Transom engineering

[2twodogs]

Hello. this past spring I put a new transom in my 1986 16' Starcraft Fish &Ski. When I removed the old transom I noticed Starcraft had not made the transom in 1 pc. The top right and left side were small pcs. seperate from the main transom that the motor sits on. My question is, are these top corners not reaquired to be part of the main transom, and do all boat mfg. use this same pattern. I have just purchased a 1988 Springbok Super Pro 176, and wondered if this transom would be built the same as the Starcraft.

 

[GA_Boater]

Welcome to iboats, DogDog.

It is pretty much the opinion of us Starcraft guys that the factory was cutting costs by using trimming scraps for the upper portions of the transom. Otherwise more of a sheet of plywood is needed to make it one piece. On some it takes two full sheets of ply to make a new one piece transom. Those wings normally don't have any pulling eyes, so it is a low stress area.

I have no idea if other manufacturers do or did it the same way. Or how the Springbok is done.

 

[smokeonthewater]

FWIW... Each transom I have had to replace I rebuilt far better than it had been done before me.

Transoms that required multiple pieces be assembled to get the right shape inside the boat I have always made the multiple layers with the cuts in different places and at different angles.... Using more layers of thinner ply further strengthens these areas by staggering the cuts multiple times.

Overkill? Yeah probably...... I like it that way!

 

[robert graham]

Seems to me that the transom and the keel could be about the last places to go cheap on the design/fabrication?...

 

[GA_Boater]

Designers and engineers know what they are doing. But cost does enter into design as long as safety isn't compromised.

 

[2twodogs]

Thank you for the responses. I just purchased the 1988 Springbok as it is in good shape. When inspecting the boat prior to purchase the transom seemed very sturdy and looked very tight at seems except at both top corners. When I got it home, I removed one of the transom end caps, and found the wood in that are very poor. That is what made me ask the question about the loose pcs. on the Starcraft and wondering if Springbok done the same thing.

 

[64osby]

The only way to tell is to remove the old wood and replace it with new IMO.

I wouldn't want a transom that is partially rotten.