Transom drain tubes

bartoma

bartoma

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So I pulled the old scuppers off the transom (265) and saw that two of the three drain tubes were not flared on the outside of the transom... The flare on the inside on the middle drain had corroded and broken off, so I was keen to replace at least that one... I chiseled out the middle and starboard tubes, and didn't note any issues with the wood inside the holes - all seems solid, no sponginess, no cracks... I did notice that the transom measures about 3.25" thick at these holes, and and even 3 " at the port hole (with the intact tube)...

The boat stays on a lift, so it is dry (and has been since 2013 when I bought it) most of the time... Should I have any concerns regarding my transom? I am planning on replacing the tubes this week, and am planning on replacing the scuppers with the stainless stick-on ones from the stern pad folks...

Thoughts?
 
If no visible delamination or fiberglass bubbles, I would replace and monitor. Then check all seams and joints and seal up.
The other option is jump in and rip her down, repair and reglass as required. This isn't cheap (I'm going through it now after observing some delamination). You can always do it later if you have to and it isn't going to cost that much more.
 
After worrying about this, I had a knowledgeable inspector come by and take a look... After going over it with a moisture meter and some light tapping, he confirmed that the hull is "bone dry" - much to my great relief...
 
bartoma said:
After worrying about this, I had a knowledgeable inspector come by and take a look... After going over it with a moisture meter and some light tapping, he confirmed that the hull is "bone dry" - much to my great relief...
Click to expand...
If it gives you some peace of mind, you could use six10 epoxy to refill the drain holes, let dry, then redrill. In essence that would reseal those preexisting holes before the scuppers go in with sealant. You’re probably good to go though for several more years at least if you keep it on a lift.
 
I'm seeing the same exact issues with my 2004 265 - flanges gone and some corrosion. Aside from using brass have you found other options? What diameter are they? (I'm away from the boat so I can't check for a while).
One more thing on the list!
 
They are 1.25" diameter... I found some on Amazon from Marine City that are 4" long - most others were 3"... I needed the longer ones because the two holes I am redoing are about 3.25" deep...

Looked like T-H Marine has an alternative, as does Gem... These are plastic tubes with connectors that seal the ends... When I talked to the inspector about next step, he said that brass tubes secured with liberal amounts of 5200 are perfectly acceptable... If I kept it in the water I might epoxy as some have suggested, but this guy said that wouldn't be necessary in this case - just liberal amounts of 5200 around the hole and tube ends, and I should be good to go...
 
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I was actually recently looking at the TH Marine plastic one. I like their products - they've always seemed to be a good company. I may just give them a try. I would imagine that they'll last at least as long as the metal tubes. Either way, "pre-sealing" the core is the most important part - and I'll probably do that with thinned epoxy, then a good sealant - although I'm not a fan of 5200 here given it's basically super glue and that's not what's needed/wanted in this application.
 
My 265 drain tubes also need replacement, that GEM product looks cool.
 
I put the plastic ones in my 330 and didn’t like the fit or look. I wound up pulling them out and putting brass in.
 
Th marine I got the black plastic. The flair pushed the rubber open on the scupper also. when I changed them they didnt stick to the 5200 very good either. They weren’t very expensive so it was more labor than anything else.
 
I just went through this, did the brass ones, bought the flaring tool, which is collecting dust in my garage. Yes they are 1 1/4 inch. The hardest part is finding ones greater than 3 inches in length, but they are out there. I put epoxy in the holes, they were a little damp when i got the old tubes out but nothing that didn't come bone dry with a hair dryer. Make sure you grease the threads on that flaring tool, nearly impossible without doing that. I have a post on here from a couple months ago detailing the steps.

IMO I'd go brass, they did that for a reason, plastic will fail sooner than brass. If you seal up with epoxy and use more than a squirt of caulk you'll be doing a far better job than they did at the factory.
 
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