Transom Failure Incidents

[Hookup1]

If you watch the above linked video of the incident, the last 20 seconds or so of the video shows extensive damage and cracks to the transom that someone did some half assed "repairs" to the boat. If you look at the 04:52 mark in the video and pause it, you'll see a massive crack on the port side that goes down well past the waterline and into the bottom paint. To me, this is an owner who is completely negligent, unsafe or is just looking for a payday from the insurance company as I can't imagine any insurance company would pay out on something with a quart of putty globbed on there like that.

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Mustang65fbk - you got the wrong boat. That video is of the Port St. Lucy boat that clearly had a transom failure. SkunkBoat is referring to the NJ boat that went down in front of the party boat. This is the one you were convinced they left the drain plug out. Why it sank was never explained and no smoking gun video.

 

[SkunkBoat]

If you watch the above linked video of the incident, the last 20 seconds or so of the video shows extensive damage and cracks to the transom that someone did some half assed "repairs" to the boat. If you look at the 04:52 mark in the video and pause it, you'll see a massive crack on the port side that goes down well past the waterline and into the bottom paint. To me, this is an owner who is completely negligent, unsafe or is just looking for a payday from the insurance company as I can't imagine any insurance company would pay out on something with a quart of putty globbed on there like that.

View attachment 31475

First, thats not the 265 Express that HMB was talking about.

The "repair" you see is most probably wax put there by the tow company ...or possibly the owner during the sinking to try stop the leak.
I carry that same "toilet ring wax" in my emergency tools.


I would also comment that the cracks are not in a place that you would associate with a wet/rotten transom. They are at the end of the wood, not at the inside corners.
It may be that the transom let go of the stringers.
We can't know from the video. Its possible they struck a large heavy object with their outboards....but its all conjecture...

 

[Hookup1]

I would also comment that the cracks are not in a place that you would associate with a wet/rotten transom. They are at the end of the wood, not at the inside corners.
It may be that the transom let go of the stringers.
We can't know from the video. Its possible they struck a large heavy object with their outboards....but its all conjecture...

After looking at a few of these "transom failures" I'm convinced the transoms are separating from the stringers and putting load on the fiberglass hull. The engines are tearing the intact transom out.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

First, thats not the 265 Express that HMB was talking about.

The "repair" you see is most probably wax put there by the tow company ...or possibly the owner during the sinking to try stop the leak.
I carry that same "toilet ring wax" in my emergency tools.


I would also comment that the cracks are not in a place that you would associate with a wet/rotten transom. They are at the end of the wood, not at the inside corners.
It may be that the transom let go of the stringers.
We can't know from the video. Its possible they struck a large heavy object with their outboards....but its all conjecture...

Whether the "wax" was added by the tow company or not, I can't imagine having cracks like that below the waterline wouldn't in some way contribute to the boat taking on water.

 

[SkunkBoat]

 

[mikesne]

I have an '82-204C. I saw the signs of rust around the u-bolts and the aluminum caps had been caulked with silicone. the tell-tale sign was when I drilled to put the transducer on. water squirted out of the hole that I drilled.

I tore it apart and rebuilt the transom, 6 months later I'm back on the water. It cost me about $1500 in plywood, fiberglass cloth, epoxy, fairing, paint, and misc accessories.

 

[HMBJack]

I have an '82-204C. I saw the signs of rust around the u-bolts and the aluminum caps had been caulked with silicone. the tell-tale sign was when I drilled to put the transducer on. water squirted out of the hole that I drilled.

I tore it apart and rebuilt the transom, 6 months later I'm back on the water. It cost me about $1500 in plywood, fiberglass cloth, epoxy, fairing, paint, and misc accessories.

Mike - If you didn't rebuild your transom, do you think you would have had a catastrophic failure?

Did you notice if your transom was flexing when standing on the lower unit or while underway?

Curious.
Thanks

 

[SkunkBoat]

HMB-
I went thru a transom project on an 84 Wellcraft. It had wet wood in the inside corners (because it had the same stupid aluminum trim over the transom seam as a Grady) and wet wood where 30 years of transducers had been mounted. The motor had NO signs of flexing. The gelcoat (not the glass) had some spiders in the corners. I agonized over it.
Finally I bit the bullet and re-cored the transom using a pourable material (Carbon-Core aka ARJAY aka Nidacore).
When I demolished the existing transom it was clear it wasn't going anywhere for a while and I really didn't need to be doing it.

But I felt a lot better when I was riding in 3 footers 60 miles out in a 30 y.o. boat

 

[SeaMyth]

My tell that something was wrong with the transom was that my stern bilge kept going off while drift fishing in following seas, where water was coming in the engine well.
Did the transom repair exactly like Rocklobster above.
Remove engines
Remove Cap
Grind down to where the aluminum was in good shape
re-glass and gelcoat and seal transom
2 years later and my bilge has remained bone dry!!

Frank

I recommend checking hoses and through hull fittings as well. I've had a 1993 252 sailfish since 2005. Recently, I discovered bilge and scupper drain hoses had dry rotted and were the causes for water encroachment creating multiple scenarios 4, 1 1/2 in. holes at the waterline. There was transom rot around the scuppers that I repaired with Stop Rot epoxy. Core samples around the scuppers area were dry. Incently, when I boaght my boat my surveyor report 25% moisture in my transom but when I checked with my own moisture meter I got readings closer to zero. Older Gradys also have nylon through hull fittings that UV break down over time. I've replaced with stainless. My fuel fill hoses were also dry rotted and leaked gallons of fuel into the bilge. I had to cut an access panel in cap to replace the fill hoses.

 

[PointedRose]

Rock solid transom on this one!

 

[Late Again Grady]

Repowered my 94 Sailfish in May 2021 with Mercury 225's, V6's. Had the original Yami 200 smokers prior. About three weeks after the repower, the mate told me he noticed the transom flexing back and forth over an inch while crossing small wakes in the no wake zone. I verified the movement the next day myself and immediately called our local fiberglass guru. He came over immediately, pushed up and down on the skeg of the outboards and we both went "whoa". He popped the inspection covers and stuck his phone in there and took a few pics. Rust stains from all eight engine mounting bolts. Next day, began a complete transom rebuild.

 

[Hookup1]

Repowered my 94 Sailfish in May 2021 with Mercury 225's, V6's. Had the original Yami 200 smokers prior. About three weeks after the repower, the mate told me he noticed the transom flexing back and forth over an inch while crossing small wakes in the no wake zone. I verified the movement the next day myself and immediately called our local fiberglass guru. He came over immediately, pushed up and down on the skeg of the outboards and we both went "whoa". He popped the inspection covers and stuck his phone in there and took a few pics. Rust stains from all eight engine mounting bolts. Next day, began a complete transom rebuild.

Some of the stringers are suspect too. Do you have "repaired" photo before they put it back together?

 

[Late Again Grady]

Some of the stringers are suspect too. Do you have "repaired" photo before they put it back together?

The only stringer that was compromised was the middle one. As you see in this pic, it was completely removed and replaced with Coosa board as was the transom. The other stringers were stripped of any loose fiberglass and re-glassed and sistered with Coosa board as well. Unfortunately, I don't have pics of those. Here's one of the middle stringer removed. I also replaced all of the thru hulls and floor drains while the back end was open.

 

[Hookup1]

The only stringer that was compromised was the middle one. As you see in this pic, it was completely removed and replaced with Coosa board as was the transom. The other stringers were stripped of any loose fiberglass and re-glassed and sistered with Coosa board as well. Unfortunately, I don't have pics of those. Here's one of the middle stringer removed. I also replaced all of the thru hulls and floor drains while the back end was open.

Thanks for the photo. I saw the middle stringer in the previous photo. I'm planning to do the transom on my Islander next spring. Going to access and repair it the same way you did. There is no movement in it but I have some suspicious cracks under the rub rail.

I have a feeling that there are a lot of transoms and stringers that are compromised that owners are unaware of. I suspect a combination of bang cap, material choices and poor workmanship/quality control at GW.

 

[HMBJack]

Late Again - Excellent post + photos. Thank you.

Your boat is a 1994 and your wet transom hung in there for 27 years.
That alone is impressive.

It also shows that wet plywood doesn't last forever.

The aluminum strapping ("L" shaped brace) connecting the plywood transom to the stringers is a key engineering element.
However, once the wet plywood disconnects from the aluminum brace, that is the beginning of the end.

 

[Hookup1]

The aluminum strapping ("L" shaped brace) connecting the plywood transom to the stringers is a key engineering element.
However, once the wet plywood disconnects from the aluminum brace, that is the beginning of the end.

I have not seen the "L" bracing. I thought the stringers a fillet and covered with glass. I have a email out to GW to see if I can get some transom details but have not heard back from them.

 

[Marty Cherry]

Here is my experience. I have a 2004 Bimini 306 that has these cracks in the inside corners of the engine well- port and starboard. As you can see in the pics, the outside shows zero signs of cracking - not even spider cracks. I contacted Grady with these pics and they told me it was cosmetic and sent me replacement flexible plastic pieces they had made specifically for that section. I do have the advantage of being in South Florida so if water did get in, it would not expand during winter freezing. I also put my hand on the engines at idle and had my friend gun to full throttle- neither the transom nor the engines budged. I feel confident I do not have a transom problem......... I hope.

 

[glacierbaze]

You may not have a transom problem, but I would have zero confidence. You will have a serious problem, if you ever decide to sell the boat.

 

[Late Again Grady]

I agree with Glacierbaze. You may not have a problem now...but it ain't far down the road. Do you have access covers that will allow you to snap some pics of the inside of the transom? I'd love to see them.

 

[Marty Cherry]

You may not have a transom problem, but I would have zero confidence. You will have a serious problem, if you ever decide to sell the boat.

I am not sure why you say that. The transom is not showing any movement under stress and Grady White says there is no issue. Are you suggesting that a surveyor will see the edge cracks and assume there is an integrity issue? A side note- I was at a local Grady dealer and virtually every older Grady had the same cracks on the inside edge and no marks on the outside.