transom moisture
 

HI i have a survey on my boat yesterday,2001 baja 272.i buy it new.boat is NO 1 exept i have moisture in the transom,but the guy said it still very strong.boat never stay in water but it is on a not heating garage in winter(canada)is there something i can do to control the moisture. thanks.

I am NOT a surveyor but I remember doing som reading on the subject and depending on the amount of moisture it may not be an issue. some surveyors dont even like the moisture meter.

How much moisture?

I would worry if there was a difference in reading from one area to another, like if the area at the stern drive was much higher.

It does not have to stay in water long to get water in if you do not have a good seal somewhere...where was the water detected ? sometime right around gimbal housing...trim tab ?? need to pull that of repair and reseal...transom goes so will your $$$$$

pull both of your exhaust tips out of the boat and inspect the actual wood in your transom in that area, then reseal them properly and re-install. The older bajas had no epoxy in any of the holes they cut through the boat (ex holes , transom cutout, ETC) any leaks at these areas lets the water right into the middle of the wood, not sure if your year baja had epoxy over the holes they cut or not??

you could also drill into your transom about 1.25" deep in a few area and inspect the condition of the wood coming out on the drill. some areas that are easy to do this and hide the holes afterwards are by removing anything mounted to the inside of your transom and drill where that item was mounted, then seal the hole back up with epoxy and re-install the item on the transom.

goodd luck!

Were there's water there's rot. My boat never sits in the water and looks like new. The trim tab screws leakes and rotted over half the transom. Take a rubber mallet and tap on the outside of the transom. If you have to pay to have it replaced you are talking thousands of dollars. I replaced mine myself and it took at least 30hrs. A shop may be able to do it quicker but still very expensive to do it right. I raised my X dim up 3" and recut the hole, beefed up the stringers and shot new gel.

cost me $5000 on scarab 22 to replace transom due to an epoxy run that kept the gimbal housing from sealing. Water leaked in to the unsealed cuts in the transoms each use. The wood was not even treated in the transom. I never knew it and it was always dry stored.

A little moisture isn't a big problem, but could be eventually. Moisture from saltwater doesn't typically rot the wood, but freshwater does. Makes a big difference in what type of wood is used. If its treated good strong wood then it should hold up for a long time even if it does have moisture. If its cheap untreated wood, which is pretty likely in the baja, then it will rot much faster.

i am no expert,but when water gets into the wood,it is a pain in the dick to get out,and very expensive.jus my 2cents

thanks for all replys i will look deeper and see what i can do.

Just fyi, I've checked many boats with a moisture meter. I have never found one with a wooden transom that didn't read some moisture in the bottom part of the transom. Doesn't mean it is rotten. Wood always absorbs some moisture.


Bob Lloyd
Full Throttle Marine

What were the moisture percentages?????

75-80%

buy a brand new piece of wood that was stored inside, put moisture meter on it and it will read anywhere from 30 to 50%... so if that is the reading you have... not a problem !75-80... not perfect but probably good for many years to come!

I once put the meter on 2or 3 very recent baja and the redings were similar to yours... 1 or 2 years old boat... not rotten for that reason!

Moisture in transom
 

The moisture meter is a great tool that I use most every day to do marine surveys. It can also be one of the most misused tools in a marine surveyors bag. In this case I would measure with the moisture meter and sound with a phenolic hammer inside the transom around all components that have fasteners that penetrate the transom. For a better understanding of moisture meters review this article that is written by a marine surveyor who I have the utmost repsect for. http://www.marinesurveyor.com/meters.html

they used sounding hammers for many years before the meters....

Moisture in transom
 

The moisture meter is a great tool that I use most every day to do marine surveys. It can also be one of the most misused tools in a marine surveyors bag. In this case I would measure with the moisture meter and sound with a phenolic hammer inside the transom around all components that have fasteners that penetrate the transom. For a better understanding of moisture meters review this article that is written by a marine surveyor who I have the utmost repsect for. http://www.marinesurveyor.com/meters.html

thanks all maybe is not that bad.

Check real close around those trim tab screws.

As said, all you need is a small tap hammer. Tap around your transom all over and you'll be able to tell if you have a problem by the sound it makes. You can do it from the outside, but usually the skin on the inside is thinner and it will be easier to tell.


Take note of the black areas in these pics, usual places for water ingress and rot:

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/2795998-post30.html

Most moisture meters I have seen do not even go that high. Usually they read a max of about 30%.