'73 V 20 CC

[MikeB]

Hi
I am brand new here, I just stumbled onto this board and I got excited. I own a 73 V20 CC that I completely restored. I bought it a couple of years ago and I'm done for the most part. I love the boat. Any place with more info the construction/original equipment/specs, etc?
I've seen the '73 catalog in the gallery and I was surprised that it didn't have a specifications page like modern day catalogs.

Thanks
Mike

[chumbucket]

MikeB, welcome. A lot of the older brochures didn't supply all the info they gave in the later years. Don't see too many of the older CC's. I'd like to see some pics of it if you've got any. Send a message to BigShrimpin and he'll set you up in the gallery to post any pics you want.

[MikeB]

Hi Chumbucket;
Thanks for the welcome. I'm going to get some better shots when I uncover it this week (45deg. by Saturday). Unfortunately I lost a bunch of "before" pics when my hard drive crashed last year. I don't have a single before pic. I've really enjoyed rebuilding this boat. I've done a ton of stuff to it. It's probably worth the same as before I did anything but that's ok with me.
I use it for trolling for salmon and trout in Lake Ontario. It's really a brute and I've had it in some 6-8'ers. Chop is a little rough.

This is so cool, finding a site like this. I can't believe it.

Mike

[chumbucket]

What'ya got powering it? Winter isn't over yet my friend. :'(

[MikeB]

I've got it powered with a 1987 Yamaha Pro V-150. Runs Great. When I bought the boat, the Yami came with the boat, only problem, it had a 20" shaft. 25" transom! I bought a 5" lower unit extension from Bay Manufacturing in Ohio. It works great. I had the power head rebuilt and I ran it about 30 or 40 days last year without a hitch. Also came with a prop made for a 40' Donzi!! I didn't pick up on that one til I sea trialed it after some work. Didn't have a single working gauge in the console. Lots of holes though.
Man, have I got stories on this boat. Its also my first boat that I redid.

Mike

[chumbucket]

Did you re-do the transom on your rebuild? I always thought the older V20's had the step-down at the point of where the motor mounts onto the transom and utilizing a 20" shaft motor.

[MikeB]

somebody did some transom work before I bought it. Its one of the suspect things on the boat. There is a step down but its exactly 25" to keel. I'm looking at some of the pics in the '73 catalog and it really looks similar to those. Only someone installed two stainless steel plates inside and out that the motor bolts through. I'm really not totally sure how to check to see if the transom is waterlogged/rotted etc. It doesn't seem to move when underway but I'm not real happy about finding out that way either.

Mike

[chumbucket]

Hmmmm, well, there a several ways of determining if the transom is water logged or not. You can just drill an inconspicuous hole that can be epoxied in afterwards to check the drill shavings to see how "wet" they may be. Try to find someone that has a moisture content meter. Many home inspectors use them. They will read the moisture content right through the gelcoat. Finally (this one's not as easy), we used to use small hard plastic mallets at the Boston Whaler Factory, tapping the hull all over and listening to the sound. A good solid filled hull will give a sharp crisp resonance, where a wet hull or one with voids will cause a dull thud.

[MikeB]

I guess I really don't think its waterlogged, The boat is trailered everywhere and I think its been out of the water for a good many *years. If there was any damage, it would have occured a long time ago.
One other issue, I have two batteries, and a 9.9 kicker bolted to the transom and with all that weight, the scuppers are a bit close to the waterline. they won't drain unless underway. Thats kind of a pain. I've replaced the scuppers with ball scuppers which work good for not letting water in at least.

Mike

[chumbucket]

You're probably right. ;D

[labii]

*Welcome Mike B ! There are not a lot of the 1970-1976 center consoles around . That is a great boat . I like the layout and console on those better than the newer ones . The spec. sheets on any of the above years should apply to your boat . Looking foward to seeing you pictures......

[AirborneJarhead]

Hi Mike B!

I have a 90 model with the big 350 ci I/O and have the same problem with my scuppers. At sea, I even get water up through the drains when rocking in the swells!
How did the ball scuppers work out for you? Where they very expensive?

[MikeB]

Ball scuppers are ok, better than flapper scuppers. You need to keep them clean or they wont seal, but that's not much of a problem.
I bought mine at Boat US but I've seen them at West Marine and some other big stores. I think I paid like $10 ea.
Mike

[macojoe]

I don't have scuppers :'( But I have a big bilge ;D

That has to be the one thing about my boat, That i hate! I do not have a self bailing boat. But that said I have a full transom and don't get all that much water in it in the first place. But would like to put a salt water wash down for all the messe stuff I get on the boat.
But then I would need a bilge pump ??? Well i guess I should install one some day any way in case i start to sink ;D My son is going to be a working person this year and won't be able to be with as much. So I have no one to pump the water out with the hand pump any more :o Us old fat guys would never keep up with that!! LOL

[AirborneJarhead]

Hand pump?? Wow, I thought those were a "break glass in case of emergency" item! Gee, MJ, how old are you anyway?? ;)

Having a self-bailing boat, to me, is a must. I was coming back into Ponce Inlet down in Fla and ran into 5 foot standing waves (wind and tide clashed). I never buried the bow, but I did get a large amount of water in the cockpit and was sooo relieved to watch the 'pit drain quickly. I also have 2 bilge pumps...one auto and one switch controlled at the helm. As I have an I/O, I feel the redundancy is a necessity. PLUS, I carry a hand pump for those "just in case" times.

[macojoe]

Well I had a I/O and belive a self bailing deck is a must with them!! Nothing worse then having salt water splashing all over your engin!!
But wellcraft did not see that in the 1975 I/O, and all the water went to the bilge.
I was joking when i said I have no elet pump!! But I do need to replace the one I have.
This in my opion is the worse thing about my boat! But now that i have converted to a outboard, the problem of getting the engin splashed with water is fixed!
I have now added a 25 gal gas tank in were the engin use to be and still have to worry about keeping that dry. But Thank God the boat is a pretty dry boat and the only water i get is from pullinmg the anchor in or when it is raining all day.

[MikeB]

I have two bilge pumps, wired and plumbed seperately plus the old hand pump which I really don't ever want to have to use. Plus, self bailing.

Cant have enough of this stuff when you in the crap.

Mike

[Seakindly]

AJ AND MIKEB, You are wise men. 8)

[chumbucket]

I've got the two bilge pumps also. One is wire in with the float switch and the other is wired directly to a switch with no float. The one with the float switch is my main pump, but I don't trust those switches. So, I've got the other for a backup.