Tiny crack in fiberglass - transom?

[FFDave]

Dumb question guys,
I was doing the transom check today with the handel of a screwdriver to listen for dull spots. Good news is i found none! it all sounded solid and sharp.
But on my last , (one more for good luck!) tap with the screw driver, i think i might have made a little crack in the outershell ( fiberglass? ) of the transom, to the left of the motor. I heard a wierd sound once i hit it lightly, like a dull sound, and i moved the screwdriver handle out of the way, and had to reallllly look hard, but i saw a little crack like puncture. If you push on it, you can see it a little better, its the size of an eraser on a pencil. It looks like i might have hit it a little too hard or something, because it does not look like a stress fracture, but like something hit it..am i making sense? kinda?
i put some silicone sealer over it and smoothed it over.. But Should i be worried? I cant be too positive i did it with the screwdriver, but what are the odds that i just happend to hit it.
Is the outer shell somethin to be concerned with? I know when people find cracks in the transom itself ( the wood ) thats bad, but is the fiberglass shell on the outside bad?
And if it wasnt me with the screwdriver who made that crack,( im almost certain it was though ), how could it have happend?

Sorry for the long post

Dave

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Tiny crack in fiberglass - transom?

Well ....... hitting a transom is good only to check your hearing and will not give any sort of clear answer of the condition.

Pressing on a tilted outboard and looking for movement is one way..... test holes /bore holes on the inside are even better.

Stress cracking on the outside of the transom are a warning sign ..... you really need to investigate further with better methods.

 

[FFDave]

Re: Tiny crack in fiberglass - transom?

Bob,
thanks for the response.
Sorry if i made it sound like stress cracking, but it does not at all look like stress cracking.
looks like something hit it..like a hard object.
Like maybe a screwdriver? Or something along those lines haha.
I was just wondering if the fiberglass on the outside of the boat , if that had a crack in it how i described, would it be something i should worry about, since its on the transom. I siliconed over the small crack and sealed it up real nice. Should i be good to go? or are other steps needed.
I hear ya on the investigation tactics, and i guess i shouldnt read peoples thoughts on how to check transoms, from google searches haha.
Im not so worried about the condition of the transom, it apprears to be solid and has never given me a reason to be worried ie: flexing, stress cracks.
But for some reason, i had to bang on it with a screwdriver..

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: Tiny crack in fiberglass - transom?

My transom look solid but had cracking on top next to the motor, same as you described. It was rotten. I bought the boat that way. It would depend as well on how long the crack was there and how much water got in. Good luck.

 

[FFDave]

Re: Tiny crack in fiberglass - transom?

tallcanadidan-
Do you have an o/b ? or an i/o

And im almost positive now that i keep going outside and looking at it, and looking at the spot it got hit, its not a stress fracture. It happend today while on dry land and after i hit it with a screwdriver...i know... its in the most random spot, not close to the motor, but kind of in the middle of no-man's land lol on the transom, right on the water line it looks. The crack is smaller than an eraser on a pencil and looks exactly like a slight puncture wound, except not as traumatic, just a small cracking.
I just want to know if sealing it with silicone as i did, will be alright.
It looks sooo small and im probably over exagerating the situation.

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: Tiny crack in fiberglass - transom?

I have an outboard. Just keep an eye on it, make sure it's not getting bigger. Good luck.

 

[FFDave]

Re: Tiny crack in fiberglass - transom?

Will do,
Thanks.

Dave