Transom rotting! Can I repair with cedar?

[jimmywayne]

I have a 1986 boat with a 140 h/p mercruiser engine. I had a engine coupler go bad. before I replace the engine coupler I noticed some rot around the cutout where the transom bolts up to the engine. The rot was caught in time to prevent too much damage. It looks like I have 2 sheets of 3/4" plywood glued together to about 1/2" of fiberglass.It appears that only 1-2 inches of rot is on the edge. My question is this would you replace it with cedar or marine plywood?

 

[Solittle]

Re: Transom rotting! Can I repair with cedar?

Hands down with marine ply.

 

[JB]

Re: Transom rotting! Can I repair with cedar?

Ditto Solittle.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Transom rotting! Can I repair with cedar?

10-4 and treat it with linseed oil diluted with a little turpentine (basically Thompson's wood sealer).

Marine ply is usually a premium grade of wood verneer, multiple ply, and held together with marine glue. It's still pine wood and can still rot if you don't preserve it.

Mark

 

[ziggy]

Re: Transom rotting! Can I repair with cedar?

i've read a lot of posts about what to replace a transom with for wood. ceder don't seem to popular.....bet it would smell real nice though...... sorry, i don't mean to be a smat alick. a ceder smellin boat would be cool. it just dont' seem to be the wood of choice for trandsom repair from what i read. i have no experience, yet.....

linseed oil? wouldn't that prevent the fiberglass from stickin to it. i thought the basic idea was to fit a piece of mairne plywood. resin it up good and glass it to the rest of the hull.. not gettin into the types of glass part.....

 

[tiller7104]

Re: Transom rotting! Can I repair with cedar?

Cedar although a great water resistant wood, does not provied the density nor the rigidity for transom work. Just some advice from an old hammer jockey!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Transom rotting! Can I repair with cedar?

Tiller has it right. Cedar has far less structural strength than marine plywood.

 

[tiller7104]

Re: Transom rotting! Can I repair with cedar?

It is funny that you say turpintine/linseed oil...that is really old school but the reality is it works...it prevents wicking and the solvent although not permanent is a great rot preventer/inhibiter I am a Paid FIre Fighter full time but 10 years ago took over my families historical restoration company. My grand father and father swore...and I mean swore by turpintine, I use thompsons today but in all reality with the addition of linseed oil it is truely the same sorta kinda...... When ever I butt joint exterior trim work that has a raw end I have a water bottle that has a small brush in it and I coat the ends...the painter hates me but the longevity is great!

I know we are killing your simple question but put it in you bad of knowledge for later LOL

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Transom rotting! Can I repair with cedar?

The turpentine just thins the linseed so that it can penetrate better and evaporates away shortly thereafter. Somewhere I stumbled upon info to the effect that that's all Thompson's is (someone elses words, not mine). The difference between your home brew and storebought is that you can mix it good and stout.....50-50 is a good mix.

Mark

 

[dingbat]

Re: Transom rotting! Can I repair with cedar?

Save the linseed oil and Thompson's for you deck. For transom work you need a good quailty penetrating epoxy sealer.

http://www.smithandcompany.org/CPES/index.html

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: Transom rotting! Can I repair with cedar?

I used some cedar that had been in my barn for a LONG time; I used it for replacement stringers on an old Arrowglass. I ripped the cedar down to the hearts and installed them in place of the rotten stringers. My friend still owns the boat (I sold it to him about 10 years ago) and the cedar is still holding up some 17+ years. Don't know about the strength of cedar planking for a transom though, like I said I used the red heart of the trees.

 

[blouderback]

Re: Transom rotting! Can I repair with cedar?

I'd use marine plywood and treat it with CPES. The rot doctor website has lots of good techniques:
http://rotdoctor.com

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Transom rotting! Can I repair with cedar?

Well, looks like we have lots of solutions; just like your personal health. All these things are good for you (vitamins, minerals, etc). Which one do you want to use? d

Mark

 

[produceguy]

Re: Transom rotting! Can I repair with cedar?

You can use a good ext. ply with little to no voids in between lay ups. Pick it up at Lowes or HD. It will need to dry out before you use it.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Transom rotting! Can I repair with cedar?

guys this thread is 5 years old

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Transom rotting! Can I repair with cedar?

5 years old