[RidgeRunner]

Originally Posted by billymoca

Thanks, That is horrible to hear about the stolen cameras. who ever did that should have his family ***els rearranged. I have had lots of tools stolen too.

I have truly been enjoying the past threads from everyone on this site
and have gained much knowledge from you all. Now to turn that into wisdom.

My boat is very factory and has been sitting for the last ten years in a cow pasture. The transom is rotted, but the floor and the stringers are in ok shape. I want to change the storage compartments, move the console forward and close off the transom with a new custom aluminum bracket so I figured that I will be doing a cap off build as well.

these pictures are from Day One:

I am trying to figure out how to continue this edge detail one I close off the transom and then what do I do to the inside of the boat at the transom. I have 4 kids, so I would love to have more storage and possibly a seat, but I am worried about how thick to make the back transom area.

So here are a few more questions: did you remove the fiberglass on the outboard edge of the transom, or just fill in the recess. I am hoping to simply insert the new transom from the inside of the boat. I split the liner and hull and did 90% of the work to the transom from inside the boat. Made a couple of crude molds with plywood/formica and clay to form the shapes and angles on the liner, hull and console.

Does the boat have to stay a two piece boat? No What if when I was done, I glassed the boat together and removed the rub rail? You could glass it but that is a ton of extra work. I think JasonCooperCola on here was going to do the same. Check out KrackerJack threads too. The rub rail is something I need and want but there are a bunch on here that have removed the aluminum angle off the top of the transom and glassed the transom and cap together making it smooth and one piece. In doing so they have lessened the chance of water intrusion/rot at the top of the transom.
What should I use for transom material? Wood and fiberglass. I have heard a lot of people say two layers of 3/4 ply is sufficient, I like the 2 layers of 3/4" so that is how I went. I was thinking of two layers of ply plus a 3/8 layer of aluminum sheet sandwiched and glued (5200?) into the transom for extra rigidity.

I have heard some of the speedboat manufacturers using aluminum and wood hybrid transoms with good success. I think it is overkill on a V-20. (Allison uses aluminum and so does Summerford IIRC) Besides, my V-20 transom was anything but flat from side to side so making the 3/8 aluminum conform would be an issue. Maybe just down the middle. I made the transom more ridgid by adding knee braces, fiberglassed to the existing stringers extending forward to the first bulkhead and extending up the transom 28 to 30". Might be overkill but it certainly has proved itself.