Anyone ever fill in a notched transom?

shicks007

shicks007

Senior Member
As I'm in the midst of prepping my boat for paint, I'm wondering " Why couldn't you fiberglass a bulkhead on the inside of the splashwell on a notched transom V-20?" It wouldn't give you a full transom but it would offer more protection on the stern and knock down some of the motor noise and give a sweet place for more rod holders. Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Scott
 
I gotta tell ya, If you can figure out how to do it, do it. Us i/o guys and guys like MJ with brackets are really lucky. Last wednesday a couple of guys were out on the Indian River and were towing a sailboat for a friend. Some severe weather blew up quickly. The sailboat got stuck some how and these guys were trying to pull it free. They had a following sea behind them, a wave came over the transom and swamped the boat. Luckily they grabbed some pfd's prior to going in the drink. The rescue helicopter had a difficult time doing the rescue, but they survived. I know they weren't the sharpest knife in the drawer. If they would have cut loose from the sail boat and and swung around to a quatering sea they would not have lost thier boat. In the last few weeks though, 3 guys were returning from a fishing trip in a 20 footer, a wave came over the transom and sunk the boat, 2 died and one survived. In Virginia, a friend of mine that I grew up with was fishing the barrier islands on the eastern shore of the chesapeake bay, somehow they got swamped and 2 guys died there. I believe some basic seamanship and using good judgement would have helped alot. But a full transom is less likely to be swamped from behind. IMO I would never, ever consider a boat with a notched transom or one of those ugly euro transoms. When it comes time to repower mine, I'm gonna pick MJ's brain and hang a bracket with an outboard. Just my opinion. I don't want to hear any bad news about my friends on this forum
 
I have taken a wave over the transom once!! In my V20!! It was a bigen! :o

High tailed it out there just before the 2nd wave came!!

I am sure that if I had a notched transom the first wave would have sunk me! The full transom blocked just anough water!

Never will I have a notched transom again!! When time to buy something else I will convert or buy a converted!
 
Scott,
Interesting question - as I am currently restoring a V20 and very seriously considering closing in the transom and hanging a bracket. The boat is currently gutted, windshield removed, being prepped for paint. Will need to decide shortly which way I go. A full bracket will add 1500-2000k to my restoration budget. I'll be sure and take some pics to share if I "fill-in" the transom notch. I like to visit "the Race" for fishing - a strong current, standing wave rip in Long Island Sound. 6' standing waves there are not uncommon ... and a full transom would give alot of peace of mind.
Brian
 
For those of us who have notched transoms, there's a solution in the Gallery...although NOTHING is gonna stop that rouge wave as MJ atests, Emmit Fitzpatrick's splashwell front "wall" is a great idea for stopping most of the water from over the notch intrusion before it gets into the boat...

If I were gonna do this(and I've thought about it), it would be of Starboard instead of wood...I like the bracing Fitz used to the transom...

Anyway... ;) :)...
 
This is an interesting thread. I like the full transom because it keeps water out of the boat and your feet dry.

But, A notched transom sheds water better if you take a wave over the stern. That big cut out close to the waterline lets the water OUT of the boat as well as in.

If you have a closed transom and scuppers, water can only get out as fast as the scuppers let it. If your scuppers drain to the bilge, then water gets out only as fast as your pump.

I dont think that a notch transom is any more or less likely to sink than a full transom.
 
That why I have two bilge pumps - one is 750 gph and the other is 1000 gph - I could almost pressure wash your house when both are fired up and running. Plus I bet I get a lot less water over my transom than a notched transom. Wave tend to push up on the hull instead of going over the notch
 
The v21's have that "wall" that Emmit built into his v20. based on posts above it looks like a good option if you don't have a bracket/IO. Keeps some water out and can be removed to let water back out of it's already in. Pix off of v-21 are below:

PDR_0907.jpg


PDR_0900.jpg
 
I have found out that a 105 qt gott cooler will fit perfectly in the transom notch and rest on the splashwell. This gives you the protection of the closed cockpit and gets the cooler off the deck. We would do this when the seas allowed . It's amazing how much quieter the outboard is with that as a deflector when you are running.
 
Call me crazy or stupid but my favorite seat while I'm fishing is to sit on my outboard with my feet propped up on the transom area, very comfy.
 
Ok, Shicks I think you were referring to filling in the entire notch. Has anybody ever filled in the notch on a 20" to bring it up to 25" for a 25" motor? That's what I want to know cause I just might look into doing that.
 
Sorry for the confusion guys. I was talking about the line the forward end of the splash well. I did a half a$$ job with paint but maybe you can see what I'm talking about. It's about the same thing Fitz did with wood, but I was thinking of a permanent job with fiberglass.


filledintransomnotch.jpg
 
Wouldn't look Euro...no angles in back...same straight transom...

Anyway, LOOK at Fugazi's Gallery...last few shots of makeover and transom re-make...that looks like a 30" shaft... :o...
 
It could be done!! But being permint it would be hard to get to the motor when you wanted to??

Like when a line got caught on the prop, or if you needed to look at something on the motor??

Better if you made a removeable panel, like two pieces of starboard each side with a drop in panel.

will leak some but most would go right back out.
 
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