Ever wonder what?

[175checkmate]

Is holding the motor on the boat?
Well got the motor off. Hyd jackplat was a pain in the Butt.

There where no less than 11 holes in the transom not counting the drain plug.

Cut the top sill off so I could get a look inside. Yuck what a mess.

Wet wood as far as the eye can see.

After pondering the back of the boat and all the holes in the transom I figured cutting off the back skin was not going to hurt anything.

With the back cut off, I was able to dig out some of the wet stuff (glad this boat does'nt have a core) The wood is wet on both sides.

Looks like I may have to cut the inner skin off and while I'm at it redo the splash well.
Starting fresh and build in some strength.

[bulldogdaddy]

that looks like a little work,lol,i'll post some of my project when it gets here,you think you have troubles!

[175checkmate]

Still have to rip up the old floor, or whats left of it.
Having to rip out the inner skin will probably be for the better. Then I can tie the knees,stringers and transom together better.
Might just as well do it right once, than have to go back in and redo it.

[vector tim]

hey cheif you getcha some of that there experience on that itchy sh#t so you can come down and help get itchy too, racemore says give him a call and he will help too when I attack mine, let me know on the seacast, cause we could do my glastron carlson

[175checkmate]

Itchy stuff. Oh yea got reaquanted with the stuff today, Going to be digging into the floor tomarrow. Got wood and fiberglass all over the backyard. Wife looking at me like I have losted it.
Exsploritory surgury. What a hobbie we have.
Greatest invention: POWER TOOLS

[Alan Power]

I hate it when that happens, hehe.
Well if its any consolation I've just done the same job on my boat. I split the top and hull molding to do it, makes life easier but don't know how feasible it is in your case.
You could also build in setback while you're at it!
How far has the dampness set into your transom, how much are you going to remove, just the area that you have exposed or are you going further? If the area beyond where you have cut is OK you might get away with just replacing the center section and tying it into the stringers with knees.
Well post those pics and we'll se what we can come up with.
Just remember, this is half the fun!!!

Alan...

[Barefoot Bob]

It looks like my transom did. The Baja has a solid transom all the way across. I am sure the Checkmate is the same way. Accually The boat was split for easyier access. Cut the back skin completely off and relaced the whole thing from end to end. It was real solid down close to the core. All of my damage came from water over the transom when waterskiing. The boat always sits in a garage otherwise.

[175checkmate]

Will be open to idea's
Keep the splash well? Cut the splash well off?
Cutting it off will make it easer to get under it.
Looking to cut the inner skin out. Then build a tansom from the inside and bond it to the outter skin.
The hull has no core to deal with, Good thing, So right know I'm looking at a transom and floor. I can do this ( I think)
Looking for idea's

Bob, how did you glass on a new outter skin on the transom?

[Techno]

I would do like Barefoot Bob said, take the whole skin off the back. But keep it and bondit back on when everything is done. It's already a chunk of glass and smooth on the outside. The piece cut out can be edge beveled and bonded back on.

The inside can be laminated directly to the new transom outside of the boat. Then tabbed in every where needed to tie it in. This is alot easier flat than in the back of the boat.

Reduce or eliminate the splash well. Unless you need it. I don't see why though. The knees will be bigger and easier to put in too. If you do eliminate the splashwell you'll have a nice hole to work through too. This seems like a small thing untill you start clambering in and out of the boat to do something simple.

On my last boat I noticed that once the wood got wet it swelled and ruptured the transom/rubrail seal. This is where it was leaking since the rub rail was used as a seal. It should have been sealed without it. This was the very top of the transom where it turned into the splash well. I guess it's a water supply well.

[175checkmate]

Thanks techno.
I will have a ton of questions on this I'm sure.
I think the splash well will be cut out to make it easer to get to the inside. With both the back and inner skins removed what is holding the transom (wood) plug. How are the sides tied in?
It would seem to me that the outter skin would be for looks.
This is going to make my head hurt

[Barefoot Bob]

Well my splash well is still there. techno is exactly right about it being nothing more than a water supply well. I really had no choice though. It works with my access cover for batteries, oil tank and so on. So I left it alone and it was really sealed up good when it was put back together. I just have polaroids of the project, but I will try to scan and post them tomorrow.

[175checkmate]

Not really needed. I can run the hyd lines and electric/steering and throttle cable a different way.
Triming the engine may be a different story. Alan sugjested adding setback. If this was done then I would not need the splash well.
May not be going back witht he hyd jackplate. 6 mounting bolts to the engine, 6 mounting bolts to the transom, 6 ways for water to get in.

[Barefoot Bob]

I just have 4 holes through my transom. I already had a land&Sea jack plate but needed more setback. So I purchased a Land&Sea step n jack and installed that to the transom. And the jack plate to that. A total 9 inches beind the boat.

[Flat Out]

Having been through this before and taking John's (Spaeth) at Hydro Stream in Canada advice. I would lift the deck from the hull unless you can get a new motor well, I suppose its possible to cut out the motor well then reglass it in afterwards but in the end you would a neater job if you lifted the deck. DO NOT cut the skin off the transom.Its the only part left of hull shell.I saw a boat someone did like that and the back just about ripped off.
These are only my thoughts based on my experience and advice from someone I know and trust. Others may and will have different ideas that may work as well.
My transom was redone by John 6 years ago and has over 360 hrs. of running time on it with a 200 Looper (450 lbs.) and a CMC Stainless jack (75+ lbs) without any problems. The boat has run through some pretty rough water (lots of air time) and its as good as the day it was done.

[action17]

GOOD LUCK with your project it is no fun!! while instigator was at my house this weekend of course we talked about boats and different projects we started watching the video of me building my boat rite out of the mold and i told that i commend anyone who takes on a project like yourself, h20 nut ,scott,and now you gus!! its alot of hard,messy,itchy work trust me i've been building boats since i was 13 years old!! there awesome and alot of fun!! but suck to build!!