Newbie owner 1977 220 cuddel cabin.

[Christopher Martin]

I just became the proud owner of a 1977 SRV 220. I am planning on restoring her to the strong lady she was years ago. The current owner has spent big$$ of engine with a Murcruiser 5.7 350 but has sat for 3 years and needs serviced. The hull is in good shape needs bottom paint (scraped and ready to sand and gel coat). Upper hull is in good condition although dirty. We opened the cuddle cabin to find all the original cushions in excellent condition (woven tweed brown plaid).

I am so excited to get started. I have a list a mile long wish me luck. I can't wait to share my journey with my Classic SeaRay!!

 

[Bill Curtis]

I just became the proud owner of a 1977 SRV 220. I am planning on restoring her to the strong lady she was years ago. The current owner has spent big$$ of engine with a Murcruiser 5.7 350 but has sat for 3 years and needs serviced. The hull is in good shape needs bottom paint (scraped and ready to sand and gel coat). Upper hull is in good condition although dirty. We opened the cuddle cabin to find all the original cushions in excellent condition (woven tweed brown plaid).

I am so excited to get started. I have a list a mile long wish me luck. I can't wait to share my journey with my Classic SeaRay!!

Welcome aboard........

"Cuddle Cabin" gave me a chuckle.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Ha! me, too!

It's a "cuddy" cabin... but I suppose Chris' terminology may be more appropriate for what the space is used for

Welcome aboard, Chris!

 

[Stee6043]

Welcome! I also chuckled at the cuddle cabin reference. I like it!

 

[Scott215]

Welcome

 

[Christopher Martin]

Thank you all for the welcome ..I will keep the joke and note the change..lol. We got her home today and started the clean out. She is rough but lovely.

 

[DaveKamp]

Congratulations, Chris!

You've acquired one of the most maintainable, toughest, and family-worthy boats ever made. My Dad bought a '76 SRV-220CC when I was 11 years old... and sold it several years later for the 25' Wellcraft that's still-in-the-family... but a decade ago, I picked up a '77 SRV-220CC that'd been sunk (frozen engine), and gave it a thorough rehab. They are great boats, easy to work on, and really, really hard to hurt... the workmanship and materials was fantastic.

Most of the 220CC's around here (Upper Mississippi River) had MerCruiser drives with Ford 302 or 351's (prior to 1977) or Chevy 305s (after). Some had OMC 'stringer' drives, usually Ford V8. SOMETIMES there's a Volvo-Penta, and mebbie a Chrysler/Dana, but the MerCruiser was the most common. Log manifolds (with risers at the rear) was the norm then, and they fit snug alongside the engine cover... and a Rochester Quadrajet marine carb.

The 350 was not as common as 305, but you'll find yours runs out very nicely with the 350. If you happen to have a later model, perhaps a late '90's 5.7L with a 2-bbl MerCarb, that will be the L-,31 engine, probably have center-rise manifolds, 8-bolt intake manifold (instead of 12) with roller cam... an absolutely excellent marine engine, with a torque-curve perfect for this hull- it'll hold it on plane solid at a slow speed, or spin right up to 4900rpm and be strong and quiet all the way. Stock ratio for the drive will be a 1.5:1 (you might see 1.47:1 or something like it), and with your bottom paint on smooth, it should make around 47mph with a 21p stainless, and cover around 4 miles per gallon. Lift is your friend with this hull, get it up high, and it's fuel efficiency improves substantially. Having the camper top up will have only a slight effect.

DO make sure your fresh air intakes and exhaust ductwork is in good shape, the engine will be happier with cool fresh air coming into the compartment, and it's somewhat of a contorted path from sides over to the doghouse.

The aft coolers are really handy... usually not for beverages, but spare mooring lines. The center compartment is perfect spot for a battery switch and a ski rope or two.

Hopefully your back-to-back seats are still in serviceable shape. Replacements aren't common in this size, they're all smaller. I managed to find a pair that were not QUITE as large, and they're okay, but weren't tall enough, so I built elevation 'boxes' to go underneath, and the top flips out (with seat attached) to reveal voluminous storage beneath. The 'family coolers' fit nicely in front of the co-captain's seat, and secondary coolers go underneath the two rear corner seats. For the VHF radios, I made an enclosure directly beneath the console, such that the faces of the electronics look directly towards my face... and the mic hangers are on the side. If I think about it when I get back home, I'll crawl in and take some pictures.

The "Cuddle Cabin" is a perfect place for kids. If you don't have kids, it'll help you acquire a few...

Ask questions, and post pictures here, so we can all live vicariously through your progress, and help save you from the mistakes we've already made for you!

 

[Blueone]

I had one..a 210 cuddle….. you have no choice but to cuddle…… it’s a great first date boat

 

[Christopher Martin]

Congratulations, Chris!

You've acquired one of the most maintainable, toughest, and family-worthy boats ever made. My Dad bought a '76 SRV-220CC when I was 11 years old... and sold it several years later for the 25' Wellcraft that's still-in-the-family... but a decade ago, I picked up a '77 SRV-220CC that'd been sunk (frozen engine), and gave it a thorough rehab. They are great boats, easy to work on, and really, really hard to hurt... the workmanship and materials was fantastic.

Most of the 220CC's around here (Upper Mississippi River) had MerCruiser drives with Ford 302 or 351's (prior to 1977) or Chevy 305s (after). Some had OMC 'stringer' drives, usually Ford V8. SOMETIMES there's a Volvo-Penta, and mebbie a Chrysler/Dana, but the MerCruiser was the most common. Log manifolds (with risers at the rear) was the norm then, and they fit snug alongside the engine cover... and a Rochester Quadrajet marine carb.

The 350 was not as common as 305, but you'll find yours runs out very nicely with the 350. If you happen to have a later model, perhaps a late '90's 5.7L with a 2-bbl MerCarb, that will be the L-,31 engine, probably have center-rise manifolds, 8-bolt intake manifold (instead of 12) with roller cam... an absolutely excellent marine engine, with a torque-curve perfect for this hull- it'll hold it on plane solid at a slow speed, or spin right up to 4900rpm and be strong and quiet all the way. Stock ratio for the drive will be a 1.5:1 (you might see 1.47:1 or something like it), and with your bottom paint on smooth, it should make around 47mph with a 21p stainless, and cover around 4 miles per gallon. Lift is your friend with this hull, get it up high, and it's fuel efficiency improves substantially. Having the camper top up will have only a slight effect.

DO make sure your fresh air intakes and exhaust ductwork is in good shape, the engine will be happier with cool fresh air coming into the compartment, and it's somewhat of a contorted path from sides over to the doghouse.

The aft coolers are really handy... usually not for beverages, but spare mooring lines. The center compartment is perfect spot for a battery switch and a ski rope or two.

Hopefully your back-to-back seats are still in serviceable shape. Replacements aren't common in this size, they're all smaller. I managed to find a pair that were not QUITE as large, and they're okay, but weren't tall enough, so I built elevation 'boxes' to go underneath, and the top flips out (with seat attached) to reveal voluminous storage beneath. The 'family coolers' fit nicely in front of the co-captain's seat, and secondary coolers go underneath the two rear corner seats. For the VHF radios, I made an enclosure directly beneath the console, such that the faces of the electronics look directly towards my face... and the mic hangers are on the side. If I think about it when I get back home, I'll crawl in and take some pictures.

The "Cuddle Cabin" is a perfect place for kids. If you don't have kids, it'll help you acquire a few...

Ask questions, and post pictures here, so we can all live vicariously through your progress, and help save you from the mistakes we've already made for you!

Thank you so much I have a million questions.. lol..

 

[Christopher Martin]

Can someone help me out and tell me what the unlabeled switch on the far left in the row without a fuse does? I am getting ready to replace the fuse panel and fix the wiering that is not working. All the fuses are good but most electrical does not work. First step identify all the switches.

 

[Christopher Martin]

Also please help me understand the throttle. What does the small black button do and the trigger. Is there a kill switch ? Is there a way to give it power without being in gear?

 

[Golfman25]

Can someone help me out and tell me what the unlabeled switch on the far left in the row without a fuse does? I am getting ready to replace the fuse panel and fix the wiering that is not working. All the fuses are good but most electrical does not work. First step identify all the switches. View attachment 150281

That switch looks like an after-market add-on. So probably something that was added to the boat?

 

[Golfman25]

Also please help me understand the throttle. What does the small black button do and the trigger. Is there a kill switch ? Is there a way to give it power without being in gear?
View attachment 150282

I doubt on a boat that old there is a kill switch. The black button allows you to work the throttle without putting it in gear.