Transom question

[foobear]

I just bought a boat at a yard sale. <br /><br />Now, my wife tells me that what I really bought was a $250 planter on a trailer, but I'm hoping to prove her wrong, despite the fact that the closest I've ever come to small engine repair was to change the oil in an old Triumph Spitfire I used to own.<br /><br />If I've read the various identification plates right, what I have is a 1972 Glastron Fun 14 with a 1962 Johnson 40 HP Super Sea-Horse Electramatic outboard engine.<br /><br />The hull does not have any visible gouges, dings or holes in it, the deck appears to be pretty good as well. There are a couple of small spots on the deck that look sort of like the crazing you get on an old piece of pottery, and one or two small (1/8 - 1/4 inch wide) shallow pockmarks. The floor does not appear to be squishy anywhere, and even the upholstery seems to be in fairly decent shape.<br /><br />On the other hand, there is a 3-inch long or so split in the transom area. Also, the boat does not appear to have been in the water for several years. I bought it from a lady whose son-in-law wanted to store the boat in her driveway for a couple of weeks -- three years ago.<br /><br />With that long, drawn-out introduction out of the way, I have a big newbie question:<br /><br />Am I going to have to saw the back-end off of my boat and replace it, or is there something less extreme I can do to repair what I am seeing in the transom area? The gap in the split is pretty small; I'm thinking 1/32 of an inch or less, but I don't know how likely it is that the outboard might suddenly fall off the back of the boat. The transom itself looks to be pretty solid. I'd be happy to post a picture, if anyone thinks it might help explain things better.<br /><br />Can anyone help me, or is my wife right -- should I head down to Lowes for a few bags of potting soil and some flowers for my new planter?<br /><br />-- Tony

 

[breton26]

Re: Transom question

Post Pics

 

[foobear]

Re: Transom question

I may have spoken too soon. I just went out to take some pictures and pulled the tarp off the back of the boat. There appear to be a couple of splits. <br /><br />Here's the left side of the transom:<br /><br />

<br /><br />and here's the right side:<br /><br />

<br /><br />How much trouble am I in? Are there any options short of replacing the transom?<br /><br />I'm not really looking to restore the boat to showroom original condition, I just want something to putter around in.<br /><br />By the same token, I don't want to sink, either...<br /><br />-- Tony

 

[phatmanmike]

Re: Transom question

first, thats not the trasnom, thats the splash-well.<br /><br />the transom is the "wall" on the back of the boat that the motor bolts to.

 

[foobear]

Re: Transom question

Ahh, got it. Does this mean that the transom may be okay? I still need to take an awl to it to check for rot.<br /><br />-- Tony

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Transom question

There are two reasons why those cracks are there. The less likely reason is if some excessive force was placed on the outboard, causing a lever action which would cause the transom to bow outwards, cracking the glass. The more likely reason is if the transom wood is rotting, causing the transom to bow out due to the leverage placed on it when the boat is being driven. <br /><br />One way you can check this is to simply place the outboard in the trailering position (tilted up), and apply downward force on the propeller. If the transom is weak, you will see it bow outward, and those cracks get larger. Even a healthy transom can move a little when this sort of test is done, but it should be minimal.<br /><br />If you do need to replace the transom, it is not as bad as it may seem. You will want to utilize the search function on this board and look at how others has gone about this sort of repair. You absolutely do not want to cut the transom from the outside. You need that shell to maintain its integrity, or you can end up with an unsafe boat. In the end, you will have to either remove the entire upper deck, or cut out the splashwell to gain access to the transom so it can be replaced from the inside. Good luck...