15.3 scout transom

[mvirant]

My son has a 1992 153 sport fish ..I have sent some pictures, because the has transom cracks all over, I am afraid he should not drive it any more. The cracks are in the top corners left and right, rear transom ,and bottom inside. outside also.

The engine is a 1992 Mariner 75 hp. The boat is rated for this engine.
I will help him if it is repairable.


My question is can this boat be repaired? off the record can I put a support plate (maybe 1/2 fiberglass) the entire backside
any sugesstions

there are cracks in the corners backside and bottom

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: 15.3 scout transom

DO NOT PUT THAT BOAT IN THE WATER!! you might just be picking the motor off the bottom. i would not even tow the trailer with the motor on it. looks like someone hit something very hard. i've never seen stress cracks that bad. a backing plate is not going to do it. the transom need to be opened, either from the inside, or outside. and see what damage is in there. it is repairable. but looks extensive. and i'm not an alarmist.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: 15.3 scout transom

Wow, now that is scary, do what TD said.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: 15.3 scout transom

Man...those are some frightening photos. It's clear that you are going to have to either completely rebuild that transom or scrap the boat. It shouldn't go on the water again in that condition. You'd likely lose an expensive engine and need to use those lifejackets you have on the boat.

 

[mvirant]

Re: 15.3 scout transom

I do not think he hit anything it is a heavy motor 75hp

but the boat said up to 75hp

i seen the corners crack lightly at first .

i can see it flexing from tilt and trim in the back yard.


the scout has a foam core ? i can open it no problem.



This is the answer I got from Scout boat.


, all of the areas that have cracked are going to have to be glassed. For the cracks inside they will need to grind out an area 1 1/2" to 2" on either side of the crack and then glass the area back in using a fine cloth and some regular fiberglass matt. For the outside of the transom I would do the same thing but at the top where the hull and deck joint is I would glass that whole area starting on the transom and then wrapping the glass over the top. After they have completed glassing and finishing the transom I would have two aluminum or stainless knee braces made to go on the inside of the transom to help keep the transom from flexing with that size engine. They also need to make sure that any of the areas they are going to glass are completely dry before they start or it's not going to stick.

 

[mvirant]

Re: 15.3 scout transom

tashasdaddy
Supreme Mariner


what should i look for when i open the trensom ?

what should it be repaired with?

i thought scouts were filled with foam

 

[Windykid]

Re: 15.3 scout transom

The transom is wood inside, I would even bet the wood has rotted and the load was spread to the fiberglass. You need to open the transom and find out how bad it is.

 

[mvirant]

Re: 15.3 scout transom

i always though the scouts had no wood in the constuction

 

[Coors]

Re: 15.3 scout transom

no foam made would last in a transom
Ask GaryNC about his seacast.

 

[scoutabout]

Re: 15.3 scout transom

That's truly alarming. Did it happen all at once? Some really unusual loading forces were at work there (or perhaps deejaycee got his hands on it...). Any damage on the engine anywhere? Did it fall off the trailer, or did the trailer flip back and bury the motor in the driveway?

As for wood in their boats, this from their literature:

"Another innovation that Scout helped to pioneer was the eradication of all wood in boat construction. Wood rots, it's just that simple. No matter where wood is placed during the construction of a boat, eventually it will rot and the resulting damage can be beyond repair. That's why,
from the very beginning, Scout boats have had composite stringers and transoms."

The question is...what exactly do they mean by composite? Technically the definition just means two different kinds of material combined. Sawdust and glue fits that description...

Also note that the reply from Scout made mention of reinforcing the transom to take an "engine of that size." Doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement of that setup from them.

Currently, they offer the Sportfish in the 145 and a 160 versions. I guess the 153 is a discontinued model. The recommended engine for the 145 is a 40 with the max set at 50hp. The recommended engine for the 160 is a 60 hp with the max rating 70hp. So for the 15 footer to be rated at 75 seems unusual. Is there a plate on it somewhere?

Finally, and I put this rather delicately...has your son been doing some extreme boating he hasn't admitted to? I know of all sorts of things I did in boats as a youngster...and not all of them would be fit for parental ears.

 

[mvirant]

Re: 15.3 scout transom

yyes there is a mfg plate sticker that matches the size of the boat and says
75hp

this marine 75 weighs more than my 90ho yammer..i think by looking at it

maybe will trade down on the engine size the engine runs graet may buy a bigger boat for it

i have a 172 scout with a 90 that is a nice setup i always wanted a little mor hp untill now.

thanks