Bought my first boat to cut, gut and rebuild from bow to stern, including engine. Killed my back and suffered the wrath of the fiberglass demons

[TripleJGraffis]

Post a picture of the transom at the back.----One way is to cut out the outside skin.-----Replace the core.----Glue the skin back on.

I am currently at work. Best pics I have for now. I have heard of the method of cutting out the back. It seems like a not so very popular option when I look into it. I know it can be done......and has been done, but there is potential to mess up the exterior surface and cause it to not look so flush.

On the other hand, the transom is only a large square in the middle of the stern, and doesn't extend out and shape out the entire backside of the boat, so would this potentially be a better option?

WHAT DO YOU THINK GUYS????? REALLY NEED GUIDANCE ON THIS ONE.

 

[redneck joe]

I'd vote for outside cut over cap. The boat is old and s...y looking, you stated poss painting, fiberglass can be feathered just like sheetrock mud.

 

[TripleJGraffis]

You think it would be a good idea? The middle section between the straps are effete the transom is

 

[kcassells]

On this design transom I would go outside cut. The interior approach would be a nightmare.

 

[TripleJGraffis]

On this design transom I would go outside cut. The interior approach would be a nightmare.

I already started the interior approach as you can see in the pics. Thought it would be easier as to not damage the hull.

 

[TripleJGraffis]

On this design transom I would go outside cut. The interior approach would be a nightmare.

It definitely is not fun going at it from the inside. Just terrified of screwing something up big time if I cut that much out of it from the outside.

 

[racerone]

??----On big " super yachts " they cut the side of the hull out.-----Remove engines.----Install new engines.----Replace the part they cut out.-----Removing the outside of your transom( if core is all rotten ) is likely the easiest , least back breaking approach.----You can use the drilled engine mounting holes to clamp in the replacement core.----Then use the holes to clamp up the outside skin.

 

[TripleJGraffis]

??----On big " super yachts " they cut the side of the hull out.-----Remove engines.----Install new engines.----Replace the part they cut out.-----Removing the outside of your transom( if core is all rotten ) is likely the easiest , least back breaking approach.----You can use the drilled engine mounting holes to clamp in the replacement core.----Then use the holes to clamp up the outside skin.

The bottom half is for sure rotten. I am assuming the top half is the same. Realistically, I know you are right about this. It would be the easiest way to go about this. My issue is that unknowns scare the hell out of me, and I have never worked with fiberglass before as far as putting new stuff in. I am terrified that I am going to make the boat look horrible if I cut that huge of a piece from the outside.

 

[redneck joe]

The boat already looks like crap, get over that. Do the repair and paint over the crappy areas. Don't have to match. Make it neon yellow. Midnight blue. Barbie pink, whatever. Just tape off an area and paint.

 

[redneck joe]

And to your fear of the unknown hell you bought your first boat....HUGE unknown yet you did it. Put on your big boy panties and dive in. This the season; you ain't gonna get better weather than the next couple three months for this kind of project and you can be on the water for late summer and fall which imo are the best times.

 

[todhunter]

The biggest drawback I see to cutting the outside skin off is that along with the glass work you'd have to already do, you're 100% going to have to do some fairing work and re-do the gelcoat on the boat exterior if you don't want it to look bad. Doing all the work from the inside means you aren't trying to match gelcoat colors, and your fairing can be meh, as it won't be seen by everyone. If you're doing paint, you won't have to worry about color matching, but then I guess you'll be painting the entire boat, which will be a lot of work. But I wouldn't repaint - I'd just wet sand and buff what you have. You'll be surprised at how much it will come back.

My choices in order would be:
#1 - pull cap. I understand this may not work for you, though.
#2 - cut out splash well and do work from inside. It'll be more cramped than removing the cap, and you'll have to gelcoat match / fair / wetsand / buff the area where you re-attach the splash well, but it will be less work / less visible than cutting off the entire transom outer skin.
#3 (last resort for me) - cut off outer skin. It just seems like a ton of work on the back end, and this being your first job (ie - you're not a pro), gelcoat color matching, and fairing may prove difficult.

 

[TripleJGraffis]

The boat already looks like crap, get over that. Do the repair and paint over the crappy areas. Don't have to match. Make it neon yellow. Midnight blue. Barbie pink, whatever. Just tape off an area and paint.

Ok......ok....sigh......I will see what I can get at this weekend. Thanks for the pep talk

 

[TripleJGraffis]

And to your fear of the unknown hell you bought your first boat....HUGE unknown yet you did it. Put on your big boy panties and dive in. This the season; you ain't gonna get better weather than the next couple three months for this kind of project and you can be on the water for late summer and fall which imo are the best times.

I would love to be on the water this year yet. I just don't know how much more work I have got to go until that point. I am not your typical retiree with a boat load of time. I work seemingly endless doubles and utilize my few precious days off to go at it when my kids are at school. That being said, if I can get this old gal cleaned up, fixed up and into the water this year yet, you bet your @ss that I will do it!

 

[TripleJGraffis]

The biggest drawback I see to cutting the outside skin off is that along with the glass work you'd have to already do, you're 100% going to have to do some fairing work and re-do the gelcoat on the boat exterior if you don't want it to look bad. Doing all the work from the inside means you aren't trying to match gelcoat colors, and your fairing can be meh, as it won't be seen by everyone. If you're doing paint, you won't have to worry about color matching, but then I guess you'll be painting the entire boat, which will be a lot of work. But I wouldn't repaint - I'd just wet sand and buff what you have. You'll be surprised at how much it will come back.

My choices in order would be:
#1 - pull cap. I understand this may not work for you, though.
#2 - cut out splash well and do work from inside. It'll be more cramped than removing the cap, and you'll have to gelcoat match / fair / wetsand / buff the area where you re-attach the splash well, but it will be less work / less visible than cutting off the entire transom outer skin.
#3 (last resort for me) - cut off outer skin. It just seems like a ton of work on the back end, and this being your first job (ie - you're not a pro), gelcoat color matching, and fairing may prove difficult.

Options 2 and 3 are probably my best bet. I would need to do research on fairing, but as far as color matching goes, I don't think I need to worry, as I was looking into a new color scheme all around. I would just use a new coat of paint or gel coat in a separate color that would go over everything.

 

[kcassells]

Let the FUN begin.

 

[TripleJGraffis]

Is recoating with a new color scheme of gelcoat possible, or do I absolutely need to match colors after fairing?

 

[racerone]

See post #99.-----And it takes a lot longer to build / repair a boat than what they tell you.-----Think about looking for a motor next year at this time.

 

[TripleJGraffis]

See post #99.-----And it takes a lot longer to build / repair a boat than what they tell you.-----Think about looking for a motor next year at this time.

???
Post 99 says No need to worry about a motor for a while.-----But it all depends on how you use a boat.----Going out on a pond or say out in big rough water all makes a difference.-----Going out by yourself or taking 3 / 4 small kids with you.-----Remember that the kids can not look after themselves in dire circumstances.-----Warm water or freezing cold water.-----You need to get the floor out of this boat to inspect stringers and transom.

Are you sure you are referencing the correct post? I haven't been asking about a motor recently....And I already have one. I posted about it a while back.

 

[todhunter]

Is recoating with a new color scheme of gelcoat possible, or do I absolutely need to match colors after fairing?

Sure you can re-gel the whole thing and change the color. You could even get away with not doing any kind of color matching after the transom repair, as long as you are OK with it not being the same color all around.

 

[TripleJGraffis]

Sure you can re-gel the whole thing and change the color. You could even get away with not doing any kind of color matching after the transom repair, as long as you are OK with it not being the same color all around.

Thank you!!!

NEXT QUESTION...
PAINT AND THEN WAX OR GELCOAT AND THEN WAX????????
PROS/CONS?
ADDITIONAL INFO????

Thinking on tipping the boat over after the new transom is installed and fixing the holes in the hull that I made, repairing any cracks or marks and then giving it a fresh new layer of gelcoat before putting it back on the trailer...and then flip it back over and start rebuilding.

THOUGHTS?