Broken transom

[JAFO1]

Re: Broken transom

ok so since the wood is not rotted in the transom, doing a full gut out and repair would be not needed in this case. So since the wood is in good shape, what is another option of repair?

The beautiful thing is, it's your boat. Fix it how you want to. You have to be comfortable with how you repair it. I too kept asking the same questions over and over, and no one gave me the answer I wanted to hear. So, I opted for a total rebuild. It's not easy, fast or cheap, but my son and I have an experience we'll never forget. If that were my boat, I'd replace the transom with new marine plywood.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Broken transom

You never said how much $$$ option B was.

I personally don't believe the transom isn't rotten. I think the fixers are trying to make a quick buck off of you. A sound transom wouldn't break like that, you should be breaking drive gears in your lower unit before the transom breaks and a sound transom should never need a metal plate.

Get a second opinion on the repair work.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Broken transom

I personally don't believe the transom isn't rotten. I think the fixers are trying to make a quick buck off of you. A sound transom wouldn't break like that, you should be breaking drive gears in your lower unit before the transom breaks and a sound transom should never need a metal plate.

I second this.

 

[sqbtr]

Re: Broken transom

Still in the denial phase

 

[sti1471]

Re: Broken transom

I am not totally in the denial phase only 1/2 way there. Money is super tight, and I use my boat for fishing every chance I get. It is what keeps me from going crazy. Spending 300+ dollars on a new transom is not an option due to money. Buying a new boat is not an option. Since the boat is an 88, I am not looking to restore it because I will be buying a new boat in a few years.

I am just looking for a way to fix it, not restore it so that I can use it to float 50 yards off shore and fish. I always want to keep safety first of course..

However let me ask this.

The point of the transom is to have a solid foundation for the engine to mount to. So if I patch and glass the holes, attach a thick plate to the outside of the transom that is the same measurements as the old transom, seal it with marine sealer/caulk so no water can get behind the plate to the old transom, is this not doing the same thing as putting seacast inside the old transom?

It provides a solid foundation for the motor, it is stronger than glassed plywood, it is more waterproof than glassed plywood, plus it has the existing wood behind the aluminum plate as well. The thick aluminum plate will also make the existing transom stronger, and the structure of the boat since it will be a LARGE plate that will become part of the boat. In order for old transom to move, flex or break in the future it will need to move, bend or break the aluminum plate which will be rather difficult.

If the wood was rotted to a "sliver" type condition and the transom was soft when i push on it then I would see an issue, but in this case it is not. So does this or does this not build a new transom, but only putting it outside the boat instead of inside the boat?

Am I missing something here?

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Broken transom

ok so since the wood is not rotted in the transom, doing a full gut out and repair would be not needed in this case. So since the wood is in good shape, what is another option of repair?

See all of that silicone smeared all over the brackets .. ask yourself why ..

The transom has FAILED and needs to be replaced.

I dont know how your shop determined that your trans can be fixed with a little tex and glass but they are dangerously incorrect.

Did they take core samples ? if so got pics ? did they meter your trans ( Im sure the meter is going to Peg ).

Think of it this way .. If you just spot fix that location then the spot fix ( and a few measly layers of glass ) is the ONLY thing holding your motor from flying over your head. The whole transom should be replaced.

Look into another boat is my opinion.

YD.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Broken transom

I am not totally in the denial phase only 1/2 way there. Money is super tight, and I use my boat for fishing every chance I get. It is what keeps me from going crazy. Spending 300+ dollars on a new transom is not an option due to money. Buying a new boat is not an option. Since the boat is an 88, I am not looking to restore it because I will be buying a new boat in a few years.

I am just looking for a way to fix it, not restore it so that I can use it to float 50 yards off shore and fish. I always want to keep safety first of course..

However let me ask this.

The point of the transom is to have a solid foundation for the engine to mount to. So if I patch and glass the holes, attach a thick plate to the outside of the transom that is the same measurements as the old transom, seal it with marine sealer/caulk so no water can get behind the plate to the old transom, is this not doing the same thing as putting seacast inside the old transom?

It provides a solid foundation for the motor, it is stronger than glassed plywood, it is more waterproof than glassed plywood, plus it has the existing wood behind the aluminum plate as well. The thick aluminum plate will also make the existing transom stronger, and the structure of the boat since it will be a LARGE plate that will become part of the boat. In order for old transom to move, flex or break in the future it will need to move, bend or break the aluminum plate which will be rather difficult.

If the wood was rotted to a "sliver" type condition and the transom was soft when i push on it then I would see an issue, but in this case it is not. So does this or does this not build a new transom, but only putting it outside the boat instead of inside the boat?

Am I missing something here?

You're going to be bolting that plate to rotten wood and that's going to be like trying to fix a limp willie with a popsicle stick and rubber bands. You can go ahead and do that and see how long it lasts and how quickly you threw that money away.


I personally would shut 'er down for the season now and start fixing it myself, working on a boat can be just as therapeutic as fishing. You'll save the money you were spending on gas towing your boat to the lake and the gas you were burning while out on the lake. You'll come out a lot cheaper than paying someone else to do it and have a nice safe dependable boat for the spring.

 

[Cadwelder]

Re: Broken transom

You're going to be bolting that plate to rotten wood and that's going to be like trying to fix a limp willie with a popsicle stick and rubber bands. You can go ahead and do that and see how long it lasts and how quickly you threw that money away.


I personally would shut 'er down for the season now and start fixing it myself, working on a boat can be just as therapeutic as fishing. You'll save the money you were spending on gas towing your boat to the lake and the gas you were burning while out on the lake. You'll come out a lot cheaper than paying someone else to do it and have a nice safe dependable boat for the spring.

Couldn't be better said....

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Broken transom

We all understand your dissappointment about the damage to your boat. However, our experience tells us that your transom is not safe. It also tells us that your proposed "Band Aid" fix of an Aluminum Plate is at Best just that a 'Band Aid" and will only temporarily correct a Bad problem. Bottome line is this. It's your boat, and your safety at issue here. We must and will only give you the absolute best and m adost safe advice on how to correctly fix the issues presented to us. It is totally up to you on what to do after that.

 

[sti1471]

Re: Broken transom

OK.

I guess I will need to repair the damage to the boat. Should I use a steel plate or aluminum?

Just kidding!!

OK I have decided to gut the wood, and replace it with new plywood sheets. My transom is 1.5" thick so I will buy a 3/4" 4x8 sheet. Since the transom is 1.5" thick is that 1.5" of plywood, or is it is 3/4" of plywood and 3/4" of fiberglass and gelcoat?

My plan is this. Cut off the lid of the transom down to the wood. Gut the wood out and fiberglass the damage the engine mounts made.
cut 2 matching plywood plates in the shape of the transom and cover them with a marine wood sealer or epoxy. use an adhesive and bond the 2 sheets together and slide it between the fiberglass skins of the transom. Fiberglass the lid and reinstall the foot plate.

Is this how it will go or am I missing an important step?

Thanks everyone.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Broken transom

Typical transom is two 3/4" sheets laminated together as you said. You're missing the step where you fiberglass the transom to the boat. There are lots of great transom threads on here that will show you how to do it. WoG will probably be along again with some schematics.

 

[sti1471]

Re: Broken transom

I think what I might want to do is take a circular saw and set it at a cutting depth of 3/4". Cut along the adges of the transom and remove the outer skin like a plate. This exposes the old wood, and allows me to get the wood out better and much cleaner. It will also help to make sure that the new wood I am putting in is a perfect fit.

Once i get the new wood sheets in place, then I can take the panel I cut away and place it back onto the boat and with adhesive on the inner side to bond with the new wood, fiberglass along the cuts to seal it back to the boat.

is this a good way to go about doing this?

A drawing to show where i plan to cut on the old transom.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Broken transom

I'm not sure I'm completely understanding you but I'll just say DO NOT CUT THE OUTER SKIN OF YOUR BOAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Broken transom

I think what I might want to do is take a circular saw and set it at a cutting depth of 3/4". Cut along the adges of the transom and remove the outer skin like a plate. This exposes the old wood, and allows me to get the wood out better and much cleaner. It will also help to make sure that the new wood I am putting in is a perfect fit.

Once i get the new wood sheets in place, then I can take the panel I cut away and place it back onto the boat and with adhesive on the inner side to bond with the new wood, fiberglass along the cuts to seal it back to the boat.

is this a good way to go about doing this?

A drawing to show where i plan to cut on the old transom.

You'll need to access your transom wood from the inside of your boat, cutting the exterior of your hull will ruin your boat.

 

[sti1471]

Re: Broken transom

I guess I am having a hard time understanding this.

Should I cut the top layer off the top of the transom to access the wood, gut the wood, and slide the new sheets into the boat from the top? almost like you do the seacast, but instead of pouring a liquid I slide the wood sheets from the top down into place?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Broken transom

You can either remove the whole cap from the boat http://recaffeinated.net/skankybeast/page1.html or cut the back foot or so off and then glass it back together. That link should show you the gist of what you're dealing with. Lots of other great transom replacement threads on here.

 

[sti1471]

Re: Broken transom

So when I am rebuilding my transom, can I make adjustments to the shape. For example, the U shape that is cut into the top of the transom is lower than the the rest of the boat. I noticed that when the wind picked up and waves were getting bigger, water was splashing over that and into the boat.

When I build the new transom, do i need to have the U shape in it, or can I make the transom have a straight top without the "U" dip?

 

[sti1471]

Re: Broken transom

Also, from all the transom rebuilds I have seen, it looks like people are cutting the back off the boat.

On my boat, I have a 10" "deck/platform" that hangs over the gas tank and battery. In order to do the transom rebuild, so I need to cut this away so I have unrestricted access to the back side of the transom, and then re-glass it back on later when i am done?

As it sits now I need to crawl under this deck to get access to the back of the transom.

 

[JSmitty]

Re: Broken transom

Maybe this series of pictures will help with the confusion. He cuts off the TOP of the back of the boat, or the back of the cap.

The video of this helped me understand that this was not a job I wanted to tackle Fortunately, I didn't have to.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Broken transom

See all of that silicone smeared all over the brackets .. ask yourself why ..

The transom has FAILED and needs to be replaced.

Look into another boat is my opinion.

YD.

Good luck with your build..

YD.