19' 1985 invader runabout transom repair...maybe/probably more...lots more.

hello iboats! I need to figure out where I should start with fixing my boat. I was installing transom tabs and found dark brown moist pulp on the end of a drill bit i had used to drill holes for screws to hold the tabs. my heart sunk and i was very disappointed.

my biggest issue is cost. i have a thousand dollars and that's it to sink into this boat, (momma is already squawking that i am using a grand) and from what i've seen in posts, if the transom is bad, so is everything else.

so I may/will be doing a lot of scavenging with friends, countrymen and Romans when it comes to getting wood, fiberglass, foam, etc...

Where to start first?

and thanks for any and all help!

Re: 19' 1985 invader runabout transom repair...maybe/probably more...lots more.

hi sabbath....

the first thing is that you check the deck around the transom.......any soft spots?

you will also need to do core samples.....

if you determins the transom to be shot....(and it sounds like it is)

then the deck will need to be cut away to get acess to the transom....


once the deck is up....you can core sample the foam.....and the stringers in the area....

if all is good.....whaoo.

if not.....could be a full gut.

Re: 19' 1985 invader runabout transom repair...maybe/probably more...lots more.

thanks oops, i will check tomorrow. i will take some photo's of my configuration, post the photo's, then would ask that you let me know where to cut first?

thanks

Re: 19' 1985 invader runabout transom repair...maybe/probably more...lots more.

well I went out this morning and here is what I found! :facepalm:

Re: 19' 1985 invader runabout transom repair...maybe/probably more...lots more.

so i got rot under the deck, starboard side of engine which correlates with what i found when i pulled out the drill bit. next step, remove all the stuff in my way and start a chopping! and we'll see where we go from there eh?

Re: 19' 1985 invader runabout transom repair...maybe/probably more...lots more.

I conducted a very brief test by drilling into what i thought was a deck. turned out to be only fiberglass. As soon as the drill broke through the glass, there was just mush. spent most of the day prying out foam, tearing out glass and being amazed how mushy the plywood had become. On a brighter note, it started to rain and rain and rain. I was kept dry because i had procured from the seller of my boat a used heat shrink cover that was previously used for a boat that was probably 22 foot long. I put the Bimini top up and draped that cover over my whole boat. I did find the leak that caused all my rotten woes though. In the stern of the boat on the starboard side, where the transom and the starboard side come together, at the top, where the bumper is, right at that corner, rain water was coming in and trickling down the corner to the floor. within minutes the bilge area under the motor, water was filling up. So, hopefully, I won't have to go to far from the transom area before I find solid wood again. Funny thing, none of the foam I was ripping up was wet. It was all dry as a bone. All the plywood on top of this foam was wet and juicy, but the foam was dry? It was dry all the way to the hull? Just thought that was peculiar.

Re: 19' 1985 invader runabout transom repair...maybe/probably more...lots more.

Looks like you have stringers and as you said a transom problem. If you are going to do the job, get ready for a LONG winter so to speak. Being an I/O complicates the process. I have completely restored an I/O but it was aluminum. I didn't have to replace the stringers but did the transom, deck, and seats, and in doing that the engine and outdrive came out. I redid the engine and outdrive while it was out; corrosion on the outdrive was a serious problem and JB weld came to my rescue numerous times. You are basically going to take the boat down to the raw fiberglass hull and work your way back up. It will be a lot of work and your $1k may cover the cost of materials. Your time is the biggest input and most of that is getting the mess cleaned out. Going back together is not only easier, it is mentally enlightening because you can see some progress toward your goal.

When finished and enjoying your work, it means all the more to you knowing that YOU did it.

Don't forget the forums on boat rebuilding herein that can give you invaluable help.

Good luck,

Mark

Re: 19' 1985 invader runabout transom repair...maybe/probably more...lots more.

thanks for the encouraging words Texasmark, they are greatly appreciated. At this point some friends and I are trudging along. Hoping to find where the moisture stops. I think i need to re-do the rubrail as well and believe as of right now, that's the source of my moisture. here's a pic of where i'm at.

Re: 19' 1985 invader runabout transom repair...maybe/probably more...lots more.

I moved your post to restoration section affectionately what we refer to as Dry Dock!!!

Is that a cast on your hand Be careful not to get any fiberglass debris in there or you will be hurting (ITCHY)

Re: 19' 1985 invader runabout transom repair...maybe/probably more...lots more.

If the foam is dry and the stringers are NOT rotten all the way forward, then I would not remove the foam or the stringers. You can "Sister" in portions of the stringers needed and possibly save a lot of money. Take more drilling core samples of the stringers and see what you discover. If you only have to do the motor mounts and 3' of the stern portion of the deck + the transom your $1,000 will be more than enuf to get the job done.

Re: 19' 1985 invader runabout transom repair...maybe/probably more...lots more.

what i have discovered is not a lot of foam that is wet, i would call it hit and miss at best and where it is wet, it is where the foam and hull come together. i have decided for peace of mind to remove all foam forward from the transom up to where the captains chair would sit. stringers around gas tank were bad. forward of that, the wood looks good. i will verify with core samples. i will reframe from the captains chair on back to transom and use new foam and deck. have not core sampled transom yet. the transom is a three piece design and it outwardly appears only the section located on the starboard side may be affected by rot.

Bob VT, thanks for watching my back, and moving me to my new home. I feel more comfortable being dry docked especially now that i ground an area approximately 6 inches long and about 1/8th of an inch wide thru my hull:facepalm:! I'm so ashamed...

I'll post pics later today.

thanks for sticking with me, you guys have kept me motivated.

Re: 19' 1985 invader runabout transom repair...maybe/probably more...lots more.

Definitely check those stringers, I thought mine were good until I started really getting into it. I found that Invader glassed over the stringers so mine felt solid, but they were really just filled with an almost compost like material at this point (totally rotted out I guess). It's always good to be on the safe side

As far as the cut, I've seen a few posts/threads that go over how to repair that, doesn't seem to be all that difficult so no worries there.


Could you take pictures of the top while its up? Mine didn't come with one, but I'm interested in getting one made or by some miracle finding one.

Re: 19' 1985 invader runabout transom repair...maybe/probably more...lots more.

will get ya a pic of the top next week pridekit, i am not able to work on the boat this week.

i got a question for someone if they can answer it for me please...

I am only planning on redoing the floor of the hull, not the sides or anything like that. I completely understand why someone would want to take a grinder and scuff up the area where your gonna bond new FG with the hull. What I don't understand is why people go to the hours of grinding the whole hull? I can see scuffing the areas where there will be bonding going on, but why do the walls of the hull or areas of the hulls floor if there will not be any bonding (stringers, cross members, etc...) going on in those areas? At what point is the FG in need of being ground down if it will remain as it was with no purpose other than being a part of the hull? I hope I am making myself clear with my question.

Thanks

Re: 19' 1985 invader runabout transom repair...maybe/probably more...lots more.

I found this in another thread:

Woodonglass said:

Not necessarily ALL the glass but you need to sand down any glass that you will be applying fresh glass to, in order for the new glass to have a good bond with the old. Also you ALWAYS wash the old glass down with Aceton right before laying the new glass on top of it.

Click to expand...

And here's some pictures that will probably help you with the glassing the deck:
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=384982&page=25&p=3586813#post3586813