.....SoLittle!!!!!!

[TAF]

I'VE BEEN REVIEWING MOST OF THE POSTS ON THIS SITE, LOTS OF GREAT INFO. IT SEEMS THAT YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WITH A 80'S WELLCRAFT FISHERMAN. I AM LOOKING AT AN '84 V20 FISHERMAN. HAVE NOT SEA TRIALED YET. YOU HAVE SAID SHE HANDLES GREAT, OVERBUILT, ETC. HOW DOES SEE HANDLE AT ANCHOR, OR ON A DRIFT? THE DEEP VEE HAS ME CONCERNED. IS SHE OVERLY ROLLY, TIPSY? ALSO, HOW DO I RECOGNIZE ANY STRUCTURAL ISSUES (STRINGERS, TRANSOM, DELAMINATION, ETC.

 

[Solittle]

Re: .....SoLittle!!!!!!

Fargo - Mine is a 1988 23' Wellcraft Fisherman. A couple of examples of my comments on being overbuilt - The sides of the console are a sandwich with 1/4" of glass followed by 3/4" of ply followed by another 1/4" of glass. That is 1 1/4" thick for the sides of the console for heavens sake. The stringers look like 2X6s heavily encased in glass and it has additional supports reinforcing/attaching the stringers to the transom.<br /><br />I think Wellcraft used this hull for a couple of different models. Mine is for SeaDrive power which means I have a full transom with no engine or other cut out. This is an advantage - sort of. An advantage in that I can be hit by a pretty good wave from the stern without worry of sinking. The negative side of that is the SeaDrives themselves that hang on the back. If you get waves over the motors the water can get sucked into the engine - not a Wellcraft issue.<br /><br />I did have the transom rebuilt about three years ago due to rot but that was due to the engine installer not using enough sealer with the motor mounting bolts and not a fault of the design of the boat. I have had no other problems with the hull.<br /><br />It is not a deep V like a Cigarette so that is not an issue and is stable at anchor or drift. <br /><br />It is somewhat of an odd looking hull for the length due to the high freeboard - which I like for safety. It looks like someone took a 28-30'er and went at it with a chainsaw.<br /><br />Don't know what power the one you are looking at has but this is a heavy boat for it's size and you want to be sure that it has enough power. Mine is rated for 300hp & I run twin 110hp SeaDrives. Performance for me is quite adequate but not blazing - I have no interest in rippin down the bay at 60

 

[KenStew27]

I’ve been running 20’Wellcraft for about ten years. There’s been more than one occasion that I’ve nearly sunk the boat offshore due to waves coming over the transom . It needs to be modified so it doesn’t take on water so much . Bad design . If you make one wrong move and a wave comes in from the back , your history in the boat .

 

[jbcurt00]

@Kenstew its been more then 17yrs, not likely to get or reply to your message

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