

Are you sure you mean 350hp and not 350 cubic inch motor (pro around 260 hp). These motors are reliable and strong.

[yachtjim]

My brother an father-in-law both have 23' Seacrafts w/inboards.* One has the 350 and th eother a Yanmar diesel.* The gas boat cruises at about 23 knots with a 28 knot top speed.* The deisel boat cruises at 28 knots with a 32 knot top speed.* The gas boat has more HP so we have no idea why the diesel is so much faster at WOT.*

I would not be concerned about removing the console to do major work on the engine.* If you ever need to replace the engine I'm sure you can find some other things to repair while the console is off.* It is not like you will need to remove every year.* It would be a one time thing.* If the ride is important to you I doubt you will find a much better ride than this setup.* Good Luck!

[mbb]

the pros of a single small inboard are low center of gravity, and a balanced boat with the weight in the middle , which makes the boat ride extremely well. Motors are reliable(if fuel, exhaust, etc maintained properly),and reasonably fuel efficient. A heavy deep V hull with drag from running gear, heavily loaded, only gets about the quoted speed. You also DONT run the motor over cruise speed except for very brief periods (measured in seconds) or you will hurt it. It is not made to run near WOT so dont plan on it.Motor repairs and repowering are CHEAP compared to outboards($10,000 for 375hp fuel injected 6.0 liter crusader).

Dont let the slow cruise fool you. when seas get 3-4', that boat will be going faster than most outboards(contender/regulator, etc excluded).

Cons? Possibility of fire from fuel leak, more systems (fuel,exhaust ) to maintain, no twin motor for peace of mind, not as good fuel economy as the new DI motors or 4stroke outboards due to drag and extra wt.

[baileydale]

Jim, if you decide to pass on this would you please e-mail me the details,
it sounds like something I would like tpo look at.
Thanks,
David
baileydale@yahoo.com

[encaa5]

Schipper,

Is it a red Seacraft? I might know it.

You cannot beat an inboard for reliability and maintenance, especially when it comes time to buy a new inboard vs outboard.

[schipper55]

The hull is a light blue color. Maybe he ment a 350 ci engine, not hp. My bad. Even if the engine doesn't need to be replaced, it still looks like its a pain to get down there to work on it. The troubling thing is that the owner doesn't know what year the engine is. It also looks like the front storage hatch was modified and water is entering into the bilge from it. I saw a little water sitting it the bilge, that kind of bugs me.

All and all it looks like a solid boat.

Jim

[schipper55]

Don't some boats have inboards under the seats so they're easier to access and work on? Like the Shamrock for instance. For some reason, maybe because im a little clausterphobic, I need open, clear access to the engine.

[captainjay]

5.7 Litre or 350 V8 (same motor) This is a great engine that will run and run and run. I once ran the 27 Foot maxum I had from Cincinatti to Nitro WV at 4000 RPMS for twelve hours. We stoped for fuel lunch and locks thats it. It felt as good when I got it home as it did when I left. I owned that boat for five more years it had the same compresion and oil pressure the whole time. The inboard is bullet proof, buy the boat and a pusher motor for emergency's and have fun. Even if you have to replace the engine at some point a reman 350 will run you less than $2000 and a new one will be less than $3000. Compare to a big outboard thats a bargain.

[yachtjim]

My brother's boat has the standard large console witht he huge door in front, big hatch in back, and two ports on each side to work on the engine.* I plumbed a whole new raw water intake system with sea strainer next to and under the engine, so access was defintely OK.* Father-in-laws boat has a whole after market console that flips forward, t-top included.* It weighs a bunch so we are going to install some worm gears on it this year to electrically rais the console.* There is no problem accessing anything on that boat.* My 23 Seacraft has an outboard so I have no worries * Now if I couold just get it to shift in and out of gear right

Father-in-laws:



Mine w/bro's in the background:



My other brothers 83 MPH Donzi is in the left of the second shot.* We als have that lightning rod disguised as a sailboat * Gotta love the family dock!

[encaa5]

Schipper 55,

If you are a little bit handy with some mechanical ability go for it. You will definitely not regret it. I wish I still had my 23. It was a much better hull for it's size then the 36 ft Harris I now have. I have a little 18 ft outboard to water skill with kids and fluke fish. I love it.

Take a look at the seacraft site. www.classicseacraft.com. There is a lot of information on it and a lot of helpful people.

[Miles Offshore]

I have owned both a 75' mako inboard (fished it hard for 20 years) and presently have a seacraft inboard (78). The mako was a nice boat- the mako had the modified v- not certain how many degrees it was but it would rattle your brain in a head sea, rattle and constantly break stuff, feel like I spent 100k on that boat. Very nice boat to fish on , beam sea and following sea it rode great and got a goodly better fuel mileage than my seacraft. (351 ford) It can be seen on the classic mako site- ended up getting tired of working on it constantly and got rid of it and wassnt planning on getting another mid-sized boat. came across the seacraft, got it for a good price and needless to say I am very happy. not fast , but steady and the best riding boat in this size range i have ridden in, and have been in a few. the seacraft doesnt do as well in a following sea as the mako but there is no comparison into a head sea. I cruise at 20 knots , 3000 rpms and burn 10.5 gph. (like i said slow, but i aint to fast either). working on the motor is not that bad unless you have to replace the motor, then yes, you have to remove the t-top and the console, on miine anyway. I have changed out my transmission from the rear hatch, starter is fairly easy if you can work blind,lol, and plug changes, manifold and riser changes are not really to bad. btw the seacraft has a 350 with 1500 hrs on it , runs great , I burn a qt of oil about every couple of months. hope this helps, they are great boats

[captainrich]

Just chiming in on what's already been said. Can't beat the ride. I had an I/O Seacraft 20' great boat. I now have a 256 Dusky inboard and I love it. Good luck.