How to Rebuild a Boat Transom
Perhaps you need to rebuild your boat's transom to hang a larger motor on the stern, or maybe your transom has become as flexible and spongy as a large piece of foam rubber. Either way, by using a pourable core replacement product to rebuild your transom you'll cause minimal damage to the fiberglass--meaning you won't face the onerous task of extensive fiberglass repair--and you'll install new flotation material that will give your transom its original strength.
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Things You'll Need
- Drill
- Hole saw
- Reciprocating saw
- Chisel
- Hammer
- Garden trowel
- Fiberglass repair kit
- Pourable transom repair material
Instructions
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1
Drill a hole in one corner of the top of the transom. Expand the hole with a hole saw, so that the hole is large enough to accommodate insertion of your reciprocating saw blade. Insert the saw into the hole, and cut along the edges of the top of the transom to create a hatch into the inside of the transom. Set the top aside.
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2
Dig, chip, chisel or drill the interior foam out of the middle of the transom without damaging the fiberglass on the front or back of the transom. Take care not to damage any wiring or hoses that run through the transom. When you're finished, your transom should resemble an empty fiberglass box.
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3
Use a fiberglass repair kit to repair any damage to the fiberglass walls of the transom. Kits vary from maker to maker, so it's important to follow the directions that come with the kit exactly.
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4
Mix one of the pourable transom repair materials you can find at boating suppliers according to the directions for use. These materials vary as much as or more than fiberglass repair kits, so it's critical that you follow the specific label directions. Pour the transom repair material into the empty transom, and allow the material to cure according to the directions specific to the product.
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5
Replace the top of the transom that you set aside. Use the fiberglass repair kit to repair the cuts you made in the top and to fill in the hole the repair started with.
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References
- "The Fiberglass Boat Repair Manual"; Allan Vaitses; 1988
