Transom Issues?

Ryan0186

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Messages
115
I have recently purchased a 1999 Sea Hunt 172 Triton and have a concern about the transom. The previous owner is a very good friend of mine and told me before I bought the boat that when her replaced the drain plug in the transom that he noticed a small amount of wood rot. The rot only was only about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch around all sides of the plug. When he found this he dug out all the rotted wood, filled it with 5200 and then stuck a piece of PVC in the plug orfice that fit perfectly and was very tight. This was followed by a new plug and new sealant. I was not concered when I purchased the boat as her corrected the problem. The concerns for me that have developed as should I check the other through hull fittings that are on the trasnsom for rot as well? IE: The seal between the transom and scuppers, the through hull fitting for the live well aerator pump, and any screws that are holding on the transducer and speed sensor, as well as the bolts that hold on the outboard? I am also a little concered about the aluminum cap that goes over the top of the transom where the outboard bolts down. How well are the scuppers and this cap sealed from the factory and should i go ahead and take them off and reseal them? The transom feels more than stout when you grab the foot of the motor and shake it, and seems very solid when you bang on it with your fist. I am was wondering if anyone could shed some light on the fact that the screw that held dow the bilge float switch next to the oil resivoir tank had some water coming out of it. Just want to take every precaution to stave off any future rot and stop any that has already astarted. Thanks for your advice.
 

SDSeville

Lieutenant
Joined
Mar 19, 2010
Messages
1,481
I am not sure about the drain plug repair, but if water had gotten in, you would be extremely lucky if it only affected 3/4" around the plug. Best way to check your transom is to drill holes and see what the wood shavings look like -- light dry = good, light wet - not so good, dark wet = bad. Don't be afraid to drill, just measure and tape your bit so you don't go all the way through. You can fill the holes with 5200 if all is OK. Also, if a screw in the transom has water coming out of it, the transom is water logged at that spot.

Take some pictures of the holes and shavings. Good luck.
 

Watermann

Starmada Splash of the Year 2014
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Jan 12, 2013
Messages
13,747
Friends don't let friends buy rotten boats. Boats normally rot from the bottom up and I've never seen a bilge drain plug hole not be lined to begin with. Some pics of the boat would be good. Is the bilge pump screwed on the transom or to the bottom of the hull?
 

JASinIL2006

Vice Admiral
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Feb 10, 2012
Messages
5,525
If the rot was confined to 1/2 " to 3/4" around the fitting, you would be very lucky indeed. Think about it: this is a 15 year old boat, and water was in contact with that wood near the drain long enough to start rot. Given the fibrous nature of wood, how much moisture would you guess wicked inti the plies of transom wood beyond that 1/2"-3/4"? Any of that moisture that wicked in is now trapped. I' be checking around the drain and any other thru-hull fittings.
 

Chris1956

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 25, 2004
Messages
27,036
5200 sealer is not the right fix, IMHO. I would dig the sealer and any rotten wood out myself and replace with epoxy putty(if bad) or polyester putty(if not too bad). All drain plugs are lined. You might replace your rubber plug with a brass garboard plug. It will be more robust and isolate the wood from the plug. I would inspect the other thru hull devices. You cannot expect consistent screw ups, so some may be fine and others rotted.

JMO
 

jc55

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Nov 3, 2006
Messages
665
I agree with Chris, 5200 is not the fix. If you can "dig out" rotted wood, it's too late. So, your garboard drain now screws into the fiberglass skin and into the 5200? Hopefully you're not using a pvc tube with a plug in it and relying on 5200 only? This last transom I replaced had lots and lots of 5200 in different areas of the transom as "fixes". I was able to see how 5200 just kind of peels off of wet wood and thru hulls after being there for many years and different conditions. I think that I'd try to use a large hole saw on the inside of the transom encompassing the drain tube, up to (not into) the outer skin and pry out that section to see what is going on.

My Steiger Craft notched transom rotted from the top down. The aluminum cap is aimed downward towards the stern (sheds water away from boat). When water got under the cap and into the screw holes, the entire transom rotted out. Previous owners filled the top of the transom with 5200, then put the cap back on. Initially in my first resto post, I too drilled core samples. The core samples looked pretty decent but the transom was toast.

I'd remove the aluminum cap and take a look.

Hundreds of us have entered through the stages of transom replacement denial :( . You can patch, seal, heat, blow, vacuum, etc. but once the signs are there, it's just a matter of time. Got my fingers crossed for you.
 

tpenfield

Moderator
Staff member
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Jul 18, 2011
Messages
17,625
No absolute way to tell about the transom without checking some more areas. So, start drilling a few test holes to see what you get.
 
Joined
Oct 22, 2007
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2,598
YOU JUST BOUGHT A PROJECT BOAT !!!!!

If water was getting in around the drain plug you can be certain that there's a significant amount of moisture in the transom. You can drill some test holes from the inside of the transom, only go about an inch deep. Look at the wood shavings that come out, they should be nice clean wood without the least hint of moisture. Put the shavings in a zip-loc plastic bag, seal it, and set it in the sun for an hour or two. You'll see the moisture if it's in there (and I'd be willing to bet that it is).
 

Ryan0186

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Messages
115
Thanks for all the advice so far. Havent had a chance to get into this project yet. The boat is going to be sitting for a while so the first weekend that I have time I am going to start with the plug. I did replace the plastic plug with a brass one and sealed it will waterproof caulk. Does this putty y'all talk about harden once its dried? Sorry if this is a stupid question I am new to all this stuff. Ill prob work my way to the top from there cleaning and sealing any thru-hull fittings. I am going to have the outboard pulled this winter for painting so this will be a great time for me to seal the top of the transom that is under that amuminum cap as well as the bolts for the engine. Ill post some pics on a thread once I get in and take a look at everything. Thanks for the advice and keep it coming.
 

Ryan0186

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Messages
115
Also I was thinking of just epoxying that top of the transome and all of the through hull fittings with a spong once cleaned and dried with of without any wood rot issues. What do yall think?
 

Woodonglass

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
25,924
I'd advise you to visit the Restoration section of the forum and do some searching on Transom Restoration. There's a LOT of great information there about how to restore bad transoms. I agree with all the statements put forth here so far. You really need to do a thorough examination of your transom. The previous repairs were not the norm or advisable. Depending on how long the drain had been leaking and the wood was exposed to water the transom could have extensive damage. Drilling core samples at various locations will tell the tale and then you can determine the best course of action for repairs.
 
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