transom rotten spot-what say you experts

ok so i bought my first boat 2 years ago 1992 180 nitro fish and ski 150 hp evinrude outboard. ive been trying to get the boat on the water since april of this year , however as many of you know with a wife and kids there is always something more important going on. so im starting now to get her ready for this weekend coming up. there are issues that keep me up at night (literally),such as i noticed that looking down into my engine compartment that the inside back of the transom had a crack with a hole in the middle, so i pick at it a little and the thin outer layer of fiberglass crumbled, revealing a spot of wood so rotten it was mush. Now i cant tell how extensive the rot is but i have knocked on the transom from the inside and out. the transom seems solid mostly but short of an xray or tearing a alot of fiberglass off how can i tell? Some friends joke that im going to be on the water and my engine is going to fall off along with the transom. i dont find this funny , it scares me and worries the @#&%# out of me. there is an ad that runs here for a place called (wet dream marine) that says they replace transoms on any boat for 1200.00 . so what should i do ? the motor and rest of the boat are in good condition minus some wear and tear and rusty wires. what say you old salts , experts and sailors of old?

Re: transom rotten spot-what say you experts

If you found a spot its pretty real evidence that your transom has had it, if this place carries a warranty on their workmanship I think its a pretty good idea that you contact them pretty quickly if you want to be on the water this weekend, the price doesn't appear to be out of line for the amount of work needed to repair the damage.

Re: transom rotten spot-what say you experts

one of the first tasks in discovering a rotted area is to determine the extent of the rot, etc. Once that is known you can plan your approach. If you have the desire to do this work yourself, then you will find lots of helpful threads and advice on the forum.

You could drill a few test holes and check for wood discoloration, wetness, or even rotten wood. I would also wonder about the stringers, because the moisture will travel throughout any connected wood components. So check the stringers out as well.

Post some pictures, etc. and you will get some ideas and viewpoints of the proper course of action.

Just remember, where there is smoke there is fire, so sizing up the issue is the first step. If you drop the boat off with a shop to do the transom and there is more extensive damage, there will be a can of worms opened up regardless.