Transom rot question

[Browndog10]

Hi all, I am new to this forum and hope that you guys could help with some advice. I just bought an aluminum 1993 16ft Mirrocraft a few months ago. I have noticed that the transom has some rot but not sure where it can be dangerous. I figured with a 20 yr old boat that there would be some rot anyway. I started noticing this weekend when out on the water and I noticed that the livewell drain was leaking into the hull and I began my investigation more thoroughly than before. It seems like the transom on that side is rotted but the other side seems solid. When I bought the boat I pulled on the motor and there was minimal movement and did not notice any of the rot until I started searching a little more and started seeing screws that will not tighten with dark wood on the threads. I guess from reading some of the horror stories if you will, have me spooked as I bought this boat for family lake fishing trips with my two young boys and I certainly don't want to put them in any danger. By no means does this look remotely sagging, but indicators such as the splash guard drains being longer than the transom width and the loose screws have me concerned.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Transom rot question

Welcome to iBoats.

Pics of your boat and particularly close up pics of the transom and the areas in question, will get the Tin Boat boys in a tither and they'll be all over you with suggestions and remedies for your boat.

 

[Tnstratofam]

Re: Transom rot question

:welcome:

Pics are a must for anyone to be able to give good advice on your transom. The fact that it's and aluminum boat makes a transom replacement much easier. I just redid the transom in my Starcraft, and after I got into it I realized it is really not all that hard. Check out my thread in my signature if you want to see how mine turned out. Trust me it was bad...

There are plenty of people on here who can both give good advice, and encourage you on the way.. Good luck, and pics please...

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Transom rot question

Yep, pix.

Welcome to iboats dry dock, tin division...

When you post pix, post some of both the inside & outside the boat shots of the transom and some of the splashwell.

Loose screws & etc is never good. There have been many tin boats where the transom 'looked' & felt rot free, but that's on the side facing the inside of the boat. The side against the transom skin was worse, much worse.

 

[Browndog10]

Re: Transom rot question

OK, thanks guys I will post some tonight when I get home from work. I have a feeling that a winter project is in the works.

 

[Browndog10]

Re: Transom rot question

Here are a few pics. Hope you can help.

 

[Browndog10]

Re: Transom rot question

The caulk is from me

 

[Browndog10]

Re: Transom rot question

More

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Transom rot question

welcome aboard

pull the motor, pull the cap over the transom. unbolt all the do-dads on the transom. pull out old wood. cut out new wood to fit. replace.

installation reverse of removal.

with your splash well, you may have a few rivets to remove

seriously, on a mirrocraft (and many tin boats), less than a weekend job.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Transom rot question

Everyone wants their "new to them" used boat to be water ready with no problems, but unfortunately that's not the case 95% of the time because previous owners usually neglect their boat before selling it... either out of laziness, ignorance, or both.

Fortunately for you, you bought an aluminum boat and they're much easier and cheaper to work on than f'glass boats. The work also goes quicker with aluminum boats.

The rot you see on your transom is usually just a small part of the rot, it'll be more widespread on the other side that's against the inside aluminum transom skin. The water gets trapped between the transom skin and aluminum and can't escape causing more rot on the side you can't see. There may also be some pitting on the aluminum transom skin behind the plywood.

The water intrusion that caused your transom rot may be causing you other problems too, especially since you have the livewell leak. Your floatation foam under your decking may be saturated. This can/will add hundreds of pounds of water weight to your boat and slow it down, saturated foam also loses it's buoyancy and won't keep your boat afloat in case of an emergency.

I suggest that since you're already going to be working on your boat already that you lift the decking and inspect you floatation foam for saturation, you'll also want to look at the bottom side of your decking and see if it's starting to rot too. Your decking should be screwed down through the carpeting and fairly easy to remove, you just have to look/feel around through the carpet knap to find the screws that hold it down.

Taking your boat apart now and working on it will give you a good understanding on how your boat is built and you'll know it inside out when you're finished. This will help you with any work or modifications you may want to do in the future... and most of all it'll give you a much safer boat to take your boys out on the water in and you'll have the peace of mind knowing your boat is seaworthy.

Post pics of your work and keep us updated on what you find. We love the boat porn, and the more involved it is the better we like it!

 

[Browndog10]

Re: Transom rot question

Ok, thanks guys. I was hoping it wasn’t so, but I guess that it needs to get done. I am guessing that this will turn into a July/August project instead. I would like to still fish this spring and have it good for the fall feedbag. I knew I would have to put money into a 20 yr old boat just unfortunate that I missed this. Of course I will have to strip everything now because if I just did the transom it would bother me to leave everything else unchecked or undone. I am sure that I will have many many more questions and I definitely will document and post this progresses.