How to Fix a Transom
Your boat's transom carries the weight of the outboard motor. It forms the "rear wall" of your boat's hull. It stands a greater chance of being damaged by a bump from another boat because it's a flatter surface than the bow or sides and even a glancing blow is a direct blow to its structure. If your boat is wooden, the repairs amount to replacing and recaulking a few splintered boards. If your boat is wood-core fiberglass, however, the repairs become a bit more complicated but are easily done by the average boat owner.
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Things You'll Need
- Safety glasses
- Cotton masks
- Drill
- Hacksaw
- 1/2-inch pywood sheeting, C-C grade
- Pourable composite core material
- Palm sander (for finishing the transom's fiberglass top cap)
- #00 and #000 grit sandpaper sheets (for finishing the transom's fiberglass top cap)
- 2-part epoxy (resin and hardener, for finishing the transom's fiberglass top cap)
- Acrylic epoxy paint to match the color of your boat's stern (for finishing the transom's fiberglass top cap)
- Gel coat (available from your boat dealer; used to finish the top cap)
- Several paintbrushes
- Short-nap paint roller
- Fiberglass cloth
- Boat wax (to wax the face of the plywood that will come into contact with the core material)
- PVA mold release spray
Instructions
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1
Use the hacksaw to remove the top cap of the transom.
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2
Use the drill and hacksaw to remove the wood core of the transom without damaging the fiberglass sides; when you are finished, the transom should look line an empty fiberglass envelope. Wax the outside of the transom. Cut the fiberglass sheet into two strips, 3 inches longer and 3 inches wider than the top of the transom.
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3
Cut the two sheets of plywood to the width of the transom and to a height 6 inches taller than the transom. Wax the plywood. Screw one plywood sheet to the inside of the transom --- make sure the heads of the screws are not inside the transom -- and the other to the outside of the transom. Spray mold release spray on the plywood that is above the top edge of the transom. If your boat has a motor well, clamp or screw the sides of the motor well to the plywood to prevent an overflow of the composite core material between the transom and the plywood when you pour the core material into the transom.
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4
Mix the core material according to the manufacturer's directions and pour the composite core material into the empty transom. Place one of the fiberglass strips on top of the core material and tuck the edges into the core material.
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5
Allow the composite core material to cure according to the manufacturer's directions. Remove the plywood and use the additional fiberglass strip and epoxy to finish the top cap of the transom. Paint the top cap, allow the paint to dry completely and apply Gel Coat to the new top cap.
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1
Tips & Warnings
This is a project best done out of doors on a sunny day.
The composite core materials should be mixed and poured in a well ventilated area. The epoxy used to fiberglass the top cap of the transom should be mixed and used in a well-ventilated area. When working with fiberglass, cotton masks, safety glasses and long sleeves should be worn.
