Hey Dave,

What did they find when they opened everything up? I am going through this exact process with my 29 single, I had my engine and drive built over the winter and during installation transom rot was found. After everything was opened more rot was found in the stringers and bulk head. At this point I'm worried about rot being farther forward under the cockpit floor and cabin.

I read this whole thread, and I know my rot originated around the through hull exhaust tips. Not 1 drop of any sort of sealant was used to try and keep water out. Very piss poor from a company that was supposedly "the best".

Sorry to hear that I really HATE HATE HATE to hear about others that have to go through this especially when it would have taken so little more to do the job properly... RIDUICULOUS!!! I should know more in a few days as to the extent of my damage, it's in the shop and he will be calling me with an update when he has one. Hopefully I will have a chance to go look and be able to post some pics of the bulkhead repair when it's all apart. I never could find anything related picture wise when I was looking online and it may be helpful to someone in the future to know the way these were built etc.

Like I said, I'm nervous about what might be found beyond the bulkhead. I have my fingers crossed that is the extent of all of it for the both of us. If I hear anything on mine in the mean time I'll let you know.

Yes I'll be crossing my fingers for you as well!

My 32 had bulkhead rot and a friends 35. Mine was from unsealed exhaust went through the transom and the main stringer to the bulkhead. But only a part of the bulkhead and not further.

Same as the 35, and not a big deal to the glass man.

That's why I don't get the "gotta use wood thing" I read here all the time.
I know about compression but there is such a thing as backing plates and not over torquing bolts.
There are plenty of race boats that are all composite material. My CC fishing boat has Duramax's and # 6's with no wood. There are a handful of tournament fishing boats here on the gulf coast that run fairly high hp stern drive set ups and are all composite. Hauling ass thru typical gulf slop from 130mi offshore to make the weight in is more "offshore" than the races I see running circles a couple hundred yards from the beach

Yes from what we can see it started mostly at the port exhaust tip. Migrated down to the keel where the notch is and drain plugs. From there I believe it softened the wood around the drain plugs allowing water to enter faster. I have to admit, after being out in the water for a day, my boat always seemed to have a little more water in the bilge than others. Also, what makes me nervous is I have found water under the step going into the cabin several times and I thought it was just a fountain thing and I always just sucked it up with a shop vac. It just goes to show water had migrated that far past the rear bulkhead at some point so I hope your right and this is the end of it and I'll be on the water soon!

I'm still not sold on composite transoms. I've had several race boats with full composite transoms and all had issues because they were composite. Stress above the transom plates, heck one flexed so bad on a staggered boat we crashed a brand new set of Herring five blades first time out. I've done composite transoms but they were on lower HP boats and when i do them its three layers of half inch with a full layer of 1708 in between each layer and everything is backed up with stainless plates. I just think wood still gives a stiffer better transom and keep in mind wood does not rot because it is wood, it rots because of improper rigging and handling of edges and holes. I band and seal everything, take a lot of care to seal holes and stuff. I often tell people i can probably build a transom using OSB that would outlast most OEM's lol

I will agree "technically" a composite transom is better. As far as everything else in the process composite rules. I love working with it, so much easier to cut and always straight Something else to consider is cost, many guys just dont want to spend the money at nearly triple the cost of wood . . . .

Some day i may do my 38 Scarab's transom in Coosa just to see for myself.

Diamonddave,

Find anything out on yours? All my glass and gel coat work is done. Getting rigged this week so should be good to go for next weekend !!!

Well here is the teardown. Looks like I had 4 stringers and the bulkhead and not just two stringers and the bulkhead as originally diagnosed by other facility that were rotten. Glad I didn't take it there for the repairs or I would be bumping this thread in a few years! Transom is ok which was great news!




















Here is the final result. Sorry for the pics they were taken at night with the camera flash on.