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scareypirate

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Hi, I hope I posted this in the correct place.

I have bought a seamaster 20 captain (drunken eBay moment) and know nothing about boats. Can someone here enlighten me (without obligatory flaming) on how best I get the information.

I tried googling Seamaster 20 Captain and get very little, well for the most part it gives me watch details. So I have a couple questions if anyone here would be kind enough to answer/comment?

1.. Weight is 1 ton. What size outboard would be ok to use. I will be using her here in the southwest mainly/only inland.

2.. Anyone know where I can get a manual for it? Only lifting the boards shows wires and things I don't know about. And the battery kill switch is connected to nothing!

3.. What size anchor should I buy? 20ft/1ton boat. I plan on taking the wife out for overniters and don't wish to wake up in France! (As nice as France is by the way, the wife wouldn't appreciate it too much)

I will be learning about boating as much as I can and at present she is out of the water, where she will stay until I know enough about her. Although my eagerness and excitement prevails all rational thinking and I want to sail in her now. I won't of course. She needs some work to get her ready.

Thanks to anyone that can enlighten me.

All the best
Johnnie
 
Cheers Wiggo appreciate your response. Any idea what size outboard I would need?

I'll keep her in the river here as I am not ready to go any further a total boating newbie. I'll get a bigger boat in time once the bug really takes hold.

By the way that site is a payonly member site and won't give up any info. Maybe I need to not be so stingy and pay up I guess.

Thanks again for your assistance.
 
scareypirate said:
Cheers Wiggo appreciate your response. Any idea what size outboard I would need?

I'll keep her in the river here as I am not ready to go any further a total boating newbie. I'll get a bigger boat in time once the bug really takes hold.

By the way that site is a payonly member site and won't give up any info. Maybe I need to not be so stingy and pay up I guess.

Thanks again for your assistance.
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15 - 30 hp will be fine for river use on a 20 ft boat. If planning estuary work, think closer to 30hp.

You will need to get your boat through the boat safety scheme certificate test to use it inland.

It will need to be insured to 3million squid.

Then you will have to licence it for waterways use, either EA or BW licence.

You need the BSS cert and the insurance to get the licence.
 
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something as small as 10hp would get it to its hull speed so if you are trying to keep down the expenses then id go for a 15-20hp.

if it can plane then 70-125hp but it looks like a displacement hulled boat
 
You guys just love your motors don't you? My 3 ton 25' sailing cruiser used in open sea crossings (to IoM & Ireland from N Wales) had a 10hp Johnnie that would make it squat because it was exceeding hull speed. In a river 5-6hp would do unless there were strong currents. Too much wash simply erodes the banks.

River cruisers tend to use rond anchors (the bent metal spikes for jabbing in the bank) and mud weights (just big round lumps of iron) for simplicity.
 
Newbie alert

Try this link below, it should get you into the "Seamaster Range" page, you do not have to be a member to access these pages, only the "members only" section. If you are interested being a member of the club is well worthwhile,especially for getting good info and technical support. It's only £25 pound to join for a year and you can easily save that with the arrangements the club has with various traders and insurance companies. I am biased being a member but I think its been cost neutral or better for me over my time as a member.

Enjoy your boat............

http://www.seamasterclub.co.uk/
 
tinkicker0 said:
15 - 30 hp will be fine for river use on a 20 ft boat. If planning estuary work, think closer to 30hp.

You will need to get your boat through the boat safety scheme certificate test to use it inland.

It will need to be insured to 3million squid.

Then you will have to licence it for waterways use, either EA or BW licence.

You need the BSS cert and the insurance to get the licence.
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I'm only going to use it on the river tamar and therefore would I need to insure it still and have certificates? Sorry I am really green. Thanks for your input ;)

As for the engine I only want something that is capable and not turn it into a speed boat lol. So the fuel friendlier the better, 20HP sounds about right thanks.

Cheers dmst. I'll sign up I think as I need all the help I can get my hands on.

Thanks everyone it's been a real help. And a friendly place to boot
 
On a really stupid note... What makes my boat no good for open costal seas? Let's say Plymouth to Jersey/Guernsey? (Yes I really am that naive) I guess if I don't ask I won't learn :p
 
scareypirate said:
I'm only going to use it on the river tamar and therefore would I need to insure it still and have certificates? Sorry I am really green. Thanks for your input ;)

As for the engine I only want something that is capable and not turn it into a speed boat lol. So the fuel friendlier the better, 20HP sounds about right thanks.

Cheers dmst. I'll sign up I think as I need all the help I can get my hands on.

Thanks everyone it's been a real help. And a friendly place to boot
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No, you wont need any certificates for the Tamar. Insurance is optional, but I strongly recomend it. My boat got bashed a few weeks ago and it's going to cost him 4 grand, he just bent a davit.

The Tamar has fast currents. so you need a bit of power, not sure how much.

Dont think about going to france. See how you get on in the Sound.
 
scareypirate I guess if I don't ask I won't learn :p[/QUOTE said:
Even Scary Pirates had to learn to walk on one leg!
So no probs mate:)

A 'river' boat compared to a 'sea boat' has a slightly different shape under the water to cope with the different conditions it might be used in.

It's ok if the sea is dead flat and calm
Unforunately around our Sceptred Isle this is rarely the norm.

So Plymouth to the Channel islands is a' no no' in a river boat except for the experienced in the right conditions.

'Seamaster' the name really doesn't fit the bill in certain respects
I do however respect some of the achievements that certain Searmaster boats have achieved.
There is a 26/7 vessel near me, I've done some work for the owner.
He has travelled far and wide in the Irish sea fair play.
But realises the capabilities of his boat and himself and has voyaged accordingly.
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Thanks hlb, I'll definately only be staying local for now. I'll wait until I have enough experience and then gradually work my way outwards. And using the sound is a great idea to test her out, thanks again. maybe I'll look at going a little bigger maybe 30HP Outbaord!

Again thanks for the response. I'm starting to comile a list of options and thank everyone thus far.

Johnnie.
 
Kawasaki, thanks for that feedback. I'll definately scrub the idea of venturing further then Plymouth Sound. Again you guy's are great. I now have a basis to work from.

I'll try and keep any more questions direct and non-too newbish.

Thanks for your time. Oh and the Scary Pirate one leg :D
 
scareypirate said:
Hi, I hope I posted this in the correct place.

I have bought a seamaster 20 captain (drunken eBay moment[/

All the best
Johnnie
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Huh!
That's nowt

Under the affluence of inchahol
Herewith the following list

1 A right ****ty little dog off of a Pikey
2 A lemon of a Puegot pickup
3 A holiday to Trisdan da Cunha
4 A membership to a Gay nightclub in Sheffield! (don't ask):rolleyes:
5 A Wedding Vow! (Well, I think swmbo got 'tucked up' there!
An a 'Promise' at an auction of promises for some charity.
To stand in some medievil gadgett an get pelted at!:eek:
 
ooh this sounds fun. Consider yourself flamed. Actually, yours is an extremely well-worded flameproof post.

It might be a really great idea to go to the local outboard expert. The nearest marina/chandlery etc will know who. Then buy their most powerful secondhand outboard as long as it's 30ish or more. 50 would be better i reckon. Actually, if you can do the same approach as here he'll steer you in the right direction. AND you'l have a ready made expert engine supplier/fixer right there.

Going to france would be a bit like getting a pushbike and cycling to Bristol up the A38 - quite feasible but not a beginner's gig by any means. 20 footer is coastal really, be sensible. Get a trailer tho and you could go anywhere.

The game is to stay very flexible - in a car or land-based adventures you just go to where you decided that morning. With a boat, one really great idea is sometimes to not go anywhere at all, or too just pootle around instead of go a long way. Of course, i don't follow any of this very sensible advice.
 
Cool I have many chandlers around me here in the Southwest so I'll make inroads on your suggestion and sorry but I almost spat out my beer reading the "Pushbike up the A38 to Bristol" I love that analogy and will head it well thanks.

@ Kawasaki. I totaly understand how you can bid and win this stuff only to wake in the morning to receive an email saying "Congratulations you are the winner of ****" My Wife gives me heaps when I log in and have a beer to hand. Fortunately she works a few nights a month so I get to buy more tat once in a while LOL!

Anyway I will remain sobber when purchasing my Engine and asking advice I promise.

I started to read about batteries and charging but got bogged down by paralel setups and switches and everything else. When ready I'll decipher what I need and hope get some means of charging them sorted. But I have a restoration in hand and that'll take me all the summer and most of the winter to sort it.

Thanks again everyone. I really do appreciate your comments and feel a little at ease to what I am about to embark on :cool:
 
nyx2k said:
i went on the tamar a few years ago on a hardy at roughly 20ft and that had 25hp 4stroke and that was plenty of power.
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Cheers nyx2k, so I should stick to 30HP as I don't want the engine to struggle and burn more fuel, plus I don't want it over powered either as I am a newbie and if this thing ends up with enough power to pull a skier I'll end up beaching it for sure :D
 
Of course said:
Yeh
Tiss a bit effin borin innit
Scareypirate.
Just shove off to France or wherever.
Get a big anchor an loads of rope on the end of it
An AA or RAC map thinghy too, always handy
Plymouth to the Channel Isles is right hand and down a bit, for France just head southish
You will know when you near France (smell the garlic and Galuoise) easy peasy
You will hear the tide races off of the Channel isles no prob.

Not really!
But I understand where tcm is coming from.
I often wonder about the Old Days when peeps just beggared off to find the end of the world.
Feels like that when I go out the Strait;)

So use your commonsense and gut feeling
It's Great this boaty lark:)
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Kawasaki said:
Yeh
Tiss a bit effin borin innit
Scareypirate.
Just shove off to France or wherever.
Get a big anchor an loads of rope on the end of it
An AA or RAC map thinghy too, always handy
Plymouth to the Channel Isles is right hand and down a bit, for France just head southish
You will know when you near France (smell the garlic and Galuoise) easy peasy
You will hear the tide races off of the Channel isles no prob.

Not really!
But I understand where tcm is coming from.
I often wonder about the Old Days when peeps just beggared off to find the end of the world.
Feels like that when I go out the Strait;)

So use your commonsense and gut feeling
It's Great this boaty lark:)
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LOL off to get an AA map thingy first thing :rolleyes: but yeah I will not venture any further then I can handle. Trust me at this stage the first wave I hit I'll be turning full circle and heading back ;) either way if i don't the missus will make me turn back so I have a good backup for the commonsense approach :D

Oh and I have given myself 12 months before putting her in the water. I want to learn as much as poss before I fire her up. But I'm itching to get all boaty ;)
 
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