I just bought a 98 17' sea hunt walk through and found transome is waterlogged

[toddschubert]

drilling mount for transducer revealed a rather soggy transome core (wood) As in water (dampness not pouring) came out the holes. Before I bought it I did everything to check the transome for such problems except drilling a hole. Tapping on it does reveal a different sound as you move downward but I was hoping that was due to different thickness of either the gelcoat or fiberglass. Motor mount is tight and doesn't budge and all through fittings are clean around the edges.

Question is. Should I create some type of apparatus to help it dry out and see what happens or does the water make up volume that actually is helping keep things together? Another words, if it dries out I would think it would shrink and create gaps between wood and glass.

I don't think it is a catastrophic problem at this point being it feels so solid but some suggestions on what to do about it would be helpful.
Thanks

 

[jigngrub]

There's no way to dry out fiberglass encapsulated wood, and if you'll open up the bottom of the boat (remove the decking) I'm sure you'll find that you have more than just transom problems.

As you have just learned, there's no way to tap on a transom to tell if it's sound or not. We see this all the time in this forum.
"It sounded good when I tapped on it before I bought it, but when I got it home and drilled it bad wood and water came out".

It wouldn't surprise me if you find out that your boat has been "double decked" to hide soft/rotten spots, we see this a lot here too.

 

[fisheymikey]

Sorry to hear about that bud...

jigngrub maybe for you its obvious but for us new to boating sometimes it has a learning curb. i dont know what you do for a living but im sure you are also exposed to things you have no idea.

Todd. i too bought a boat with the intent to enjoy the big blue and it cost a small fortune. if you buy new or old bottom line it costs. in your case the person that sold you the boat knew about the issues thus the price you paid. like previously stated there is no way around it. trust me i tried. at the end thing must be done right and safe.

you are going to need ALOT of time and cash to dig out of this one or just cut you losses. for me it cost me about 6k to repair trailer,motor, hull but i have to admit it does feel good the accomplishment knowing the boat you now have is solid.

the other good news most ppl here are very helpful and are ready to guide you in your project if you choose to do so.

hope it works out for you

 

[Fastatv]

Todd, as has been said, there really isn't any way to dry out a transom unless there was a possible micro wave technique and I doubt there is. A little moisture in it? Don't worry about it. Motor are mounts are good and solid, right? There are plenty of boats out there that have moisture, maybe a little water in the transom but are still very very solid. Do a couple of core samples, see how bad it is. If just moist, and not rotten, then run the heck out of it and enjoy.

 

[Woodonglass]

What size motor? Raise the motor up and then bounce on the leg. If the transom flexes, even just a bit, then you need to seriously consider replacing it. If it doesn't flex then you can use it for a while but still need to consider a replacement in the near future. How's the floor/deck? Any soft spots?

 

[toddschubert]

Todd, as has been said, there really isn't any way to dry out a transom unless there was a possible micro wave technique and I doubt there is. A little moisture in it? Don't worry about it. Motor are mounts are good and solid, right? There are plenty of boats out there that have moisture, maybe a little water in the transom but are still very very solid. Do a couple of core samples, see how bad it is. If just moist, and not rotten, then run the heck out of it and enjoy.

This is my plan. Enjoy it. My previous boat was a rotten mess and never had a problem.
I'm not so disappointed as I only paid 5k for bmt all in realatively good shape (save transome) and the Sea Hunt is a great build.
As stated motor mount is solid as a rock, no transome movement and no signs of any patch work.
Motor is a 90 Johnny and boat is rated to 125 hp

 

[Woodonglass]

This might be a good read for you...http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat...ng-and-hull-repair/601152-ranger-boat-transom

 

[jigngrub]

This is my plan. Enjoy it. My previous boat was a rotten mess and never had a problem.
I'm not so disappointed as I only paid 5k for bmt all in realatively good shape (save transome) and the Sea Hunt is a great build.
As stated motor mount is solid as a rock, no transome movement and no signs of any patch work.
Motor is a 90 Johnny and boat is rated to 125 hp

Here's a very popular thread on a boat that was only 15 yrs. old. when the owner bought it and accidently discovered he had bought a project boat instead of a "water ready" boat like he thought he was getting.

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat...nature-deck-and-stringer-restoration?t=510077

 

[jigngrub]

Here's another thread by a guy that unwittingly bought 2 rotten fiberglass boats in a row:

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat...25-dixie-hustler-deck-job-turned-full-rebuild

 

[toddschubert]

Mine is not as bad as any of these threads thank goodness. My main concern is not knowing exactly how bad it really is. At the level of transducer mount (2-3 inches above bottom) it's wet but bottom most engine mount is tight and solid. I may drill another hole at that level to see what I get, I just hate drilling holes in a boat. Oxymoron!!!

 

[Woodonglass]

"Mine is not as bad as any of these threads thank goodness. My main concern is not knowing exactly how bad it really is."

Hmmmm!!!:noidea:

I guess what I'm trying to have you understand is...SAFETY is our #1 concern here on the forum. The Threads we've been posting for you to review were meant to help you understand what can happen when you have a bad transom and what others have discovered once they tore into their supposedly "only wet in a few spots" transoms. It only takes ONE catastrophic failure to ruin the lives of your passengers. Not saying it will happen only that it could and it has. But...like I always say...It's your boat and you're free to do with it as you see fit.

"Denial, ain't just a River in Egypt" Mark Twain.

 

[jigngrub]

Mine is not as bad as any of these threads thank goodness. My main concern is not knowing exactly how bad it really is.

If you don't know exactly how bad it is you can't say it isn't as bad as the boats in the other threads.

The wet wood in your transom is like a sponge, what used to be dry wood has absorbed and sucked every bit of water it can get and distributed it throughout your transom.

I'm sure you'll be quite surprised at how bad it actually is if you'll cut it open and take a look.There's no telling how many hundreds of pounds of wet foam is under your deck, and wet foam up against factory installed shoddily laid up stringers always breeds rot.

 

[toddschubert]

If you don't know exactly how bad it is you can't say it isn't as bad as the boats in the other threads.

This is one for the funny forum! Logically speaking you are correct. However, to clear up my statement there are no visible signs of a problem as compared to the postings. Everything is relative and in relation to post mine looks better.

I do appreciate your concerns for my safety and the safety of my passengers. My intention of posting this thread was to get opinions and you all have been great.

I'm going to drill a 1/16" hole level with lower motor mount and 3 inches over. I'll post findings in an hour or two.

 

[gm280]

I suspect you have more then just a portion of your transom wet and rotting. I'd bet the stringers and floor are as well. Just because you haven't found visible evidence of it yet doesn't negate the problem hiding. You have to do what you think is right, but understand that wet rotted material is adding a huge amounts of extra weight to the boat and that makes your engine work harder to keep up. My boat I bought had a transom issue and then tearing out that, the floor was next and of course the stringers too. But I must have taken out well over 200 pounds of soggy foam as well under the floor from water intrusion. And there was not one sign of anything wrong with the floor, stringers or flotation foam that I could initially see either. JMHO!

 

[toddschubert]

well, I'm officially sick to my stomach. Test hole 8" above bottom next to bottom motor mount bolt showed damp wood. I then went even higher next to top bolt. It too is damp. Drilled another on opposite side and got the same result.

The way this Sea Hunt is made with bait well and storage in corners of transom, it would not be an easy transom job.

I may keep it for a while and be extra careful and put it back on the market middle of summer.

​Man I'm pi.... disappointed!

 

[ahmincha]

We'll todd first boat I bought was solid as a rock. That was until I drilled some holes into the deck and stringers. But I was positive my transom was solid. yes you guessed it till I drilled some holes.
The way I looked at it in my budget chances were the boat I was buying would be rotted. So I dove in and rebuilt it. With the help of the guy's who are helping you already. With there help I am sure if you don't mind getting a little dirty you can fix it better then new . either way good luck to you