I need to replace the wood core on my '84 10 Meter's transom. The whole damn thing.

Who has done this? Can I cut from the inside, leaving the gel intact? If so, how successful was it. I will fix the boat. Selling it (nor junking it) is not an option.

Thanks in advance.

This is where I discovered it.

That sucks it will be a big job but can be and is done. Yes you cut from the inside and then scrap a lot of **** off the outer fiberglass hull. You also probably need to look at the stringers, if the transom is bad it has probably got into the stringers too.

When you start to too the cutting make sure you have a good tyvek suit to protect you and I would buy a high end resparator, maybe even one of the units with an outside air source. The fiberglass dust is very, very bad on your lungs.

I am sure that there are more people with more knowledge about this than me that can help you. If it were me I would think about paying someone to do it.

Feel free to email me.

mike

Before replacing transom with wood, suggest checking into other materials. I will be re-building my transom next season with surplus aircraft bulkhead.

There's gotta be something better than wood!

Here's some good reading for you:

http://www.transomrepair.com/

http://www.rotdoctor.com/comments.html (click on links of customer's repair sites)

D. Ocean
Pompano Beach, FLA

This is not a easy job but definatly a doable one. You DEFINATLY cut from the inside. If you want to give me a call feel free (978) 986-0639. I have done this among other things in my boat. Yoiu can check out my stringer replacement project if you type in stringer replacement for a search. Some of the same processes that go on with the two.

Jon

Thanks guys.

Jon, I will call you this weekend.

Bryan

Give Fast Forward a call. They are in Brewerton, NY.
They do the best work in the area. I do not have their number at the moment.
You will not be disappointed.

Bryan -

Just wondering how you spotted the rot. Was it obvious? Or, how did you find out the transom was rotten.

Thanks

There are a couple of good local shops that can tackle this job: Watercraft Clinic in Red Creek( just off rt 104, 45 minutes from Rochester: Clint Samson is the owner, ph#315-754-0050) and Great Lakes Boat Repair in Sodus Point.

Both shops have experience with heavy structural repair. Not sure about Great Lakes, but Clint from Watercraft Clinic will come to your location to look at it for an estimate as well. He just had a Fountain in his shop that had taken a serious side ramming in the engine compartment that they did the structural repair.

I have seen FastForward Fix boats that look impossible
to repair, they do excellent work

Thanks for the help. I'm going to do the job myself. My father owned a body shop for awhile and the work involved is fairly straight forward. I wondered how to attach the new transom to the hullsides. If people preferred epoxy or simply used ordinary resin. What kind of mat was used as well.

bford1,

I pulled a thru-hull fitting and found the inside of the hole to be very wet. It was bad enough that I can remove wood with just my finger. I also pulled the exhaust tips, same thing. I will pull the drives/transom assembly and tabs this weekend. That will give me a better idea of how far the rot is. Hopefully, the stringers ar still good. I pulled the motor mounts. The wood is good at that point. I'll post pics of the progress.

Stipped. Yuk!