Wood replacement questions

[John Nelson]

If its like mine the front stringers don't line up with the back. Putting the bulkhead on top wouldn't be strong enough. You would probably get away with it in back. You need to make some fiberglass tubes to line your drain holes with. You might check to see if your stringers are solid enough to hold screws for holding down the floor.

[Bflaherty]

You could cut the bulkhead and create a smaller bulkhead below deck, then reinstall the upper once the floors go in. You are going to want the solid bulkhead in the rear and solid cabin wall for structural integrity of the hull.

[sclapsaddle]

I made some progress on Saturday. I laid up a layer of 2oz mat, 1708 material, another layer of 2oz mat inside the transom. Coated the back side of the transom wood with several coats of thinned polyester resin, then put it together while wet and clamped and screw it all together. I saw on one of the post about the 2x4's and all thread/nuts for a deep clamp, and it worked great. Made a little tint for the heaters to keep the back of the boat warm. Next I will some touchup grinding and layer the transom with a couple more layers extending it into the boat as much as I can. Then I have to decide the next approach as far as putting in the bulk head just in front of the transom and cut it to fit over the stringers like it was originally and the same with the cabin wall or do I put the floor in and the two bulk head/cabin wall in over the floor which seems easier but not how it was originally done. Any opinion's or suggestions? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the bulk heads/cabin wall were put in before the top of the boat was mounted, it seems almost impossible to physically get the bulk head/cabin wall in with the top of the boat on?

[sclapsaddle]

Thanks guys that helps!

[Bflaherty]

At work we use alignment guides we get from each manufacturer but for Yamaha, Suzuki, and Mercury (Non Verado), the attached picture is how we design our transoms.

FYI: It is very rare to find a new motor that is built with anything less than a 20" shaft length. Do to safety concerns over freeboard the 20" length is now considered "short shaft". 25" is "long", and 30" is "extra-long"..

[bruceb]

Steve-
Most Skagit express outboards left the factory with a transom height and width to fit twin "longshaft" 35hp OMC engines. That's what you're looking at, about 23 inches measured from the bottom to lip. The shortshaft models were 17". The 17" freeboard on these boats that were customarily used in waters such as the San Juans was certainly less safe than 23". Then the dealers would cut that down to fit engines that had differing vertical measurements, such as Merc and various other longshaft motors that actually were 20". Today's motors known as longshaft are 20" as well. The achilles heel of a dealer or owner who cut down the factory transom height, as I found out, is the "repair" in the field rarely was perfectly waterproof over time.
Actually, my uncut portion of the transom before (from the factory) and after measures 21 1/2" nearest to the centerline, less "outboard" of that. Attached is the transom, before restoration, with a notch made when brand new by dealer to fit 1958 Johnson 50hp.P1120850.jpg

[John Nelson]

This group focus is precise restoration. The guys at scream and fly show some repairs using material other than plywood if you have interest.

[sclapsaddle]

Cut the massive transom block of wood today, ground the backside so it would fit decently to the boat.
I believe there was a discussion about transom height somewhere on here but I cannot find it. I measured from the center bottom of the boat and the old transom looked to be cut down to 18", if I measure where the top of the transom use to be originally, it measures 23". Is that correct height?
I'm not sure how tall it needs to be. At this time I plan to buy a new or nearly new 90 hp in the future. Any input would be appreciated, I'd like to make it the right height before glassing everything together.

[bruceb]

Great to see the progress, Steve ! I'll try to get a PM to you with phone #.

[Kelly]

Glad to see you're back at it. Looking good!

[Helmar]

Looks as your making some Real progress now for sure. !!!!

Keep the picture coming.

[sclapsaddle]

Since it was barely above 50 degrees today, I could finally epoxy my 5 pieces of 3/8" transom boards together and clamp them in the fixture I made to the shape of the transom before cutting the old wood apart, making the transom wood just under 2" thick. I decided to epoxy the wood together, then I will grind/sand the edges to fit in to the boat and remove the epoxy from the outside of the wood so the polyester resin will adhere. I laid up mat and p-16 polyester to fill the Swiss cheese transom I had. My plan is to add at least one layer of 1708 fiberglass then a layer of 1 1/2 oz mat to the transom shell with polyester resin and press the transom board into the wet mat after saturating the backside of the transom with thinned resin. After that is cured I can fillet the ends for a smooth radius and add a couple layers of the 1708 and mat alternating.

[Kelly]

Keep checking in, we'll keep you motivated. I keep looking at the 58 only thread to keep motivated.

[sclapsaddle]

I have no target date, my goal is to make slow steady progress. There' s lots of money to spend, motor, rigging and interior. Glass work in this cold wet weather and my day job being similar just with cars,I have limited motivation...

[Kelly]

Definitely cool. What's your target date to get it on the water? I'm hoping to have at least one of mine sea worthy by late winter.