'86 Rinker oops...drilled right through my transom

[mike64]

Just picked it up. Transom seems solid, but when I got it home I noticed the lower right screw holding the swim ladder on was loose. When I removed the screw I saw it was installed with no waterproofing at all, not even silicone. I thought "uh oh" because I had transom rot in my last boat from the previous owner incorrectly installing a kicker plate.

So I get the drill, 1/8 bit, to drill some exploratory holes and see what the wood shavings look like. I start on a spot just to the inside of the loose screw, and I easily punch right through the transom!

It turns out my transom is not one piece of wood like my boat with an OB, but a strip of wood along the top where the transom eyes go and a square block where the engine meets the outdrive. The rest of the transom is just thin fiberglass! Easy to patch the little hole, but i'm just wondering- Is this transom setup standard with I/Os, or just 80's cutting corners?

 

[Bondo]

Re: '86 Rinker oops...drilled right through my transom

Ayuh,... It might be standard for Rinker, but it's a stretch to say All I/Os are that way...

 

[mike64]

Re: '86 Rinker oops...drilled right through my transom

Ayuh,... It might be standard for Rinker, but it's a stretch to say All I/Os are that way...

I thought Rinkers were better built than some boats. I'd expect say, a Bayliner of that era to have cut corners on transom construction in their I/Os, from what I've heard.

Well, the transom such as it is seems solid and has lasted for the last 25 seasons. hopefully I can get a few more seasons out of 'er- especially if I manage not to add any more ventilation... :-D