Transom Rot 1997 Celebrity

I just purchased a 1997 Celebrity 190 bowrider boat wth 4.3litre mercruiser. Test drove it in water, ran great, boat looks perfect (previous owner pretty anal) and kept on trailer. Was super happy with the buy until I took it to a marine mechanic for a once over. He said everything looked great except I have some transom rot. The cover on it doesn't breath and alot of moisture seems to of affected this. He said not a biggie but may cause some issues with insurance (due to a marine survey). Regardless he said to let the boat dry regularly and add vents to the cover. That being said, how concerned do I need to be with this? He seemed to not be very concerned but I feel like my gut dropped. He said it'll pull people out of the water no problem(heavy weights like my self). Is this common? How do I add vents to a cover?
BTW, he said he smelt it then poked at it to determine this. There is no delamination.

Re: Transom Rot 1997 Celebrity

You can drill some test holes from the inside & see if water pours out or if the wood is wet. Just be careful that you don't drill all the way thru the transom. If the wood is wet, you have a problem. Make sure you reseal the holes with epoxy, to avoid any more water intrusion. And if it's wet, it will never dry as the transom is glassed in. Hope your mechanic is wrong, as the fix is a major project.

Re: Transom Rot 1997 Celebrity

Do the checks yourself, and maybe get a second opinion if you know somebody. I can't imagine a boat cover contributing to transom rot. What did he poke at? The transom is encapsulated in fiberglass, so how did he find wet wood unless he did a hammer tap test or used a moisture meter? Something about his diagnosis seems a little hinky to me. If you have it, you have it and will need to figure a way to deal with it. Find out how extreme it is first.

Important lesson here to other potential buyers about having the survey done before plunking down the cash.

Good luck!

Re: Transom Rot 1997 Celebrity

the cover did not make the transom rot. that is just BS. bolt holes, screw holes not sealed allowed water intrusion. keeping the bow up, plug out, and drain clear, help prevent it.

Re: Transom Rot 1997 Celebrity

thanks. After meeting with the mechanic he pointed out that there is some minor delamination in one corner (no where near the outdrive) and said it is no worry. Just let the boat dry and I should have no issues. The boat looks great overall. I guess I was paranoid. Thanks for the feed back. And I did see some filled holes in the back which may of contributed. I made sure they are sealed well.

Re: Transom Rot 1997 Celebrity

Look, Slinko. My friend. Dude. Your mechanic is full of wonderful, incorrect stories, I'm sorry to say. Covers don't rot transoms.

I'd bet your boat has a few holes in the back from accessories (pitot tubes, speed sensor, depth finder transducer, etc). Take the screws out - did any water come out? If the answer is yes, your transom probably needs to go.

Drill into the transom from the inside near the drive - wet/sawdusty/black wood? Rotten.

No amount of drying will fix a rotten transom. Gotta replace it.

Another test. Does it take on water while using it? It shouldn't. Great sign of bad bellows, shift cable seal, or rotten transom allowing the gimbal housing seal to leak. Your I/O should stay bone dry inside.

Re: Transom Rot 1997 Celebrity

Drilled and nothing. Clean and dry. It was literally a little area inside the rear compartment top port side where little air moves. There was a bit of mildew in the boat from sitting damp all winter. I'm not worried since it looks new around the drive and stays dry in the water. It was more of an FYI from the mechanic, not so much a scare tactic. Appreciate the feedback and will keep an eye on things. I've attached photos which show how well it was maintained...visually