'87 Sea Nymph help

[walkin_man]

I recently bought a fixer-upper 14', 5" Sea Nymph Fishing Machine and wondered if anyone has any info about this boat. The title says it's a 1987 build. I tried Lowe but that didn't get me very far. The hull is sound, despite the dent in the starboard bow from an oak limb falling on it. I'm wondering what the floor material is. Also wondering about capacities for this boat. The plate inside the transom is nearly unreadable. I think I can make out the HP max as 35hp, but that seems kinda high to me. Hopefully my little 15hp Johnzuki will be enough. As the pics show, one of the previous owners installed a casting platform up forward that I'd like to replace with aluminum treadplate for lightness. I'd be happy to hear of other casting platform arrangements if y'all know of any. Right now it's PT ply and very heavy. Anyway, just wondering about restoring this skiff. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: '87 Sea Nymph help

That's a great hull you've got there, one of the best utility V-hulls around

That 15hp should be a great size motor for that rig, should plane it out with a light load.

First order of business would be removing 100% of the PT lumber in the boat.

The chemicals are no good for aluminum. The fact that the interior of the hull is painted should mean that the metal didn't get corroded hopefully.

Gluvit will seal rivets and seams to prevent leaks.

Good luck to ya!

 

[walkin_man]

Re: '87 Sea Nymph help

Thanks for the reply, Huron. I'm amazed at the way this boat was built. The longitudinal strength must be unreal with false keel of the same material as the spray rails, as well as two shorter ones either side of that, to say nothing of the breaks in the sheet metal, besides. I feel that I can confidently ram an offending dock with this boat and come away nearly unscathed. Wow, they did build 'em back in the day!

My dad gave me a Sea Nymph 12'er for Christmas when I was about 14. I used that boat for years with a Merc 7.5 in the Intracoastal in S. FL, as well as taking it out the Port Everglades cut several times. It was a strong boat but it only had the false keel; no additional material like that was used on the boat. The spray rails were breaks in the metal. So seeing the way my current 'Nymph is built is something of a shock.

I pulled the casting platform off today as well as the plank atop the rear thwart. I've no idea why it was put there. I haven't pulled the carpet off the floors yet but I think it's wood underneath. Since it was a factory build, I'd guess it's marine ply. I'm still wondering at the dry displacement of the boat, as well as capacities overall, though. That 35hp thing still seems kinda high to me, even were it a 2-stroke.

 

[lee m gardner]

Re: '87 Sea Nymph help

Looks like a nice boat. I have a '87 161 fishing machine - came w/ side console, but I removed and put on 40 hp tiller to use as backtroller. Mine is rated for 60 hp, so yours is likely rated for 35 hp, although it would fly w/ a 35. Your 15 should move it OK, but probably a little slow with 3-4 people. (I'd probably use a 25-30 hp if you plan on going distances on the water.) My floor is plywood and I replaced all the hatch & live well lids with 1/2" marine plywood, after sealing and gluing on marine carpet (glued & stapled on underside). Mounted with stainless screws. Your side surfaces are likely plywood covering the positive foam flotation areas. If you push on them or probe their strength, I suspect you'll find they are rotted like mine were. Since you removed the front casting platform you probably found that the removed platform had been raised higher than the framed original. I'd put down carpeted plywood on the original frame level to retain stability. A seat mounted on that will be plenty high. Aluminum treadplate would be noisy and difficult to mount, and mount seat bases to. I'd also probe the transom wood. It should be solid, if not it's easy to replace - you can make your own 1" (or 1 1/2") laminated plywood transom by (waterpoof) gluing two (or 3) thicknesses of 1/2" together - be sure to soak it with sealer (after fabrication) and use sealant caulk anywhere you drill through it for mounting stuff. Put weights on the glued pieces to assure a good lamination bond. Only use stainless fasteners to assure no rusting. Stainless fasteners are cheapest at a hardware store that sells them in bulk by piece - much higher at marine stores. Careful mounting seat bases to be sure not to drill thru boat bottom... Good luck.

 

[walkin_man]

Re: '87 Sea Nymph help

Hi, Lee. Thanks for the response. Yeah, I looked into the aluminum treadplate but dropped that idea pretty quick. $525. per 4'x8' sheet of 1/2"! Great day! I figured it wouldn't be cheap but I wasn't prepared for that figure. As it is, a 4x8 sheet of Hydrotek will set me back about $100., shipped. And as you say, treadplate will probably be noisy and regardless what color I paint it, it'll still heat up in the summer. Thinking 12mm ply w/ vinylester both sides for moisture protection and a sheet of S-glass on top for added rigidity. Then paint it with some one-part Interlux or something with microspheres in it for non-slip. Same for the casting deck forward. I made the mistake of putting silica sand into the paint when repainting decks on my old Cal 24 and it was a disaster! Was like a course sandpaper grit. Thankfully it was a small section and I could repair it.

Roger on the stainless screws. I have a bag of 1&1/2" monel screws left over from another boat project. I wonder if monel would react with aluminum? Anyway the transom feels solid. The previous owner was running a 16hp GoDevil on it and the transom looks like it, but otherwise there's no flex. I'll have to replace the plywood plate on the rear of the transom too, but saving that project for last.

I ordered two gallons of vinylester resin and 3 yards 6oz S-glass cloth from US Composites earlier today so should be able to get at those floors by this weekend. A friend suggested coremat underneath the s-glass but that seems like an excellent way to use up more resin. The 12mm Hydrotek is 9 ply and with the resin and cloth should be more than rigid enough. I've got a can of Gluvit, too, for when I pull those floors up. Should be fun. I love messing with boats. Thanks for the info.

 

[lee m gardner]

Re: '87 Sea Nymph help

Sounds like you have things well at hand. Heres a boat that looks similar to yours that I saw on Craigs List. Maybe it will give you some ideas on layout, etc. Good luck w/ the project.

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/boa/2475543967.html

 

[walkin_man]

Re: '87 Sea Nymph help

Thanks, Lee. There is one other question I have although I'm not sure if this is the proper place for it. As you know, this boat came with a live-well. As I've gotten into pulling the floors up I've had to remove the dry stowage box and the live-well to be able to get the floors out. I'm not altogether keen on reinstalling either the well or the stowage box now that I know they're not structural. My thinking is that a 40 quart cooler with an airstone in it is a fine live-well. I just like open boats without much clutter.

So here's the question. How would I go about sealing up the thru-hull hole? I thought that maybe a couple small aluminum "patches" about 3"x3" sandwiching the hole either side and maybe bedding it in thickened epoxy and possibly even riveting it. But I don't know anything about riveting and hesitate to buy a riveting tool for such a small use. I suppose you could weld it but that seems like pretty thin sheet to be doing that. Just wondering if you had any thoughts on that. Thanks.

 

[walkin_man]

Re: '87 Sea Nymph help

Also wondering about the original framing on the casting platform. I thought this was an owner mod, didn't know it was an original build. As to framing, I didn't see any of that. The deck was mounted on an open box-beam sort of thing where the casting deck completed the box-beam. I'll have to take a picture of it. Was a pretty ingenious arrangment. It's pouring right now but will snap a shot when it lays down out there.

 

[bouttime007]

Re: '87 Sea Nymph help

Welcome aboard!

Nice project boat WM, Id like to find one like that for the rivers/streams around me.

Your 15 should do ok on it with 2 people.

You could JB Weld the thru-hull and then skim it with 5200.

 

[lee m gardner]

Re: '87 Sea Nymph help

If you have already removed the live well and don't want it built-in flush w/ the floor, you could certainly use an ice chest w/ portable aerator. My thought always is to have as much built-in storage for anchor & line, PFD's, tackle, fenders, etc., so I always try to build as many hatched storage places as I can - to minimize the clutter and be ready to go fishing w/ the stuff already in the boat.

Regarding closing off the thru-hulls, I would just seal the opening (as long is it is sound) with a removable rubber tightening thru-hull plug, because you don't know if you might want a thru-hull one day. And remember, every hole (big or small) you drill in a boat is a potential leak point. The thru-hull could also be used for a rain drain while on the trailer.

To 'bouttime007' replying from Michigan: I lived in Wisconsin & Michigan before '99, & still vacation Up North for fishing (now live in North Carolina - home of year-round boating...). Often check Craig Listings for boat stuff if I'm coming up that way to look for bargains. (I have a 4 hp Johnson outboard @ my sister's house in Ripon, WI that I bought on CL - awaiting my next visit.) Seen several of these 14 & 16 foot boats recently listed @ varying prices. Check out all the town's listed & you'll find some to check into. Good Luck.

 

[bouttime007]

Re: '87 Sea Nymph help

Yeah but Im in Maine Lee. LOL HA is from Mich.

Ive found a couple sweet little Nymphs, but cash is pretty scarce right now for me to actually buy one. Someday I'll find one I can trade for or find one cheeeeeeep.

 

[walkin_man]

Re: '87 Sea Nymph help

Been out of the loop for a few weeks, work getting in the way of my boat life. While the boat isn't done yet, I did have the thru-hull welded over and put the boat in the water with the 15 on it to see how it would do. It planed the boat off pretty well but even with just me I could tell that the 15 just wasn't going to do it with any more people in the boat.

So I'm in a bit of a quandary. I have a line on a new Yamaha 25 2-stroke that would do nicely, but the price-tag is within a couple hundred bucks of a Suzuki 25 4-stroke. Ordinarily this wouldn't be an issue except that lately I've heard that obtaining parts for late-model Jap 2-stroke engines is getting to be tricky. Might I have a problem with parts down the road?

The other, and probably most important thing is weight. The Suzuki weighs 165lbs, whereas the Yamaha weighs 105lbs. I've no problems with 4-strokes, save those mandatory dealer service intervals and the attendant prices, but I worry that hanging a 165lb. tiller-steering outboard on the stern of this boat may be too much. I'm 6'6", 240lbs and it seems to me like all that weight in the stern, Doel-fin or not, would be pushing it. Do any of y'all have experience with this?

Conceivably I could, and have thought about, setting up a small console forward but really don't savor the idea of messing with Teleflex. On a skiff this size I'd prefer to keep things as simple as possible (actually the same rules apply for a 30' yawl). So just concerned about the weight of that 4-stroke, and/or the availability of parts for the 2-stroke in the future. Any info is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[bouttime007]

Re: '87 Sea Nymph help

Well your capacity says 465lbs, so Id go with the lightest motor you could find.

 

[walkin_man]

Re: '87 Sea Nymph help

Howdy, bouttime. Thanks for the response. I agree with what you're saying but I'm still wondering what I've to look forward to down the road in terms of parts availability. Yamaha produces a great product but every outboard is going to need parts sooner or later. And later may be out of the question.

I talked to an outboard repair guy a few days ago who told me about this new development, 'said that the Fed had mandated all import parts now be "4-stroke compliant" in the portable outboard market. So until I have some assurance that parts will be available in the future before dropping $3,000., I might just as well be throwing dice.

 

[lee m gardner]

Re: '87 Sea Nymph help

I agree with advice of going with the lightest motor you can, but the most horsepower you can afford - within the capacity limit. As far as 4-stroke vs. 2-stroke. I prefer Johnson 2-strokes (no longer made), but owned one Honda 4 stroke. I was very disheartened on how poorly it performed (in addition to being heavy). It was a 7.5 hp and did not perform as well as my 6 hp Johnson. It seems like the 2-strokes rev higher and therefore provide more speed. I even tried both a 2 & 3 blade prop. Sold the Honda. I also own a 2-stroke 2-cylinder 4 hp Yamaha for my sailboat dinghy and have been very happy with it, but it seems to use more fuel than similar Johnsons I've owned. As far as worrying about parts availability - there are parts available for motors many years old. I would be more concerned about buying an 'off brand' motor - where you might have trouble finding a local dealer. Nissan comes to mind. Remember - many of the different brands of motors have been made by one manufacturer. Suzuki, Yamaha, Nissan,and (I think) Mercury have shared models. I'm surprised you are considering a new motor, as they are so very expensive, and often cheaper made than models from the early 90's - before everyone starting sharing models and making them in the cheapest labor country. I would look for a used fresh water outboard in excellent condition. You will probably spend 30-50% of new cost and get a better motor. The new ones (like new cars) lose value quickly and you will never recover the cost if you sell your rig and move up to a bigger one. Probably also be able to get a 30-35 hp for the same money. Just be sure if you don't buy an electric start model, you can easily rope start the engine. Also, a little larger engine can run a good planing speed at lower rpms for less gas use and longer life. The year of a used engine is much less important than the condition and prior usage. Many good engines are out there from the late 70's to early 90's. Check Craigslist.boats - in fresh water areas around you. Don't be afraid to drive a few miles to get a good one. I live in North Carolina, but have a sister in Wisconsin, and so I look for motors up there on Craigslist - she is holding near perfect '70's 4 hp Jonson long shaft 'kicker' motor for me now - cost $175 w/ tank. The best motor I own is a '56 Johnson 7.5 hp. Good luck!

 

[bouttime007]

Re: '87 Sea Nymph help

Howdy, bouttime. Thanks for the response. I agree with what you're saying but I'm still wondering what I've to look forward to down the road in terms of parts availability. Yamaha produces a great product but every outboard is going to need parts sooner or later. And later may be out of the question.

I talked to an outboard repair guy a few days ago who told me about this new development, 'said that the Fed had mandated all import parts now be "4-stroke compliant" in the portable outboard market. So until I have some assurance that parts will be available in the future before dropping $3,000., I might just as well be throwing dice.

Im sure you could find parts in the future, somebody will be making them and somebody will be selling them.

If you are leaning towards a 4 stroke, Id seriously look into a 20h Tohatsu. They are around 114 pounds.

 

[bouttime007]

Re: '87 Sea Nymph help

Also, did you have foam under the floor when you had it apart?

Hope you ripped it out and replaced if it was wet, because you could be hauling a couple hundred unwanted pounds of weight if its waterlogged. Not the best scenerio for optimum performance out of your 15 horse.

 

[butcherbull]

Re: '87 Sea Nymph help

I have a Sea Nymph Kar-lite 14ft. It is titled 1990 but the last two digits are 88. I love this boat. Just got it two months ago. I put a 2010 Nissan 15HP 4 Stroke on it and it is plenty fast with me 320 and my son 240 and the nose still sticks in the air. I am waiting for my handheld GPS Garmin eTrex Legend H to come in so I can calculate speed. I cannot think of why anyone would want a large engine.

They make great boats. This one has a few small dings here and there. It collects about a cup of water in the transom area. I believe it is the plug, or maybe a small leak. When I filled the inside with water, It never showed any leaks on the exterior.

I love the wide open boat. I use a Minn-Kota Enduro 50 for trolling. It really pushes the boat well. I had to redo the wood on the transom. I put plywood clear across the back and the inside. I made cutouts to show the serial number and the Weight limits and such. I moved the battery upfront, and the gas tank in the middle. The Nissan is not broke in yet. I am doing as they say to. It still runs somewhat rough at idle. Time should tell.

The Nissan motor is electric start with alternator. I have that hooked up to the battery. If the trolling motor takes most of the battery, I can easily charge it this way. My first trip here, hope to learn more as I go. Retired, just plain tired and wanting to learn.