3/4 of the way through a 73' steplift rebuild!

Illogikal99

Illogikal99

Member
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I am a new member but I have a ton of experience with this Steplift. the above pic was taken last summer after a year or so of work. I have owned this boat since 2001. I use her primarily as a surf/fish boat. This hull has seen many snotty, rough days and has handled them with the attitude of a much bigger heavier boat! I just could not trade her in for a newer boat that probably wouldn't perform as well. It was an easy decision to start a rebuild.
I removed the deck to get a look at the trouble spots and found that the stringers and bulkheads aft of mid-deck had to be removed and replaced. I have a 55gal Belly tank that was drained and cleaned prior to the deck going back on. Replaced and rewired Lenco tabs, removed old Gil bracket and replaced with stainless marine unit. Replaced my old 140 VRO with the 225 Johnson above. sucker moves! Just finished new canvas with full enclosure, looking forward to installing a fishing arch complete with spreader lights, rocket launcher and antenna mounts. will be adding storage seat risers as soon as I fabricate and glass over ply. working on new stainless bowrail right now. any ideas, thoughts or comments are welcome! would love to hear something I haven't thought of so please fire away!:sun:
 
VERY NICE!!! I can't believe she sits so nicely in the water with that big 225 AND the kicker on a bracket!!! I would have thought she'd be sitting really heavy in the back, but it doesn't look that way at all.

Would love to see more pics of her.

Welcome to the site!
 
ahhh the beauty of the flotaion bracket! Thank you Stainess Marine for making my 225 possible!
believe it or not she sat heavier in the *** with the 140 and the old bracket.
thanks for the good words, I'll keep the pics coming :)
 
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this is the setup I recently replaced, 140 VRO with a 20" shaft on a frame Gil Bracket. served me well but the new setup is just better in all regards. slightly heavier but the power makes up for it and fuel consumption is not as bad as I figured. Still a pig by todays standards but I am a long way from affording an E-tec.
wish I had some water shots of the old setup to compare the freeboard between the two motors and brackets...



Bygracealone said:
VERY NICE!!! I can't believe she sits so nicely in the water with that big 225 AND the kicker on a bracket!!! I would have thought she'd be sitting really heavy in the back, but it doesn't look that way at all.

Would love to see more pics of her.

Welcome to the site!
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Great rebuild!....Boat looks fantastic. Dont know how many more ideas you need from us! With the bracket and enclosure, if you add the arch you pretty much have the trifecta going on in my opinion.

Welcome to the site by the way.
 
Illogikal99 said:
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I am a new member but I have a ton of experience with this Steplift. the above pic was taken last summer after a year or so of work. I have owned this boat since 2001. I use her primarily as a surf/fish boat. This hull has seen many snotty, rough days and has handled them with the attitude of a much bigger heavier boat! I just could not trade her in for a newer boat that probably wouldn't perform as well. It was an easy decision to start a rebuild.
I removed the deck to get a look at the trouble spots and found that the stringers and bulkheads aft of mid-deck had to be removed and replaced. I have a 55gal Belly tank that was drained and cleaned prior to the deck going back on. Replaced and rewired Lenco tabs, removed old Gil bracket and replaced with stainless marine unit. Replaced my old 140 VRO with the 225 Johnson above. sucker moves! Just finished new canvas with full enclosure, looking forward to installing a fishing arch complete with spreader lights, rocket launcher and antenna mounts. will be adding storage seat risers as soon as I fabricate and glass over ply. working on new stainless bowrail right now. any ideas, thoughts or comments are welcome! would love to hear something I haven't thought of so please fire away!:sun:
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Nice lookin' rig - how fast with that 225 ? I'm a " how fast freak"........
 
Nice looking rig. I'm a tad jealous of the 225 sitting on the rear.. looks huge for the boat... awe inspiring. Well done.:clap:

Welcome to the site. :beer:
 
Nothing Illogikal about that, two recommendations though, first put a couple of super models in bikini's inside and take some shots, better yet invite me to Long Island and I will take them for you.
Before we bloody the deck of course.

Very nice, well done:clap:
 
bgreene said:
Nice lookin' rig - how fast with that 225 ? I'm a " how fast freak"........
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tough to tell for sure since I dont have my GPS yet but I would guess that it does between 50 and 55 with no gear, half a tank and 2 people aboard. I rarely open her all the way up, I prefer to save the fuel and use the power to get out of the hole when loaded for a day then back it off a bit. I gotta say when conditions are right and the bay is like a sheet of glass, this boat is a hell of a lot of fun to open up. I've heard people complain about "chine walk" when overpowered but this hull has handled like a bluewater speedboat! top speed is fast but you dont feel out of control at all...
 
willy said:
Nothing Illogikal about that, two recommendations though, first put a couple of super models in bikini's inside and take some shots, better yet invite me to Long Island and I will take them for you.
Before we bloody the deck of course.

Very nice, well done:clap:
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will she do??? I'd suggest you time your visit with the installation of my seats! my sense of priority is totally shot...
 
tsubaki said:
Dang, I like the way that thing looks and floats!
Very nice!:clap:
Post more pictures!
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I need more pics in the water. Maybe a few from the dock or another boat when I'm at WOT! I don't even know what this thing looks like wide open...
I'll send more photos if I find them.
 
Illogikal99 said:
I need more pics in the water. Maybe a few from the dock or another boat when I'm at WOT! I don't even know what this thing looks like wide open... I'll send more photos if I find them.
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It will look something like this:

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(That's a 225 Johnson WOT and reading 56mph on the GPS)
 
Illogikal99 I noticed you from New York area and notice you surfed. I looked up a map of where you are from. You guys pick up on some nice south swells. I surf here in virginia. Im from Va beach.
 
You might be new around here...but you walked in w/the FULL package!!...right down to the Super Model...

I too woulda thought @$$ heavy, but apparently the flotation bracket really does a job...

Back in '99 I floated the '74 shown below...I talked to wellcraft about adding belly tank and they strongly advised against it...glad you didn't talk to them 1st!!...glad to see it can be done!!...:clap:

And hey...no way you could post too many pics of that baby!!...some up on plane shots would be great...:sun:
 
Kracker Jack said:
Illogikal99 I noticed you from New York area and notice you surfed. I looked up a map of where you are from. You guys pick up on some nice south swells. I surf here in virginia. Im from Va beach.
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occassionally we get some swell up here, usually come summer, the doldrums turn this place into lake Atlantic. The best surf is to be had in the dead of winter, the changing of the seasons and when the hurricanes come marching through our swell window. when Noreasters push through we have usually a matter of hours to a day to get on it before it dies or blows out. If you want to see how good it can get then youtube the Long Beach quicksilver pro 2011! damn that was a good swell! I headed east for that one and had a lonely day of overhead surf and no pictures to prove it ever even happened...
below is my favorite point break going off! I usually anchor up just outside of the surf zone and jump right into it. there is also a sheltered sand beach behind the break that I can beach the boat at if its too big. If you visit LI for surf, I hope you like lefts...

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