Transom replacement-Turned Complete Boat Rebuild

[HVAC Cruiser]

Re: Transom replacement

Re: Transom replacement

I've read plenty of post were people have used A grade exterior plywood. I don't think you need to thin the epoxy when you coat the plywood. I believe a slow cure will be sufficient. Then again I'm not 100% sure, since I'm using poly. I'm sure someone with epoxy experience will help answer that part of your question. Keep up the good work.

I was looking at a ton of posts myself and saw the same thing, Drewpster
is in the middle of a transom/deck replacement and said something in his post that made alot of sense. It went to the effect of "the boat manufacturer didn't use marine grade and look how long that lasted" .

My boat is 36 years old and its held up fairly well. I believe most of the damage below deck stemmed from a combination of cracked and leaking bait wells and bad deck hatches which allowed the water to soak the foam and just kept below deck constantly wet.

I am going to do it using ACX, and just make sure my glassing is good. I really need to get this project completed, I need my shop back. I even pulled 2 of my guys out of the feild to help get it done faster

 

[HVAC Cruiser]

Re: Transom replacement

Re: Transom replacement

I just found more rot

We were cleaning off the area under where the fuel tank sits and I saw some delamination on the hull neer the keel, after removing the fiberglass above I found a 9" x 16" section of the core rotten I have my guy grinding while I grab a quick bite then I guess I will re-wood and glass in that area of the core before I can continue. at this stage epoxy is out ( I don't have the waiting time ) Poly it is!

My guess is it was a poor glass job from the factory combine that with the boat sitting uncovered for 2 years after my father-in-law passed on rain,snow etc the water just sat there oh boy are we having fun yet

 

[Rickairmedic]

Re: Transom replacement-More bad news

Re: Transom replacement-More bad news

LOL Cruiser I hope you pulled helpers out of the field and not techs or this boat could get expensive quick .


Rick

 

[HVAC Cruiser]

Re: Transom replacement-More bad news

Re: Transom replacement-More bad news

LOL Cruiser I hope you pulled helpers out of the field and not techs or this boat could get expensive quick .


Rick

But of course, 16.85 and 12.50 can't do better than that. Besides I have to have some guys in the field with a brain, if im not there to troubleshoot LOL

 

[VeroWing]

Re: Transom replacement-More bad news

Re: Transom replacement-More bad news

Another heads-up, I'm pretty sure that you can not thin epoxy without rendering it useless.

 

[HVAC Cruiser]

Re: Transom replacement-More bad news

Re: Transom replacement-More bad news

Another heads-up, I'm pretty sure that you can not thin epoxy without rendering it useless.

Thanks for the heads up

I used epoxy at the transom, right now im completely in the fuel tank builge area, etc... it would have been way to expensive to use epoxy and seeing I am no where near where I used it I swithed to poly\
Just got finished rebuilding part of the core and built a new platform for the fuel tank, 2 stroke oil tank and battery tray area.

The West System says you can thin it with acitone up to 25% or heat it, I heated it for the material to soak it in insted of thinning it out.

Sorry for the spelling, think the poly has gotten to me, wow, that stuff is potent ,feel like a teenager again flash backs LOL.
I will post pics of the repair so far when my ol'lady uploads them to photobucket for me when I get back home.

 

[HVAC Cruiser]

Re: Transom replacement-More bad news

Re: Transom replacement-More bad news

Here is the rot in the core of the hull I found under the fuel tank platform that got me so depressed yesterday the glass was cracked at the keel and water had gotten in

After grinding it out I patched the area with new wood and fiberglass, making sure everything was sealed

The drain tube from the bow ended just under that platform, the water must have hust been laying there working its way through. Here was my solution to the poor drainage. I cut a 3" PVC pipe in half and glassed it in

I then glassed a new peice of ply in for a new fuel tank platform. The original one was a foot shorter with plywood extensions screwed onto it for the battery and 2 stroke oil tank. I figurerd I would make the new one to accomodate all in one neat package

Im thinking though that although I think the tube was a good idea, what happens if water somehow gets under there and now it won't be able to get out. I did seal the heck out of all of it but stranger things have happened. Shoud I put in drains, but that would put me back to square one

 

[HVAC Cruiser]

Re: Transom replacement-Turned Complete Boat Rebuild

Well I took a few days off from the boat, getting back to it today.
Anybody have any thoughts on the drain tunnel I installed under the fuel tank platform before I go any further? Did I create more potential problems in the future?

 

[Knightgang]

Re: Transom replacement-Turned Complete Boat Rebuild

Well I took a few days off from the boat, getting back to it today.
Anybody have any thoughts on the drain tunnel I installed under the fuel tank platform before I go any further? Did I create more potential problems in the future?

I do not think so. It is usualy not normal to have cracks if your keel like you found. Can it happen, sure and it did. But you fixed it and shoul dnot happen again. I think the only thing I woul dhave done different (and you may have done this) would be to lay a couple layers of glass along the exposed keel for added strength and sealing, then put down your drain tube and platform. Otherwise, I do not think you will have a problem, keep on going...

 

[HVAC Cruiser]

Re: Transom replacement-Turned Complete Boat Rebuild

I do not think so. It is usualy not normal to have cracks if your keel like you found. Can it happen, sure and it did. But you fixed it and shoul dnot happen again. I think the only thing I woul dhave done different (and you may have done this) would be to lay a couple layers of glass along the exposed keel for added strength and sealing, then put down your drain tube and platform. Otherwise, I do not think you will have a problem, keep on going...

Thanks for replying and putting my mind as ease I was worried.

That is what I did, re-glassed the patch I put in first with mat glassing the keel and up the other side of the hull. I then added a layer of woven roven over the patch then 1 more layer of mat again over the patch, through the keel and up the other side, then glassed in the pipe I made.

 

[VeroWing]

Re: Transom replacement-Turned Complete Boat Rebuild

HVAC, I believe the compartment that holds the fuel tank is supposed to be completely encased and isolated from everything else. This is in case it leaks, a spark from a bilge pump, etc., won't blow up your boat. They do have drain holes in the stringers with plugs in them, so you can check if water ever gets in, you can let it drain out. Drain tube can go through this compartment, but not have any openings in it while passing through. Drain tube openings should be in front and rear compartments.
I'm pretty sure about this info, but check with others just in case I'm mistaken. Mike

 

[Rickairmedic]

Re: Transom replacement-Turned Complete Boat Rebuild

Cruiser I like the flue pipe repurposed into a drain for the boat good idea for a cheap fix to a problem I dont see anything wrong with it .



Rick

 

[HVAC Cruiser]

Re: Transom replacement-Turned Complete Boat Rebuild

HVAC, I believe the compartment that holds the fuel tank is supposed to be completely encased and isolated from everything else. This is in case it leaks, a spark from a bilge pump, etc., won't blow up your boat. They do have drain holes in the stringers with plugs in them, so you can check if water ever gets in, you can let it drain out. Drain tube can go through this compartment, but not have any openings in it while passing through. Drain tube openings should be in front and rear compartments.
I'm pretty sure about this info, but check with others just in case I'm mistaken. Mike

Thanks for letting me know about that, easy enough I will add a divider between the tank and bilge area, I got the framming done for the deck done today but I haven't started glassing yet. In fact I like that better cause it will keep a clean appearance

Rickairmedic-Cruiser I like the flue pipe repurposed into a drain for the boat good idea for a cheap fix to a problem I dont see anything wrong with it .

I had it left over from a small condensing boiler job. I guess nothing like a peice of Sch40 and a sawsall for fixing the boat. Lol.

I was just worried about condensation under the platform or water somehow getting in.

 

[notsunkyet]

Re: Transom replacement-Turned Complete Boat Rebuild

hey there HVAC maybe im looking at that wrong but the if the picture is from the rear.. Are ya gonna ad more PVC pire to the rear? if so a thought might be to make the las part kinda like a french drain so water that does go around come out anyway? then again i may be way of too

 

[notsunkyet]

Re: Transom replacement-Turned Complete Boat Rebuild

i meant drilling holes in the sides almost at the edges of the PVC where it meets the hull

 

[HVAC Cruiser]

Re: Transom replacement-Turned Complete Boat Rebuild

hey there HVAC maybe im looking at that wrong but the if the picture is from the rear.. Are ya gonna ad more PVC pire to the rear? if so a thought might be to make the las part kinda like a french drain so water that does go around come out anyway? then again i may be way of too

I didn't plan on adding any more pvc, where it ends now is the rear bilge area. I ended it there to leave room for the pump and catch the water from the deck without restrictions

Bill

 

[vegasphotoman]

Re: Transom replacement-Turned Complete Boat Rebuild

Overkill Bill !!!

Hi firstly NICE JOB! secondly....GREAT WORK! what a biggun to do stringers on...wow, work cut out for you and your worker bees!

Ill be watching this thread close, want to see what you do to finish up that transomo, AND to see how much work it is to get it all smooth and sweet, Im guessing you will be GelCoating the transom exterior?????


here's the drainage thingy (see middle of photo added wood and hole) I did in my other boat project Newman 18' boat....had everything rotted...didnt like the OPEN DRAINAGE design...but re-did it the way THEY had built it...then opted to add a filler wood piece between the fuel tank and bilge area...drilled a 1" hole & added a stainless tube...now I can add a regular flip type rubber stainless boat drain plug....and drain it if I know there is water in the ski locker or fuel tank area...(from waves or the frt cooler drain holes etc)
that way I control when and how the water goes where....

see photo...

I realize yours is an outboard..not sure how they SHOULD work for drainage..as I dont have any experience in that dept...I always say intuition is usually right...so if you're not happy with it...CHANGE IT! to your way

 

[HVAC Cruiser]

Re: Transom replacement-Turned Complete Boat Rebuild

Hi Vegas,
Glad you like it, this is a first for me and I'm on a learning curve.

Humm Gelcoat, that was the next questin I was going to ask when I got to that point. I had planned on repainting the whole boat with interlux perfection, should I re-gelcoat first ?

The area that I put the tube through was a sealed area under the platform for the fuel tank, 2 stroke tank, and batteries. The drain tube for the bow area had stopped at the beginning of it with a 1 1/2" hole on the bilge side. Water was getting cought up under the platform and migrated under the glass , delaminated it and rotted the balsa core in a 4'x1' area. The one thing I did see is that the boat had work done in that area, there was globs of resin with a small 1" thick peice of wood right inside the grove of the keel, creating almost a dam under it. very sloppy and shoty work. I ground all that out replaced it with a 1/2" peice to match existing, and reglassed it smooth before glassing in the PVC.

Right now I don't have a divider between the fuel tank-and bilge area Verowing suggested I put one in the way you did yours with a drain plug at the bottom of it. I like that idea and the way you did yours cause it will also add strength to the hatch support above. Right now its a 3' x 3" parting strip thats 1 3/4" thick im not sure if I like the strength in that. A bulkhead would sure stiffen it up.

I actually laid out the entire deck in autocad and plotted it 1:1 for a template. the nice thing about Revit in cad is you enter the materials and it performs the load calcs for you. a divider would sure help alot.


I did find the strangest thing 2 days ago, there is a 3/8" difference in deck height between the port and starboard side from the factory in the rear of the deck measuring from cap down and hull up . The port side is lower, yesterday we got the starboard side done, stringers in, and compartmentalized for the bait wells, and under the splash well. I am still debating whether to go with factory deck lines on that side or correct it. I have to deside soon for I am starting the port side friday.

 

[HVAC Cruiser]

Re: Transom replacement-Turned Complete Boat Rebuild

Well it took all week but I finaly got the framming for the deck completed.
Here is how it looks so far

Frame in place and Glassed

Nailers for the deck in

I Am going to try to get the rear Deck installed tommorow, cause sunday and monday I will be at my place in the woods to start getting ready to kill bambies father, and this is what I will be doing

 

[thrillhouse700]

Re: Transom replacement-Turned Complete Boat Rebuild

I am slightly inebriated and read your last post too quick and thought you said, "Kill zombies" I got super excited and was gunna see if you needed help.

All joking aside I forgot about your thread, It looks great! Keep it up...