New here!
 

Hello everyone,
Been lurking for quite sometime. Reading and gathering all the info I could on the V 20. Big thanks to all the contributors to the forum. Lots of info here that is very very helpful.

I purchased a 1987 V 20 about 1 week ago after looking at 5 different V 20's. The boats isn't perfect but it's in pretty good shape. The floors and transom are solid (no flex and no water when removing screws from transom). The steering needs attention either cable or helm unit.. not sure. The VHF turns on but needs an antenna so I'm not sure how well it works. The 2.6 liter 200 Yamaha check out ok (compression,lower unit, etc). The woodwork will have to sanded and sealed.

If it wasn't 26 degrees with a windchill about 17 degrees I would still be outside working/play on it. I spent the day building a frame and covering it up with tarps. Looks like old man winter is going to stick around for awhile.

Few pictures of the boat. She needs a good cleaning and a good coat of wax but it's a bit chilly for that right now.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4...212091016b.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4...212091016a.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4...211091246a.jpg

Is this a factory transom seat?? I know it's sitting sideways but there is mounting points on the floor.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4...211091232c.jpg

Thanks again to all that has shared the knowledge on this site!

Welcome....looks like a good one....yea we had an nice November but looks like this cold weather might be around a while. Dont know if that seat is factory but it looks NICE. Good luck with it.

Very nice, I am sure it will be ship shape by spring, welcome.
Where you located at? You should put it in your profile.
Just winterized my motor today, cold here in the Peoples Republic of NJ

Forgot to add that to my profile.
I'm in MA on the south coast.
Thanks for the kind words.

Sorry about the picture quality. I took the photos with my phone.

I guess I should have put that rear seat where the mounts are before I took the pictures. I'll take some pictures of the mounting brackets in the cockpit floor.

welcome aboard, we love lots of pictures keep em coming . btw nice v:sly::sly::sly::sly::sly::sly:

welcome aboard!! I live in Wareham and go out of Fairheaven most of the time, we will have to hook up next spring.

Congrats on the nice boat:clap: Welcome to the site

Looks very nice to me. Wellcraft did offer those rear bench seats at one point, so it may be factory original.
Good to see some more MA guys coming out of the wood work.

Very nice looking V and very nice frame you built for it.

inaforty; Let's see some pics of the Rosborough sometime. Hard to make it out in your avatar.:sun:

Macojoe,
Do you normally launch at the Sea View ramp or do you use Hoppy's Landing? I notice that another member here (Road King Cole) has a picture of his boat at the Sea View ramp. That big Novi lobster boat just east of the ramp is a dead give away.

Chumbucket,
I have lots of picutres of the Rosborough. Is it ok to post them here? Don't want to dilute the board or upset anyone. However it always fun to talk and look at boats (esp with it a whole 19 degrees outside).
Here is a few pictures of the Rosborough. I can post more if you want and it's ok with the moderators here.
Here is our boat that is set up for cruising with the sedan cabin and hardtop over the cockpit. On a mooring at Cuttyhunk!
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4...ttyhunk006.jpg


This is a friends Rosborough that is setup for fishing with the short cabin/wheelhouse (might be of more interest to the hardcore fishing crowd).
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4...Rosborough.jpg

Thanks. That's a good looking boat. I do like the shorter cabin.

Post all the pics you want. I'll deal with macojoe. :bat::nut::cen::hi:

No listen to CB he is all talk!!

Yes post all yopu want, heck I don't even own a V20 any more and I own the site!!

I use Hoppy all the time, nise run to the Vinyard from there and a short run to sell the catch when I get in.

BS also is here near me and will be using that ramp a lot this year, CB comes down from the N Shore and fishes with us from time to time also.

Welcome to the board, inaforty...looks like yer gonna fit in nicely here...nice V20 you got there...how extensive your plans to redo?...that 200 Yammie oughtta push her pretty good!!...

We just a bunch of boat-hos around here...we LOVE our V20s, but you can sure post up any boat ya wanna...if anybody complains we'll plug up their complainin' hole...:bat:

Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome.

Macojoe,
I buy the season pass that lets us use the Sea View ramp and the ramp at Pease Park (Fairhaven/New Bedford harbor). Will probably be using the Sea View ramp with the Wellcraft. I have thought of putting it on a mooring north of the Popes Island where we keep the Rosborough but the original idea was to trailer the Wellcraft. Probably could get a slip next to our Rosborough for short money after the 4th of July for the reminder of the season.

Reelpeelin,
I want to refinish the wood work. Probably put a completely new steering unit w/cable. Get a antenna for the VHF. Install a Garmin 192c plotter (off the Whaler). Probably get as many of the gel coat chips repaired when the weather warms up. I'm missing the catch for the lower latch for the folding V berth doors. Also the latch for the little door that access battery compartment is broken/missing. Might looking into sealing the gape where the cap meets the bottom where the motor mounts (under the aluminum). The motor was rigged to run on a portable tank. Seems the carbs needing cleaning/adjusting and the mechanic that got the boat ready for sale didn't feel comfortable run the motor on the gas that was in the tank. So I will more then likely remove and clean/pump out the old gas out of the belly tank. No gas in the bilge so I believe the tank is in good shape but I might look into changing it out for a poly tank by Moeller. Moeller makes a 40 gallon tank that I believe will fit however I will losing capacity of course.

Whew....... that is quite of bit of work! I guess I should get outside and try to get some of the wood work in the basement so I can get started. Spring will be here soon with this list.

One more time big guy; I do not and never have lived on the North Shore (the Italian Riviera). I live on the South Shore. Geography was never your strong subject. Was it? Then again, neither was spelling. :nut:

Welcome to the site!!!!!

Nice looking V, and your other boat ain't bad either.

Randleman,
That V20 with 140 - 4 stroker has got to be a sweet setup!

Here are a few pictures of the bench seat that was in the boat when I bought it. Has anyone seen a bench seat like this. Still wondering if it might be a factory option. Seems pretty cool but takes up some space. I found the pins that hold the seat in place. They have compression type ball bearings that hold the pins in place (similar to a ratchet/socket) thru the bottom of the seat frame and into the mounting brackets.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4...213091346a.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4...213091347a.jpg

Congrats and welcome to the site. I guess you already know about me...

I go to Acushnet often, my inlaws live on Mendon road and often bike ride through the area.

Welcome aboard inaforty. I have an 87 also and from what I can gather from other V owners I know and have seen, yours is the first I have seen with a bench seat like that. It may have been an option at one time, but I think it was added on by a previous owner.

:nice:

If you look through the old brochures we have in the archives, there are a couple years where you can clearly see a bench seat so they must have been an option from the factory.

Here's one example;

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/.../017_wellcraft

Chum,
Thanks for finding that photo. I'm pretty sure that is the same seat that I have from what I can see of the chrome frame in the photo.
Our boat might have came with that seat of course that catalog is an 1989 and our boat is a 1987. Hmmmmmmmmm

Welcome to the site, Congratulations very nice Boat best of luck, please be sure to keep us posted.

Thanks again to all for a warm welcome.

I was messing around on the boat this afternoon but forgot to take a photo of those mounting pins that hold that bench seat in place.
I will do that tomorrow after.

I almost got all the trim woodwork off the boat.
I will then spend sometime refinishing the wood.

INA40, this may just spark a debate. I recommend you clean your teak up well, including sanding, then hit it with 3-4 coats of Sikkens Cetol Marine Finish. No, this is not SPAM. This stuff just works very well. It used to suffer from a bit of an orangish (is that a word?) cast, but the modern product and the variations thereof look very nice. Cetol is very durable. I would avoid the gloss finish, but the traditional, satin and natural teak finishes are very nice. Another nice thing about it is that once a year, you can lightly sand any nicks or cuts, Cetol it up, and you are good to go for the year. I have found this stuff works much longer than teak oil or varnish, at least for a northern boat which spends 1/2 of the year (at least) under cover.

Nipper,
Thanks for the suggestion on the Sikken. I have a good bit of Helmsmen left over from doing the Whaler wood work last summer. However it would probably a better idea to use something of better quality.

I took a few photos of the mounting pins that hold the bench seat to the floor.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4...215091814a.jpg

The pins have a button to release the ball bearings the hold the pins into the floor mounts.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4...215091815a.jpg

The pins would slide through the frame of the seat and into the floor mount.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4...215091815b.jpg

Them are pretty neat.

Hate to bring up a negative, but it's a reality around here...how did Wellcraft keep water from entering the center hole of the bracket?... :head:

I have the same set up for my 92, and Wellcraft did not do anything to prevent water going in when the seat is not mounted. It would just drip into the bildge below if water got on the deck.
Inaforty I would recommend also you pull the screws and plate and put some 4200 on the back side of the plate and the screw holes and re-bed. Wellcraft did not seal them well from what I could see on other boats as well.

That's why I brought it up...seal not only the screw-holes, but check and see if Wellcraft sealed the sides of the holes the pin goes through as well?...the good news is from the pics he's postin' the deck appears to still be solid, so they musta done somethin'...

Reel and Willy,
Thanks for the input on the unsealed coring. I will pull the plates and try to remove the coring around the holes. Then I fill with West system epoxy with filler and redrill to correct size. I'll be sure 4200 the screws. It will have to warm up a bit to do any of those outside jobs. It's around 25 degrees outside right now. Brrrrrrrrrrr!!

When I removed the frame for the cuddy door I notice that the plywood in the bulkhead was a bit damp. I tried to force a screwdriver into the plywood but it wasn't soft. I do have two screws that hold the frame of the door that need to be rebedded (sp?).

Anyone have any luck with removing mold and mildew from the monkey fur in the overhead in the V berth? Looks like it's going to be a fun job.


Looking into replacing the steering with a NFB assembly from Teleflex. Anyone have any idea what the correct cable length for an 87 with a 200 Yamaha? Have a good friend that had a V 20 a few years back that replaced his steering cable and he said he had to lift the motor (150 Black Max Merc) out of the way to get the radius of the cable worked around and installed. Anyone with any experience doing this? Just wondering if I can do the cable install in the backyard with the boat undercover or wait an move it to the driveway in the spring so I can get the cherry picker to lift the motor up.



Road King Cole,
Your inlaws live on Mendon rd or Mendall Rd?

Don't know, but take pics I may be doing the same thing this spring, others here have done it and I believe you do have to unbolt and lift the engine

Willy,
I'll try to take some pictures when I change the steering.

Should have know not to second guess my friend about the steering cable. He was born with a wrench in his hand and can fix anything. Good thing is I can always give him a ring if I get stuck along the way. :)

Yes, the motor needs to be pulled away from the transom in most cases in order to get the cable in without over stressing the bend.

not sure about the 87, but i've changed the cable on my 83(150 mariner) without lifting the motor. i pull the rod box on the starboard side. this allows me to feed the cable from the middle to both ends. also the previous owner cut a oblong shaped hole in the splashwell to allow the steering rod to align with the tube on the motor...

i believe the correct length is 17' or 18', but your old cable has a number cut in the housing with the length of it.

Thanks Phatdaddy,
I have the rod boxes out right now to refinish the rod holders and trim wood.
Can't hurt to give it a try.
Hopefully the weather will warm up a bit and not stay like it is now.
Brrrrrrrrrr

Easy enough to measure...from center of gunwale to center of steering helm, then from center of gunwale to center of motor, then down the gunwale from helm to front of engine...add the three measurements and yer there...several years back I changed my old '74 and it took a 17' NFS and did not require an engine lift...but keep in mind the splashwells in yours and mine are quite different...good luck and don't forget the pics...:clap:

Been working on the woodwork. I had almost a full gallon of Minwax Helmsmen so I used that. I looked at the Sikkens products but at $109 a gallon I thought I would just put a few extra coats of the cheap stuff. Something to keep me busy with all the snow on the ground outside.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4...221091707a.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4...221091715a.jpg

looking good ...... take lots of pics:nice: