transom repair

[fred_farple]

This summer I bought a 1989 Wellcraft Coastal 230 from a "trusted friend". It's a very nice looking boat with a 1998 Suzuki engine in excellent shape and was presented to me as having average wear. I fished it a couple of times, took my family out once in it, and decided it is too big. Recently, I had it surveyed for sale only to find out that the transom is no good, it is rotten. I also noticed after the boat sat in dry storage for a couple of months a very fine little mound of powder along a stress crack in along the transom, could this be termites? I have come to the conclusion that as for selling the boat I'll, in all likelihood, loose my can. I also can't fathom sinking potentially $3,000 worth of good beer money into the hull unless I can recover it on the sale. All opinions and/or advice are sincerely appreciated.

 

[JB]

Re: transom repair

Hi, Fred.<br /><br />Tough problem. Your friend may not have known about the weak transom. I assume that your surveyor passed the stringers, floor, etc.<br /><br />There are "Band Aid" fixes, but I think a weak transom should be replaced.. .not patched, and it doesn't need to cost three big ones.<br /><br />In the "Project Boats" forum you can get a lot of advice and help if you choose to repair it. Many members have replaced transoms with good results.<br /><br />If you hire someone to fix it I agree that you wont get the money back in a sale, but I don't know anyone who ever has broken even or made money buying, repairing and selling boats.<br /><br />I am going to move this to Project Boats where the handymen hang out.<br /><br />Good luck.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: transom repair

As long as the floor and stringers are okay, there is no reason why you can't replace the transom in that boat yourself (you could replace floor and stringers too if need be). It is not hard, just involves a lot of labor. You could probably do it all yourself and be out $500 or less, depending on materials. When you pay a boat yard $3000, you are partly paying for all the labor, but you are mainly paying for the illusion that boat repair is some mystical black art that mere mortals should not get themselves into. Don't get me wrong, a bad transom job can be very dangerous, but it doesn't have to be. If you get some books and follow advise from people on here who have done it a million times, you will be squared away. By the time you are done with it, you will say to yourself "Dang that was easy". Good luck....