Transom Leak

[Smerkan]

I have an 18.5 foot boat (2004 Reinell bowrider) with volvo penta sterndrive. The sterndrive ended up in just in the sand on the edge of the beach in an outgoing tide with the drive up at full tilt ( bow to seaward) and took on a fair bit of water presumably through the transom seal. It has not leaked a drop since regardless of position of sterndrive or being in reverse. I cant see any problems on the outside of the transom and cant access anything internal due to the motor/ confined space. Transom seems solid. Should I be concerned by this or just await its next service.

 

[Grub54891]

With the boat out of the water, trimmed up, stand on the drive, jump up and down. You may need a friend to see if the transom assembly wiggles/flexes away from the hull. If it does, the transom may be getting rotted. Then further investigation is required.

 

[H20Rat]

How do all of your bellows look? When is the last time they were replaced?

 

[roffey]

correct me if I'm wrong and this is just a question so I'm not trying to correct. If the OP has an I/O will standing on the drive prove anything as the drive goes through the transom via a key hole and is not really attached to it?

 

[Grub54891]

correct me if I'm wrong and this is just a question so I'm not trying to correct. If the OP has an I/O will standing on the drive prove anything as the drive goes through the transom via a key hole and is not really attached to it?

The drive does go through the keyhole, attached with thru-bolts to the inner transom assembly. If the transom is rotten, there will be movement at the seam where the assembly meets the transom itself.

 

[JASinIL2006]

If the transom is rotten elsewhere (e.g., near thru-hull fittings, near the bottom of the bilge), the drive may not move when jumped on.

 

[Scott Danforth]

if the transom seal is leaking, the transom is rotten

agreed, have your fluffiest friend jump up and down on the outdrive and put your finger on the edge of the transom shield and transom. if there is any movement you will tell. and no, you cant hurt the drive

Volvo recommends pulling the drive every year for bellows inspection and replacement every other year.

 

[bigdee]

if the transom seal is leaking, the transom is rotten

agreed, have your fluffiest friend jump up and down on the outdrive and put your finger on the edge of the transom shield and transom. if there is any movement you will tell. and no, you cant hurt the drive

.

Try lifting outdrive while someone feels bottom of where outdrive is bolted to transom. If your lucky you may just need to tighten transom bolts....especially the bottom bolts since this appears to be where water entered. When outdrive was in sand the weight of the boat most likely pushed outdrive away from transom enough to leak.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Had a Cobra drive start leaking after a bottom strike on some rocks, turned out the housing was shocked just enough to break the transom seal but not the bolts. R/R`d everything with a new seal and it was back to normal.
See if a business card will fit between the housing and transom.If Yes, there`s your leak

 

[Smerkan]

Thanks for responses. The boat had just had a full service with the motor removed, the leak has occurred twice - the first time I took it back to the mechanic as I thought it must have been a bellows or reassembling problem, he told me he identified a seal that was pinched on a cable, bellows OK. When it occurred a second time I worked out it was due to the motor being on the sand and not related to having the drive up otherwise. It seems the motor will have to be removed to fully inspect this. As it is otherwise not leaking a drop I think I will just make sure it never ends up resting on the beach in this way and get it fully checked out next service. Thanks again for the advice/replies

 

[JASinIL2006]

How is it that the motor resting on the sand would cause it to leak?

 

[Grub54891]

How is it that the motor resting on the sand would cause it to leak?

Because the transom is soft.

 

[bigdee]

Because the transom is soft.

Bingo!

 

[Scott Danforth]

see first line of post #7

 

[JASinIL2006]

That's sort of what I was getting at... I wasn't sure how Smerkan got from several suggestions that there were problems with the transom to "When it occurred a second time I worked out it was due to the motor being on the sand and not related to having the drive up otherwise." and "I think I will just make sure it never ends up resting on the beach in this way and get it fully checked out next service."

I don't think keeping the boat off the beach will make the transom any less rotten...

 

[TBarCYa]

I know that you're chasing it as a transom leak but is it possible that people were getting in and out and getting water in the boat? An 18' bowrider likely does not have a self bailing deck so whatever water comes in on people ends up in the bilge.

 

[Smerkan]

what I meant JASinIL2006 is that it doesn't leak a drop unless the drive is up (giving maximum leverage) AND it has ended up stern /drive in the sand which would then lever the drive off the transom. In fact it occurred when the boat was as pictured in my profile photo. I am hoping that it is a problem with the seal or not being tight enough but worst case scenario if the transom is a little soft I am hoping no further damage occurring if no water is entering the boat now that I have discovered the conditions which caused it to happen and avoid this. It really did leak a lot of water in a very short time and was an unfortunate way to discover it did not have an auto-bilge pump which I have of course now fitted. Many thanks for any advise. This is the first power boat I have owned and I have only owned it a few weeks.

 

[Scott Danforth]

what I meant JASinIL2006 I am hoping that it is a problem with the seal or not being tight enough but worst case scenario if the transom is a little soft I am hoping no further damage occurring if no water is entering the boat now that I have discovered the conditions which caused it to happen and avoid this.

you can hope all you want.

if your transom is rotten, no mater what you do, it will get worse until you redo the transom.

 

[JASinIL2006]

what I meant JASinIL2006 is that it doesn't leak a drop unless the drive is up (giving maximum leverage) AND it has ended up stern /drive in the sand which would then lever the drive off the transom. In fact it occurred when the boat was as pictured in my profile photo. I am hoping that it is a problem with the seal or not being tight enough but worst case scenario if the transom is a little soft I am hoping no further damage occurring if no water is entering the boat now that I have discovered the conditions which caused it to happen and avoid this. It really did leak a lot of water in a very short time and was an unfortunate way to discover it did not have an auto-bilge pump which I have of course now fitted. Many thanks for any advise. This is the first power boat I have owned and I have only owned it a few weeks.

I understand, and no one is rooting for your boat to have problems. It’s just extremely uncommon to hear of a transom assembly coming loose unless the outdrive suffered a significant strike or the transom is bad.

An intact transom won’t leak becsuse the drive is up or because the boat is beached, and if the transom is compromised, it will only get worse - regardless of whether you how you use the boat - until it is fixed.

It would be great if your boat was the exception, but read a couple dozen threads in the Restoration section and you will see how unlikely that scenario is.

 

[briangcc]

Let's put it this way....your boat is a 2004. Design life for boats is about 10-15 years. That puts your boat at the upper end of its design life. Chances are very good that the transom and other structural components are starting to break down. When that happens its time for a total gut and redo.

This isn't like the automotive industry where you can graft in new sheet metal to repair a rusted quarter panel.

That's what the folks above are trying, ever so nicely, to put to you.

So..if your transom is soft, its soft. There's no sugar coating it.


Have the marina check when they work on the boat next. Have a core sample or two down as close to the bottom of the hull as possible as boats rot from the bottom up, not the top down. Hopefully they have good news and have clear shavings to that they can chase the issue elsewhere.