97 Wellcraft Excel 23'

[mikem0011]

I got this boat about a year ago.I have done very little, except to come up with a plan of attack to get the boat back in the water the quickest and cheapest way possible.

This boat was given to me by a neighbor who just wanted it off their property. Supposedly the boat has been underwater and that does seem to be the case since all the electrical connections are rusted.

First thing I plan on doing (and have started) is the electrical on the boat. Where do I find a good wiring diagram for this boat?If I took it to the shop is replacing all the electrical a expensive ordeal?

Second, the motor has been underwater (97 225 Ocean Pro), but is not seized. Do I try to put a few hundred dollars into it to see if it will run? Or part it out and look for a good used motor?

Big thing is I just want to come up with a good plan of attack. I am planning on getting the boat ship shape first and than worry about the engine.

Looking at this boat in the backyard on the weekends is killin me knowing it should be in the water. Any help, suggestions, comments, would be greatly appreciated.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: 97 Wellcraft Excel 23'

we to me the first question is about the engine, was it restarted after submersion, if not you may be wasting your time on it.

there are not wiring diagrams for boats, you need to decide what equipment you want on the boat. scrap the existing wiring and start from scratch. there are several basic diagrams, in the electrical forum. having a shop do it, will probably cost what the boat is worth.

 

[superpop]

Re: 97 Wellcraft Excel 23'

Unless you can do all of the work yourself, I would not waste my time with it as you are going to spend way more than the boat is worth just to get it seaworthy. All wiring needs to be gutted but before you do that I would check for rot everywhere, if it was submerged for any period of time or left uncovered for any period of time there will be rot, and on a boat this big you are looking at a big job to fix it depending on how bad it could be. The drive needs to be addressed as well. If the boat was submerged and the drive not inspected for water then you could have water in there too, I would go through everything electrical and mechanical along with the rot issue before I spent a dime on this one. Once you have made a decision I would start with the rot issue first as that is the most invasive and then do the electrical and lastly the drive train.

 

[mikem0011]

Re: 97 Wellcraft Excel 23'

I did have the boat inspected for rot, and there is none. The boat itself is in great shape. The boat was only partially (stern to cabin). and it was only for a few hours. Someone left the plugs out at the dock. When they salvaged the boat they drained all tanks and unhooked all the electrical to allow it to dry out.

I do plan on doing the work myself at least as much as I can.

 

[superpop]

Re: 97 Wellcraft Excel 23'

If that is the case then I would start with the wiring, Wellcraft was good about following the standards that are still in place for the most part with regards to wire colors. Do yourself and the next owner a favor though and follow the same standards. I have seen some boats were some clown got a great deal on black wire and did everything in it and it makes it very hard to trace problems later. Wiring is pretty cheap with the most expensive being the battery cables. Other than that it is pretty straight forward. Just remove the wires one at a time and replace with new, I like to solder my ends but that is just me.

 

[WizeOne]

Re: 97 Wellcraft Excel 23'

I would start with the motor. "it was underwater but not seized" What does that mean, fully immersed or just short of water entering the engine? I assume, being in FLA that it was saltwater. Was it properly drained, cleaned and run?

If not, you have a pile of scrap iron and any wiring work would be a waste of time and money.

The little bright side is that wood immersed in saltwater is not as prone to rot as it would have been if it were fresh, but it will still rot. Unfortunately, when a boat is submerged, things get wet that do not drain and dry out. Tread carefully there.

 

[mikem0011]

Re: 97 Wellcraft Excel 23'

From what I understand it was submerged, only for a short period of time from the stern to the cabin. The last owner left the plugs out. That was 4 years ago.

I do not know what was done to the engine after it was pulled out of the water. When I got it, all the electrical/plugs to the engine where pulled. I do know that the lower unit is in good shape.

The boat has no soft spots. The only visible damage is a few scratches from where the crane pulled it out of the water.

The way I see it I can spend 5000.00 to get a good used motor or maybe 1-2 to try to get this one running, maybe just put in a powerhead.

Here I was thinking I have a good project boat but after reading all the replies, I am not so sure.

 

[92excel]

Re: 97 Wellcraft Excel 23'

The areas that they are refering to above when they say there are areas that can get wet and not dry out leading to rot are the areas under the deck that have do drainage and the comparments that house your flotation foam..
search core samples... its an easy way to check your foam and those areas.

 

[KeyWestBoater]

Re: 97 Wellcraft Excel 23'

This boat was given to me by a neighbor who just wanted it off their property

From what I understand it was submerged, only for a short period of time from the stern to the cabin. The last owner left the plugs out. That was 4 years ago..

This boat was on your neighbors property for 4 years. Was it covered? If not I think this adds greatly to your concerns for rot. I would do as suggested and take several core samples before spending any money.

I think it will take a lot of your time to get this boat seaworthy. IMHO it will be a long time before it sees the water.

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: 97 Wellcraft Excel 23'

Definitely take core samples.

I'd at least try draining the oil out of the drive and see how that looks. Same with the engine oil. And pull the plugs and see how they look. If they're all rusty, forget it. If you can peek into the cylinders that'll tell a lot too. And try turning it over by hand or wrench with the spark plugs out. Any rust or simply not being able to turn it means it's done.