Aluminum boat transom?

[4426]

Hello, I recently acquired an older starcraft mariner that is in ok shape for free basically. So not now but prolly a year or two down the road the transom will need to be replaced and I was wondering if instead of using plywoood should I try to weld an aluminum transom up like some modern boats have (tracker). I already did a transom on my old mfg edinboro and wasn't fond of putting wood back in there knowing sometime in the future someone will have to open it back up to replace it. I have access to a full shop and my fishing buddy is a great welder and would be more than willing to help. Also curious if increasing the transomheight for a longshaft motor is possible using same strategy? Thanks . It's a great boat I've fished from before so I'd like to keep it for a while and reason fortaller transom is its an erie boat and it gets wild out there somedays. Thanks

 

[4426]

Also was wondering about doing the same thing with any floor supports(still use wood for actual floor)

 

[Woodonglass]

You can but...the extra expense may not be worth it. Wood transoms fail due to improper Care and Maintenance. IF you build it, seal it, and maintain it using accepted methods your wood transom should last as long as you want the boat. It's all about the methods used and then the care!!!

 

[4426]

I mean when I do end up re doing it I'd like to almost completely restore it and add in some features, also may with a modern fourstroke so I'm thinking it may be better to go aluminum than wood for strength but correct me if I'm wrong. I'm still a season or two away but I'd like to re do it once and customize it to my liking and be done with it. I plan on making a few blue prints next season of different layouts and such, still would maintain center console. That way after a season's experience with current layout I canfigure out what I like and what needs to be changed. I would almost kinda like to raise transom and do a long shaft motor and do away with the spashwell but I'm not sure if that'd be possible using wood.

 

[Woodonglass]

Again, IF you fabricate a wood transom correctly and install it correctly, It will be PLENTY strong enuf unless you overpower the boat. 1 1/2" aluminum plate or 1/2" plate with honeycomb center will be MUCH more pricey and the only benefit is maintenance. I guess if you want to abuse her and not worry about care and you have the money then by all means go for it. Others have. I just don't see the sense???:noidea:

 

[savetexomabeaches]

I agree with Woodonglass, the cost comparison will be a lot cheaper if you go the wood route. Seal it and care for it and it will last. One benefit I see of having a wooden transom, it allows you to screw things into it as needed. Wire clips, cables, anything really you wish to attach, you can easily just screw into it.

 

[jbcurt00]

The deck (floor) should already be supported wood-free. 2 metal stringers should run fore and aft along the top of the ribs. And between 2 adjacent sheets of decking, a thin metal strip to join the 2 sheets.

Else there should not be anything beneath the deck, except flotation foam and maybe a belly tank.

As for an aluminum transom, welded square stock and a face skin might do it. Got the R and D dollars to figure out whats just enough to do the job and not fail? Plus what internal layout of diagonal cross ties and grid pattern of square tube will both carry the weight and transfer the load of a running outboard?

Asked numerous times, IIRC, only 1 aluminum transom was posted here, but once finished, that member stopped posting. No idea if it worked, failed or what. Long term testing would also be nice to see.

A solid billet aluminum transom thats been milled has been done elsewhere, and I've seen it up close and in use, numerous times. Ray is an exceptional craftsman:

BTW, 3/4in plate inside, 3/4in mahogany on the outside...

 

[4426]

Ok, just wasn't sure if the extra leverage of a long shaft and extra weight of a fourstroke would be too much. And yea I didn't think about that adhering things to it would be harder. How about other composites(sea board i think its called) or would epoxied laminated marine plywood be best option and just replace as needed (would probably need new floors by then anyways). Also it would get run kinda hard, it's an erie boat and lake erie can pick up quick

 

[4426]

And I do have access to cad software as well so figuring out layout of rectangular tubing and the stresses associated with it is doable. And I didn't consider billet because I figured it would be more expensive than welding but I'm not really too sure...

 

[Scott Danforth]

do you have an engineering degree in naval engineering. access to design software is one thing. fully understanding the stresses, etc is another.

your boat is made up of 5052 skin. about as strong as a beer can (however its easy to form and corrosion resistant). the wood in the transom is actually better. it flexes where it needs to flex, its strong as heck and doesnt stress crack or anneal due to welding.

unless you have a naval engineering degree or a structural engineering degree and run the fatique calculations, it is not a smart move. so far with the lenght of this conversation, you could be 3/4 the way done simply putting wood back in and being back out on the water.

 

[Watermann]

If it's been done to a Starcraft then it's been done here. Have you seen the dedicated SC forum here and all the various style boat rebuilds?
http://forums.iboats.com/forum/owners-groups-by-manufacturer/s/starcraft-boats

I don't have anything new to add to what's already been said other than I replaced 3 transoms with wood and expect them to outlive me.