Re: Newbies first project...transom stringers and floor!
Ok so I removed ALL of that light pink mat on the side that had the voids. The middle and "drivers side" (someone tell me the term for that so I dont sound like an idiot again

looked fully laminated so I let them be. Im trying to find some past threads on these Bayliner 3 piece transoms and was having a tough time. I found some that were similar to mine. They had knee braces going from the center piece of the engine to the stringers.
The setup was the center transom was in between the 2 stringers (meaning that the stringers did not butt up against the transom). Judging by my crease line where the center and side pieces met up previously (the joints)...the stringers on mine are the same. They do NOT butt up against the front edge of the centerboard. The centerboard rests right on the inside edges of the 2 stringers. Crazy to think that in a transom that is already 3 pieces, they wouldn't put the stringers directly pushing against that center piece. They used a knee brace to join that centerboard with the stringer next to it. I don't want to change the design of the boat but I want to do this right. It seems like if I dont do this right..IT COULD FALL OFF! Especially being three pieces with no stringers in front of the piece where the motor is!
Couple of questions (if anyone knows about these transoms)...
Does the stringer come right back directly to the skin or does it butt up against the side pieces?
When I install my center board do I also install the side pieces and glass the whole assembly to the hull/stringers or do I glass my centerboard to the skin on either side first and then install my side pieces over the tabbing and THEN glass the whole piece in?
Do I cut my 2 side pieces so that they fit in direct contact to the center or is there spacing in between the pieces to get a better bond with pb? (Keep in mind that this was not originally a 1 piece transom so Im not sure the physics at play here)
Im just really confused as to what to do here. Theres obviously a lot of force to consider in this area...and Im not an engineer so I dont know the original setup as to how this was made. I dont want to screw this up and tie it all together the wrong way and have it all tear apart. I find it odd that the center piece of the transom would only be glassed to the 2 pieces on either side of it and th tabbed down into the bilge area...with the knee braces going to the stringers but thats what i got out of what i read so far. I am going to keep investigating but if ANYONE has seen or done this job on this model before your insight will be GREATLY APPRECIATED! THANK YOU!