New boat project advice

hey guys! first time poster, first time tinboat owner. me and a buddy have jumped on our first boat after a little research this looked like a great deal!!

We've got a 12ft semi v of unknown origin with a trailer off craigslist for $400




we intend to get this boat water ready and then have a running, fishable project with floors, deck, storage and so on.

today I took a better look at it and did a flood test to find the leaks and there were a few dripping rivots, leaking where the handles bolts thru the transom and a small crack in the aluminum..


here are the issues with the boat I would love some newbie advice on. I plan to replace the transom wood again as it's soft in a few spots and I'm wondering how I should go about repairing this rip in the top aluminum rail. I was thinking about running a thicker aluminum L bar across the top length of the transom.. it looks like this crack along the top may have happened as a result of the amateur replacement as it wraps around the transom board.





and here you can see how the bolt is thru crooked and the top wall of the transom is kinda twisted from their repair job, the screws aren't really even straight. which is another reason why I want to reinforce it with an L




Next is a small crack in the aluminum on the bottom at the rear near the transom. it's about 3/4" long and very fine, I had to sand it down to see it well. Is a weld "necessary" here or can we find an alternative that will last? we do intend to coat the bottom in fasco steelflex




Both of the back corners where the gunwale (is that right?) meet the transom look like this. I'm not sure how it looks from the inside as I haven't removed the wood transom yet.. does this look like it needs a weld too?



You guys have a great site here and I appreciate any help. I hope to be a long time member updating on custom mods as I go, but we need to get this baby to a solid starting point first. =D>

-Chris

The transom appears to have had an over sized motor on it or it was pulled down a lot of bumpy roads without using a transom saver. I'd recommend that you remove the transom wood, clean all the cracks/problem areas you just pointed out, then pull it down to a welder and have him fix all the problems at one time. Get some new exterior rated plywood (do not use pressure treated) to build up a new transom. Once you've got your layers of plywood laminated up to the same thickness as your old transom, put 3 coats of spar varnish on it and install it using all stainless steel bolts/nuts/washers. Be sure to get some anti seize lubricant made for stainless steel before you screw the nuts on the bolts or you'll have problems with them galling and twisting bolts off.

If the welder doesn't have to spend his time cleaning up the metal in the area he's going to weld, that's less time for him and should be less cost to you.

I'm having a very hard time finding someone in the area that will tig weld aluminum..

Wondering how bad it would be to cut the aluminum cap off the transom (or leave it on) and bolt on a thicker aluminum or galvanized U beam across the length :?:



this would also save me having to replace all the rivets for the transom brackets on the sides and the floor. and it seems to me I could create a much sturdier brace than if I welded equally thin aluminum sheet all the way across.

any opinion on this kind of fix?

I think the aluminum channel on top of the transom would work fine. I would actually run it the entire width of the transom - including under the transom caps (if possible). Basically I would just want to protect as much of the wood on the transom as possible (particularly the edges of the plywood).

Welcome to the forum too!

Vermonster said:

I think the aluminum channel on top of the transom would work fine. I would actually run it the entire width of the transom - including under the transom caps (if possible). Basically I would just want to protect as much of the wood on the transom as possible (particularly the edges of the plywood).

Welcome to the forum too!

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Thanks! as soon as we get the wood replaced i'm going to give it a try with an aluminum rail. we don't plan to power this this thing too heavy anyway. I'd rather have an underpowered sturdy boat than an overpowered death trap. would like to keep this a working project we can sell and upgrade as the deal is right.

seems to be a lot of local boys around here!