Transom replacement/repair advice

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508

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Looks like I bought one of those "the more you look, the more you see" boats. After taking off the rotted plywood, saw more corrosion than I was expecting. Does it look like I'm ok to just sand off the residue and bolt my new transom in, or should I be concerned about the condition of the aluminum? If it makes a difference, it uses a jack plate to raise up the long shaft Yamaha and the transom cap is cracked in a few places (will replace). Thanks!
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How long are you going to keep the boat? Are there any other badly corroded areas besides the transom?

If a long term boat & no other damage, then I recommend removing the braces & replacing the skin, or at least adding another layer on the outside. That skin is too corroded to save.

It may be a whole lot easier to just get another boat in better condition.
 
Can you confirm if a saltwater boat? And you need to look close at the corrosion, you need to really dig one out and drill one out, for a thorough investigation.

Using a magnifying glass ... seriously ... and if you see a layer of ‘white’ between the inside and outside layers of the tin skin, then it indeed has ‘Chloride precipitate corrosion‘ and that is self-perpetuating and it WILL eventually eat itself away. Take a look at the picture of the StarCraft in my signature, where I had to replace the transom skins.

If you were only using this in freshwater in small places, meaning not getting into big seas or waves, clean it up well and remove ALL traces of corrosion. Dig out all corrosion and wash with white vinegar and copper scrub brushes. Rinse & dry well then prime ‘as soon as you can’ with an epoxy-based 2-part zinc chromate primer. Then fill the holes with an epoxy like with systems G flex 650 or even JB Weld. Rebuild new transom w/ new wood and SS fasteners (insulated from the tin) ... and keep a GOOD eye on it ...

Luckily, the worst areas appear well above the waterline, so perhaps extend the new wood transom down as low as you can in the boat, maybe even ‘notched’ around the knee, to add back structural strength to the transom. There is an example of how I used 2 layers of wood to ‘notch’ around the knee on a 12’ tin = https://forum.tinboats.net/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=43039

Good luck ... and please let us know how you make out!
 
CedarRiverScooter said:
How long are you going to keep the boat? Are there any other badly corroded areas besides the transom?

If a long term boat & no other damage, then I recommend removing the braces & replacing the skin, or at least adding another layer on the outside. That skin is too corroded to save.

It may be a whole lot easier to just get another boat in better condition.
Click to expand...
This is my first boat (bought a couple months ago) and hoping to keep it as long as possible. Planning to strip the whole thing down to the metal in the spring, so I'll make sure to look closely for any other corrosion once all the paint and epoxy is removed. Appreciate the advice.




 
DaleH said:
Can you confirm if a saltwater boat? And you need to look close at the corrosion, you need to really dig one out and drill one out, for a thorough investigation.

Using a magnifying glass ... seriously ... and if you see a layer of ‘white’ between the inside and outside layers of the tin skin, then it indeed has ‘Chloride precipitate corrosion‘ and that is self-perpetuating and it WILL eventually eat itself away. Take a look at the picture of the StarCraft in my signature, where I had to replace the transom skins.

If you were only using this in freshwater in small places, meaning not getting into big seas or waves, clean it up well and remove ALL traces of corrosion. Dig out all corrosion and wash with white vinegar and copper scrub brushes. Rinse & dry well then prime ‘as soon as you can’ with an epoxy-based 2-part zinc chromate primer. Then fill the holes with an epoxy like with systems G flex 650 or even JB Weld. Rebuild new transom w/ new wood and SS fasteners (insulated from the tin) ... and keep a GOOD eye on it ...

Luckily, the worst areas appear well above the waterline, so perhaps extend the new wood transom down as low as you can in the boat, maybe even ‘notched’ around the knee, to add back structural strength to the transom. There is an example of how I used 2 layers of wood to ‘notch’ around the knee on a 12’ tin = https://forum.tinboats.net/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=43039

Good luck ... and please let us know how you make out!
Click to expand...
The previous owner said it had only been in freshwater, but who really knows. I'll check out the link. Hoping this boat doesn't cost more to fix up than it's worth. Assuming replacing the transom skin isn't cheap. I'll take a real close look at the corrosion as you described. Thanks for the advice.




 
508 said:
Assuming replacing the transom skin isn't cheap ...
Click to expand...
That’s not even half of it, the biggest part is the labor! Plus the tin must be formed with all the radius where they go in about 2-3“ where the sides and bottom get riveted to the hull.

You will NOT find anyone to do this for you ... and even if you did, it would be cost prohibitive! I only did mine as I had already bought the boat, motor, and trailer ... and she was a good hull with 16-degrees of true deadrise at the stern, which is very uncommon for most smaller tin boats. Plus it had a superb OB motor!

In the end it was a TON of work & effort and while I learn new skills ... I would certainly not do it again ... EVER! I had only paid $1000 for the entire rig, repaired it, then used it for a few years, and later sold it for a good $1,500 profit, so I was happy.
 
DaleH said:
508 said:
Assuming replacing the transom skin isn't cheap ...
Click to expand...
That’s not even half of it, the biggest part is the labor! Plus the tin must be formed with all the radius where they go in about 2-3“ where the sides and bottom get riveted to the hull.

You will NOT find anyone to do this for you ... and even if you did, it would be cost prohibitive! I only did mine as I had already bought the boat, motor, and trailer ... and she was a good hull with 16-degrees of true deadrise at the stern, which is very uncommon for most smaller tin boats. Plus it had a superb OB motor!

In the end it was a TON of work & effort and while I learn new skills ... I would certainly not do it again ... EVER! I had only paid $1000 for the entire rig, repaired it, then used it for a few years, and later sold it for a good $1,500 profit, so I was happy.
Click to expand...
I paid $1,300 for the boat, motor, and ancient trailer, so I knew I had some work to do but welding is a bit out of scope. The hope was to convert from duck to bass boat. Hopefully I can avoid the new transom skin, but at least I know what to research now!
8390f1b7207ec7f21af8b63e8a989b3b.jpg




 
CedarRiverScooter said:
You could just rivet a flat skin on, seal it well. It would outlast your ownership.
Click to expand...
... that can actually make things worse ... as if there is anything still going on within the tin, trapped moisture WILL make it worse! no matter how well sealed, which is doubtful to be 100%, any condensation between the skins will be a factor. I've seen it happen with other tin overlays.
 
DaleH said:
508 said:
You will NOT find anyone to do this for you ... and even if you did, it would be cost prohibitive!
Click to expand...

If you live in Southwestern Ontario or near the Detroit or Port Huron, Michigan border I can form that transom for you. If you live in Michigan you probably cannot cross into Canada because of Covid restrictions. I work at a auto restoration shop and forming that transom is a lot easier than building Auburn fenders from scratch. Sure wouldn't take long with our equipment.
Another business that could possibly build your transom would be a sheetmetal fabrication business if you have one in your area.
Click to expand...
 
BillPlayfoot said:
DaleH said:
508 said:
You will NOT find anyone to do this for you ... and even if you did, it would be cost prohibitive!
Click to expand...

If you live in Southwestern Ontario or near the Detroit or Port Huron, Michigan border I can form that transom for you. If you live in Michigan you probably cannot cross into Canada because of Covid restrictions. I work at a auto restoration shop and forming that transom is a lot easier than building Auburn fenders from scratch. Sure wouldn't take long with our equipment.
Another business that could possibly build your transom would be a sheetmetal fabrication business if you have one in your area.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately I'm in the states, but it might be a moot point. In stripping the boat down I've found a number of hull rivets one of the previous owners replaced with steel nuts/bolts/washers. Might have to scrap the whole thing if there's more corrosion.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
 

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