gunman4444

Hello, I am considering purchasing an early 2000 35 Fountain twin step Lightning, the boat is priced good in my opinion and after talking to the owner the only thing that concerns me is that he had found some moisture in the transom(leaked around exhaust) and pulled the trigger at the tune of a reported 12k to replace the entire transom from the inside leaving original gelcoat/fiberglass as well as replacing the rear of the stringers

I am not concerned really with the integrity of the boat(maybe I should be) as I believe it was likely properly done repair work but I am concerned when it comes time to sell the boat how big of a hit money wise I'm going to take given the fact that the transom has been repaired compared to an all original boat

Is this a know problem on these boats i have read of a few people on the boards having issues with this on the boards but don't know what to make of that if it is only a couple of boats a good many or a deal where if it hasn't been repaired/replaced it needs to be


Thanks in advance

rak rua

I'm starting to believe all boats need a new transom and stringers once they reach that age.

If you're buying a 15ish year old boat, it's either had a new transom recently, it needs a new one soon or it may be a very well loved boat and and totally dry. It depends on how well the work was done and providing a bit of evidence it was done well. If it was properly replaced, and 12k sounds like a professional price tag, I wouldn't be concerned about resale any more than the horror that awaits all boat owners when it time to sell.

There are exceptions and I'm sure many boats out there are rock solid, even much older boats but from reading threads here concerning soggy transoms, nothing would surprise me.

Try to establish the quality of the work first, if it's all good then the boat is probably stronger than all the others of similar vintage. I would say resale on boats is poor at best so try not to overthink the future, just enjoy boating today.

Welcome to OSO!

RR

Dave M

Who did the work would be high on my list of concerns.

boomer

First off before you even buy it you are thinking of selling it. Boats are not an investment vehicle, they are for your enjoyment, so if you keep that in mind and buy the boat for what the market is showing right now for that boat. Enjoy it

gunman4444

Appreciate the replies so far would love to hear from some others as well thanks

BDiggity

i would be glad someone else spent the time/effort & money to replace the transom. one less thing for me to deal with. i am in the process of replacing mine. sure wish this would have been done by previous owner.

indysupra

iTrader: (3)

Depending on who did the work I think it's a huge plus. Most boats of that age have moisture in the transom somewhere. Most of the time people after the fact do a better job of rigging and sealing up all the holes in a transom. I have had the transom/stringer replaced on two boats now and I know that both of mine are sealed tight. I sold my scarab without power and the fact that it only had two years on the new transom/ stringers is the only reason I got any money out of it at all.

joew.

All boats are a crap shoot for rot. Especially high performance because they are constantly being taken apart and put back together. Sometimes better then before, sometimes not. I have owned a 1991 32' fountain and it was solid as a rock when I sold it. Have many friends with similar stories. I have also seen various brands (including fountain) with rot WAY before it should have happened. These boats were extremely clean, and should not have had issues. And passed the best surveys by the way... Best bet is to take a hammer or mallet and tap all around engine mounts, gimbals, tabs, exhaust. Inside and outside. If something sounds different, there is a reason for it. You do not need to be an expert to know the difference. Just go knock on your front door then knock on your bedroom door and you can hear the extreme differences. Delaminating or soft wood will be a bit less noticeable depending on severity. All said, I'd have no problem buying a fixed boat as long as it was fixed

Budman II

iTrader: (1)

So in the past I always pictured the boat with rotten transom and stringers to be the one that sits forlornly in the driveway with no cover, or a leaky, ratty one. Or the boat that spends all summer in the water. However, from some of these threads it sounds like even clean, well cared for boats are subject to this. Is it just a factor of design flaws from the factory and that one outing where you get caught in a heavy rainstorm, or it develops a leak in a bellows and takes in some water? Or is it more shortcuts from the factory where they did not properly seal things like drain plugs, exhaust tips, trim tabs, etc., and water gets in the transom due to ****ty workmanship?

Stuff that keeps you up at night!

Tinkerer

I would say the majority of the damage is caused by improper sealing and practices by the manufacturer and or aftermarket installation or service.
I recently sold my 1992 SCARAB 34 with a bad transom. This boat was taken care of. Always covered when not in use. The rot started at the bolts that hold the swim platform on and worked it's way down..
If I was buying a boat and it was reported that the transom was recently replaced by a professional I would consider that a BIG plus.