Looking for suggestion/comments/ideas

[Skycopper]

My 96 V21 is turning 30 this year and for her birthday I plan on major overhaul bow to stern. I have plans already for some items but I'm sure there are ideas out there I have not thought of. Please share. A little about my boat and the plans:
Never stored indoors, always hung from davits its entire life (original owner here)
Have original cushions and enclosure from the factory that's never been on the boat. Might sell these as I have never used them.
Replace the 200 2 cycle Evin with 200 4 cycle Merc fly by wire.
Ditch the oil tank and rear mounted single battery and place two Group 27 batteries forward of the fuel tank to offset 25lbs increase in motor weight.
Remove passenger lounger and add captains chair on port like the helm seat, then duplicate the lid of the livewell on the fishbox too.
Replace analog instrument panel with larger slightly taller digital displays for engine/chart/fishfinder.
Add Lenco or Bennet trim tabs which I don't have now. Opinions here?
New larger/longer Bimini or possibly a hardtop. Still discussing this with spousal unit #1 as she thinks the Bimini is better for bridge clearance and towing in the Ft Lauderdale area.
All flooring will be replaced inside and outside the cuddy as I have a soft spot of two and I want to inspect/repair the stringers if needed. Ant wood needing replacement will be done with material that will not rot, any material not rotting will be recoated/resealed for insurance.
Replace the plastic C-channel where the splash board is in the transom with stainless steel channel and fabricate a fold down bench seat with backrest and rod holders like you see on many new Dusky CC boats.
Add a fiberglass deck hatch over the bilge pump so I can get two hands down below instead of the 8" circular plastic hatch. Then place redundant pump below. I have two pumps now but they have a Rube Goldberg setup with check valves to feed one discharge port. Going to fix that. I want two independent pumps working from two independent batteries.

I would enjoy hearing from those that have added functionality/accessories to their V20/21 for consideration in this project. I love this boat. It's perfect for my situation as every fishing trip involves a hour of cruising each way through the canal system here. And day cruising is very comfortable too. I would buy this boat again in a heartbeat if it were available new, but I can't so I am about to pay someone a lot of money to do just that. Make her new again.

 

[RidgeRunner]

New indeed. That sounds like a plan. I think the Merc is a little bit heavier than 25 lbs. but what a difference it will make with long idle in and out canals. welcome to the site.
I like my dual bilgepump setup with the auto switches. My boat is a trailer queen. Painted so I am hesitant to leave it in the water for long, not a self bailing boat in its current configuration so that’s hella important to me.. I added a fresh water wash down and bait/livewell for my benefit. Storage tank in a dead space under floor. I spent too many hours with the West Marine Catalog at my desk. I went Bennett and they are non functional at this time.

 

[Skycopper]

From what I have found:
AI generated: "A 1996 Evinrude 200 HP outboard, likely a V6 carbureted model, typically weighs around 450 to 455 pounds, with some sources citing 450 lbs as per the service manual and others listing 455 lbs, representing its dry weight. "
AI Generated: "
A Mercury 200hp outboard's weight varies by model, but the popular V6 FourStroke is around 475-484 lbs (216 kg), while the performance-focused Pro XS V8 model weighs about 505 lbs (229 kg), with specific weights depending on shaft length and features like Digital Throttle & Shift (DTS).
Common 200HP Mercury Models & Weights:
200 FourStroke (V6): ~475 - 484 lbs (216 kg)

The engine I am focusing on is the short shaft DTS lightweight 475lb model.

The boat has a factory installed raw water washdown and livewell pump but I did add an aerator pump which keeps baits alive overnight. I live on a deepwater canal very near the everglades spillway, so the water at my dock is 80% fresh. So I can't use that water to keep shrimp alive and must aerate the salt water I bring back from the ocean/baitshop.

Was thinking of using the space in front of the fuel tank for an underdeck battery box.

 

[phatdaddy]

Sounds like you’re doing it right. Take lots of pics and take us along for the ride. Some of the biggest problems with the V is the seam where the cap meets the transom where the motor hangs, On the V20, they tried to seal it with a piece of aluminum angle, not sure how that was handled on the V21. Also the limber holes in the bulkheads where they meet the stringers were not sealed,

As far as moving the batteries,make sure to factor in voltage drop for the wire runs. New outboards are very finicky about voltage.

One of the best mods I’ve done is adding an anchor pulpit and deck pipe.

If u go with the Mercury OB, get the smart gauge, gives u a lot of real time info.

 

[steplift20]

Skip the trim Bennett tabs
Keep the 200 evenrude
Remove the top. ( it slows you down and gets it 5he way of casting)
Two group 24 battery’s instead of group 27.
I agree. Remove the seat on the port side.
Get rid of the oil tank and and pre mix the oil and gas. I did. Very easy and better
That’s just my opinion

 

[Skycopper]

Skip the trim Bennett tabs_Agree, local guys here say Lenco work better
Keep the 200 evenrude_Sorry, tired of the 30 years of 2 cycle oil smell, been using Evinrude 100 Gold oil and still stinks
Remove the top. ( it slows you down and gets it 5he way of casting)_My life is 70% cruising and 30% fishing, don't cast too much in 100' of water
Two group 24 battery’s instead of group 27. _My knickname is Dr. Overkill
I agree. Remove the seat on the port side. _
Get rid of the oil tank and and pre mix the oil and gas. I did. Very easy and better _Refer to line two
That’s just my opinion_And I thank you for your input!!!

 

[steplift20]

I love the smell of two stroke oil in the morning
Overkill is not a bad thing ,but group 24 is lighter in weight
And sorry to disagree with you 100 percent but a 1996 wellcraft is still a baby. And beautiful too

 

[scook]

We are brothers on overkill. Here in Oregon, I do a lot of fishing in the Columbia River, trolling or on the hook with the current working lures. I haven’t got it functioning yet, but got a little WIFI unit that connects to my fish finder, so I’ll be able to watch for fish on my iPad, facing the stern. Might no be useful in your fishery, but I think it will be here.

And welcome to the site.

 

[Skycopper]

That is interesting. I already have done something similar on my reloading bench with a WIFI camera that allows me to look into cartridges as they move out from the powder dispenser on my progressive press. I'm going to need another IPAD! LOL

 

[scook]

When I had the insulators on a job, spraying closed cell foam, I filled one of those plastic tubs that lettuce comes in full to make a life jacket for the iPad. If I get to it, I’ll smooth it up and give it a good thick coat of international orange paint, strap it onto the pad so I can see it and dip it out if it goes overboard.

Interesting use on the reloading bench. Are you checking for over/under powder charge or a complete miss? My son does our reloading and that’s something he’d probably like to know about.

 

[Skycopper]

Will take a photo and post it for you. Most power checkers (mechanical types) just check for "X" amount (read that as Large amount) over or under charge or complete miss. With this you can develop an "Eye" for what looks right inside the cartridge. IOW's, if a properly charged 9mm casing is 70% full, you can readily see anything above and below that with the naked eye. I make a couple thousand rounds of 9mm each month used in competition for a girl friend and I. It works on any caliber because the camera has a light in it that shines down into the case illuminating the powder level against the inside of the casing. Rifle case powder levels compare to the neck area.

 

[Pipe_Dream]

Dang, Skycopper -- I'm liking you more and more! Glad you joined our little club.

 

[Skycopper]

Here is the link to the exact camera I am using. Its no longer available but there are dozens like it on Amazon:

https://www.wish.com/product/sansido-endoscope-wifi-wireless-ios-iphone-android-borescope-endoscope-camera-20-megapixels-hd-6-leds-9mm-720p-ip66-tube-waterproof-snake-inspection-camera-for-iphone-samsung-smartphone---35m-57bea038c7a8e937ae0c3b7a

I simply took a sizing die I was not using (I think it was a FL 308) and removed the guts, slipped the camera in and stuffed with cotton on all sides to center it. Then plugged it into a wall charger and broadcast a WIFI network the IPAD logs into. From there you just open the APP and there is the image.

 

[steplift20]

I would love to give you my advice on all that but honestly. That’s way above my pay scale. I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about. Like pipe dream said. Glad you joined the club ( I just wish I knew what you are talking about ).
All I could offer you is what I would do to your wellcraft

 

[Skycopper]

We did get a little off topic

 

[scook]

Yeah, but who’s keeping track?. I’ll be sharing this with my son. He loads for rifle - we practice pistol with economical hardball ammo. He’s worked up loads for my semi-recently acquired 6.5 Creedmoor and his 308. Thanks for the post.

My V is an I/O, so I don’t have anything to offer about outboards, and it sounds like you’re on the right track with your renovation. I’ll be watching and throw in if I have anything.