transom

[showstoppr88]

i just bought a 1990 raven open bow boat. how do i know if the transom is good? i just watched a video online of this dude on open water and the transom ripped off and the boat sunk lol.....so I need to know mine is good and hoping haha.

 

[Baylinerchuck]

Only tried and true method is to drill into the transom wood and see what comes out. Drill low, deep enough to get a good look at the chips. Dry wood chips, seal up the holes with 5200 and worry no more. Wet mulch comes out, explore higher up to see how solid it is. The hammer test is not recommended.

 

[showstoppr88]

Where do you drill? from the inside or the outside and how deep?

 

[Ned L]

Drill from the inside. 3/4" to 1" should tell you. You just want to make sure you don't go all the way through. It doesn't need to be a big hole, 1/4" is more than enough. If you know ehat you are looking at even 1/8" is enough.

 

[JASinIL2006]

You should try drilling low (under/near the keyhole if an I/O, also an inch or two up from where the transom meets the hull) and around any thru-hull fittings. On an I/O, the transom is 2" (or more) thick, so drilling in an inch - from the inside of the boat - is safe. Sometimes you have to remove some decorative panels or other stuff that may be bolted to the transom on the inside. It wouldn't be a bad idea to check the motor mounts and the stringers (structural members that run the length of the boat under the deck) by drilling, too. If the shavings come out light and dry, you're good and you can fill them with 3M 5200 or something similar. If the shavings come out dark and/or wet, you have bigger issues to deal with...

Agree that the hammer test is fairly worthless.

A 1990 boat is 27 years old at this point, so finding some rot would not be unexpected. Hope you get good news!

 

[showstoppr88]

Thanks all this is good information, I'm VERY novice at this point. I am going to redo my floor stringers and all so I will check out the transom once I get into the floor since I will have much easier access to it.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Thanks all this is good information, I'm VERY novice at this point. I am going to redo my floor stringers and all so I will check out the transom once I get into the floor since I will have much easier access to it.

if you have to redo the floor and stringers, guaranteed that your transom is shot. the floor is the last thing to rot after stringers, bulkheads and transom

 

[showstoppr88]

Would it make sense to drill from the outside since I can get lower that way? I'll wait to hear if I am an idiot Devils advocate question too.....say I drill in and see some rot but the outboard is rock solid when jumping on it, when do you say change out the transom wall?

 

[Scott Danforth]

No, drill from the inside.

if your stringers are bad, pretty sure your transom is bad. since they are tied together under the floor.

 

[showstoppr88]

Isnt the transom encased in Fiberglass? I didn't think they "touched".

 

[Scott Danforth]

The stringers, bulkheads and tansom are tossed in the boat then covered in cloth. Yeah, they touch.

Test drill on the inside, near bottom of transom and near stringer, however pretty sure you may as well start cutting

 

[showstoppr88]

OK so today I did the jump test lol.....its seemed rock hard, lets hope for some hope here, am I right!?

 

[Baylinerchuck]

You say you're planning on doing the stringers and floor, why? Are the already rotted? If they are already rotted, you have a lot of work in front of you. The transom is not much work on top of what you are already doing. Guaranteed if the stringers are wet and rotted, so is the transom wood. Although its encapsulated in fiberglass, it can still get wet. Once wet, it won't dry. My point is, if the stringers are shot, you might as well put in a dry transom.

 

[showstoppr88]

For some reason I feel pretty comfortable doing the floor but scared to death of the transom repair, anyone able to talk me off the ledge?

 

[Scott Danforth]

the floor is actually harder than doing the transom. you bought a boat on your own, you climbed on the ledge on your own. now remove the motor, pull the cap and start working.

 

[kcassells]

Get 6 Buds. Works all the time!