Pics of Transom Wood - Rot or Just Wet?

[atengnr]

Quick background: boat is a 1968 SAFTMATE with 60HP that was added just a few months ago. Floor and stringer were replaced in 1997. I was aware that transom had been water soaked for at least 10 yrs (probably more).....

So, I stripped off some of the inner skin on the transom after drilling holes left questions about the wood's condition.

The wood is some type red colored wood. Suprisingly, it did not show obvious rotted areas (that I can tell), though the area between the bottom right motor mount bolt and the drain plug was particularly soft and wet. After applying heat to it for a few days, the wood has begun to harden back up....

My question is, does this wood look OK or is transom replacement in order?

Will the wood below the area I have exposed dry out as well if given time, or do I need to remove some of the deck and expose this portion of the transom first (theres about 3 inches of transom below the deck)??

See photos below....

 

[atengnr]

Re: Pics of Transom Wood

Re: Pics of Transom Wood

These links seem to work properly.....

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/atengnr/transom001.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/atengnr/transom004.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/atengnr/transom003.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/atengnr/transom002.jpg

Hopefully this works....

The last photo shows the area between the lower mount bolt and the drain plug. This area was quite soft, but arfter drying it out, it has hardened up....Is this rotted or was it just soft from moisture??

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: Pics of Transom Wood - Rot or Just Wet?

Looks like the wood has delaminated from the fiberglass. Looks like one frame shows a crack in the transom ply? I've studied the effects of cracking plywood and the damage is usually much worse than it appears in the top ply.

My guess (worth nothing) is it's water saturated and expanding causing the delamination. It could probably be dried out COMPLETELY and re-glassed if not cracked.

OR

Looks like an excellent reason to sell the wife on an up-grade

 

[atengnr]

Re: Pics of Transom Wood - Rot or Just Wet?

Looks like the wood has delaminated from the fiberglass. Looks like one frame shows a crack in the transom ply? I've studied the effects of cracking plywood and the damage is usually much worse than it appears in the top ply.

The wood in the highly saturated areas is quite splintered. I dont notice any obvious cracking other than saturated areas that are splintered (from water saturation or rot??)

How are you able to tell that glass has delaminated from the wood??

It appears to me that water ingress source was around the drain plug sleeve (I replaced this past summer out of suspicion it was leaking into transom).

 

[atengnr]

Re: Pics of Transom Wood - Rot or Just Wet?

Can anyone provide their thoughts??

 

[strizzy]

Re: Pics of Transom Wood - Rot or Just Wet?

It does look like the glass peeled away from the wood a bit too easy... Though the wood doesn’t look (in the pictures at least) to be rotted. It is probably red due to some sort of treatment.

I would stay away from making anymore new threads on this, keep everyone updated in just one.

 

[atengnr]

Re: Pics of Transom Wood - Rot or Just Wet?

Thanks for the reply. So, if I dry it out, fill holes I drilled and reglass, it should be OK?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Pics of Transom Wood - Rot or Just Wet?

i wonder what the red is? could it be something thats was put on the wood, that was not compatable with the glass?

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: Pics of Transom Wood - Rot or Just Wet?

Probably some kind of preservative.

Splinters are OK, probably happened when you peeled off the glass. I'd dry it out real good, clean it with some acetone and unless there are real cracks re-glass and paint.

Good as new. I dont see any rot.

 

[atengnr]

Re: Pics of Transom Wood - Rot or Just Wet?

Great. Im glad to hear good news, as this transom has been soaked for 15 yrs. Im very curious to know what kind of wood this is because it withstood water pretty well...

 

[red cobia 17']

Re: Pics of Transom Wood - Rot or Just Wet?

I think I would try to find out where the water came from first.If the fiberglass has fallen off the wood then without a doubt I would replace the transom.Why do the work twice?My thought is if plywood got that wet than it is going to delaminate and that is probably what you are seeing.I would have to say replace it.

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: Pics of Transom Wood - Rot or Just Wet?

Soaked for 15 years...... Where was that nugget of information earlier?

If that ply's been wet for that long, I'd rip it out just so I could fix the leak!

 

[atengnr]

Re: Pics of Transom Wood - Rot or Just Wet?

Soaked for 15 years...... Where was that nugget of information earlier?

If that ply's been wet for that long, I'd rip it out just so I could fix the leak!

Leak source appears was the drain plug sleeve. I replaced this summer, but cannot confirm if leak was stopped or not....How do I plug the 1 inch hole?? If I use a 1 inch diameter dowel, how do I bond to the transom??

Thanks.

 

[Plainsman]

Re: Pics of Transom Wood - Rot or Just Wet?

Mix of some chopped glass and resin on the plug before you put it in, then the same over the end of the dowl.

Or maybe some Marine Tex instead?