New to me: '76 Formula 233

[gw204]

My original plan was to spend the next year or two paying off bills and working on my Mako 17 and then find a nice Mako 228 to pick up. Well, that didn't really work out as planned...

Since selling my Sailfish in January, I have been itching to get back on the water. Yes, it's nice to just hop on a 32' Luhrs and spend the day with Mom and Dad, but that's just not the same as having your own rig. So, as I'm driving around on the Navy base where I work a few weeks ago, I noticed a familiar hull sticking out from behind a Sea Ray on the base "used car/boat/motorhome lot". I headed over to check it out. Just as I had suspected, it was a Formula 233. 1976 to be specific. Power was twin 140 Mercruisers. Trailer was a old tandem axle EZ-Loader. She was a bit rough, but not bad for a 34 year old boat. Only problem was the price. $4500...quite a bit more than the check I got for the leave I had built up at the company I recently left. So, back to work I went.

A few weeks later, I stopped for another look. This time, the $4500 was crossed out and "OBO" was written next to it. That got my wheels turning. Called the guy a few days later and told him I had $1500 to spend for a running boat...and that I knew it was a long shot. He kindly rejected, told me he wanted at least $3000, and then we ended up talking for about an hour. Super nice guy. The conversation ended with the typical, "You have my number if you change your mind".

So, I kept thinking and thinking and hoping he would call me. Then it dawned on me that I just assumed he had caller ID...and didn't actually leave my number. Durr... So, I called him back and asked to take a closer look to see if it was really worth trying to convince "the bank" to give me more. He met me that day and agreed to my $1500 before I even said a word about price. Cool.

We arranged to do a short sea trial a week or so later, but never made it to that point. Water in the gas. Engines wouldn't start. Exactly how much water was in there, we didn't know.

Long story short...new deal. $800 as is and I brought it home last weekend. Don't laugh....I've already started removing a bunch of the brown trim.

Now she has her fair share of issues, but for given what I paid, I'm not complaining. Needs a good bit of TLC and general maintenance. I wasn't looking for a pristine rig, so no big deal.

Plan is to get it up and running quickly because I promised my wife a working boat. She will just be an inshore cruiser/fisher for now. But once the 17 is done, there's not telling what will happen...

 

[ahill]

One of the best hulls ever.
Jim Wynne, the designer, ran a few Miami to Nassau races in one in the '60's.

 

[Bob's Cay]

Of all the "rebuilds" on THT, I bet the majority are of this type of boat. There are several threads over there on upgrades. People have done some amasing things with that hull (and all the copies).

Good luck and have fun.

 

[cdwood]

Big jump from the Sailfish, looks like you've got your work cut out for you.
What's the reputation on that hull?

 

[BobP]

I was going to say the same thing!

 

[gw204]

From what I have read, I think this is the hull the pretty much started the DV revolution and if I'm not mistaken was the inspiration behind the design of the Bertram 31. It's been copied a bunch of time by many different manufacturers. Albemarle being one of them...

It will be a lot of work to get it to where I am happy with it, but it will be a phased approach. Phase 1 will be get is running and safe. Phase 2 will be use it. Phases 3 and beyond will the "everything else".

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

Brian, nice rig, mine is the same way, short cabin,long cockpit, but yours is the F233CL model which is the one with the door going in the cabin the top portion does not open, mine is the Fisherman model with a plexi glass hatch on top of the bifold doors.

 

[gw204]

Interesting. Expanding the cabin opening is definitely on my list of things to do. It sucks trying to get in and out of there.

I see you also have a real hatch up on the forward deck. I only have some stupid piece of white plexiglass or something that slides forward. That also needs to change...or I at least need to figure out how to make it stop leaking.

Did your have a small hanging locker immediately to port when you entered the cabin?

I see what you mean about things not being glassed completely. That's some scary stuff. :shock: It's nice to see that the gas tank hatch was sized so the lid screws didn't go into the stringers. GW could learn a lesson from that one...

Anyway, I've already ditched the pieces of brown trim that line the edge of the cap in the cockpit. There was also a piece of woodgrain vinyle stuck to the cap in between the trim. Pulled that all off to. Lots of holes to fill and there are some cracks/bubbles in the gelcoat, but I'll take that over the original look any day. :lol: I'll probably remove the trim at the bottom too. As of right now, the plan is to freshen up the exisiting teak and replace some of the removed trim pieces with something close to teak but w/out the cost. You know, to upgrade it to a mid-80s look.

 

[BobP]

That is a Deep V, front view reminds me of some big Makos.

Stern is very deep too.

Can't imagine anything deeper.

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

I did have the locker but i will not put it back, instead i will use the space to hung a few rods.

If you remove the hatch for the tank you'll see a VERY interested way of fastening it down, what they did was they had a lip 1 3/4 wide under it and used a treated 2x2 encapsulated for the screws to hold down, that was a PITA to take apart too.

Bob, the freeboard in the back of the boat is 31" high, i'm planning on raising the floor 1 1/2 to 2" so i can make her self bailing.

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

Brian as you see on the picture, the sides of my boat were covered, i guess this was the upgrade model :lol:

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

Oh, this is what i fell in love with, the sharp bow.

 

[ahill]

It came after the 31 Bertram.
First 31 was wood, run by Sam Griffith in an early Miami to Nassau race. Won by hours in what was probably roughest M/N race ever run.
The first small deep Vee I saw was an Alim V 20 Steplift that Wellcraft, Dusky and 100's of others copied.
Wynne designed another small deep vee 25' just after the 31 and it did well in the M/N race as well.
Great time to grow up in Miami if you were a boater.

 

[magicalbill]

Not to jump off the path here, but I have a 16 1967 Donzi Ski Sporter. They were first made in '64 or '65, I think.
They were Jim Wynne hulls too, and I thought they were the deep V pioneers.

 

[ahill]

Jim Wynne was the designer on a ton of boats. Pioneered and perfected the design. All in the late '50s early 60s.
Only thing better riding in my opinion was the Potter 20 & 23 Seacrafts.

 

[gw204]

Wynne designed another small deep vee 25' just after the 31 and it did well in the M/N race as well.

The 25' John Allmand that later became the single digit production 25' Contender Cuddy Side Console?

 

[gw204]

NEM, can you post a pic of your front deck looking at the hatch?

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

Jim Wynne was the designer on a ton of boats. Pioneered and perfected the design. All in the late '50s early 60s.
Only thing better riding in my opinion was the Potter 20 & 23 Seacrafts.

I looked real hard on the Potter built 20 and 23 and in my opinion( i rode all of them) the Wellcraft V-20 outperforms the 20 Seacraft (both with outboards) and the Formula F233 with I/O outperforms by a big margin an outboard 23 Seacraft. I never rode a 23 Seacraft with an I/O though.

 

[jtsailjt]

I once had an '85 Formula 242, which was basically that same 233 hull and it was one amazing design. I think my perfect all around motorboat would be that Formula hull with the Grady walk around deck layout mated together. I had mine out in some very big waves and the ride never got harsh if you kept your speed reasonable.

Someone earlier mentioned the deep V, and if I remember right, it's 24 degrees of deadrise all the way to the transom!

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

NEM, can you post a pic of your front deck looking at the hatch?