Water in transom!!! HELP!!!!!!

[Johnson70]

I was upgrading my electronics this weekend and I was taking off the old transducer for the ancient depth finder in the boat. When I was removing one of the screws that held a clamp on the wire to the transom, I heard a gurgling sound....low and behold water started coming out of it...i was about ready to cry. I drilled about 12 holes around it water, water everywhere. I narrowed it down to about a 6" x 12" area, I tested other parts of the transom that were all dry as a bone. It seems that when this clamp was installed 20 years ago, there wasn't any sealant used and the screw is about 1" above the water line....so, here's my question. How do I fix this? I bought some west marine penetrating epoxy that is supposed to cure rot...any experience with this? Also, if that is the recommended cure, how to I fill the holes after thats applied? marine tex? Thanks!

 

[salty87]

Re: Water in transom!!! HELP!!!!!!

www.rotdoctor.com<br /><br />there should be some answers there

 

[crab bait]

Re: Water in transom!!! HELP!!!!!!

your pretty much got it rite.. penetrate & then marine tex.. have to let it dry.. mite want to wait till next spring as per dry dock for off season.. <br /><br />what's another year... leastways it'll be dry for the epoxy...<br /><br />after jobs done.. epoxy apiece of teak or 'starform' to hull than mount clamp..

 

[Johnson70]

Re: Water in transom!!! HELP!!!!!!

Not quite sure I understand the above.....your saying to seal it now, or wait until next year when its all dry?

 

[quantumleap]

Re: Water in transom!!! HELP!!!!!!

Yeah Johnson, crab bait is pretty famous around these parts for his exclusive use of partial sentences with no punctutation other than... If you imagine him as Mr. Crabs from the SpongeBob Squarepants cartoon he'll start to make sense after a few posts!! No hard feelings crab bait.

 

[Solittle]

Re: Water in transom!!! HELP!!!!!!

Johnson70 - Keep in mind that rot is caused by a fungus and it will spread unless you get it out. The only thing that I have read about that will kill the fungus is, believe it or not, automotive antifreeze. There is an interesting post somewhere on this site about it.<br /><br />Did you drill the holes from the outside or inside of the transom? I would flood the cavity with antifreeze (I have used a huge hypo needle for this)- let it penatrate a few days - then use the Rot Dr stuff - then Marine Tex the holes.

 

[crab bait]

Re: Water in transom!!! HELP!!!!!!

no problem there QUANTUM.. JONHSON'S a newbie ( welcome-by-the-way ).. he ain't learned me yet.. <br /><br />yeah, i was gonna go back an edit.. but said heck with it.. he'll know what i'm sayin'..<br /><br />that's right,, i'd let the wet transom dry out good.. as i'm sure the epoxy wont like the wetness.. an how can it penetrate & soak it if'n the woods already wet..??<br /><br />yeah, anti-freeze is a good thing.. but will it detrimantle/hinder the epoxy..?? <br /><br />that kind of deep soak epoxy supoose to go in a seal/encapsulate any rot an rot spores n it's own..<br /><br />hope this clearifies things,some.. if not . ask more questions ..

 

[Lou C]

Re: Water in transom!!! HELP!!!!!!

I used rotdoc's stuff to repair some floor rot on my Four Winns and it works great. You need to get it all dry, which with the transom will take time. First use the CPES liberally (USE A FUME RESPIRARTOR) let that cure for about 4 days or so (stinks like all get out!) and then fill with their epoxy (expensive, the best I have ever seen though). I also fixed my back porch with this stuff and their epoxy filler, worked well, it is great stuff!!

 

[quantumleap]

Re: Water in transom!!! HELP!!!!!!

Use a couple heat lamps from the inside and it'll dry alot quicker but, BE SURE to empty out the fuel if you have a built in tank. Gas lines too. Move all wiring out of the way and don't put the lamps near any plastic fitting or hoses. Good luck.