Assessing transom condition

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laxtond

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I recently purchased a 17ft Smokercraft 1750 with a 28hp Johnson 2 stroke. I'll be using the boat more or less as is until the beginning of winter when I'll not be using the boat much then doing some repairs and modifications. My first order of business will be fixing a few slow leaks and (potentially) repairing the transom. My brother had originally bought the boat, we had used it a few times as is, and then we decided I'd be the one to keep it. The transom is currently pretty structurally sound but if i'll be investing a lot of time and a fair amount of money in the boat I'd like for it to be a once and done job.

Hopefully the pictures I've attached give a good idea of what the repair will entail.

I only see two routes to take to get this done:

1) Cut the top off of the cap, along with corner braces and remove from the top, replace and have the entire thing re-welded

2) Remove the side braces/decks beside the rear bench, remove angle brace, and remove the bottom Z channel to get the wood out from the bottom then replace all rivets drilled out (and possibly have some welding done to reinforce things)

I'm all for getting things done right the first time, but I have a history of diving into things head first and then somewhat regretting the work I've made for myself. I'm hoping to keep this boat for a while and want to make sure it is safe and will last for a while.

I've probed some of the holes that are already in the aluminum to assess the condition of the wood and it seems to be holding up pretty well. If I leave the transom as is I'll waterproof all of the holes to keep moisture out and maybe add a piece of aluminum to the inside of the transom to help distribute the force being applied by the circular feet of the outboard.

Thanks for taking the time to check out my post, any input is greatly appreciated.
 

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Your thoughts are along mine.

In my world, I would do the same IF the wood appeared to be rot free and sound.
Be careful as to your caulking and waterproofing.
As it is now, the wood can breathe. get wet and dry out.
My line of thought goes to if you seal it all up air tight, whatever moisture is trapped in the
wood . . . could quickly become a problem leading to rot.

Just do a good check every 6 months or so.


oh, and :WELCOME: to Tin Boats.
Please complete your profile when you have time.
Knowing what part of the country you hail from helps us
give you more accurate information.



.
 
I would leave it alone if it appears good. No need to do all that work unless you are just bored.
 
Johnny - I was thinking the same thing about not having some way for the wood to breath if it does get wet, but at the same time keeping it dry seems to circumvent the problem before it occurs. I'll keep an eye on things while the boat is parked in the garage and see if it looks like it gets much drier or stays at about the same level of moisture.



Jy951 - Thats what my gut is telling me, too. I think that trying to change the transom board is going to be quite the undertaking (one I don't mind to do if I find necessary), but i'd much rather not have to go through all of the trouble if I can convince myself that it isn't needed.


My biggest concern is that I'll put a lot of effort into fixing the boat, it'll serve me well for a year or two then I'll find that the transom is beginning to fail and i'll have to re-pull the motor, mess with the fit and finish of the already complete boat and then have to redo work rather than just going through and doing things completely the first time.

Are there any tests that one can do to get an idea of how well the transom is holding up? Should I just look for any flex when force is applied to the outboard? There doesn't seem to be any cracks or damage to the transom, however the bottom of the motor mount does appear to be every so slightly pressing the aluminum in and making an indention. (This may be somewhat normal after the boat has been used for some time?)

Thanks again for taking the time to check out my post and weigh in.
 
I tighten the motor down, then put it on the pin that tilts it up the highest and grab the skeg and rock it back and forth to check for flex. If it seems like the entire boat is moving your probably fine. Also before filling those holes you good hit it with a blow dryer for a bit too make sure it's dry
 

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