cracked t'som on 22' MAKO..tips?

[charleyrocknroll2]

I'm ready to buy this boat and begin repairs on the most obvious problem, a big, honking crack ,just starboard of the middle, on the top of the transom. The boat is a center console, deep vee, with a green or yellow deck floor, supposedly signifying it's in the 70's for a year model. The history of the transom crack comes from neighbors. The boat belongs to a fellow "camp" owner and I got this history from others. Apparently, the owner decided to upgrade motors to a `97 Merc EFI 200 in 1997. He cracked the transom first trip out with the new motor. Now, there is a stainless flatbar, of sorts, bolted across the front side, top of the transom for support. I think it took one more trip out to show him, that wasn't going to work. the boat has been sitting under a carport since. A "boat repair guru" friend told me he could repair it simple enough and went on to explain how. The top of the transom is where the crack is and the plywood is visible, obviously weakened and that's why it cracked. GURU told me, the gelcoat would have to be cut off of the top of the transom and the rotten wood removed, while leaving the shell of the gelcoat intact, digging down until "good wood" was found. Suitable wood, then cut and trimmed to fit down in the slot, glued to the "good wood", and then all compressed together with clamps. REfinishing the top of the transom and minor cracks in the corners, would simply entail reading the directions on the refinishing materials, I would expect. It's this "digging out the bad wood" thing that has my brow furrowed..grin. We have a yard and a half of transom here, and no telling how deep I'll have to go to get to "good wood".I guess my first question would be, what tools are suggested for this type of operation, digging out wood from in between two thin layers of gelcoat? A chisel, of course, but where to find a LONG chisel? Any links to articles on transom rebuilding will be appreciated. I relate well to PICTURES.. hahaha.
The owner has auxiliary fuel tanks laying on the deck, so that tells me there is a problem with the below deck fuel cell, reachable by removing the large center console and deck under it. Hopefully, the fuel cell is cleanable and left right where it is, since I heard cutting out foamed in fuel cells can be difficult. These are the only obvious issues I can see with the boat, except, probably some rewiring. The galvanized, tandem axle trailer will need some figuring out, since it looks like the boat just sits on 2x6's, no real bunks or rollers in sight. The trailer has the lever mechanism for raising and lowering the supports, but apparently that hasn't been used in years, either. We all live within a couple of hundred yards for the boat landing, so no one trailers their boats far here.

It's just that digging with out tearing up the gelcoat that worries me. Then, clamping it all together to make it strong.? I plan on putting aluminum sheet across the back, and over the top of the transom after all of this is complete, before installing the motor. I'd hate to have that chunk of iron fall off 30 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico,taking my transom repair job with it..hahaha.
Hopefully, I've made SOME sense to where someone could tell me, "charley, getcha one of these and 2 of those..etc." I'd love to feel this big, ol' boat underneath my feet, cutting through waves out in the Gulf. Thank you for reading this. charley

 

[JB]

Re: cracked t'som on 22' MAKO..tips?

That method doesn't sound good to me at all, Charley. Rot is a fungus that can penetrate far beyond the wood it has already destroyed. I wouldn't trust that it was all gone.

I would be more inclined to completely remove either the inner (preferred) or outer glass surface and replace the whole transom, then reglass it.

Don't know what to tell you about the fuel tank. Lot of work to go after an unknown.

Maybe someone here has live experience with Makos and can give more specific suggestions.

Makos are pretty good boats. They aren't Bayliners but they aren't Boston Whalers, either.

 

[andy6374]

Re: cracked t'som on 22' MAKO..tips?

Charley-

This is a website , www.classicmako.com

This a website dedicated to the rebuild and restoration of Mako's. I'm currently finishing up a project on a 1976 22b, the 70-76 are very similar boats. I replaced the transom, some parts of the stringers and extended the deck aft.

Pictures would really help here. Start a thread at the above website. See you there.

 

[CTD]

Re: cracked t'som on 22' MAKO..tips?

I would prefer replacing all the plywood in the transom but if you want to cut out the old plywood an electric chain saw works good. It will require re sharpening a lot. If you could cut most of the wood out you might be able to dowell the replacement to the old and epoxy the whole thing together. I'm planning on selling my restoration boat soon and I am glad I took the upper hull off and stripped to bare fiberglass and replaced everything right so I can tell the new buyer its as good or better than new.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: cracked t'som on 22' MAKO..tips?

Just done the rotten wood removal on mine.You need to get all the wood out all the way to the bottom.
I cut the top of the transom open with a die grinder,then took the big honkin stihl chainsaw to it.wood went flying but it ate it up.Take a long paddle type wood bit and drill holes down in it before the chainsaw.
Then i took a flat steel bar,bent the end a little and sharpened it like a big chisel.It took me about 3 days to get all the wood out but no damage to the shell..
Now i'm getting ready to fill it with Seacast.Look at them on the web it may be the way to go.Much better and stronger than wood.It never rots or absorbs water.

Here is a link,
http://transomrepair.com/zk/fullrepair.shtml

 

[cuban1305]

Re: cracked t'som on 22' MAKO..tips?

Just done the rotten wood removal on mine.You need to get all the wood out all the way to the bottom.
I cut the top of the transom open with a die grinder,then took the big honkin stihl chainsaw to it.wood went flying but it ate it up.Take a long paddle type wood bit and drill holes down in it before the chainsaw.
Then i took a flat steel bar,bent the end a little and sharpened it like a big chisel.It took me about 3 days to get all the wood out but no damage to the shell..
Now i'm getting ready to fill it with Seacast.Look at them on the web it may be the way to go.Much better and stronger than wood.It never rots or absorbs water.

Here is a link,
http://transomrepair.com/zk/fullrepair.shtml

I just did my transom and i went old fashion marine plywood because why pay for seacast if the stringers will get rot anyways a good job with plywood will last for a lot of years and it's affortable just to my opinion, But yes take all the wet wood out and replace with new one or if you have the money go with seacast....

 

[ezmobee]

Re: cracked t'som on 22' MAKO..tips?

Please don't dig up 2 year old threads cuban1305. Welcome to iboats though!