How should I access and attack this transom?
 

I was planning to pull the cap but apparently through the years cabosil, marine tex, and silicone has been used to repair the edge of the cap. This also bonded it to the hull and it is giving me he'll to get free! I was thinking of cutting the back of the cap off to replace the transom, then splice it back together once done. Any thoughts, opinions or advice???

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...pse0a5275a.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ps2f456e66.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ps270483b9.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ps0c245e31.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ps15a05fa9.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ps3ebbfb86.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...psb810f970.jpg

Btw the boat is a 1986 paramount 21' that I am redoing. Just got her flipped back over from a ton of work on th bottom

Before:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...t/7521d397.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...t/650c5ddb.jpg

After:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...0178A3889F.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...014839F096.jpg

VERY carefully:lolhit:

Grind that chit off of there, and get a cutoff wheel, slip it under the lip of the top cap, between the cap and the hull(seems you have a nice gap in there at some spots) and very carefully cut it apart. You WILL have to do some glasswork afterwards, but that is the way I would attack it.

I'd come in from the outside. If you're careful you can re-use the existing skin when going back together and this will drastically speed up the cosmetics of the repair. If done right it will be stronger than orig. regardless of what many say about this method. Try and stay far enough in from the sides and bottom so you have a seam 4" or so wide. You'd bevel remaining glass as you would also do to the patch and skin you removed and are reinstalling.
Here's a link to a small version of what I'm describing. W/your existing knees and internal bracing it will be way easier to tie into orig. structure using this method.

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/d...l-project.html

find another boat,,you can find some good deals out their..

thats "mrfixalls" solution??? maybe its time for a sn change??

i bought the bought as is FOR a project. the boat is going nowhere except in the water in a year or so...

i would really prefer to do the work from the inside since i will be adding bigger knees and replacing the stringers anyways. rcchevelles idea occured to me, i was just being lazy and trying to find ways around pulling the whole cap since im new to this area and dont know to many "friends" to call on to help me pull the cap:lolhit:

the plan once done is hopefully a 300xs and 75-80mph, but we will see...

Hey! You did a hell of a job on that bottom!!! Keep it!!!

heck, if you're redoing the knees anyhow.........
 

that changes everything. Remember too, it doesn't have to be one piece. Most transoms are two layers of 3/4" plywood sandwiched together. Run your seams horizontal and stagger them. As in outer skins seam is 12" from floor and inner is 6" above. Done it many times and is rock solid if done right.

this is an idea that i am becoming more fond of. the only problem here is how to clear out the wood behind where the original splashwell was.... hmmmm.... thanks for the idea!

ok, so here is an illustration of what i think would be my preferred way of doing it. i would like to cut where the green lines are (angled for strength when i put it back together). this way i would have full access to the transom and have a small piece of the cap that i could remove by myself. this would also provide the added benefit of being able to move the piece and turn it upside down so that i could cut out the original splashwell and brace the area up and repair it so that it doesnt crack again like in the pics.

my concern for doing this is the repair. i am afraid that once i glass the back of the cap back on i will be fighting cracks at the repair site for the rest of the boats life. ideas one way or the other??

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...2f456e66-1.jpg