Ranger boat transom

[Woodonglass]

Re: Ranger boat transom

Hardwood is not a good choice for boats. It's heavy and really not very water resistant. Douglas Fir, Spruce or any wood with High Resin content is. Best choice, IMHO, is ext. Grade Plywood. If the stringers Core Sampled as well as your description, why are you replaceing them?

 

[a1964rn]

Re: Ranger boat transom

"The only medium for stringer construction I absolutely do not recommend is solid wood. Because plywood is made from alternating grain directions of lumber, it is orders of magnitude more stable than solid wood. Solid wood will expand and contract with humidity and temperature variations and can ultimately fracture the fiberglass lamination to the hull. Do Not Use Solid Wood As A Core Material!"

This quote is from this source:
Fiberglassic Guide to: Transoms, Floors, and Stringers - fiberglassics.com

I'm not sure how accurate this information is, but there it is.
Good Luck!

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Ranger boat transom

I agree with WoG and 1964.

Kiln dried Fir and Spruce are better because they're light, strong, and straight. They'll also absorb resin better making for a better bond when glassing.

Laminated plywood stringers are the best option, they're stronger than dimensional lumber and don't have any knots.

 

[odus1965]

Re: Ranger boat transom

OK, here is a question some may not want to answer. I gave $800 for this shipwreck, but it is saveable, I already have all the engine work done, much of the wiring repaired or replaced, and am working on the rotted wood issues. How much have some of you paid for boats with the seller saying "its a solid boat, ready to go". Some of the boats I have seen on this forum looked like nice boats with the outboard hanging off the back from splintered wood, I am very glad I found this forum and asked some of the things I did, otherwise I also may have found myself on the lake with my *** hanging out!Thought about giving up on it and buying another hull, but in my price range I doubt any thing else would be any better. i am sure if I told a seller I wanted to drill a hole in there transom befor I would buy it They would tell me to get lost, [at least] So how about it, anybody out there get it worse than me?Thanks for all your advice and input.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Ranger boat transom

OK, here is a question some may not want to answer. I gave $800 for this shipwreck, but it is saveable, I already have all the engine work done, much of the wiring repaired or replaced, and am working on the rotted wood issues. How much have some of you paid for boats with the seller saying "its a solid boat, ready to go". Some of the boats I have seen on this forum looked like nice boats with the outboard hanging off the back from splintered wood, I am very glad I found this forum and asked some of the things I did, otherwise I also may have found myself on the lake with my *** hanging out!Thought about giving up on it and buying another hull, but in my price range I doubt any thing else would be any better. i am sure if I told a seller I wanted to drill a hole in there transom befor I would buy it They would tell me to get lost, [at least] So how about it, anybody out there get it worse than me?Thanks for all your advice and input.

Ok, let me get one thing out of the way first... LMAO!!!

There are plenty of people that have gotten taken a lot worse than you. Very unsuspecting newbies that have paid thousands of dollars for a boat they thought was solid and water ready only to find out in a short time that their boat need a couple thousand in repairs.

For $800 you didn't really get taken that bad if the motor runs and the trailer is decent... and you're right about getting more of the same in your price range... and even more expensive boats.

This is just one of many we've seen here that thought they were buying a good boat that turned out to need major repairs:
http://forums.iboats.com/completed-...gnature-deck-stringer-restoration-510077.html

Just think of it this way, you'll have a like new boat when you're finished for a fraction of the cost of a new boat.

 

[odus1965]

Re: Ranger boat transom

At least like you say, I will know what I have when I am done, just really tics me off that people will stand and look you straight in the face and LIE! If they are selling something, anything, and dont know for sure, just say I dont really know for sure. If someone other than me had bought this boat and did a little engine work, [the fuel system was full of water} and taken it out on a rough lake it could have been a bad ending. This thing has gallons of water soaked in the foam, so I know it would of sunk fast. I know I didnt give much for it, but everything this guy told me was a lie. Still have his adress in yhe wifes garmin, Thinking of sending him a Christmas card with pics of this "solid boat". Once again thanks for all you input, as bad as this may sound, at least it makes me feel better to know I am not the only one to be this gullible. Worst of all, I work in the used car buisness, you would think I would know when someone is telling lies!

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Ranger boat transom

You probably couldn't tell the seller was lying because he wasn't lying in his mind, he probably had no idea your boat was in the shape it's in because he really didn't know.

Like you said yourself, until someone finds a forum like this they have no idea what condition their boat is in.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Ranger boat transom

And when this boat ^^ was given a once over, the transom was deemed 100%, just weeks before this pix was taken & posted by another iboater....

I wish I could remember which thread this ^^ was from. The guy & his girlfriend bought it not long before this pix. She was nice enough not to remind him she didn't even want to buy it while they were still at the ramp after this occurred.

He'd done what he'd been told in terms of an inspection (how, where & what to inspect), then told his girlfriend it was as the seller claimed: 100% good to go! And was priced for $2500 (I think, maybe more). This pix may have been his 1st trip to the water w/ it, but it was her 1st trip. It may be a very long time before her 2nd trip :grumpy: If there's still a girlfriend.....

I paid too much for my derelict FireFlite, and I overpaid for my 1st Jet w/ a non-op Johnson electric shift, esp given the pink packing peanut 'flotation' foam out:

But I am OK w/ what I paid, not extremely happy, given the current state of things, but yeah, I overpaid for them both...

 

[odus1965]

Re: Ranger boat transom

Dumb question, it looks like the transom on this boat has a steel plate on to where the engine hangs. My boat also has one of these, and when I removed it the transom was broke underneath it. is this plate a standard issue piece, or is it a patch job repair?
I was going to put it back on when I put the boat back together. Any thoughts?

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Ranger boat transom

It's real easy to get burnt on a used boat deal.

My first boat was a 14' tinny with a 5 or 10 hp Sears motor I can't remember. Seller told me the boat didn't leak and the motor ran great. I didn't know squat about boats back the so I took his word for it and paid my $400 and took off.

First trip to the lake, the motor ran great... but in reverse only, no forward gear. The boat leaked like a sieve... even with the 7 coats of latex house paint on it.... but, I learned a lesson when I bought that boat. Back then it was an expensive lesson, but it was one I've never forgotten.

 

[a1964rn]

Re: Ranger boat transom

I paid $750 for my 1980 Tidecraft Bass boat. I knew it had a soft spot, very soft, but I didn't know all the wood underneath was rotted. I'm OK with it, though, because the 140 hp Evinrude and trailer is worth what I paid for it. I've seen a lot of other similar boats that were "suspect" for up to $3500. A new one like mine would probably cost $20k plus. If you're fixing it up for resale, it's probably not a profitable venture. If you like the boat, and want a good boat to use, it'll be well worth the effort.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Ranger boat transom

Dumb question, it looks like the transom on this boat has a steel plate on to where the engine hangs. My boat also has one of these, and when I removed it the transom was broke underneath it. is this plate a standard issue piece, or is it a patch job repair?
I was going to put it back on when I put the boat back together. Any thoughts?

That plate is probably a Band-aid to "fix" the bad transom.:facepalm:

You can put it back if you want.

You may want to inspect the transom on your other boat since it's "plated" too.

 

[odus1965]

Re: Ranger boat transom

I bought a 14 ft aluminum boat as my first also, the motor did run good, but later developed ethenol issues I had to resolve. It leaked so bad the first time we took it out after about 4 hours on the water I drained about 10 gallons of water out if it. every attempt to stop leaks just resulted in leaking somewhere else, put a bilge pump in it, used it alot. I decided to remove the carpet that they had glued in it and found about 5 pounds of silicon caulking smeared over a crack that was so big, after I removed the mess, I could see the garage floor through the crack! I gave it to a friend who owns a recycling center with strict instructions "do not sell this to anyone as a boat!
I bought a 76 Sylvan 14 ft aluminum I am fishing from now it does not leak a drop! It was a stripped out hull I re-did, nice boat but I need more room, that was why I bought the Ranger. Like I said, I can fix it, just didnt think I was going to need to. Oh well as they say live and learn, at 53 years old these kind of lessons are an irritation.