I've seen plenty of rotten Cig transoms including one Cafe that the outdrives pulled from the transom as the plywood was completely rotted to crumbly bits. I've owned 2 Apache's with rotten transoms and have seen several more.

The wood doesn't know if it's in the transom of a million-dollar boat or a Bayliner.

Sorry, I guess I used the wrong term. He would remove a couple screws from transom hardware, or stringer hardware, and and a small pick would check for soft or wet wood. Then reseal, with the owners and or marina's consent obviously.

What brand of boat do you currently own?

Hey bouyhunter what is better on worms, salt or pepper?? Ladies don't get your panties in a bunch! - jeez I made the obligatory disclaimers in red...:rolleyes:

Boat - I sold my 89 Formula 311 over a year ago for the same $ I paid for it over 3 years prior. I did not say that Formula was any better than other boats - (make up your own mind - see how many 80's Formulas are out still out there) I could have spent the 30k on a faster 90's boat from a different brand though have no regrets.

Just for the record I know my Maxima will not last as long as a Mercedes, Cadillac or BMW - IT"LL last longer!!! go second rate!!!!:drink:

A bit of both.
BBQ sauce also helps.:chick:

We were are working on a late 80s Donzi because he wants a bravo drive. well, the transom is as solid as mud on a rainy day, the bottom is toast,the stringers are bread like and it needs a new floor.

Any one know if a boat has solid floors ,solid transom and was stored out of the water indoors since 1994 and it was a 1981 boat whats the likeliness of rot in the stringers please any input would be great

stored inside / out, was it covered or was run off getting in bilge will probably help

inside till 8 months ago was covered with a tarp on trailer no water in bilge that was visible

There's only one way to tell and that's a moisture meter. It doesn't matter how long it's been stored or where. If they were wet when it was put up, they're likely rotten

It can get rained on one time, and if water finds its way into the wood thru a bad seal or screw hole, it will rot the wood. The water needs to get to the bare wood to rot it.

If it is all ready rotten and then was stored inside or out of the weather for a while, Moisture meter will show dry, but damage is all ready done.

I had an 88 Donzi Z33..rotted stringers, bulkheads, transom, and floor, in fact I put my knee thru the floor. There were no weep holes anywhere so water trapped, then the cockpit drains had no tubes to direct it back to lots of water sat for years. There is only one way to know and that is a core sample, a hammer works but a drill tells the truth. On this boat they notched a stringer bad for the companion way and a drain, it was only 3"s high there and cracked in half. after an entire summer and winter of work it was better than new, we doubled the stringers and bulkheads, basically stripped the boat short of splitting the deck. It was a mess and taught me a huge lesson. My Active Thunder was solid but also a 94. Most of these older boats are not taken care of and you can tell right away. Here is the Red Menace when done.

Last time I was at the fiberglass shop, there was a 2000+ Larson in there with hull delamination. Last year he had a Crownline in there that was totally rotten, totally done. Guy bought it without getting a survey. Seems like every time i'm in there they're working on some kind of boat.

On my '91 Fountain, I have my fiberglass guy check it out with his moisture meter at least annually, to see if there's any evidence of moisture getting in, so it can be dealt with before it turns into rot. So far, so good. I did go so far as to move the mounts for my tab indicators off the transom (now attached to the trim tab ram itself), and move the hull penetrations for the hydraulic steering above the waterline. That stuff never should have been mounted to the transom below the waterline to begin with.

I know a guy with an older Nova that had a little rot in his transom. The moisture in the transom caused the bolts in the transom housing to corrode and one eventually broke, letting in lots of water and nearly sinking the boat. The transom was only wet / rotten for about 6" around the outdrives, and only below the waterline. He fixed it with git-rot.