Transom Rebuild - follow my journey

[Tuxedo4123]

Update 1994 263 Chase. Bad news…stringers are rotten up to and past fuel tank. Rear bulkhead is rotten. Transom is rotten. Estimate now 20,000$ . Basically everything below the deck is rotten. But the good news is the battery tray is in good shape!

 

[Hockeysurf7]

wow are you

Update 1994 263 Chase. Bad news…stringers are rotten up to and past fuel tank. Rear bulkhead is rotten. Transom is rotten. Estimate now 20,000$ . Basically everything below the deck is rotten. But the good news is the battery tray is in good shape!

wow are you keeping the boat? i would like to see more pic of this project

 

[Drew61199]

Yeah, as a Chase 263 owner, I dunno what I'd do in that situation. I'm about to take mine in to hopefully have the transom sealed up (bang plate removed), but if that kind of report came back and your boat is already cut in half, I feel like you almost have to dump the money into it. Will be near impossible to sell as is. I guess at least if you do the work, with the way boat prices are going, you may recoup in a few years owning the only 'solid' GW in town?!

 

[Tuxedo4123]

Yes, going to keep it. I could not sell it as is, just don’t do that. Everything will be brand new and no chance of rot as all materials used are as rot proof as modern technology can make them. Also Troy, who is spearheading this rebuild, is going to beef up the stringers, transom, etc. to far exceed original specs. So we will have a boat that I know exactly what is inside of it and also good for far longer than I will be alive….plus resale will have the build and pics for the new owner. Will I make my $ back? Nope. Will probably loose a fair amount but piece of mind…priceless. We were actually toying with the idea of running it from the Carolina’s to New England as we have a place to stay with my cousin on Martha’s Vinyard. Take it slow, day trips, stop and smell the roses and wine shops up the coast. Would be an adventure. I will post more pics as I get them…it’s a 10 hour round trip to Chocowinity NC so I’ll probably make one more in a week or so. I have also been finishing a complete rebuild of our families 1984 American Skier and am in the middle of blasting and painting the trailer. So my time is rather busy! Enclosed are a few pics of Freestyle, the skier…new floors, carpet, gauges, interior apholstery etc.

 

[Drew61199]

In all honesty, I've been toying with selling mine, so look daily at what's out there and what else is avail for me to move into. The cheapest Chase near me (FL) was $25k with original twin OX66 and just sold (quickly I'll add). Now the cheapest is mid $40k with 2k hr 4strokes. That's kinda how I'm justifying any expense I may have. I've only had mine 2yrs, so if I have to put 10k into it, I won't own the cheapest, but I can guarantee the next owner many yrs of hassle-free ownership and there is some value in that. Good luck with the rebuild and please update as you get new pics from the yard

 

[Tuxedo4123]

In all honesty, I've been toying with selling mine, so look daily at what's out there and what else is avail for me to move into. The cheapest Chase near me (FL) was $25k with original twin OX66 and just sold (quickly I'll add). Now the cheapest is mid $40k with 2k hr 4strokes. That's kinda how I'm justifying any expense I may have. I've only had mine 2yrs, so if I have to put 10k into it, I won't own the cheapest, but I can guarantee the next owner many yrs of hassle-free ownership and there is some value in that. Good luck with the rebuild and please update as you get new pics from the yard

Will do. I have a single 2006 250 Yamaha 4 stroke on it, and in all honesty, after buying the new trailer (3 yrs old) when I bought the boat I’m looking at 50k into it After fixing it. Thought about twin 150 but I’m getting + - 11.0 gal per hour at 23 mph. Not bad, gives me around 350 miles on a tank with a healthy reserve. I figure to loose 10-15k when I sell it, or maybe not?

 

[IFish4Tuna]

And here are the final pictures. Sorry about the delay. I was waiting on them to put on the finish end cap. I do need to order rub rail end caps. The original ones are pretty much worn out so have contacted GW to find the model. If I can't find. I'll improvise.

So instead of the crappy aluminum edge like GW used, they used a 3/8" fiberglass L-shaped piece along the length of the transom. This piece goes over the aluminum rail, and under the interior endcap provided by GW. It's filled w/ sealants/epoxy. It's permanent. Then the outer edges of the fiberglass are sealed with silicon sealant. I expect I'll need to inspect/replace that sealant every year or so.

The 4 blocks I'm holding will go where each of the engine mount holes is. They are pre-drilled. They are made of the same fiberglass material as the L-bracket. The L-Bracket wraps down over the transom so each of the 4 is essentially a shim which will go under the motor mount brackets.

Also replaced my ladder mount bracket which got lifted up when the kids used to leave it in the water and the drive the boat.

Still waiting on my Suzuki 250 AP's to arrive. No word on when.

VERY HAPPY w/ the results. That's a wrap.
Ed

 

[Fishtales]

I got the entire joint glassed over and gelcoated. It is one seamless piece. Not a fan of any fastners thru the glass.