Scarab 43
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08-21-2018, 01:56 PM
#22
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Ha- Now I'm not buying new 6's. That would be close to $80k. I bought a set of wet sump 6's. While still not cheap, they are reasonable, and if I ever want to go to dry sump, it's as easy and swapping out the drives. However, I think I will stick to the wet sumps. Yes they suck more power, but a few guys I've talked to on wet vs dry, believe the wet will out last a dry due to everything being submerged in oil. They believe this gives more of a cushion between the gears, giving them better life. Is it true? Who knows, but it makes sense.
08-22-2018, 07:30 AM
#24
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Yes you are pretty close with that price.
So I have some things I am repairing before I dig into the engine room. When you by a boat like this, you never really know what you are getting, or if what you are told is the truth. So When I bought this, this was supposed to be a glass boat, or so the sellers thought. There was one area on the dash that said "Scarab Thunder". At the time that meant nothing to me. Over the past few months I've dug in to the 43 series. Old magazines, brochures, anything I could find. So here is what I learned.
The 43 is unique to the other Scarab models. If appears that the straight bottom "thunder" hulls were laid up at team Scarab. Then shipped to Wellcraft to have the deck installed, and to be finished. There is a BIG difference between a Thunder 43 and a standard 43. The Thunder and Excel 43's were cored. The Thunders were cored with Divynicell, and Excels end grain balsa. Vinylester resin was used, they were vacuum bagged an the laminate used was called, "Composite Alloy". So what is that, it was a hybrid cloth of e-glass and kevlar. In the bow of my boat you can see it clearly, as well as the Divynicell coring in the hull sides. The cloth appears to be 50% Kevlar, and 50% e-glass.
When I get the boat done, I'm going to have it weighed, Wellcraft claimed that the Thunder boats were 16% lighter than a standard Scarab. A solid glass, wet layup, polyester resin scarab had a claimed weight of 10,500 pounds, with twin engines. So if correct, the boat should weigh right around 9000 pounds. Not bad for a 43 foot Scarab. Of course mine won't be that light with the engine and drive combo I'm installing.
The standard Scarab 43 was solid glass, with polyester resin, and I'm pretty sure the 43 AVS was the same layup. I've found nothing stating they used kevlar, cored hulls, or vinylester resin in the AVS.
So I have some things I am repairing before I dig into the engine room. When you by a boat like this, you never really know what you are getting, or if what you are told is the truth. So When I bought this, this was supposed to be a glass boat, or so the sellers thought. There was one area on the dash that said "Scarab Thunder". At the time that meant nothing to me. Over the past few months I've dug in to the 43 series. Old magazines, brochures, anything I could find. So here is what I learned.
The 43 is unique to the other Scarab models. If appears that the straight bottom "thunder" hulls were laid up at team Scarab. Then shipped to Wellcraft to have the deck installed, and to be finished. There is a BIG difference between a Thunder 43 and a standard 43. The Thunder and Excel 43's were cored. The Thunders were cored with Divynicell, and Excels end grain balsa. Vinylester resin was used, they were vacuum bagged an the laminate used was called, "Composite Alloy". So what is that, it was a hybrid cloth of e-glass and kevlar. In the bow of my boat you can see it clearly, as well as the Divynicell coring in the hull sides. The cloth appears to be 50% Kevlar, and 50% e-glass.
When I get the boat done, I'm going to have it weighed, Wellcraft claimed that the Thunder boats were 16% lighter than a standard Scarab. A solid glass, wet layup, polyester resin scarab had a claimed weight of 10,500 pounds, with twin engines. So if correct, the boat should weigh right around 9000 pounds. Not bad for a 43 foot Scarab. Of course mine won't be that light with the engine and drive combo I'm installing.
The standard Scarab 43 was solid glass, with polyester resin, and I'm pretty sure the 43 AVS was the same layup. I've found nothing stating they used kevlar, cored hulls, or vinylester resin in the AVS.
Last edited by endeavour32; 08-22-2018 at 09:56 AM.
10-01-2018, 10:38 PM
#25
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I keep digging and keep learning more and more about these boats. Above I said that the Excels were also cored. Not so, only the decks. The only 43's to be cored were the Don Johnson Signature boats, and the Thunder Series, this seems to apply to all the Scarabs from this vintage. The DJ boats were all glass, only the Thunder series were laid up with the Hexel Kevlar/glass laminate. The Excels and the standard Scarabs did get a vacuumed bagged deck cored with Divinycell, however the hull is chopper gun fiberglass, with three layers of 1.5 oz mat and 24 oz woven roving. Engine stringers were three layers of bi-axial glass, the rest of the stringers are 2 alternating layers of mat and woven roving.
I'm doing some stringer repair in the cabin of my boat right now. Some of the stringers are wrapped in bi-axial glass others are just woven roving. Like the 38 I was restoring, everything is going to be wrapped in 1708. While this boat is really stiff, it will be even stiffer when done. I'm really shocked I've only found 3 stress cracks in the entire boat. That was not the case with the 38. Once I actually get a few things completed, I'll post some pictures.
I'm doing some stringer repair in the cabin of my boat right now. Some of the stringers are wrapped in bi-axial glass others are just woven roving. Like the 38 I was restoring, everything is going to be wrapped in 1708. While this boat is really stiff, it will be even stiffer when done. I'm really shocked I've only found 3 stress cracks in the entire boat. That was not the case with the 38. Once I actually get a few things completed, I'll post some pictures.
11-21-2018, 08:03 AM
#26
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So as some of you know, the 43 project is dead, at least on my end. I hope someone buys the hull and continues the project; however, I don't have the time to finish it. So I pulled her our last weekend to make room for the new boat.
I had been on the hunt for a 39 Nor-tech to replace this with, if I decided I was done with it. While looking for a possible replacement, a few guys said the Nor-Tech doesn't ride that great and to skip it. A TS Top Gun was also on the list. So I went to check out a TG, and was really disappointed in the cabin of the boat. I'd like to be able to weekend on it, as I would have been able to with the 43. While in the TG, my head would hit the ceiling when sitting, and I'm only 5'11", and the over all accommodations were very spartan. Lucky for me, there was an Active Thunder sitting right next to it. Active Thunders really were not on my shopping list, I just really didn't know a lot about them. either way, I hopped on board and checked it out.
I was instantly impressed. The cockpit layout was nicer than the Cig, as was the hardware. Cigarette had used, chrome plated hardware, where Active used stainless hardware. The cabins were night and day different. The Active cabin borders on a sport cruiser cabin. AC, hot water, shower, pump out head, microwave, refrigerator, and best of all head room! AND both boats go the same speed with 525 power. So there is no penalty for the better cabin. So with all that said, the search was done. The boat was in near new condition, I could find anyone that didn't love the handling, quality of the 37, or customer service from the factory. So with all that said, my days of projects are done. So here is the new boat.
I had been on the hunt for a 39 Nor-tech to replace this with, if I decided I was done with it. While looking for a possible replacement, a few guys said the Nor-Tech doesn't ride that great and to skip it. A TS Top Gun was also on the list. So I went to check out a TG, and was really disappointed in the cabin of the boat. I'd like to be able to weekend on it, as I would have been able to with the 43. While in the TG, my head would hit the ceiling when sitting, and I'm only 5'11", and the over all accommodations were very spartan. Lucky for me, there was an Active Thunder sitting right next to it. Active Thunders really were not on my shopping list, I just really didn't know a lot about them. either way, I hopped on board and checked it out.
I was instantly impressed. The cockpit layout was nicer than the Cig, as was the hardware. Cigarette had used, chrome plated hardware, where Active used stainless hardware. The cabins were night and day different. The Active cabin borders on a sport cruiser cabin. AC, hot water, shower, pump out head, microwave, refrigerator, and best of all head room! AND both boats go the same speed with 525 power. So there is no penalty for the better cabin. So with all that said, the search was done. The boat was in near new condition, I could find anyone that didn't love the handling, quality of the 37, or customer service from the factory. So with all that said, my days of projects are done. So here is the new boat.
11-21-2018, 06:45 PM
#29
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Sorry to read about the Scarab but that AT looks sweet. Great cabin and everything looks very fresh.
RR
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RR
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11-22-2018, 08:19 PM
#30
