Transom Seal (Should I Be Worried?)

[Jonah]

Hi all,

I've noticed that the sealant at the edges of my transom doesn't look so good. I'm wondering how worried I should be, and what I should do about it.

Come to think of it, I don't even know how the transom is really built. I assume there is steel in there?

Boat is a 1995, and the current engines were put on in 2012 by a GW dealer in FL, which is also where the boat was originally sold and has always been serviced.

 

[gradywhiteman]

hey jonah, there shouldn't be any steel in there. looking at your pictures it seems to me that water most likely is getting in, so i would check your transom for any rot that might have started. i have an 82 tournament that i replaced the transom on. if you are handy it wasn't that big of a deal.

 

[Jonah]

Thanks GWMan. I am definitely not handy enough to repair a transom, and I don't have a lift or trailer anyway.

Is it easy to check for rot, or should I call a surveyor? Should I re-seal these spots, or would that just lock in moisture?

 

[PrinceofThieves]

How long has it looked like that, with those gaps and in particular he detached aluminum cap? I don't want to scare you, but I would pop those engines off as soon as possible and find a knowledgeable place to inspect it and make the necessary repairs and probably not the place you have been going to, The transom is made of plywood sandwiched between 2 skins of glass (on a 95' hull). Later years had some poly based compounds added, but not in the 90's. .

 

[gradywhiteman]

i knew mine was bad when i drilled a hole for a wire clip and a stream of water came out. you can check yourself by taking a small hammer
and tapping on the transom if the transom is good you will hear a sharp rap, where its soft you will hear a dull rap.

 

[Jonah]

Thanks again. The gap has been there for at least a few months, but I thought that the fiberglass outer skin ran under the area where the sealant was, and so was not worried. (I thought the sealant filled a gap and provided padding for vibration, not protection from water getting into the transom.)

The aluminum cap only popped off that screw recently, which was what drew my attention to the area again.

Is it really the case that this sealant is the only thing between the outside elements and the core of the transom? I'd just be surprised if I removed that sealant and was looking at the inside layers of fiberglass or wood core. Seems too risky for a GW, and especially for an area as important as the transom.

 

[gradywhiteman]

older gradys are known for problems with the aluminum cap. i eliminated the cap when i rebuilt the transom.

 

[PrinceofThieves]

Unfortunately, once that sealant is removed and that cap lifted, you will see the edge of the outside skin, the edge of the wood, possibly an aluminum strip on top of the wood running the length of transom and some hull & deck compound on top of that strip. These transom caps are a notorious trouble makers. There are plenty of threads on her about it and pics of repair. I personally repaired and replaced on my 265 and 330. That cap and sealant are a weak link and could last about 10-12yrs without giving you trouble (my experience). HOWEVER, if repowering, the replacement of that cap is a must! The change of weight, engine positions, settling, etc. will force that cap to pop and this is a simple, relatively inexpensive thing to do when repowering.

 

[Jonah]

Thanks again. Yes, I had seen a comment or two about aluminum caps on transoms, but did not realize that it was referring to this strip.

This is a bummer to hear. I will be finding a local surveyor to check the transom (and the rest, while at it) for any rot, and will take it from there.

 

[HMBJack]

I agree with the above. When time and $ permit, it's a good idea to have a thorough inspection and proceed from there. You might be able to do much of the work yourself. The boat is 24 years old so it's probably due for this anyway...

A couple things you can do now:

1. Drill a couple of small exploratory holes in the transom and see if you see water dripping out. You can easily reseal these with 4200.

2. With the engine(s) in the running position (boat on trailer), you can stand on your lower unit's horizontal fins. Bounce around a bit and see if you see ANY movement what-so-ever on your transom corners.

 

[Jonah]

Thanks HMBJack, I might try these before the inspection, but it sounds like I'm going to need one either way.

 

[Jonah]

I removed the sealant, and here are some photos. I'll be getting an inspection done soon.

 

[seasick]

Maybe. My concern at first glance are the cracks. They could be cosmetic or due to swelling of the core due to water intrusion and maybe freezing. Just can't tell from looking at the photos.
Good luck with the inspection

 

[Jonah]

Thanks seasick,

The boat has always been in FL or Bahamas, so I don't think that freezing is a possibility. But yes, water seems surely to have been getting in.

Will report again after inspection.

 

[andyb]

Most manufacturers, Grady included, use that B.S. aluminum cap and goop it up with sealant as their way to trim it out and seal up the gap between the hull and the liner/cap. This is also why you see the full transom boats with original, and still solid, transoms a lot more frequently than you do the euro or notched transoms...no B.S. cap and sealant on the top edge of the transom to cover it up. It's covered by the cap of the boat itself.

If you have to rebuild the transom, make sure the builder does it correctly and doesn't leave the top edge open and gooped up with a cap to cover it up again. You'll be right back where you started.

I am admittedly biased. I absolutely loved my Pioneer. But this is how a transom should be built.

 

[Lt.Mike]

The cap on mine was shot so I replaced it with thicker 2”angle aluminum.
On yours, I’m assumining you have outboards. Trim them up and try bouncing them by the lower units to see if there is any flex in the transom. If you have no noticeable flex your probably good. I’d get the boat transom under dry cover, dig out the old caulk and put some heat lamps on the transom for a couple days to dry it out as best you can then seal it up with 5200. A new heavier cap and transom braces behind the outboards will help.

 

[Fishtales]

Yes, you should be concerned. Have a professional assess the situation.

 

[Jonah]

Thanks again everyone. I'm in touch with a recommended local surveyor. Will have it looked into soon.

I can't easily do the bounce-on-fins check without borrowing a trailer. And if I'm going to do that, I'll just go ahead and get it inspected.

 

[Jonah]

2.5 months later ...

I'll spare you all the sob story of how the poor quality of the local ramp prevented me from pulling my boat on two attempts, and how I was then passed around from marina to marina since no one wanted to bother hauling my boat for such a small job. (Keep in mind I'm competing with super-yachts down here.) The short story is that I finally had someone come out from a local marina to check out the transom. Fortunately, I seem to have caught it fairly early, and the repair job isn't going to be too expensive.

Lesson learned: even if it weren't for the aluminum cap on the transom, it's just a matter of time until you run into trouble with a boat designed to handle 225hp two-strokes, now re-powered with 225hp four-strokes. I do wish that the dealer had reinforced the transom before putting the current engines on for the previous owner.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Yes...get her done. All sorts places for water to do damage.