Testing transom

[Cmotitan]

What is the best way to see how solid a old Fiberglass boats transom is. I hit every part of it with a hammer, and it hits back rock solid. I can get my 250 lb son to jump up and down on motor while it's trimed up, and transom has no give. Short of drilling holes in it, how can you tell?

 

[BRL2307]

Drilling holes is best. Short of that, I would try removing some of the through bolts and seeing the condition the wood around the holes.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Take a 1/4" drill or 5/16". take some tape and tape a ring 1" from the end of the bit. about 6" from the transom plug hole, about an inch from the bottom of the hull, drill a few test drills on the inside of the transom. if your shavings are light-colored, dry and smell like wood, put some marine-tex putty in the holes and go boating.

if the shavings are dark-colored, wet, and smell like mulch, you have an issue.

 

[Woodonglass]

If it's Not flexing, with him bouncing on it, and there's no discoloration or cracking in the glass, I'd ream out the drain tube and check the wood there. If it's good, then use 5200 and a new tube to seal it up and then go boating. Never seen a BAD transom that didn't flex a bit with that kind of weight bouncing on the motor leg. Do you know the maintenance and care history of the boat?