Transom dry out ?

[SeaHorse]

I was drilling 1/2 in holes to mount a new motor and I discovered that a crack last year had let water in to my trailer boat transom from the motor well. The transom is plywood with glass on the outside and a layer of glass inside so there is no way for it to dry out. I want to try to save it before it rots and has to be replaced, a major nightmare. <br /> How bout I drill some drain holes to let out the existing water as much as possible and drill some one or two inch holes from the interior just about 1/2" into the plywood spaced about 6" apart. Then I use a fan at night and place the boat in the sun during the day to dry it out over a period of months. When it's dry, I'll patch the holes, cover with a layer of glass for a permanent fix. <br />How's this sound?

 

[Laddies]

Re: Transom dry out ?

SeaHorse you also need to vent it a high as possable an infarred light would help then, just becareful not to get it to hot and blister the glass off the wood---Bob

 

[Moody Blue]

Re: Transom dry out ?

You can try it but in the end I don't think you will ever dry it out. Once its wet, it will stay that way. There has been much discussion and debate about this same issue. Do a search for wet or rotted transom and see what turns up. I had to replace part of my floor last year and the foam below it was soaked. Left the foam exposed to the sun with fans blowing 24/7 for 6 weeks while I worked on other areas. In the end I had to dig out all the foam and replace it. It was still saturated below the top inch.

 

[alden135]

Re: Transom dry out ?

Just a thought.... If you removed the glass from the inside of the transom you could possibly expose the ply enough to dry out w/heat and or fans. Then you could just reglass the inside. Seems a lot easier than a full transom replacement would be. I suppose alot would depend on how much resin has saturated into the face of the ply enableing/preventing the water to escape. I'm not claiming to be an expert, just a carpenter. I'd use a moisture meter before I reglassed it to be sure.

 

[Moody Blue]

Re: Transom dry out ?

Agree with alden135, if you can expose enough surface area you might stand a chance of getting it dried out. If the wood is encapsulated it won't happen.