My 1987 Fisherman 20

Night_Sailor

Night_Sailor

Member
Let me introduce myself. I'm a retired Air Force vet, who has worked as a licensed Captain for many years. I deliver boats throughout the east coast and also teach boat handling and sailing part time. For the last 15 years I've been doing a lot of boat repair work, for my own boats, more or less continuously for that whole time.

I am glad to be part of the V20 community.

I have been wanting a Center Console for a long while. I found one last month with a painted aluminum T-top and a galvanized single axle trailer for $1300 and bought it. The T-Top is what sold me. Here it is before I started work on it.

Spur079_zps38fc25a5.jpg


The motor is a Johnson 235 and it needs some work, it was not running and I found a wire to the stator cut. Some bit of plastic blew off and cut it. I need to investigate or perhaps toss the motor. I'd like to try and get it running as I have good mechanical skills. I've rebuilt many a chevy motor, and a few diesels over the years. It looks pretty simple to me--no valves to adjust. As much as I'd love a new two stroke motor, I don't have the funds for that. One of the pistons looks like it was running hot. I'm thinking about taking the whole thing apart. Is this a waste of my time? Or should I start looking for another motor?

The hull is in good shape. A few nicks in the bow and some scraps on the starboard side. Lots of poor (visually) patch work.

It looks like someone did some work on the fuel tank. The area around the center console is sealed with fiberglass tape. I know about replacing tanks and can get one made up by a shop I use for this purpose, if needed. I will probably pull it out and inspect it.

I have been making the trailer road worthy and put new springs, hugs, bearing, tires, and new lights and wiring. Registration might be a problem, I'll be looking into that next week.

I plan to re-wire the boat next and pull the tank, and fix all the sloppy looking patches of holes all about the boat. I hate gel coating.

My first question is the Gelcoat does not look white.

Does anyone know what tints to use? Is there a standard Gelcoat tint that Wellcraft uses on these boats. Is it just white and showing some age related discoloration? I can do the work, but I doubt I'll be able to match the tint without lots of trial and error.

My big question is the transom. It appears solid, I plan to pull off some of the trim and check it out. There are not splash boards, but there are a few hooks to hold a board in place. It appears the transom was cut down from 25" to 20" to accommodate this motor. This concerns me. The previous owner tells me it was not a problem. I can fix this although it would be a fair amount of work. You can see the notch cut in the transom in the below photo.

Spur078_zps3a284d32.jpg


Do I need to be worried about the boat being swamped from the back?

Could this possibly sink the boat?
 
Last edited:
First, from one vet to another,thank you for your service. Second, welcome aboard. It's hard to sink these boats. (not impossible, just hard). I'd make sure I had a splash board in front of the engine well. (why invite trouble)

You need to find out why there was a cut in the deck by the tank. If the tank was replaced, that's gravy. If however, the PO looked at the tank and decided to sell the boat because he didn't want to fix whatever the problem is you have a project on your hands. Stating the obvious, leaking gas tanks are a fatal disaster waiting to happen.

In all cases, again, welcome aboard. Looking forward to more posts from you. and remember, we love boat porn on these forums, so be sure to post lots of pics.
 
dont waste your time with the 235(two thirsty five), a removable splash board will help that transom. Spectrum color.com may help with teh gel coat. BTW, where are you located?
 
what spare said about the 235, not one of omc's best moments. but if you are going to repair, see if you can get it turning over, check compression, then make sure you can pull the foot & flywheel before you get too much in it.

good luck & keep posting
 
Assuming your going to run in the ocean or LI Sound, better to have a 25" transom. Then get a 4 stroke motor.

You'll never get a perfect match of gelcoat because the boat has faded
 
Destroyer said:
First, from one vet to another,thank you for your service. Second, welcome aboard. It's hard to sink these boats. (not impossible, just hard). I'd make sure I had a splash board in front of the engine well. (why invite trouble)

You need to find out why there was a cut in the deck by the tank. If the tank was replaced, that's gravy. If however, the PO looked at the tank and decided to sell the boat because he didn't want to fix whatever the problem is you have a project on your hands. Stating the obvious, leaking gas tanks are a fatal disaster waiting to happen.

In all cases, again, welcome aboard. Looking forward to more posts from you. and remember, we love boat porn on these forums, so be sure to post lots of pics.
Click to expand...


Thanks, but some of the people I met while serving were REALLY deserving of your thanks. Look up MoH recipient Col Jim Flemming--a fellow with whom I had a lengthy talk--his story the way he tells it would make you cry. Here is a link although it does not do the story justice.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_P._Fleming

Much in not said in the wiki. One of the guys he saved was a friend of his on his fourth tour doing recon. He signed up for a fifth tour and was KIA--this was the fellow Jim Flemming thought was "the bravest man he knew" and he ought to know. I can't remember his name though. The boots on the ground never get enough credit IMHO.

Regarding the tank. There is nothing difficult about fixing this boat up. I've restored my bigger boats and anything under 30' is a piece of cake, I don't think anything of it. I can put in 30-60 minutes a day and before you know it, it's done.

I will pull the tank, just because I want to be 100% sure the tank is in perfect condition.

Here a picture of the console. The Wellcraft tank is not leaking--now anyway. The PO told me the tank was fine and that it is full and stabilized and mixed 50:1. So pumping out 60 gallons will be take a half a day. I'll need a drum to put it in, and maybe a couple of 6 gallon jugs. That fuel is worth $240 right there. I have a 20 micron filter on my DC transfer pump so that will scrub the fuel. I also have cables to ground everything

My helper Marco and I can get the tank out in a day if I first remove the fuel and grind out the tabbing on the console. I might take the T-top off to, so I can repaint it. We have both done lots of this sort of work. I am not afraid to cut up decks or drill holes--that is what stops most people.

So any way, in these pictures you can see someone taped up the edges of the console. I took a peak in an access hole and what I saw doesn't look great. I'm going to stuff a camera in there and get a better idea. I am guessing the tank starts at the front of the console and goes aft to the helm seat? There is a seam sealed with silicone that looks like it was meant to cover a tank. If the tank goes farther forward than the front of the console, then this is definitely the original tank. Can anyone clue me in on that? Where is the front edge of the tank?



photo3_zps0f110c76.jpg


photo4_zpsbaccc0e1.jpg
 
SkunkBoat said:
Assuming your going to run in the ocean or LI Sound, better to have a 25" transom. Then get a 4 stroke motor.

You'll never get a perfect match of gelcoat because the boat has faded
Click to expand...

Well, why not go to 30". If I raise the transom higher is better, eh?

I don't know much about outboards. I work on inboard diesels mostly.

Why a 4 stroke? Is the fuel economy that much better? What can I expect to burn at WOT with a 150HP 4 stroke compared to a modern 2 stroke 150HP?

I'll try the gel coat first and if the color looks too bad, maybe I'll paint it with Perfection. I like black, navy blue, and pale yellow for topside colors.

I'd rather have simple white gelcoat because I plan to store it on a trailer and would like to lose the bottom paint. Bare gelcoat would faster and easier to keep up. At some point, I might get motivated and start sanding the bottom paint off. Does anyone else trailer store their boat?

Even with the gelcoat color slightly off, that is far better than the ugly rough yellow patch repairs it has now. I'll try mixing up a bunch of test batches and see what looks closest and give it a try. If bugs me I can always paint it. My experience is that painting always turns out to be a lot faster than gelcoat repairs--for me anyway. I'll think about that some.


 
phatdaddy said:
what spare said about the 235, not one of omc's best moments. but if you are going to repair, see if you can get it turning over, check compression, then make sure you can pull the foot & flywheel before you get too much in it.

good luck & keep posting
Click to expand...

Thanks. The battery was flat when I got it. I put it on a trickle charge and it came back to life strong. I used it to start a generator today, and I felt strong. I'll be putting the battery in soon and going through the wiring.

I'll need a wheel puller for that flywheel. I can't find mine. I've started reading a manual.

It would be nice to get that motor running well, so I could at least sell it, i f not use it. I picked up some ear muffs for it so I can try to start it, after reconnecting that wire.
 
spareparts said:
dont waste your time with the 235(two thirsty five), a removable splash board will help that transom. Spectrum color.com may help with teh gel coat. BTW, where are you located?
Click to expand...

I live in Easton, CT. Close to Fairfield. I typically sail out of Black Rock (Bridgeport) or Norwalk.

I know the 235 is a fuel hog. But if I can get it running I'd rather spend the money on gas than a car payment sized loan on a new motor. I might
consider a new motor though.

I'd love to feel, first hand, how the various motors perform. If there is anyone local to me, who would take me for a short spin, I'd be grateful, and kick in some gas money. I'd like to see what an ETEC 150 feels like, also the 225 and 250 HP/HO motors, and I'd like to see what any 150 4 stroke feels like in a V-20.

I'm more interested in the boat for a run-about than fishing. I got a real need for speed after delivering a GW 305 walk thru with twin Yamaha 300's. It would do 44mph on flat water and LIS has lots of flat water in the summer. I can't afford a 1/4 million boat, but I can afford to wave as I pass one.

There are a few harbors I have not been into yet. With a fast boat I could explore them day and night. I like Shelter Island, which is a long days sail for me, perhaps two. With this boat I could there in a couple hours. Also if I need a ride somewhere for a local job, I could get there and/or be dropped off there quick.

For fishing, I'd mainly interested in freezing up a supply of food for my dogs. They are high energy Porties, and eat more than you could imagine. I know lots of good spots for Blackfish, and Striper's. If I can get some charter work going, I could afford a new motor.
 
more pictures.


Here it is with the trailer reworked with new springs, hubs, tires, lights and wiring. I wet sanded the top sides and it cleaned up nice. Black mark is a cacamera defect.
photo2_zpsa209e629.jpg




The black mark on the topsides is from my camera.
photo5-1_zpsa9955195.jpg


I added the guide boards, and immediately regretted them. I think I need something higher than these.
photo1_zps769a8d2b.jpg
 
Looking good. I like the looks of her. My boat is a trailer queen also, and there are lots of us here that keep them on trailers, so you're not alone.

As to your question about the 4 strokes, I have no numbers, but from what I've heard they are typically about 1/3 cheaper on gas for the same miles traveled. People like SpareParts or TheFermanator can probably give you better figures than that, since they work on them professionally.

As to your need for speed, I can tell you that my V20 with a 225 Johnnyrude can hit 50+ on a calm day, properly trimmed and with a light load, so you can wave at those 1/4 million boats as you pass them.
 
I have a cuddy model with a hard top.

My old Merc 150 2 stroke got me to 45-ish mph WOT when light.
Thats's when it started, which was always a problem with every 2 stroke i've ever owned...( read that as "I don't like 2 strokes")

My Suzuki 140 4 stroke gets me to 36ish WOT under normal load. I'm never light anymore... I find that fine for my use, entirely fishing. I love my 4 stroke and would never buy a 2 stroke again. Turn the key it starts,even after a long winter, it starts, 10 years old turn the key, it starts....no stinky blue smoke, great gas miles

If they had 150 4 strokes when I bought it I probably would have done that. I think a 150 is a perfect motor for these boats, maybe 175. You'll find a lot of guys here that love their 225 2 strokes but it seems like too much to me.But if you're looking to go fast, a 2 stroke 225 is probably best.

In these light boats, it has to be flat to run over 30mph without taking flight. They do ride well at 26 even in some crap.

As far as 30" shaft...I think that expen$e is only for twin applications. But seriously, I believe they stopped making this hull with a 20" transom around 1980, so that has to say something. I think you'll take a lot of water with that chopped transom, especially with no splash well and a big motor, as your boat is configured.
 
87 V20 fisherman

It just so happens I have the exact same model as yours. I had to replace the tank in mine a few years back. I'll try to find where I put the pics later. There is a removable hatch under the console and extending back behind the pedestal seats. It is sealed with caulk. To remove it you first have to lift the console up. This was sealed with something much stronger, but I was able to slide a razor knife along the edge to cut it. After removing the hatch you are looking at the entire fuel tank. This allowed for easy, (not really it was foamed in) removal of the tank for replacement. I had an exact duplicate made at sunshine tank fabrication, coated it with coal tar epoxy, and reset it and foamed it in. It looks like someone probably hacked up the edges of the console trying to remove the hatch. If you like I can get some pics for you or if you have anything I can help you with please let me know....
 
as far as fuel economy difference on new mercury 2 & 4 strokes they are about the same. modern 2 strokes are very good on gas.
 
I love my 150 E-TECH. Starts right up every time, planes off instantly, gets low to mid 40's top end though she may have a little more, I've never fully topped her out. Great on gas and burns hardly any oil, it will scare you until you get used to it. I run with only me and my wife, and sometimes our 35 and 50 lbs dogs, a cooler with some drinks and sandwiches. I've run a couple fast boats in my past and sometimes think I'd hang a 200 on her if I were to do it again. I had a 225 Evinrude on her before and would run low 50's top end with a 19" prop, burned 3 times the fuel.

One of the ways I reasoned spending the money was taking the price of the engine and dividing by the number of years I plan on having it, and the number of times I plan on using it per year. I heard an old man say once that saltwater outboards live in dog years, As in if used regularly expect 12-15 years out of them before needing a rebuild etc. There are lots of exceptions to that rule.

If it were me, If I could get the old 235 running well, I'd run her with the plan of upgrading as soon as anything came up requiring me to spend more than 25% of it's value. (Which isn't much, about 49 cents a pound for cast aluminum at my scrap yard) Ferm and Spare can talk you through anything with those engines and being you already have mechanical knowledge will help you alot. Keep in mind it is a 30+ year old marine engine that just about anyone with any knowledge of them knows their old and gas hogs. Don't throw good money after bad. Plus you'll love that new engine smell.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top