Badbaggers SeaArk 1872 Modification & Restoration Project

[Country Dave]

"Clueless" - Moving on, my seats came in today and here's a crappy cell phone pic. Planning on mounts for my Garmin GPSMAP 720S and presently price shopping on the Lowrance HDS GEN2 12 Touch. Garmin will be my primary GPS and the Lowrance used for down and side imaging. Called the fabricator too late on Friday so I've got to wait for Monday for an update and pickup time. Etec gets pulled Wednesday and I'll start to prep the beast for Linex the following Wednesday which will take a week. Should be picking up the trolling motor soon. Since these electronics are so damn sensitive I'm rethinking electrical and will probably end up with 4 batteries. One dedicated for starting only, two house batteries for the trolling motor and bilge pump and misc other things and then a 4th house battery strictly for the Garmin and Lowrance units. Going to be battery heavy :shock:

I had 4 batters on my 17 MAKO center console but it was overkill. You need to have 2 deep cycle batteries for your trolling motor because it’s a 24 volt system. Those have to be standalone because you’re going to connect them in series so you have 24 volts. You don’t want to run anything else but the trolling motor off of them. The other 2 batteries should be on a switch. Don’t separate them. Run everything to and from a busbar.

 

[Badbagger]

Thanks Dave!

 

[Country Dave]

Thanks Dave!

All good bro,

You could probably get away with one cranking battery. As long as the motor is running you’re not going to be running the battery down. In fact I believe the E-tec has like a 130 amp alternator. Plenty enough to run you’re accessories and charge/maintain battery voltage when running. If you have to batteries on a switch, when you’re not running but want to run accessories, just switch to one battery and back to both when cranking. This way you will never run one of the batters down.

 

[Badbagger]

That's the current plan :mrgreen:

 

[Badbagger]

Here's a new update. The boat is basically done and they're waiting on a couple of sets of piano hinges which should have arrived earlier today. Here's some updated photos of all the fab work. Etec is coming off tomorrow morning and she's off to Sarasota next week for Linex.
More pics to follow once I get her back but fabricator shot these for me earlier today.

 

[Country Dave]

Hey brother it’s looking awesome congratulations;
The rear deck in front of the motor does open or is it fixed?

 

[Badbagger]

It will fold forward towards the bow and thanks.

 

[Country Dave]

It looks like it will just clear the corner caps.
Very cool that the fuel tank is under the front deck. That’s going to help for sure.

 

[Badbagger]

It had better damn clear lol and yes the weight will be a BIG BIG help. I talked or PM'd Tabman over on tht and giving some thought to adding a set of Self Leveling Tab here: https://www.bennetttrimtabs.com/cataloghome.php

BUT, before I do I'm going to run the boat as is and then run with say 100# of sand in the new anchor box which will bring the bow down more and if that helps and it should, I'll add the tabs.

 

[Country Dave]

I understand the concept or at least I think I do. :LOL2:

I would like to see some reviews of this product from real people that have purchased and installed them. I’m not saying they won’t work, they probably will. I just really don’t know much about them. It looks like they are spring loaded within the actuators. Which means unlike conventional trim taps they would have constant down force on them. I don’t like that part. I guess it really depends on how much down force they have.

If I understand the concept the down force is there all of the time until the pressure from the water flowing by them at higher speeds forces them upward. That’s cool but here is the problem, at lower speeds you’re going to be dragging two 14x20 inch plates below the water line. Parasitic drag = not good. :LOL2:
Besides if you’re trying to float skinny and they hang down at rest and low sped like I think they do, that’s going to inhibit you’re ability to get skinny. Like I said, that’ how I think they work but again I’m not sure.

 

[jeffh1973]

I have the same boat, a 1996 1872MV with a 90 Johnson. It would porpoise at high speed if I tried to trim it even with the whaletail on the motor. I called SeaArk and talked to a engineer that told me to get rid of the tail and put trim tabs on the transom. He said to put 2 inch aluminum angle between the first and second outside rakes. This is what I did: I put a 21 gallon fuel tank and all the batteries up front like your fuel tank, removed the whaletail, and installed the gas charged automatic adjusting smart tabs. I now can run 45 mph with gear and two men trimmed up out of the water. I plan on posting my project when time and money allow me to purchase other materials. My tank and batteries are temporaried in and I can't make up my mind between wood floor or coughing up the greenbacks for aluminum.
I wish the trim tabs could have been welded on, but the smart tabs were well worth the $150.

 

[Badbagger]

Thanks Jeff ! Would you post a photo or two or three of what you're referring to?

MUCH appreciated.

 

[jeffh1973]

Sure, I would be glad to. It will take me a couple of days, sorry. Below is a link to the company for info and for our size boat they are on ebay for $121 with free shipping(part # SX9510-60)
www.nauticusinc.com

 

[bigwave]

Hey BB for running 3/4 to WOT those smart tabs are good.....slow speed they do nothing really......IMO if your going to put tabs on the boat I would suggest forking out the extra $ for the electric tabs.......the reason being is if you have one of your fat buddies aka Dave :shock: on one side of the boat and a stiff headwind you can force the boat to plane level......the smart tabs will not do that. My friend has them and he says they are fine when he runs, but he wishes he could force the tabs to stay in the up position or down position. I would run the boat first then decide if you even need them. Just my two cents. The boat is looking good buy the way....with the linex on it should look even better. If your in the area when you drop the boat off, come in a say hi......I would bet you could find something in our store for the boat, cheaper too. Our shop is only an hour from sarasota.

 

[Country Dave]

Jeff I think the dereference was probably more to do with putting the 2 inch angel between the rakes, moving the 21 gallon fuel tank and batters up front than anything else. Please don’t get me wrong I’m not saying this is not a good product or they won’t work I’m just saying if they have constant down force it’s going to cause some drag.
Do they angel down at rest and if so how much?

 

[Country Dave]

For once I agree with bigwave. :LOL2:
I would run the boat first before you make any decisions or investment in trim taps. O yeh 6ft 215lbs only cetin parts are fat. :mrgreen:

 

[jeffh1973]

Bigwave's friend's boat may be different than ours, but he makes a good point about the big buddy. The size of the 1872 makes this boat very stable and it would take a very big person to make a real difference. As for the slow speeds I didn't have any issues to rectify, porpoising only happend at the higher speeds. The smart tabs are self adjusting and will adjust individually helping the boat to level out, I'm sure to a certain limitations. With your 40 hp you may noy have any issues at all to deal with, but I did with my 90 hp. By the way SeaArk told me that the max hp is 140 with remote steer and 80 with tiller steer and sent me a new Coast Guard sticker free of charge.

 

[jeffh1973]

Dave, you could very well be right, but I didn't state it very clear I used the trim tabs instead of the angle. Sorry about my writing skills. I should have done one thing at a time so I would know exactly, but I was going on the word of a SeaArk engineer. He also told me they put pods on all the new boats, but he liked the angle better.
Back to the tabs, they can be adjusted for different at rest angle.

 

[bigwave]

For once I agree with bigwave. :LOL2:
I would run the boat first before you make any decisions or investment in trim taps. O yeh 6ft 215lbs only cetin parts are fat. :mrgreen:

Hey Dave you know that I am joking, but I still cant wait for the rumble in the bay.......here tarpon tarpon tarpon.......snook snook, I will leave the catfish for you and BB........... :lol: Both of you guys are doing outstanding jobs on your tins. =D>

 

[Country Dave]

For once I agree with bigwave. :LOL2:
I would run the boat first before you make any decisions or investment in trim taps. O yeh 6ft 215lbs only cetin parts are fat. :mrgreen:

Hey Dave you know that I am joking, but I still cant wait for the rumble in the bay.......here tarpon tarpon tarpon.......snook snook, I will leave the catfish for you and BB........... :lol: Both of you guys are doing outstanding jobs on your tins. =D>

Yes of course Brian, it’s all in good fun. I enjoy the banter. Thanks for the vote of confidence and I would fish with you anytime. :mrgreen: