Is it possible to make a rot proof Transom?

[Saskatoon2005]

Hello All,

I am curious to know if it is possible to make a transom that you can just forget about, even if your hull gets water in it. I understand you can make fiberglass stringers but can you also use some kind of metal, fiberglass, or other composite to make a transom that never needs to be replaced? Any ideas? I would love to hear them...

 

[iwombat]

Re: Is it possible to make a rot proof Transom?

Totally rot-proof, or rot-proof in your lifetime?

Epoxy-coated plywood with any holes properly epoxied would qualify for the latter.

Any time you use wood it's possible that rot will occur. That being said, there's steps you can take to minimize the risk.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Is it possible to make a rot proof Transom?

Yes

 

[Saskatoon2005]

Re: Is it possible to make a rot proof Transom?

I would like to make one that is totally rot proof...What would you recommend?

 

[Solittle]

Re: Is it possible to make a rot proof Transom?

Do a web search on coosa. I had mine redone 5 years ago and there is not one splinter in the transom (23' CC with twins).

 

[Saskatoon2005]

Re: Is it possible to make a rot proof Transom?

I emailed them and am waiting for there reply... if anyone else is interested, here is there email address:

contact@coosacomposites.com

Thank-you guys for your help...I inquired about there products and how much to fix my transom....very curious,

 

[Mark42]

Re: Is it possible to make a rot proof Transom?

Buy Sea Cast and pour yourself a transom that will never rot in your lifetime, or that of your kids.

Another simple alternative is to use pressure treated plywood. It too will probably outlive you even if wet.

Or just laminate up multiple layers of glass and cut to fit. Epoxy in place.

 

[Saskatoon2005]

Re: Is it possible to make a rot proof Transom?

Hey Mark,

Thanks for the great idea of Sea Cast. It seems like it might just be what I am looking for. On that note, I emailed them and asked for a sample and hope to hear from them shortly, it seems too good to be true but then again, I am fairly still new to boating, so look forward to trying new things as well.

 

[deejaycee_2000]

Re: Is it possible to make a rot proof Transom?

my racing inflatables have all aluminium transoms ........

 

[Mark42]

Re: Is it possible to make a rot proof Transom?

Here is a link to a guy who did his old MFG boat with Sea Cast - complete with pictures.

http://www.fiberglassics.com/mfg/transom.htm

Jim has since sold the boat (I think to someone here on iboats) and last I heard, the transom was still rock solid.

 

[Saskatoon2005]

Re: Is it possible to make a rot proof Transom?

That was very interesting and makes me wanna use there product...Do you know what there product is made up of? It sounds like whatever it is, it contains fiberglass shreds, which is great....

 

[Mark42]

Re: Is it possible to make a rot proof Transom?

Its basically polyester casting resin, with fillers and glass. I believe casting resin is used because it won't crack when large amounts are poured and cure.

It is a little pricey. Will run about $400 to do a small to medium size transom.

But it will never need attention again.

 

[Saskatoon2005]

Re: Is it possible to make a rot proof Transom?

Holy Smokes.....$400.00? That's more than I spent on this boat.....LOL! I think I will be rethinking it now...LOL!

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Is it possible to make a rot proof Transom?

Never did a whole transom but I did a 5 inch raise using polyester resin and house insulation. Had a lot of insulation left over from remodel and FG cloth is expensive so---
Takes a lot of time to wet out the insulation and I had to ram it into a mold but it did work. Mine is encapsulated in aluminum so I can't tell if it cracked or not, but the transom is still sound.

 

[Saskatoon2005]

Re: Is it possible to make a rot proof Transom?

I wish I could just buy two sheets of aluminum and make some cross braceing filler in the middle to get the right thickness and then how would one attach it to the boat? Hmmmmmmm, curious.....does resin stick to aluminum at all?

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Is it possible to make a rot proof Transom?

Sticks quite nicely as long as you sand the surface.

Thats what I did to mine. I made up aluminum plates on both sides of the transom. I through bolted them to the original transom, and 5 inches higher I bent them 90 deg and overlapped them. Then from the open sides, I filled the gap between them with resin/ insulation mix. Last, I through bolted them after the resin hardened.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Is it possible to make a rot proof Transom?

I forgit to mention.: resin sticks quite nicely to sanded aluminum and most times you must sand off runs and overfill, but I wouldn't trust it as a structural joint.

 

[Saskatoon2005]

Re: Is it possible to make a rot proof Transom?

Not a bad idea...I mean the resin with fiberglass fill....does the resin totally encapsulate it? Is every void filled? It should be a cheaper way to redo a transom without using wood....

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Is it possible to make a rot proof Transom?

You have to play around a little to see how much resin to mix to get a proper resin/glass ratio, and you can't mix up too much at once otherwise it hardens in the pot. Remember: Too much resin gives brittle fiberglass, and too little lacks strength.

You need to poke the glass around some in a pot of resin until it wets out, but It will totally wet out. Then if you pack it in well, you should have no voids. As I said, I can't speak for a whole transom, but I was happy with my 5 inch raise. That raise is only 3 feet wide though. And as I also said, both front and back surfaces are reinforced with .080 sheet aluminum. It is my opinion that the aluminum is the strength and the glass is just a filler to keep the transom from squeezing together at the engine clamps.

 

[Saskatoon2005]

Re: Is it possible to make a rot proof Transom?

Yeah, I would be unsure in doing a whole transom that way, although interesting. Thanks for the input, that is interesting... I bet you had to do it because you got a long shaft motor, and your boat was short shaft?