Rewiring / General Cleanup

[tekmanx]

I purchased the my boat about a year ago and was told that it's a 1995 Wellcraft fisherman.. maybe you guys can help me confirm the year/model of the boat (see pictures). It is powered by a 1997 250hp Yamaha Saltwater Series II.

I originally had a 17 foot Logic Marine boat with a 50HP Johnson. Moving to a larger boat I immediately noticed the difference in cost (going from a 12 gallon tank to 60 gallon). I'd imagine the 50HP Johnson only did 5 GPH WOT compared to the Yamaha 250hp which does what.. 30GPH WOT? My usual crew wasn't willing to help out soo much with fuel.. I ended up paying for everything on my own.. sometimes $200+ per fishing trip (I usually got away with -$70 on my smaller boat). So I decided to put the boat up for sale after about three months of use.

It's been about a year now.. no sale. After seeing all the boats in the water recently (I live in the Bahamas) I just couldn't help but to take it back off the market. Before I put the boat back in the water again though, I intend to change all of the wiring including the engine harness wiring. The reason I plan to change the wiring is becuase I lost all power once or twice while I was out at sea last summer. The tach also went completely dead and I had to reconnect it.

As relates to the engine, I'm considering changing anything that could make for a quick maintenance fix and is inexpensive. At some point last summer.. the mechanism used to switch the engine from drive to reverse was ruined; I engine was stuck in reverse and would go full throttle reverse even when I have the throttle on full throttle forward. The part responsible for the issue was changed and I'm fine now but I still don't have too much confidence in the engine. I was told that the engine block has just been rebuilt last summer shortly before I bought the boat.

My questions are as follows:

1. Can someone help me in confirming the boat model / year?
2. Is there somewhere I can go to get the official user / mechanic manual for my engine?

I'm open to any recommendations / suggestions..


Thanks in advance,

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[RidgeRunner]

Welcome to the site.
1995 ? Sounds too new. You can look for a the Hull Identification Number on the starbord side transom just above the lifting eye. It looks like my 1983. Somebody did some work to it at some point because the bracket did not come on the boat from the factory. I am not sure they made the Fisherman in 1995. I looked through the 1994 Wellcraft catalog, I did see the 20' Center console in there but it also shows the new 20' that Wellcraft released in 1994/1995(the one with the European styling). By then the cuddy was a 21' Nice boat either way. My bracket does not have the built in swim platform, the transom had too many angles for my little brain. LOL.
I have Mercury's version of the 250 EFI and it is hard on gas too. Great motor and boat. If fuel prices and the economy would just cooperate.
:beer::beer:

[RWilson2526]

Welcome aboard....glad you found your way over here...I remember posting to your thread over on THT about what year your boat was. Having more time to think about it I think Ridge is right in that it must be older than 95. If the bracket is not original, the boat in its original form must have been a Sea Drive which were long gone by 1995 I believe. Unless somebody else was crazy enough as Ridgerunner to fill in the transom and make it look factory I would have to guess the boat was originally a Sea Drive which would put in the 80's (cant find last year they made sea drives , 1990 maybe?)

[Shrek]

That is a beautiful V. That is what I would have done to mine if I would have kept it.

[tekmanx]

Ouch.. I was told that it was a 1994/1995 year model.

Oh well, I guess it's still a good boat. Belive it or not I bought the boat and the Hull Identification Number was not written onmy bill of sale, it also doesn't seem to be on the hull anywhere; I will look again by the weekend to see if I can find it.

Any clue on how I can find the engine manual?

[reelapeelin]

Work thru all the boat's issues and hang on to it...very nice V-20 you have there and I bet she'll haul some serious butt...oh and get new friends...:clap:

[bradford]

Good lookin' V. I wouldn't worry about the year, but the condition, and yours appears to look great. A 250 Yamaha is a lot of motor to hang off a bracket. A friend of mine has one on a 26 footer and it's a gas hog, although it's a desirable motor for reliability. What's the price of gas in the Bahamas?

[SkunkBoat]

Looks like an 80's V to me. Beautiful work if they closed in the transom from an outboard. That would explain why you can't find Hull numbers on the transom.
With the price of gas in the Bahamas, you might consider getting a 140 or 150 four stroke. You will triple your fuel economy and you will still go ~38 mph. I mean, how fast do you need to go, you are already in the Bahamas!

[tekmanx]

Good lookin' V. I wouldn't worry about the year, but the condition, and yours appears to look great. A 250 Yamaha is a lot of motor to hang off a bracket. A friend of mine has one on a 26 footer and it's a gas hog, although it's a desirable motor for reliability. What's the price of gas in the Bahamas?

Believe it or not.. $5.50/gallon :/

[tekmanx]

Looks like an 80's V to me. Beautiful work if they closed in the transom from an outboard. That would explain why you can't find Hull numbers on the transom.
With the price of gas in the Bahamas, you might consider getting a 140 or 150 four stroke. You will triple your fuel economy and you will still go ~38 mph. I mean, how fast do you need to go, you are already in the Bahamas!

Honestly.. speed isn't like really important for me. If I could get on plane with 25mph I'm happy.

Since I Installed these bennett trim tabs I bet it won't take much hp to achieve this.

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[tekmanx]

I dunno, a boat mechanic at the marina is telling me that the 250hp is the best thing for that boat. I would love to get a smaller engine with better fuel economy. The price of a 150hp here will cost more than the hull ($10k+) :(

[Destroyer]

I dunno, a boat mechanic at the marina is telling me that the 250hp is the best thing for that boat. I would love to get a smaller engine with better fuel economy. The price of a 150hp here will cost more than the hull ($10k+) :(

The mechanic is outta his mind. The only good thing a 250 is for that boat is the mechanics wallet. I'm running a 225 and I can tell you that there are times when it feels just a little squirley. To say nothing of the amount of gas it eats. I think a 150 to a 175 is just about right. Of course that's just my opinion, and others may have different thoughts, but a 250 is way outta line IMHO. :head:

[SkunkBoat]

I dunno, a boat mechanic at the marina is telling me that the 250hp is the best thing for that boat. I would love to get a smaller engine with better fuel economy. The price of a 150hp here will cost more than the hull ($10k+) :(

A picture is worth a thousand words... look at your waterline! That baby's got Big Bottom!