Cracked Fiberglass Near Transom

[downtown]

Those cracks are scary. I would want to run that boat in that condition. Yes. The four strokes technically are too heavy for that transom. Your scuppers are probably below the water line or lower than they were.

I'd have a moisture reading done as well as the sounding with a mallet. Compare moisture on the sides to that in the transom. You'll ve able to detect the wetter parts of the transom and the extent of the wetness.

It's not only the sound, but it's how the mallet bounces back. You need a surveyor who has seen rotted transoms before.

Then I'd get a great fiberglas guy and have him look at it. From the looks of it, you need to pull those engines and do the repair on those cracks. As I was told by Grady, it wasn't until 1998 until they stopped using plywood in those transoms. There is a good chance, with those cracks, that your transom is wet and the plywood is delaminating. But in doing the repair, if he digs in and sees the plywood dry, you are good to go with a cosmetic repair bringing your boat back looking good.

 

[sfc2113]

wow that's not good. The only way to know if that transom is wet or rotted is to drill a 1/8 hole somewhere near the middle and the bottom center into the wood. if the wood is wet or dry the drill bit ill tell the tale, if the wood on the bit it wet I would let the hole sit open overnight and check in the am to make sure water in not running out of the hole. That will let you know the extent of the wetness. If everything comes out dry, you can seal the holes with epoxy putty or thickened epoxy or even 5300 no one will notice.
It everything is dry and hopefully it still is you will still need to get that crack repaired. but you better seal it up real good to prevent it from letting water intrusion into the wood (rain ect). Good luck, just curious did you check with Grady on that weight limit for your transom and those f225's? To see if that year can handle that weight?
They will be able to tell you if your to heavy.

 

[Legend]

I was told by a dealer when the four strokes were entering the market that in addition to the weight, the have 4 strokes added torque that can damage the stern. The solution back then was to go with a 200 HPDI which was a great engine. The boat I'm referencing was a 1985 Seafarer being repowered in 2000.

 

[Harpoon]

You see plenty of older Grady's set up with four strokes.
I had a dealer tell me the same thing relative to repowering a 99 Parker. He was wrong, so glad I didn't listen.

 

[Fishtales]

what year and model is the boat?

 

[Mack_attack28]

The hull is a 1996 and the engones are 2002. The weight difference in the two strokes and four strokes really is not that much and I think the transom should support it. I'll probably drill a few small holes to check the wood. I'm trailering the boat again next week so I'm going to mark the cracks and see if they expand during trailering.

 

[ROBERTH]

Many years ago, when I had my 20' Renken with OMC Seadrive, the transom gave way when I hit a freak 12' wave going out of the Boca Inlet. I sent the boat back to the factory in SC and they added a heavy gauge aluminum angle on the inside of the transom. If I recall, they through bolted it with a couple of the motor mounts/bracket and then glassed most of it onto the transom.
20+ years later, no issues ever with this fix.