Water in the transom...

[Toddavid]

Previous owner dry stacked my boat and someone installed the GPS transducer inline with the stern strap path on the starboard side. I decided to move the transducer, which required drilling new holes.

When drilling, I noticed the material coming out on the bit was damp. Uh oh.

No water came out when unscrewing the transducer. I plugged the old screw holes with 3M 5200.

I then started looking at the other transom items I have, such as my trim tabs, to find the water source. Port side tab came off without issue, and I cleaned and resealed with 5200.

Starboard side drooled profusely out of two holes. Found my leak. Turns out, the water was getting in from the *inside* of the boat. The way it sits bow up in my driveway, water pools in the starboard stern area of the engine bay (where that is coming from is another topic). The screws for the trim tabs go all the way through the transom in that area, and while the exterior was properly sealed, the sealant did not carry though to the interior of the hole, and the water was dripping in from the backside. Sealing front and back with 5200, and finding the source of the rainwater leak should fix further transom soaking there...

But: now what do I do to dry things out in there? I shop vacced until no water came out. Do I now let it airdry?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Water in the transom...

How old is the boat? How long has this been going on? Inboard or Outboard? Pics would really help.

 

[Toddavid]

Re: Water in the transom...

How old is the boat? How long has this been going on? Inboard or Outboard? Pics would really help.

All the boat details are in my signature.

Not sure how long this has been going on. If indeed it is from my driveway grade, then maybe 3-4 months of normal rain exposure, with mooring covers on. All winter it was covered with a proper canvas cover and had no standing water anywhere when I uncovered last weekend.

Pics of what? The screw holes from the trim tab?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Water in the transom...

Sorry, I did not pay close enough attention.
Yes, pics of where the water was coming out. I'd for sure make sure that water could not get inside the boat and always make sure the bow was higher than the stern so water could escape via the drain tube. Any penetration into the wood is not good and if it becomes saturated enough, it can cause it to begin to rot and decay causing the need for replacement. It will be difficult to impossible to dry it out if it has a lot of saturation. You can drill several holes on the inside at various locations and check the shavings for dampness. If they continue to be damp then you may have serious issues to consider. If not then you can fill them with the 5200 and take preventative measure to ensure no further problems occur.