Is the transom bad already?
 

I was out in Gulfport this weekend watching the challenge cup regatta and acting as a half assed support vessel. It was pretty breezy and in that skinny water, the chop was 2-3 and confused. It was like a washing machine. The boat handled OK and was fairly dry until I tried to run in on plane with a quartering sea (more or less); operator error got us all soaked to the bone, but it was a pretty fun ride.

Problem.

I put the boat on the trailer and pulled it out and while I was out of the way getting the boat ready for the interstate, I noticed two cracks on the top of the transom on either side and outboard of the outboard. The one on starboard is larger than the one on port. I stepped on the outboard and watched both cracks flexing open and closed. The rest of the transom feels and sounds solid. What are the chances that this is a simple glass repair and not a rebuild?

Slim :sad:

none it's a rebuild.:cry:

Cracks mean the section has flexed.
Flexed usually means because the area has weakened.
Weakened usually means due to water intrusion and rot.

Is it a V20 or V21 ?

You have a few options
1. fill the cracks and see if it continues to get worse
2. commit to a transom rebuild - but better than original.
3. fill the cracks, or leave the cracks and sell the boat in "as is condition" .......just not fair to list the boat as MINT condition........that's not fair.

Sorry, I have to disagree.

You cannot fill cracks in transoms... Even with the crack filled it's still structurally unsound and will break. It's just a matter of time. A cracked transom is about as serious as it gets. Two people died off the coast of NJ earlier this year when the transom on their boat cracked and the boat sunk without any warning.

I could never live with myself if I sold a boat, knowing that it had a weak transom, and the boat sunk and killed someone. The only way I could sell a boat like that would be to point out to the buyer the bad transom and get him to sign a waver stating that he knew the boat was unsafe and needed repair before using. You cannot cure stupid, so if he used it after that then I'd feel ok... sad, but ok. :head:

Shrek, sorry to hear that.

Would you mind posting pics for the education of all (meaning me)?

option 4. you could put a large piece of aluminum over the transom on both sides and through bolt it. use it this summer. and do a rebuild on it this winter. that what a transom rebuild usually is around here, a bigger washer.

Is this a viable option? What size plate do I need to get?

I know Destroyer is going to yell at us......but you want a piece as large as you can fit. The idea is to get out past the new cracks as far as possible to hopefully get into some good wood on the transom. I would get a piece that covered your whole splashwell on the inside and a matching piece on the outside.

i have seen a piece on the inside as large as the back of the splashwell and a matching piece on the outside and a cap welded tothe top to tie it all together. not a good solution, but could get you through the season. look up some of the arjay fixes and do that in a couple of weekends.