Sea Chase IV Refit Project - Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding

Summary

Over the course of two winters, the Lyman-Morse team in Thomaston, Maine, restored a C. Raymond Hunt-designed, 47-foot classic cruiser called Sea Chase IV. This vessel had been built by Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding Co. in 1991 and cruised extensively in the waters off Southern California. When Sea Chase IV needed a refit, one of the children of the original owner decided to bring this lovely yacht back to its original builder so that Lyman-Morse’s service team could bring it back to its full fit and finish, ready for a new run of making family memories. In 2018-19, the first phase of the refit focused on creature comforts like AC, heating, and finishes like varnish and paint and new cushions both inside and out. The second phase, in 2019-20, saw Sea Chase IV refit with more efficient engines and generators, a bow thruster, electrical wiring, and system upgrades. Completing this large-scale refit over the course of two winters ensured that the owners were able to enjoy their yacht without ever missing a Maine summer afloat.

Specifications

loa 47.25'
beam 12.16'
draft 4.17'
displacement 35,000 lbs
water capacity 200 gallons
designed by C. Raymond Hunt Design
builder Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding Co.
year 1991
hull material Fiberglass
location Thomaston, Maine
boat engine Twin Caterpillar C7.1 Diesels
horsepower 450 hp per engine
cruising speed 18 knots
top speed 24 knots

Refit Overview

In 1991, Lyman-Morse poured its boatbuilding heart and soul into a C. Raymond Hunt-designed, 47-foot classic cruiser named Sea Chase IV. The owner and his family adored this deep-vee motor yacht as much as we did, cruising extensively in the waters off Southern California. But when the owner passed, several years ago, Sea Chase IV fell into hard times. She spent a couple of years on the market. There were no buyers.

Two years ago, one of the children of the original owner decided to bring this lovely vessel back to its full fit and finish to make a new run of making new family memories. Sea Chase IV would have a new life as an ultimate live-aboard summer cruiser for exploring the coast of Maine. For the first round of refit work, they concentrated on the creature comforts like AC, heating, and the finishes like varnish and paint and new cushions both inside and out.

This reboot of Sea Chase IV would feature an important difference: The owners would skipper the boat themselves. Read more about this plan in a recent Lyman-Morse Dispatch.

In the second phase of the project, the boat was re-outfitted with significantly more efficient and easier to manage engines and generators. New, easier to maintain electrical wiring and system upgrades were installed. The helming station was made more ergonomic and a powerful hydraulically-driven bow thruster gave the boat fingertip maneuverability when docking.

“This round of upgrades was all about making Sea Chase IV easier for her owners to live on and control,” says Matt Jacobson, service manager at Lyman-Morse in Thomaston, Maine. “They are such nice people, we had fun bringing this boat back for them.”

Here then, are Jacobson’s picks for project moments that mattered on Sea Chase IV‘s latest refit. Enjoy!

Refit Gallery

: Sea Chase IV arrives at Lyman-Morse after an overland trip from California.

: Sea Chase IV gleams with new topside paint during part 1 of her refit.

: Paint and varnish were a big part of part 1 of Sea Chase IV’s two-part refit at Lyman-Morse in Thomaston, Maine.

: A note from the builder, Cabot Lyman, to the original owner shows the relationship that continues through different generations of owners — of both yacht and boatyard.

: The first step in Phase 2 of Sea Chase IV’s refit was to retrofit new electronics and engine controls into the helm station. Here dials and controls are clearly marked for upgrade.

: One of the owners grew up on Sea Chase IV and wanted to retain the traditional analog design of the engine controls. So, Lyman-Morse sourced a custom gauge cluster that replicated the original readouts but are actually state-of-the-art electronic controls.

: Sea Chase IV’s engine room was almost completely gutted as part of Phase 2 of the refit.

: Sea Chase’s IV’s wiring no longer met modern codes. All loose hanging harnesses had to be replaced with new wiring, routed to a central patch bay, seen on the left. Wires there are hard-connected with resilient insulating fittings. The new electronics are safer, easier to service and meet strict ABYC standards.

: The owners wanted a more reliable and modern anchor control system, so a remote-controlled anchor windless was installed. The new system features a chain counter, push-button control, and battery operation.

: Prior to new engine installation, Sea Chase IV’s machinery space bears little similarity to when Phase 2 of the refit began.

: After her two-part refit, Sea Chase IV now features twin 450 HP C71 engines. These new motors are quiet fuel efficient and electronically controlled. They are very modern, easy to maintain and reliable.

: Installing new engines requires careful planning. For Sea Chase IV, a portion of the coach roof was cut away for access and reinstalled at the end of the project.

: Proper installation of new motors requires careful planning. All surfaces must be is protected. All safety procedures must be followed. All installation protocols must be documented.

: It’s the small touches that matter on a big boat: Open drawer spaces were renovated into a closed shelving with these louvered hatches. The hatches reboot the custom feel without a major and costly redesign.

: While not every component was replaced during Sea Chase IV’s two-part refit, all were thoroughly serviced and inspected before reinstallation.

: With the refit nearly complete, a portion of the coachroof of Sea Chase IV is reinstalled.

: Sea Chase features a bombproof way to get a dinghy on and off the boat: A Freedom lift. This beefy unit is mounted are well above the water line and will be strong enough to handle a serious tender, as well as gear and maybe some rain water.

: After a two-phase refit, Sea Chase IV leaves Lyman-Morse’s service building in Thomaston, Maine.

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