mckinney004
Seaman Apprentice
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2016
- Messages
- 46
First post here guys. Just wanted to say thanks for all the help you have been from the archives. This is one of the best forums I've seen. Everyone is helpful and the information is always relevant and to the point. Kudos to everyone who contributes here.
Now to the point.. I bought a 20'x6' aluminum flat bottom boat in desperate need of a transom repair. I've looked through the archives for transom repair posts, but most of what I find is related to fiberglass boats or boats with large motor capabilities. This boat is only rated for 55hp, and will likely never see a motor that size. That being said, I have two main questions/issues.
#1 Construction/treatment of the transom board itself. I plan to use 3 layers of 1/2" exterior plywood cut to full width and approximately 2/3 the depth of the boat. What do you all recommend as far as treatment of the board itself? In most of the posts I see, you all have been applying epoxy between layers and fiberglassing the outside. I surely do not need the extra strength of fiberglass in this case. Would a simple water sealant (such as a deck sealer) be sufficient to keep the wood from rotting? Or do I need to use some type of epoxy? Any other suggestions? I would like this to be as cheap and simple as possible, but I also don't want it to rot out in a couple years due to the amount of work required in the next question...
#2 Accessing the transom. Okay so here's the tough issue for me.
Option 1: I can cut the transom caps in the rear corners of the boat and either cut or bend the aluminum lip that comes over the top of the transom. This would allow the board to slide in and out easily, but requires some cutting and welding. I have a friend who's a welder with his own portable rig, but I'm not sure I like the idea.
Option 2: The other option is to drill out 22 rivets in the floor and rear side wall to remove all of the transom bracing. I've read where some people do this and then replace the rivets with stainless steel bolts with some sealant. This is nice because I don't have to rely on any favors and I don't have to stress about cutting some key components to the boat. However, the boat didn't leak a drop before starting this work and I don't want to change that. Most of the stainless bolt usage I've seen has been on leaking rivets throughout the boat. Would they still hold tight and leak-free under the stress of transom supports? What would you all do? I don't like the idea of cutting and welding on my boat, but I don't like the idea of drilling 22 holes in it either.
Working on getting some pictures posted. Thanks in advance to everyone for any input.
Now to the point.. I bought a 20'x6' aluminum flat bottom boat in desperate need of a transom repair. I've looked through the archives for transom repair posts, but most of what I find is related to fiberglass boats or boats with large motor capabilities. This boat is only rated for 55hp, and will likely never see a motor that size. That being said, I have two main questions/issues.
#1 Construction/treatment of the transom board itself. I plan to use 3 layers of 1/2" exterior plywood cut to full width and approximately 2/3 the depth of the boat. What do you all recommend as far as treatment of the board itself? In most of the posts I see, you all have been applying epoxy between layers and fiberglassing the outside. I surely do not need the extra strength of fiberglass in this case. Would a simple water sealant (such as a deck sealer) be sufficient to keep the wood from rotting? Or do I need to use some type of epoxy? Any other suggestions? I would like this to be as cheap and simple as possible, but I also don't want it to rot out in a couple years due to the amount of work required in the next question...
#2 Accessing the transom. Okay so here's the tough issue for me.
Option 1: I can cut the transom caps in the rear corners of the boat and either cut or bend the aluminum lip that comes over the top of the transom. This would allow the board to slide in and out easily, but requires some cutting and welding. I have a friend who's a welder with his own portable rig, but I'm not sure I like the idea.
Option 2: The other option is to drill out 22 rivets in the floor and rear side wall to remove all of the transom bracing. I've read where some people do this and then replace the rivets with stainless steel bolts with some sealant. This is nice because I don't have to rely on any favors and I don't have to stress about cutting some key components to the boat. However, the boat didn't leak a drop before starting this work and I don't want to change that. Most of the stainless bolt usage I've seen has been on leaking rivets throughout the boat. Would they still hold tight and leak-free under the stress of transom supports? What would you all do? I don't like the idea of cutting and welding on my boat, but I don't like the idea of drilling 22 holes in it either.
Working on getting some pictures posted. Thanks in advance to everyone for any input.