this is how you fix a broken transom

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hotnorm

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https://picasaweb.google.com/116664217274689734394/Bridg2015Again?authuser=0&feat=directlink aluminium had a checker plate bent and cut to fit the transom the inside piece is 1/4" thick welded to the 1/8" plate in the back to form a c shaped cover I redrilled all the holes for the motor and accessories marine caulked all the holes and plate and bam I swear this is a very solid back end to consolidate the transom weakness, sorry pictures too big to post here
 
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GA_Boater

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Lets' see a picture. Curious to see how you did it.
 

jbcurt00

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Tin or aluminum boat?

Typically, your 'fix' isn't. It's a band aid that masks the problem rather then fix it.
 

Jeep Man

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This would be how to NOT fix a broken transom. The wood is still rotten. Just a matter if time before the entire transom drops into the lake. Stringers are likely shot as well.
 

haymon15

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I had something similar to that when I got my boat. It had the diamond plate on the inside and outside. I pulled the motor and there was no wood left until you go to almost the bottom of it. I'm glad I never ran it.
 

NAT1VE

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Won't the fiberglass break around the plate when it's time for it to "go" ? If this were aluminum I could see this kinda working, but the fiberglass will end up cracking around the plate. Where the edges are putting pressure onto the glass.
 

hotnorm

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well from my point of view the boat is a 79 and the transom is partially rotten the plate makes it 1 solid piece all caught together in my opinion saves the boat for an extra few years I couldn't imagine cutting the transom out and going through a heavy fiberglass and paint job I would buy another boat instead but in my opinion this is pretty sturdy the plate is 36 inches wide by 12 inches in the back and 1/4 inch thick plate on the inside I pushed and pulled on the motor and it feels really solid
 

jbcurt00

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100_7257.JPG

Not a safe 'repair' IMO. There's a whole lotta ugly hidden behind the plate ^^^

Boat and boat rehab safely
 

GA_Boater

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This not how to fix broken transom! This how to lose your motor in the drink and if you're lucky the boat stays above water. Seeing this pic shows me that there is nothing there to attach the plates to except a mulch sandwich. You should look at a few of the rebuilds to see how to fix a bad transom, not cover it up. I'm sorry, but sometimes the truth is hard to swallow. I would be looking closely under the floor at stringers

badfix.PNG
 

hotnorm

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the transom was only soft close to the motor mount in my opinion the fact that's it's all together has the plate with it's c shape and 1/4" front plate balances the weakness and strength all together has one , all the screws I put in got good resistance when I screwed them in I am confident I will buy a more recent boat before this one sinks I really shook the hell out of the outboard and nothing moves except the trailer suspension when I looked in the bilge
 

GA_Boater

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Rot doesn't stop and it may feel good today, but tomorrow or next month, who knows? It's your boat and you can do as you wish. Be careful and good luck.
 

Teamster

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I would suggest boating alone,......

Do you really want to put your friends lives at risk???
 

hotnorm

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anyways I am shure no more water will reach the back end it will last the lifetime of the marine caulk for the rest a good life jacket and a salvage team and stop being so negative this will work aluminium is stronger than wood the transom is 2 5/16" thick and there is still a lot of good wood in there to hold things together like I says will keep you posted on results
 

jbcurt00

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We will all have to agree to disagree w you Norm.

Boat and boat resto safely
 

Jeep Man

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anyways I am shure no more water will reach the back end it will last the lifetime of the marine caulk for the rest a good life jacket and a salvage team and stop being so negative this will work aluminium is stronger than wood the transom is 2 5/16" thick and there is still a lot of good wood in there to hold things together like I says will keep you posted on results


Please....carry on as you will. Why would you take advise from a bunch of guys who you don't know that have likely owned and rebuilt more boats than you have seen in a boat show. If they say it's incorrect and probably dangerous, they're probably wrong. After all, likely,they have never seen a transom like yours. But if nothing else, heed Teamster's advise. BOAT ALONE!
 

Woodonglass

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If you plan to use this boat for just cruising around the lake and NOT putting her through any kind of stress, i.e. pulling tubers, skiers, power turns, large wakes/waves, heavy water etc. AND you're fortunate enuf to never HIT any underwater obstructions then you're probably right. This Unsafe and NOT recommended method of repairing and obviously totally rotted transom...might have a chance of working. But you know there's a saying about Lipstick and Farm animals. lt prolly applies in this situation.

I'm just sayin...
 

produceguy

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If you plan to use this boat for just cruising around the lake and NOT putting her through any kind of stress, i.e. pulling tubers, skiers, power turns, large wakes/waves, heavy water etc. AND you're fortunate enuf to never HIT any underwater obstructions then you're probably right. This Unsafe and NOT recommended method of repairing and obviously totally rotted transom...might have a chance of working. But you know there's a saying about Lipstick and Farm animals. lt prolly applies in this situation.

I'm just sayin...
Lol, I was thinking the same thing.
Norm, I hope it works out for ya.
 

jigngrub

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https://picasaweb.google.com/116664217274689734394/Bridg2015Again?authuser=0&feat=directlink aluminium had a checker plate bent and cut to fit the transom the inside piece is 1/4" thick welded to the 1/8" plate in the back to form a c shaped cover I redrilled all the holes for the motor and accessories marine caulked all the holes and plate and bam I swear this is a very solid back end to consolidate the transom weakness, sorry pictures too big to post here

Everything looks good to me! See you at the bottom... Davey Jones



Seriously though, that kind of transom damage doesn't happen to a partially rotten transom. Your transom is mulch and your pics remind me of this thread:
http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat...-repair/640081-16-fiberglass-tri-hull-rebuild

It's your boat and you can repair it any way you want, but it won't take too long for you to realize that what everyone has said here is true. That patch might last a season, but keep an eye on it. It will start bowing soon.

Your patch job is a very good example of a bad example and hopefully others will learn from your mistake.
 

DeepBlue2010

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We are not being negative and we are not being positive neither, not your kind of positivity anyway. When it comes to safety, we only can afford to be realistic.

This is an engineering exercise that doesn?t lend itself to superstitious forces/expectations. You can?t go build a bridge with half the cement required and say ?IF, big if by the way, I am lucky enough and no more than 2 full size trucks passes at the same time, I will be OK?. This would be an act of lunacy.

You are talking about the strength of the aluminum as if this plate is a standalone structure or as if you replaced the rotten wood with aluminum. It is not and you did not.

You created a structure consists of bad wood and aluminum. This new structure is a chain of materials and it is as strong as its weakest link. In this case, it is as strong as you rotten transom.

You are coming to a site full of experts on boat building and you are telling them with authority that
?This is how you fix a broken transom?. They replied, rightfully so, No, it is not.

Now, you argue, hope and pray that it will hold and calling us negative people because we are telling you that it will not. This type of discussion is going nowhere and it will become unproductive - if it hasn't already - much faster than your boat ending up on the bottom of whatever body of water you boat in (Ocean, Sea, lake). IMO, the only safe body of water this boat will survive in is a hot tub.

having said that, I do realize that what you do with your boat is your business. You have been advised, warned and told everything that can be said in this specific situation.

So, go do with your boat what you will; just don?t take your wife and children with you. Or take them but take enough life jackets. Or not, those coast guard people are so pessimistic anyway.
 
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