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Author Topic:   Sea Drive Solution

andygere posted 04-15-2003 07:19 PM ET (US)
I saw this while perusing the web at lunch today: http://www.momentoffame.com/snapshot.html?id=28745
Perhaps some of those Sea Drive Whalers out there can be more economically repowered by simply dropping new outboards into the Sea Drive brackets, assuming they are in reasonable condition. This would save the cost of buying a new bracket, doing significant transom repair and refinishing and extensive re-rigging. From time to time I see otherwise nice Whalers advertised at below market prices because they are carrying Sea Drive power. There seems to be a lot of 27's out there with Sea Drives, and this may be a way to put one together for a reasonable cost. By the way, this photo is of a 20 foot Sea Ox.
lhg posted 04-15-2003 07:55 PM ET (US)
Andy - I have seen several Sea Drives fitted with newer OMC engines. It's evidently an easy thing to do. The problem with Sea Drives is not the engine, but the Sea Drive mechanism itself. Parts are no longer available for repairs, so if it goes, you're in trouble.
captbone posted 04-15-2003 09:21 PM ET (US)
The problem is the steering and trim (hydralics)sp.
andygere posted 04-16-2003 12:57 AM ET (US)
It's too bad OMC killed parts support for the Sea Drive. There is a Grady and at least one Whaler in my Harbor with them, and these folks are looking at some big expenses when it's time to repower. I'm a little surprized that some aftermarket firm has not filled the parts void, but I suppose there is just not enough demand.
lhg posted 04-16-2003 06:10 PM ET (US)
The outboard transom brackets by Gil, Armstrong and others, and alternatives like Whaler Drive, is what killed the very expensive Sea Drives. Most people here have forgotten that they cost a fortune. Look at the prices in some of the late 80's Whaler price books. Repowering was almost impossible or very costly, also.
Out of the box outboards and a bracket actually performed better, were less complicated and cumbersome, with more setback, and you could use any brand engine you wanted. Mounting outboards on a full transom boat with setback was a great idea, invented by OMC Sea Drive, but over designed and poorly implemented. The transom bracket people stole their show within a few years of it's introduction.
andygere posted 04-16-2003 06:32 PM ET (US)
My recollection was that the Sea Drive was positioned to take a bite out of the sterndrive market, where OMC was never really strong. Sterndrives are relatively cheap, and I suspect that the Sea Drive could never compete with them on price.
Abalonehunter posted 04-17-2003 04:04 PM ET (US)
That is a nice setup. I've recently thought about how this could be done, now I know it can. There has been a Revenge with a pair of 1.6's on it in the SF Bay Area. We had a 22 Revenge Walk-Thru, when purchased it had the Sea Drive 2.6 on it. We had tons of problems with the engine and finally opted out for an Armstrong Bracket and new Yamaha power the difference in length and operation between the Sea Drive and the bracketed motor made for a lot of work with the Bennett trim tab joystick. That said, it still was really sweet when you started up the new 225 Yammie.

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Author	Topic: Sea Drive Solution
andygere	posted 04-15-2003 07:19 PM ET (US) I saw this while perusing the web at lunch today: http://www.momentoffame.com/snapshot.html?id=28745 Perhaps some of those Sea Drive Whalers out there can be more economically repowered by simply dropping new outboards into the Sea Drive brackets, assuming they are in reasonable condition. This would save the cost of buying a new bracket, doing significant transom repair and refinishing and extensive re-rigging. From time to time I see otherwise nice Whalers advertised at below market prices because they are carrying Sea Drive power. There seems to be a lot of 27's out there with Sea Drives, and this may be a way to put one together for a reasonable cost. By the way, this photo is of a 20 foot Sea Ox.
lhg	posted 04-15-2003 07:55 PM ET (US) Andy - I have seen several Sea Drives fitted with newer OMC engines. It's evidently an easy thing to do. The problem with Sea Drives is not the engine, but the Sea Drive mechanism itself. Parts are no longer available for repairs, so if it goes, you're in trouble.
captbone	posted 04-15-2003 09:21 PM ET (US) The problem is the steering and trim (hydralics)sp.
andygere	posted 04-16-2003 12:57 AM ET (US) It's too bad OMC killed parts support for the Sea Drive. There is a Grady and at least one Whaler in my Harbor with them, and these folks are looking at some big expenses when it's time to repower. I'm a little surprized that some aftermarket firm has not filled the parts void, but I suppose there is just not enough demand.
lhg	posted 04-16-2003 06:10 PM ET (US) The outboard transom brackets by Gil, Armstrong and others, and alternatives like Whaler Drive, is what killed the very expensive Sea Drives. Most people here have forgotten that they cost a fortune. Look at the prices in some of the late 80's Whaler price books. Repowering was almost impossible or very costly, also. Out of the box outboards and a bracket actually performed better, were less complicated and cumbersome, with more setback, and you could use any brand engine you wanted. Mounting outboards on a full transom boat with setback was a great idea, invented by OMC Sea Drive, but over designed and poorly implemented. The transom bracket people stole their show within a few years of it's introduction.
andygere	posted 04-16-2003 06:32 PM ET (US) My recollection was that the Sea Drive was positioned to take a bite out of the sterndrive market, where OMC was never really strong. Sterndrives are relatively cheap, and I suspect that the Sea Drive could never compete with them on price.
Abalonehunter	posted 04-17-2003 04:04 PM ET (US) That is a nice setup. I've recently thought about how this could be done, now I know it can. There has been a Revenge with a pair of 1.6's on it in the SF Bay Area. We had a 22 Revenge Walk-Thru, when purchased it had the Sea Drive 2.6 on it. We had tons of problems with the engine and finally opted out for an Armstrong Bracket and new Yamaha power the difference in length and operation between the Sea Drive and the bracketed motor made for a lot of work with the Bennett trim tab joystick. That said, it still was really sweet when you started up the new 225 Yammie.