I posted below also. How much moisture is to much? Just had a boat surveyed and the bottom of the transom was reading damp but did not peg the meter the surveyor said. He said there appeared to be 2 holes at the bottom of the transom where something had been removed and not sealed up very well. It was damp up to about a foot away from them. He also said that the hammer test showed solid. The rest of the boat was dry. What do you guys think?
Dale

He should have given you a number % for the amount of moisture.

Griff is right he has the moisture percentage. This being solid now means what? and for how long?

The water is not going away and it gets better as there maybe migration.

Also if left in a unheated area there is the damage potental from freeze thaw cycles of your winter up there,this depending on the amount of water that has weeped into the plywood.

Just saw the pics he sent. It appears that 2 low water pick ups used to be there now moved out. He said the percentage is around 50. Can this be dried out and repaired with out a new transom? I need to decide, suppose to pick it up Monday. He said that it should not be a deal breaker, everything else is solid. What do you guys think?

while i think surveys are the best protection for a buyer, they shouldnt provide a false feel good...no one can predict the future of a boat...my message, dont look to far into a survey...look for the obvious

what i mean: my friend surveyed a cobalt with twin 496's...he went through it completley from bow to transom...everything (motors/hull)...he sea trialed it for 3 hours. the potential buyer ended up buying the boat because it was flawless.

one week into ownership, after pumping gas...started the boat threw a rod (starboard) and the owner had to replace the engine. cost him 10k to fix.

summary: no one could predict the future...**** happens. someone can buy a beat up boat, fix a few things and have it run like a champ for 7-8 years with just normal maintenance. just my 0.02

p.s. i would buy, boat buying is difficult enough to dismiss one for a minor issue...if buyers didnt purchase boats with some small flaws, i cant even imagine the used boat market...no one would sell.

I agree that engine(or any mechanical) failures cannot always be predicted, but a wet transom WILL lead to a rottten transom at some point.

true but why not seal the two suspect holes...let it dry and be done?

Once you seal them, it will never dry. You could potentially open them up, let it dry, and rework the glass to seal them up, but it takes time to dry properly, and depending on how long it has been wet, and what type of wood was used, the wood may have already started the delam process.

Any good glass guy could open it up and dry it out, repair it and reglass it for a reasonable fee.. I wouldnt let it keep me from buying it, but Id sure bring it to the owners attention and use it in my favor to get the price down to where it would cover the expenses for the repair.

So you guys all agree that it can be repaired if not to bad? Do you think that since the hammer sounded the transom solid that it has a good chance of being repairable?