Transom wood?

[float2]

Might be looking at a boat soon and looking at a pic of it it looks like plywood attached to the outside of the transom. Is this a sign of an older transom repair or did the boat come factory this way back in the early 70s? How can I tell visually if its solid?

 

[Fisherball]

Re: Transom wood?

Sounds like a Mickey Mouse transom repair to me.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Transom wood?

I would be suspicious. Yes many boats came with a piece of plywood that was about the same size as the motor mount but something that large would make me investigate more.

Keep this in mind...... bad transom could also mean possible stringer problems or deck problems too.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Transom wood?

How can I tell visually if its solid?

Ayuh,... Looks like a Rotten boat, on a trailer that's WAY too small for it...

 

[drewpster]

Re: Transom wood?

Looks like one of my boats!

When you are making a purchase of an old boat there are certain assumptions you need to stick to. Assume it is rotten and will need a new transom, deck, stringers and basically everything. Make an offer based on the fact that you will have to rebuild the whole thing after you buy. Make your offer based on those assumptions and you will never go wrong. Oh...BTW you are also going to need a bigger trailer, like Bond-o pointed out. Maybe the owner should pay you to haul it off.
Dont misunderstand, it may be a great find, but never assume the best, assume the worst and pay accordingly.

 

[float2]

Re: Transom wood?

Just spoke with the owner finally and he said that its an aluminum plate on the back not plywood. He said he's not the original owner but he thinks the boat came that way when new many many years ago. He said the boat is rated to hold up to 140 hp. He claims the boat doesn't leak and the floor is solid with good interior. Sorry I posted originally thinking that was a plywood plate on the back. Now with this change in the investigative equation is there anything particular that I need to look for in person that would tell if the transom is weak??

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Transom wood?

Call him back and ask for the MFG and the Model and the Year. It could/should have a HIN plate on the transom. I am not 100% sure but do not think that a fiberglass boat of that vintage was manufactured with an aluminum plate attatched to the exterior of the transom. Again I could be wrong. In General, this is one of the most common "Quick Fixes" for a weakend transom due to a rotting transom and as already stated if the transom is rotting then stingers are suspect as well. When/if you get on site take a rubber mallet and do some thumping and see if you can get a reading. You should be able to tell the difference between solid and not solid. If it has a ski locker or any other way to look below deck make sure to LOOK! Get in the boat and stomp around the deck looking for soft spots. Get under the boat and look for any deformity in the hull especially around the bunks and rollers. In other words REALLY inspect the boat like you were getting paid to do it for a client. Make a list before you go and check it off. Steering, Electrical, Deck, Transom, Hull, Trailer, Lights Everything you can think of.

This is some helpful reading.
Inspecting a Used Boat


I'm just sayin...

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Transom wood?

Looks like one of my boats!

When you are making a purchase of an old boat there are certain assumptions you need to stick to. Assume it is rotten and will need a new transom, deck, stringers and basically everything. Make an offer based on the fact that you will have to rebuild the whole thing after you buy. Make your offer based on those assumptions and you will never go wrong. Oh...BTW you are also going to need a bigger trailer, like Bond-o pointed out. Maybe the owner should pay you to haul it off.
Dont misunderstand, it may be a great find, but never assume the best, assume the worst and pay accordingly.

Drewp is spot on with this...

Every boat is an investment...this one is gonna cost ya..IMO..

You will Never get your Money back from this thing..not even close ( unless it came with a motor which is not stated ).

Walk away ..

Now if it were in the family or held some kind of personal value I might say different.. but its not ..

YD.

 

[idonthaveaname]

Re: Transom wood?

"Assume it is rotten and will need a new transom, deck, stringers and basically everything."

"You will Never get your Money back from this thing"

"Walk away"

1,2, and 3. Take you pick and keep your money in your pocket. Never believe what the owner tells you. You can (and will) find a much better deal that you can work with if you are patient--even if this thing is free. I have seen 17/18' boats with 100+ hp motors for under $1200...all days long, and they didn't need work. There are a bunch out there. Between a motor and trailer, and all the work you're going to need...do the math.

I found IBOATS after I bought my current project and then began kicking myself. If I knew then what I know now, thanks to these guys, I would not have done it. You're fortunate. Still, I ended up with a free boat (sold the motor (was dead) and the trailer is worth the whole price) but since then I have found better deals without the hassle of rebuilding. Don't get me wrong...I am really having fun with this, but it's a real job to rebuild a boat and even harder to keep the cost down...it's much more fun to go fishing.

Steve

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Transom wood?

He is Right on Target m8..

Do the Math....

Boats like anything is $...

Never EVER buy a boat thinking your going to Lose $ ( and thats exacly what happens if your haphazardly pic up some Junk ).

Allways .. Without a Doubt KNOW your going to spend $ for a resto..( and probably Never get it back ).

Its Personal..or your going to fix and flip ( sell )

If you go into a Resto thinking you can make $ with a couple slap shots of glass and resin .. your wrong for the most part...

If you want to pick up a Slap shot .. few layers of Glass here and there for a family boat..that you can have Fun in...your most likely wrong..

IF YOU DIRE to spend $ .. then you Will Learn...but your going to lose your $ ...

Boats can beat a heart..there is alot more to this than meets the eye m8... Research and if its OK with you then go for it..

Be very very carefull ...

YD.

 

[sschefer]

Re: Transom wood?

Float2, is that boat glass or aluminum. It looks like it's glass but the shiplap sides are normally done to increase the rigidity of thin aluminum boats.

The trailer may be o.k. it might just be a 16-18' trailer and it would look better on a 18-20. As long as the axle is over the CB of the loaded boat you should be fine.

There is a caveat here. Watch out for mismatched boats and trailers. These are often auction items and sellers are trying to turn a quick buck. They'll tell you whatever you want to hear and sell it "As Is" so you have no recourse.

Top dollar would be $500.00 as it sits now. Heck, anything that floats and has a trailer is worth $500.00. Expecting to get something perfect for that amount would be something akin to foolishness.

 

[oops!]

Re: Transom wood?

agree with all of the above.....RUN

to test a transom without drilling into it......take a rubber hammer and whack the inside of the transom......that will tell you just how rotted it is....

that is if you dont RUN away from the deal.

 

[idonthaveaname]

Re: Transom wood?

"The trailer may be o.k."

What I can see, unless the boat is not pulled up totally, is the center of the boat matches the axle. It would seem to me you want the axle further back in order to support/balance the weight of the motor. That said, I think the trailer is short.

"Top dollar would be $500.00 as it sits now."

Personally, I would ask to haul it off for the guy, or at best, give him $100. I wouldn't get near $500. Truth is, here is southern F L A, I am seeing perfectly good bass boats (and some family types like this) that need nothing but a motor for around $500. Your market may be different, but I would be patient.

 

[idonthaveaname]

Re: Transom wood?

"take a rubber hammer and whack the inside of the transom"

That's what my wife wanted to do with my noggin when I brought home my first project. She come around now, seeing what I've done to the thing. Still...it's been a long and itchy road.

 

[SawDust{RM}]

Re: Transom wood?

Why did you pick that boat, because its an outboard or the hull style

 

[float2]

Re: Transom wood?

Thanks for the very helpful advice to everyone. Its listed as a 17ft fiberglass crestliner. Picked it because I'm looking for a boat with more open floor space and an open bow for my growing family. Right now I have a closed bow speed boat and with 6 of us in it its very cramped and being its an I/O its impractical for fishing which we are getting more into. Price on the boat in question is/was a factor (he's asking less than $300) but you guys are right cheap up front probably means a lot more $$$$ down the road. Thing is we likely will only use whatever boat we have less than a dozen times during our summer boating season, so I can't justify to the mrs. going out and spending a ton of $$$ on something that will see minimal use. Oh yeah, I've been googling this era fiberglass boat and haven't yet seen another that has an aluminum plate on the transom like this one. Your right its likely pretty weakened to the point where maybe it can't even support the weight of an O/B just sitting there?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Transom wood?

Correctamundo!! I bought my Boat motor and Trailer on CL for $250.00 And it needs NO Transom or Stringer work. Just cosmetics. they are out there, just keep lookin.

I'm just sayin...

 

[sschefer]

Re: Transom wood?

No offense Crestliner owners but they're not the best boat in the world to begin with. I'd have to agree with the rest. You should pass on this one.

 

[sschefer]

Re: Transom wood?

"The trailer may be o.k."

What I can see, unless the boat is not pulled up totally, is the center of the boat matches the axle. It would seem to me you want the axle further back in order to support/balance the weight of the motor. That said, I think the trailer is short.

"Top dollar would be $500.00 as it sits now."

Personally, I would ask to haul it off for the guy, or at best, give him $100. I wouldn't get near $500. Truth is, here is southern F L A, I am seeing perfectly good bass boats (and some family types like this) that need nothing but a motor for around $500. Your market may be different, but I would be patient.

Just so ya know, the trick is to get the tounge weight at around 250lbs by sliding the boat back and forth until you hit the magic number. Axle too far forward means a light tounge and too far back makes it heavy.

 

[Cadwelder]

Re: Transom wood?

Great advice here....walk away. There are TONS of better deals out there. I paid $800.00 for the Astro I'm restoring now and it has the Astro trailer (that fits the boat) and a 150 HP Merc that runs great. True I'm restoring it, but it's worth it. You'll have to restore that one and you still need a trailer that fits and an engine?? The math doesn't add up good to me, but it's your money.