Sealing transom around garboard plug.

[Silverbullet555]

Part of my spring list is to reseal the garboard plug mount in the transom. When I pulled it out I was disappointed at the size of the hole as it is a bit bigger than I would like to have. I cleaned it out and sealed the wood with some additional slow set marine epoxy and then filled a couple voids (not from rot) with epoxy thickened with milled glass fibers.

I really don't like having that much of a gap to fill with 4200 or 5200. The hole itself is about 1 1/4" and drilled a little off center so the plug plate does not sit directly in the middle.

Today I wil be filing the old screw holes after I clean them out since someone sealed them with silicone.

Anyway, I am considering coating a piece of PVC with mold release and putting it into the hole then filling around it with thickened epoxy. That way I would have an epoxy tube leading right to the end of the garboard plate so water could not get anywhere it's not supposed to be. I CANNOT get to the inside of the transom so everything will have to be done from the outside which is my biggest concern. If I could get to the inside I would probably fill the entire hole and redrill the entire thing.

Then I would use 5200 to seal the small gap instead of trying to fill a void.

Looking for thoughts, recommendations or words of caution on this plan.

For those that are going to ask. Wood is dry as a bone and hard as a rock. I would like to keep it that way.

 

[Cadwelder]

Re: Sealing transom around garboard plug.

Sounds like you have a good plan

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Sealing transom around garboard plug.

You can fill the Whole thing. Take some fiberboard and wax it, Make a patch from two layers of 1.5 oz CSM that is about 3/4" bigger all the way around than the hole. It will peel right off the waxed fiberboard. When it drys drill a hole in the center and thread a sting in and knot it. Use your finger and sand inside on the inner skin as best you can. It will be flexible enuf to fold in half and stuff in the hole. Once in there you can mix up some thicken resin and mush it around on the patch and then use the string to pull it up tight against the inner skin of the transom. When it drys mix up some Thickened resin with some CSM cut up in it for strength. Then you can redrill to your hearts content. I would use epoxy. Stronger.
Anyway That's how I would do it.

 

[Silverbullet555]

Re: Sealing transom around garboard plug.

You can fill the Whole thing. Take some fiberboard and wax it, Make a patch from two layers of 1.5 oz CSM that is about 3/4" bigger all the way around than the hole. It will peel right off the waxed fiberboard. When it drys drill a hole in the center and thread a sting in and knot it. Use your finger and sand inside on the inner skin as best you can. It will be flexible enuf to fold in half and stuff in the hole. Once in there you can mix up some thicken resin and mush it around on the patch and then use the string to pull it up tight against the inner skin of the transom. When it drys mix up some Thickened resin with some CSM cut up in it for strength. Then you can redrill to your hearts content. I would use epoxy. Stronger.
Anyway That's how I would do it.

I was thinking along the lines of something like this but the transom is not flat on the inside. I think when they installed the transom they cut an arch in the bottom similar to what frisco did on his transom. What they didn't do was fill that entire gap on the bottom with epoxy and smooth it out. I am going to climb in the boat today and see if I can remove some stuff to get better access to that area.

The bilge pump is right in front of the transom hole and I think I will need to remove some other stuff and lay down in the engine compartment.

If I figure out a way to get some access, can I use cloth instead of CSM. I ask because I have some cloth here but no CSM.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Sealing transom around garboard plug.

You will need to apply csm BEFORE the cloth to get a proper bond. Check with a local body shop, they'll give you some scrap for nuthin. You're not gunna need much. IMHO the bilge pump should NOT be directly in front of the drain opening. It would really be good if you could move it to the side a bit.