Transom: An Important Topic of National Debate Or Interest

  ContinuousWave
  Whaler
  Moderated Discussion Areas
  ContinuousWave: Whaler Repairs/Mods
  Transom: An Important Topic of National Debate Or Interest

search | FAQ | profile | register | author help

Author Topic:   Transom: An Important Topic of National Debate Or Interest

andrey320 posted 02-12-2011 08:29 PM ET (US)
[The original TOPIC line for this discussion was "Transom Issue," but I really do not think that this problem with an individual boat transom meets the definition of an issue--jimh]
Hello--I just noticed a circular crack around one of my lower motor mounting bolts. I have not really examined the other side. Is this [crack a] serious [problem]? [Or, is the crack confined to] just [the] gel coat? [Is it] time to use a transom saver? Or, time to sell the boat? This is on my 1995 Dauntless 15 with a light Honda 50. Thank you.
Buckda posted 02-12-2011 10:15 PM ET (US)
Is the Honda a "repower?" If so, return to your dealer and ask them to fix it, because when they installed the motor, they over-torqued the mounting bolt. It put a compression load on your transom and cracked your gelcoat.
It is unlikely that this is a structural problem, just cosmetic.
contender posted 02-12-2011 11:03 PM ET (US)
After the repair I would put a transom plate to distributed the weight and stress of the engine mounts and bolts
andrey320 posted 02-12-2011 11:57 PM ET (US)
The Honda is a re-power, but by a previous owner and I don't know where he had it installed.
Is a repair necessary? Will it get worse? I don't like to fix things unless there is a good reason for doing so. The cracking does not bother me if it is cosmetic. My boat has many dings that don't look pretty, but they don't really bother me.
Buckda posted 02-13-2011 11:10 AM ET (US)
It is not a structurally necessary repair. Dirt will get and has already arrived in the crack and make it dark.
That's that.
grizzly posted 02-13-2011 12:05 PM ET (US)
Can someone suggest where to buy the transom plate suggested? One with the Boston Whaler name and logo would be pretty cool.
jimh posted 02-13-2011 03:23 PM ET (US)
The image provided is not very clear, and it is difficult to assess the nature of the crack from the image.
Cracks in the gel coat layer of a Boston Whaler boat usually appear when the underlying layer to which they are bonded has been flexing or moving. The gel coat layer is not as flexible, and it also tends to become somewhat brittle with age, particularly if it has not been maintained properly and allowed to dry out. If there is movement, a crack in the gel coat will often appear.
I suggest you obtain the wood locating diagram for your boat. Compare the shape and location of any embedded reinforcements in the transom with the shape and location of the large circumferential crack around the engine mounting bolt hole. If there is a direct correspondence between the shape of the embedded reinforcement and the crack shape, then one could make an inference that movement of the transom structure causes the crack.
If there is no correlation between the shape and position of embedded reinforcement in the transom to the shape and position of the crack, the crack may have been caused by some external pressure on the gel coat, perhaps from a tool used in the installation of the motor, or perhaps from a large fender washer used to spread the load of the fastener.
The term "transom saver" is usually applied to devices which try to stabilize the outboard engine when it is tilted up to a position clear of the water for transit on a trailer. If your outboard engine is somewhat large and heavy, it could exert pressure on the transom and cause it to flex. However, I would be surprised if the result was a perfectly circular crack surrounding the mounting boat, as we see in your case.
I do not recommend selling the boat only because this crack has appeared.
contender posted 02-13-2011 05:21 PM ET (US)
Grizzly: You can have one made (basically this plate is just to protect the transom from what andrey has stated, it is plane geometry, mine has the shape of an Isosceles Trapezoid with rounded corners and 4 holes for the engine bolts) to your specification's out of say 1/8 aluminum and the shape of your choice. You could take the plate and have it polished, powered coated, then engraved. The designs and colors are only limit to your own thinking/ideas....Take care
andrey320 posted 02-13-2011 05:23 PM ET (US)
Thank you for the replies. Jim, thanks for escalating this non-issue witht the title change and the detailed reply.
I'll go on boating and ignore this cosmetic issue.
Tohsgib posted 02-14-2011 01:36 PM ET (US)
Do that, I cracked a couple myself, no biggie.
Binkster posted 02-14-2011 01:59 PM ET (US)
My boat has many dings that don't look pretty, but they don't really bother me.
Hey, I`ve been looking for a beat up Dauntless 15 that I can restore. How about selling that rig to me.
andrey320 posted 02-14-2011 04:17 PM ET (US)
Binkster, I wouldn't call my boat "beat up" and have not been considering selling, but there is a price for everything. I paid $7200 last July ('95 Dauntless 15 with a '06 Honda 50), have put in some money and have been extremely happy with it. I used it maybe 60 hours or so mostly salt water trips to a local island (13 miles away). So I guess what I am trying to say is that I may consider $10k for it…. But that probably doesn’t fit your definition of a beat up Dauntless.
Let me know if you are interested.
Binkster posted 02-15-2011 12:45 PM ET (US)
What can you do to restore a 10grand boat. Yours must be too nice and expensive.

Hop to:

Contact Us | RETURN to ContinuousWave Top Page

Powered by: Ultimate Bulletin Board, Freeware Version 2000
Purchase our Licensed Version- which adds many more features!
© Infopop Corporation (formerly Madrona Park, Inc.), 1998 - 2000.

Author	Topic: Transom: An Important Topic of National Debate Or Interest
andrey320	posted 02-12-2011 08:29 PM ET (US) [The original TOPIC line for this discussion was "Transom Issue," but I really do not think that this problem with an individual boat transom meets the definition of an issue--jimh] Hello--I just noticed a circular crack around one of my lower motor mounting bolts. I have not really examined the other side. Is this [crack a] serious [problem]? [Or, is the crack confined to] just [the] gel coat? [Is it] time to use a transom saver? Or, time to sell the boat? This is on my 1995 Dauntless 15 with a light Honda 50. Thank you.
Buckda	posted 02-12-2011 10:15 PM ET (US) Is the Honda a "repower?" If so, return to your dealer and ask them to fix it, because when they installed the motor, they over-torqued the mounting bolt. It put a compression load on your transom and cracked your gelcoat. It is unlikely that this is a structural problem, just cosmetic.
contender	posted 02-12-2011 11:03 PM ET (US) After the repair I would put a transom plate to distributed the weight and stress of the engine mounts and bolts
andrey320	posted 02-12-2011 11:57 PM ET (US) The Honda is a re-power, but by a previous owner and I don't know where he had it installed. Is a repair necessary? Will it get worse? I don't like to fix things unless there is a good reason for doing so. The cracking does not bother me if it is cosmetic. My boat has many dings that don't look pretty, but they don't really bother me.
Buckda	posted 02-13-2011 11:10 AM ET (US) It is not a structurally necessary repair. Dirt will get and has already arrived in the crack and make it dark. That's that.
grizzly	posted 02-13-2011 12:05 PM ET (US) Can someone suggest where to buy the transom plate suggested? One with the Boston Whaler name and logo would be pretty cool.
jimh	posted 02-13-2011 03:23 PM ET (US) The image provided is not very clear, and it is difficult to assess the nature of the crack from the image. Cracks in the gel coat layer of a Boston Whaler boat usually appear when the underlying layer to which they are bonded has been flexing or moving. The gel coat layer is not as flexible, and it also tends to become somewhat brittle with age, particularly if it has not been maintained properly and allowed to dry out. If there is movement, a crack in the gel coat will often appear. I suggest you obtain the wood locating diagram for your boat. Compare the shape and location of any embedded reinforcements in the transom with the shape and location of the large circumferential crack around the engine mounting bolt hole. If there is a direct correspondence between the shape of the embedded reinforcement and the crack shape, then one could make an inference that movement of the transom structure causes the crack. If there is no correlation between the shape and position of embedded reinforcement in the transom to the shape and position of the crack, the crack may have been caused by some external pressure on the gel coat, perhaps from a tool used in the installation of the motor, or perhaps from a large fender washer used to spread the load of the fastener. The term "transom saver" is usually applied to devices which try to stabilize the outboard engine when it is tilted up to a position clear of the water for transit on a trailer. If your outboard engine is somewhat large and heavy, it could exert pressure on the transom and cause it to flex. However, I would be surprised if the result was a perfectly circular crack surrounding the mounting boat, as we see in your case. I do not recommend selling the boat only because this crack has appeared.
contender	posted 02-13-2011 05:21 PM ET (US) Grizzly: You can have one made (basically this plate is just to protect the transom from what andrey has stated, it is plane geometry, mine has the shape of an Isosceles Trapezoid with rounded corners and 4 holes for the engine bolts) to your specification's out of say 1/8 aluminum and the shape of your choice. You could take the plate and have it polished, powered coated, then engraved. The designs and colors are only limit to your own thinking/ideas....Take care
andrey320	posted 02-13-2011 05:23 PM ET (US) Thank you for the replies. Jim, thanks for escalating this non-issue witht the title change and the detailed reply. I'll go on boating and ignore this cosmetic issue.
Tohsgib	posted 02-14-2011 01:36 PM ET (US) Do that, I cracked a couple myself, no biggie.
Binkster	posted 02-14-2011 01:59 PM ET (US) My boat has many dings that don't look pretty, but they don't really bother me. Hey, I`ve been looking for a beat up Dauntless 15 that I can restore. How about selling that rig to me.
andrey320	posted 02-14-2011 04:17 PM ET (US) Binkster, I wouldn't call my boat "beat up" and have not been considering selling, but there is a price for everything. I paid $7200 last July ('95 Dauntless 15 with a '06 Honda 50), have put in some money and have been extremely happy with it. I used it maybe 60 hours or so mostly salt water trips to a local island (13 miles away). So I guess what I am trying to say is that I may consider $10k for it…. But that probably doesn’t fit your definition of a beat up Dauntless. Let me know if you are interested.
Binkster	posted 02-15-2011 12:45 PM ET (US) What can you do to restore a 10grand boat. Yours must be too nice and expensive.