Aluminum tear/cracks in upper transom repair?? Pics!!!

[Ocduff]

Hi all,

New to the forum and expect I will be spending lots of time here as my knowledge of boats is small.

I have a 1987 Sea Nymph 14K. It's a small and simple boat - been in our fam since new. Been out of the water a while and it needs some things. It's rated for a 15hp and has never had anything but a 6hp on it on freshwater lakes.

Most concerning issue to me are two small tears/cracks in aluminum on upper edges of transom. They are both finger length. My question is: how do a repair this to an acceptable level?

I can't weld - who do I hire to do work? Would a basic marine shop do this professionally and anyone have an idea of a fair price?

I can handle the other work but this is beyond my expertise.

 

[Ocduff]

Sorry all - the pics on my iPhone are too large? Even 1 pic alone is too large for this forum. Basically imagine a hairline crack like a bolt of lightning that is the length of an index finger. There is no seperation or damage. The boat is otherwise fine. The tears are at the upper outside edge of transom where the aluminum is riveted to the side of the boat. The transom of this boat is bare aluminum with a wood block on each side for the engine mount. It doesn't extend into the outer part of boat or even to the rolled over aluminum top edge of transom. Just some spider cracks on edges.

Sorry for the no pics as promised. Bummer. Can't resize on my phone.

 

[jbcurt00]

Consider ising a 3rd party.host site for pix.

In my signature line below, follow the forum help link and you'll find a topic on posting pix.

Will reserve advice, pending pix, but I wouldnt recommend welding.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Many radiator shops weld aluminum. Check out your local places.

 

[Ocduff]

Hope this comes through...

 

[Ocduff]

Starboard side of boat...not nearly as bad.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Fatigue cracks

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,..... Welcome Aboard,...... I think I'd just cut some patches say a few inches larger area than where the cracks are to fit inside the hull,....

Then maybe smooge it with 5200 sealant, 'n pop-rivet it in place with closed end pop-rivets,....

The patches oughta be of 'bout the same thickness as the original hull material,....

 

[jbcurt00]

Yep ^^^ just be sure to drill stop the cracks

 

[Watermann]

:welcome: to iboats Ocduff,

Could you remove that end cap and clean the area up down to clean bare aluminum and then take another pic. You may have to use some paint stripper first to get the paint out of the way and then a wire wheel to clean it up. Also what's the outside of the transom look like?

The crack looks strange to me from most I've seen and I would like to get a look at where it starts off to see what caused it.

 

[Ocduff]

Thanks for the welcome and replies - I've attached a pic of the opposite side of the worst part - you can see it extends to between the top roll over on the aluminum and not into the side of the boat.

I'm hearing some different thoughts and am processing them.

Id like it not to look like bubba did it. Id love to get it welded but am open to other options.

I guess my main question is this a big concern? I know the culprit - I had this boat as a teenager and the end caps popped off with a rough landing or two at some point as they were riveted there and I just tossed them aside and I suppose the stress cracks formed.

Anyway thanks again guys - if stripping the paint, drilling holes to stop the cracks, putting on some JB Weld and repaint ing would solve it, I'm fine with that.

I do intend to polish up the boat and restore it but this is really all it needs structurally.

Thanks

 

[MTboatguy]

JB weld is not going to hold that, even if you drill the stop hole so it don't tear anymore, it is either going to have to be welded, or you are going to have to think plate it with sealer underneath it over the crack. On these type boats you never want to run them without the corner caps in place, I have one that I had to repair due to someone running without the end caps and it tore a couple of things that I had welded to repair. As was suggested, stop by and check with a local radiator shop, sometimes you will find someone that will do it pretty inexpensive as a side job.

 

[Ocduff]

Thanks all for your thoughts and expertise and welcoming a newbie who immediately asked for your help.

I will have it welded. Looks like it should be fairly straight forward.

Last question: if the boat is worth $400 fixed, does anyone have any idea what that type of repair will cost? I know you aren't all a radiator shop but you all have a better idea of what the job would entail.

I am just questioning if I should dump $200 into it or just handle it some other way (it's just been sitting around as a spare boat and it's time to use it or sell it/scrap it).

Thanks all for your time.

 

[64osby]

If you do all the prep work you should be able to find someone to fix that for $50 or less IMO.

I have had trailer repair shops and motorcycle repair shops perform alum repairs, they have been very reasonable.

A riveted plate w/ 5200 would be the least expensive. Placed on the inside, it would show rivets on the exterior. Should not look to bad if the spacing is kept uniform.

Good luck with it.

 

[Watermann]

Finding a shop nowadays that doesn't want to charge minimum shop rate (120 - 150 an hour) is going to be tough. Then they add materials onto it with taxes and yeah you're gonna be at 200 bucks for that repair.

I'm thinking it it were my little tin boat I would do the brace patch with rivets and 5200. It would actually be the strongest repair too, welds over stress fatigued aluminum cracks would be my least favorite option. The crack is near a seam too so it would fry out the seam sealer and most likely leak.

I'm thinking the transom wood should be visible in the pic of a transom corner, is it removed?

 

[jbcurt00]

This model of Sea Nymph probably has a small piece of wood on the interior and a home plate shaped piece on the exterior.

My 1960s SN transom ply wasnt more then 12" wide on either side. No full width transom ply.

This is the new 'slightly' oversized transom ply for my SN:

 

[Ocduff]

JBurt - yes that's right. It's just a piece on the back and a smaller one on the front.

I was thinking, once the repair is don't to build a piece across the entire transom.

Add the repairs and that I wil be towing this boat and trailer 700 miles to be home with me, and I'm debating if the $200 and other repairs needed put this boat - which has sentimental value - in a precarious situation.

 

[jbcurt00]

You should see some of the work guys in the SC forum (Watermann is just 1) have done to their boats w/ patches just like Watermann describes.

If you go w/ the welded repair, I can't guarantee it will or won't fail, but done the way Watermann and Bondo describe it won't. And putting a larger patch on the interior side, and a 2nd smaller patch on the exterior, both buttered w/ 5200 and thru riveted, would still allow you to put a full width piece of wood across the interior side.

The larger full width wood won't allow you to overpower the boat, but w a 6-15hp outboard, you won't need to worry about the patches keeping the boat safe to use and enjoy for years.

Keep the boat covered and empty (or upside down) w/ well sealed transom wood it'll last a long, long time.