TRANSOM ISSUES!!!!

[smokeysailor]

Hello, I had to repair a very little of rot out near the top of the outer edge my transom a few years back and when I re-fiberglassed(which I was new to doing) my transom became much bigger and wider. My Mercury still fit on the transom so no problem. But I bought another motor and it won't open wide enough to go on the transom. So I cut into and shaved off a half an inch of glass. The wood was damp but not rotten underneath. Pictures below: How should I finish this off? Any concerns? Comments?

 

[MikeSchinlaub]

The top is usually the last place to get wet, and eater will wick into dry areas. The only reliable fix is to replace the whole transom.

 

[nola mike]

Seems like a bit of a shotgun approach. Certainly worth drilling down further in the transom to check out its condition though.

 

[alldodge]

Wood is moist (wet) it will start to rot. Could inject some antifreeze to stop rot, but I think it needs to be replaced
The finished transom should be 2 to 2.25 inch.If it's wider then 2.25 then the wood has expanded from the water

 

[smokeysailor]

The transom didn't expand because it was wet, I added layers and layers not knowing what I was doing . I made it so wide the motor wont fit now. I am not going to rip out my transom. I just need to make it not so wide and am asking how to do that. I cut the fiberglass out so my motor will fit and want to know if posible how to finish what I started.

 

[MikeSchinlaub]

Well you can add a single layer of csm to help give it some water protection, but it won't help with water wicking into it from below the surface.

If it's already too tight, you could remove some layers of plywood until you can finish it with the glass.

 

[jbcurt00]

Half redoing a 'repair' that was done poorly yields poor results.

You are solely responsible for those aboard your boat. Repair the transom properly or not at all.

Would you drive a car w a cracked frame?

 

[smokeysailor]

Well you can add a single layer of csm to help give it some water protection, but it won't help with water wicking into it from below the surface.

If it's already too tight, you could remove some layers of plywood until you can finish it with the glass.

Hi Mike, I am afraid it will be too tight because I had to buy a plate with tilt tube because the motor doesn't have one so I can run my sterring cable through it. I have to put that between my transom and the tighten down bolts.

 

[redneck joe]

Well, you know you were new the last time and not sure what you were doing. We've all been there. Now do it right. The whole shebang. Don't half ass it.

 

[Captain Caveman]

I'd say that step one is to figure out how the transom wood got wet again. You don't want to have that happen a second time, after you've done all of this work to fix it a second time.

 

[cyclops222]

The leak can be from a crack anywhere near the water line. Including when you are going from a stop.