'74 v-20 transom

C

capitanmike

New member
recently bought this boat, great ride, good layout. 140 johnson puts it on step just fine. one prob, i noticed the transom was a little soft, tho it doesn't flex under use. anyway, i pulled the aluminum angle on the aft top edge (not standard i think) and there is an open seam there along the entire top. prying it open a little, i found what was once plywood inside is now oatmeal. i believe i'm going to have to cut out the aft transom face to get to all the rot and rebuild. my question is---where to cut? i was thinking about 1"-2" in from bottom and sides. ANY SUGGESTIONS WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. mike
 
Mike, there are a ton of pictures and answers to your questions in this site. Just do a search. Many of the members here have already done exactly what you are thinking about doing and have posted step by step instructions on how to do it. There's no need to reinvent the wheel, just do a search of this site. Welcome aboard :beer:
 
That was a wellcraft flaw putting that angle on top!! A few here when done fixing the transom just glassed the hole thing and never put it back on and I think thats a great idea, good luck
 
curiouser and curiouser........

wellllll, i surfed all the transom repairs, and they sure run the gamut from down and dirty to rebuild the whole boat. think i'll end up somewhere in between. from the info i've gathered, there is likely stringer rot also. i REALLY don't want to go there. due to the splash well, it looks like i'd have to pull the entire cap (bow to stern, it's a cuddy/walk thru windshield model) to get to the aft deck, bilge sump etc. still thinkin' cutting the aft (outside) off to get everything clean enough to re-pour, w/ treated ply, foam, honeycomb, or whatever is best for backbone. i was also directed to another site that has good info but i won't mention the french word for boat and a number between 1 and 3. still scratchin' my watch and winding my butt on this one. --- cut it or no???? thats the question. i'll do a poll on it. what do y'all think?
 
Sorry, no one here can make that decision for you. It's entirely your call. However, I can direct you to www.youtube for several videos of people and their boats where the transom cracked and the boat either sank or had to be towed back to shore. And of course, earlier this summer just off the coast of New Jersey there was that family of four that all died when their transom gave way and they drowned.. but why bother even mentioning that. I'm sure it will never happen to you... right? (Of course I'm also sure they thought the same thing).

If inside your transom the wood looks like oatmeal then the structural integrity of the transom is gone. Simply put, it is no longer safe.

Look, like I've said a lot of times before. Boating is a a wonderful sport, full of fun and adventure. But if you do not, can not, or are not willing to do the maintenance required to your boat in order to keep yourself safe then perhaps it's better if you take up horseshoes or some other land based sport. That way you won't kill yourself or maybe some other person trying to save you when your boat sinks.

Sorry if I sound a little harsh, I don't mean to, but you have to realize the extreme danger that unsafe boating is. Fix your transom...we want to be talking with you, not about you.
 
right you are

well said destroyer. too late tho. they're already talkin' about me around here. i will muddle through and fix what needs to be fixed to be safe. or put it back together and give to the ex-wife. i saw in one thread where someone cut off the aft third or so of the cap to get to the rear deck. is that a realistic way to go? mike
 
capitanmike said:
well said destroyer. too late tho. they're already talkin' about me around here. i will muddle through and fix what needs to be fixed to be safe. or put it back together and give to the ex-wife. i saw in one thread where someone cut off the aft third or so of the cap to get to the rear deck. is that a realistic way to go? mike
Click to expand...

I do not know what the proper way is for you, however I can say that in most of the posts the authors cut away the inside wall of the transom and did the repair that way. If you look carefully or lay a straight edge on it you'll see that the outside wall of the transom is curved. So by not disturbing the outside wall you don't have to fiddle around with trying to redo that curve. Do it from the inside...it's easier. :beer:
 
plan 47-d mark III

yup, to get to the stringers i'm going at it from the inside. conferred w/ the local fiberglass boat guy and he's gonna keep me from goofing up toooooo badly. will cut off the aft cap to fwd of the splash well, and maybe 3' of the deck to get to the stringers. i'll get photos as i go and see if i'm smart enough to attach them. it seems some others had probs w/ that. thanks for the input. mike
 
yeehaw!!

the back deck and forward face of transom came out just fine. entire transom plywood was oatmeal, very little deterioration in the stringers, thank allah. less than a foot it looks like. now i'll try to add pics.
 

Attachments

  • 001.jpg
    001.jpg
    31.9 KB · Views: 104
  • 017.jpg
    017.jpg
    70.1 KB · Views: 103
  • 009.jpg
    009.jpg
    55.9 KB · Views: 105
  • 007.jpg
    007.jpg
    78.8 KB · Views: 99
  • 014.jpg
    014.jpg
    55.3 KB · Views: 108
I'm new so i've not read all the threads here yet, but thats a damn slick way to fix a transom with a top cap like that. :clap:
 
3 piece?

got her all cleaned up, stringers cut back to good wood, (will rebuild and sister). looks like the aftmost layer (at least) were 3 separate pieces. i guess for a good flat for the motor. also they were all at an angle from vert or hor. any idea why that is?
 

Attachments

  • 003.jpg
    003.jpg
    50.2 KB · Views: 58
hey bruce, i was gonna go in from the back side but destroyer aimed me in this direction. glad of it too. got a good look at the bilges and fixed the stringers too. mike
 
time is on whose side?

back at work in venice la. on a 206'x61' - 4 point anchor boat. soooo.... might be a while before i start back w/ the transom. gonna go w/ treated marine ply. will be SOLID when i'm done. will shoot pics as i go.... prob a month or so from now. mike
 
time.... older i get, faster it goes....

been out of country for 6 mos so all has been on hold. anyway, since the last pics, i went back w/ 3 layers of mar grade ply. all pieces sealed before installation. aftmost layer in three pieces (as original to fit curved stern) then 2 more layers to reach correct thickness. mat/cloth between each. cut off 1' of each stringer and replaced. re-inforced all angles and interfaces w/ HEAVY cloth and glass. installed all in one LONG day to stay with "wet" construction. while the aft deck was out, went ahead and mounted fishing chair base so as to seal all penetrations. re-installed aft deck and transom face unit, glassed it all together w/ probably too much for strength. where there had been angle alum. on top of transom, i sealed w/ 2 layers of glass. put the cap back on w/ stiffeners underneath the cut. remounted the motor, hauled it down to the gulf and got called back to work. i'll send pictures if i can get my new camera and computer to talk to each other.
i feel that this is even stronger than original, and i certainly wouldn't have gotten this far w/out the advice and encouragement of the v-20 community. going to the coast this w/end for a spin. thanks to all, mike
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top