Sea Craft article

[bigshrimpin]

The old mosley 21 and variations of that hull were the race boats that dominated the early offshore racing circuit. The 23 seacraft is basically a 21 with some modification to the hull and deck. I believe that the 23 seacraft designs were done by firm hired by Potter in the early 70's . . . similar recessed rail gunnel cap design was used on the 1970's 20 Master Angler beginning in 1975. The 20 seacraft is the same recreational inshore hull using the original mosley 19 bowrider hull.








Mosley's 25 (last design) incorporated a unique patented ballast system (that potter scrapped) has the sharpest V hull . . . and is being used for research by Steven Loui

http://www.navatekltd.com/index.html

Check out the V on the 25 Seacraft Seafari.

[bigshrimpin]

[spareparts]

I wish tehy had kept the shear line of the early models, they just look so goooood!

Hey BS, I think I may have found a 25 Safari, couldn't get close enough to it to make the 100% ID, but right now its just aging, waiting for me to finish the McKee, then the V. Have you ever ridden in a 25? Wonder how tippy they are at rest(bottom fishing)

[bigshrimpin]

Spares - My Good friend chuck strickland "strick" is in the process of restoring one. I've climb all over it, but it's parked in his yard. I only have second hand information about them including an email from Bill Potter. There was an owner that used his during a hurricane to cross b/w St. Thomas and St. John VI . . . told Bill about dropping off the face of 15ft seas and just kept on motoring. Strick has an email from Steven Loui who has made some mods to the hull for his project that runs a 480 hp Yanmar and Weismann drive. With the mods he says that they can't stuff the bow no matter how hard they try . . . and that's in Hawaii in some nasty nasty conditions. I'm not sure about the rocking, but I'm sure it's not too bad with the variable deadrise.

[spareparts]

its got the wheels turning, just need the time, money, and to keep every one in my family out of the hospital for a while

[shaneburris74]

BS- Would you agree with my assessement that the popular/uneducated opinion is that the Potter years were great and everything else sucks?
But, as you read into it that really isn't totally true. Some of the stuff I've read, and some of the stuff you've said says different. Or is that just my undeducated opinion?
Example: "The 20 seacraft is the same recreational inshore hull using the original mosley 19 bowrider hull." So, your saying the super popular 20ft CC is a Moesly hull actually?

[THEFERMANATOR]

I pretty much gathered that the POTTER name is mostly just that, a name. And the reason behind the TRACKER problems wasn't the design, but more so was due to upper management trying to cut costs and maximize profits which resulted in poor build quality in many hulls. The POTTER hulls were built with good construction techniques and that is probably the #1 reason they are so popular I believe.

[bigshrimpin]

BS- Would you agree with my assessement that the popular/uneducated opinion is that the Potter years were great and everything else sucks?
************************************************** ********

I have seen lots of tracker booboo's. I have two seafari's with solid transoms from 1972 and 1973. I even helped rip out a good transom from a 1969 boat. As long as the previous owners didn't do stupid things like drill lots of holes in the floor or transom . . . the boats seems to have held up very well for being close to 40 years old. I would say that Potter years has some good quality control. Mosley certainly took a huge amount of pride delivering a high end product . . . this was his baby. Mosley built the empire and was deeply involved with Mercury racing.

The 20CC was built in the mid 60's . . . that's not a potter design. The 20 MA in 1975 was a potter creation with the same 20 CC hull. I know potter changed the stringer configuration in 1972 . . . but I believe that was due to adding required flotation. Even the seacraft 20CC today uses the same hull. As far as the 19 bowrider is concerned . . . I am almost positive it's the same hull as the 20CC if not exactly the same it's very close.

Again I don't know everything and I might get some things mixed up . . . I was just as interested as you . . . and started asking about the racing on Screamandfly.com. Some very interesting posts . . . if you look over there.

[bigshrimpin]

Originally Posted by spareparts

its got the wheels turning, just need the time, money, and to keep every one in my family out of the hospital for a while

Spares - PM me your email address . . . I will forward you some things.

[bigshrimpin]

--- On Mon, 10/22/07, bpotter wrote:

> From: bpotter
> Subject: Re:25 ft SeaCraft
> To: "William BARBER" <[email protected]>
> Date: Monday, October 22, 2007, 9:28 PM
> Hi Tim,
> Please tell Strick he has the best riding SeaCraft we ever
> built. It is not a boat for someone who doesn't know
> how or doesn't want to use trim tabs and the power trim of
> the IOs or outboards to get the most out of the hull
> design. The boat has the deepest V (25degrees) of any
> SeaCraft and, due to having no lifting strakes, it is more
> sensitive to "leaning" in cross winds and from weight shifts
> while on plane than other SeaCrafts and other deep
> Vs. BUT, it is like flying an aerobatic
> plane, if you know how to use the trim you can set that boat
> up to run through anything you have the nerve to be out in
> with remarkable comfort and safety. AND, because of
> the Variable Deadrise Hull design it is a very stable
> platform at rest or at trolling speeds. I wish we had
> a recording of the story a guy told us about his run from St
> Croix to St Thomas during a major hurricane flying through
> and off 25 ft and larger seas in the dark! Pigs don't
> fly!
> Best regards,
> Bill Potter
> ps A SeaMark twin Fiberglass Bracket and properly
> positioned and operating trim tabs would be my
> recommendation unless he is going to go with a big single
> diesel duoprop stern drive or smaller twin duoprop
> sterndrives. ( Duoprops minimize torque roll)