Transom Repair- Capping vs. skinning

[drewpster]

OK folks its time to revisit the rotten transom repair subject. I have to replace the transom of my tri-hull. If I were opting for a complete restore of this boat I would remove the cap and cut the floor out, replace all the wood cores and coat everything. This is not that situation. The floor of this boat is solid. After finding deflection and some stress fracturing I removed the outboard and found wet mushy wood in the transom.
I have researched four pourable composite products, Seacast, Nida-Core and Arjay. First I would appreciate any recommendations you have on the use of Nida-Core or Arjay. Both of these products are more reasonably priced than Seacast. Also I need good advice on how to remove the wood. The chain saw method Seacast recommends looks good but seems a little too easy. They say their product will not bond to wood but how do you get all the wood out using a chain saw and a chisel? Seems fishy.
Capping the boat and simply replacing the wood core using conventional methods is an option. Frankly I do not want to spend that much time on this boat. I am considering removing the outer skin with the cap on and remove the wood. I would then temporarily skin the outside of the transom with waxed ply and pour a new transom in place. Then replace the fiberglass skin and fair. Sound good?:redface:

 

[oops!]

Re: Transom Repair- Capping vs. skinning

uh.....drew buddy.........you want a cheap and easy way out.......
trarnsoms arent easy but they can be cheap......the easy way is to remove the cap. and get er done-----the hard way is to climb in there and some how, contort your body to remove the transom wood.

if you figgure its easyer to climb under the splash well and grind the transom out.....thats ok......but drew....its not.that easy........its hard.


ok....lets say you take a chain saw to the transom........
dont take the outside skin of the hulll........and you still need to take the top off or cut it to get inside there with the chain saw. either way......there is the replacement of the cut parts.........

id sugest you remove the cap and get er done the way you know.
transoms are not quick or easy.........
for you....a few days......for a noob.......2 weeks.....the trick is knowing when your done a phase.

 

[jonesg]

Re: Transom Repair- Capping vs. skinning

I did it the opposite way, instead of removing the transom outter glass
, I cut straight down through the cap and drilled/chainsawed it all out.

Then I found the inner transom wall was shot so I cut the splashwell loose and ripped the inner wall from the transom,
next installed a glassed 1/2" ply rear wall and poured the new transom in. The 1/2" ply was glassed with 10oz cloth and poly resin both sides and then the edge sealed all around and sanded before installing.
Seacast might not stick to old dry wood but it does stick to glassed surfaces.

Done right you'd have to just about the gut the whole thing, but you can still do a good patch job as long as its safe, its got to be better than rotted wood unless you do something seriously wrong.
Pick yer poison I guess.

 

[drewpster]

Re: Transom Repair- Capping vs. skinning

uh.....drew buddy.........you want a cheap and easy way out.......

YEP! Your certainly picking up what I'm puttin' down.
I know you are right. Capping the boat is the way to go. Guess I need a little push. With the big boat rotting from within, and the little boat trying to sink its engine, my plate is a little full.
Seems I need about 20 gal. of resin and 100 lbs. of mat and roving. I wonder hoe hard it would be to build a mold?