Simple Wood Skiff - Transom Replacement Help?

[nc2sea]

I've been making some progress! The most critical contribution was retaining some indoor storage area in the back of a friends shop. I don't think I could have continued outdoors with a tarp, not to mention minimal daylight, and have gotten to where I am. While I've spent most of my time with a hammer, pry bar, and sander, I'm finally rebuilding in stages.

I need to decide the order of my following steps, and I'm thinking as follows:
1. Finish forward seat support and bow cap, and hopefully a bow storage compartment
2. Install transom knees
3. Filets, Glass transom
4. Patch rails
5. Flip, clean, sand, clean
6. Fill gaps with low density filler
7. Flip, clean, resin coat and fiberglass any necessary areas
8. Prime the inside, flip, prime outside
9. Sand, clean, paint outside

I would love any suggestions on reordering the steps, or steps I may be missing added in.

 

[Oyster]

You really need to install the transom inside the hull sides, unless I am seeing things wrong. It looks like I see end grain on the plywood transom.

 

[nc2sea]

That was the way it was built, so I was just installing it the way I took it apart. I will be wrapping it in fiberglass, so figure that will do it's part? You can't always have both ends protected, unless your scarfing it, right? And I didn't think that applied to 90* joins?

I'm not "experienced" by any means, just trying to do the best I can with what I got, but very open to help...

 

[nc2sea]

There's a 2x4 around the perimeter of the inside of the boat, that the transom is also adhered to, if that makes the case any better...?

 

[tmark]

Quick aside and perhaps goes without saying.
Now would also be a good time to ensure that she's not racked, and correct if necessary.

 

[nc2sea]

Quick aside and perhaps goes without saying.
Now would also be a good time to ensure that she's not racked, and correct if necessary.

tmark, sorry, but I don't understand this comment.

 

[hoytedow]

Racked refers to the boat possibly being warped or bent out of true.

 

[PAR]

Measure from the stem to each transom corner, which will give you a partial clue about this.

 

[SamSam]

tmark, sorry, but I don't understand this comment.

To see if the hull is racked or twisted, you put two straight edges across the gunnels, one on the transom and the other farther forward. Then step back and use an eyeball to see if there is any twist in the hull.

Winding-Sticks

Two straight-edges, each of equal width throughout, can be laid on edge, one across each end of the surface to be tested. Stand back a little and look across the top edge of one to the top edge of the other, and if these edges agree you may know at once that there is no winding where you have placed the straight-edges (Fig. 688). By putting them in different positions you can finally determine whether the whole surface is true or not.

Read more: http://chestofbooks.com/home-improvement/woodworking/Beginners/Winding-Sticks.html#ixzz4ZWE8Rrjv

​

This is an excellent squint technique. It obviously takes years of practice to become this accomplished. Here's another, using the opposite eye...

A simple form is built; winding sticks are laid across and sighted to check for twist.
http://www.capefalconkayak.com/jwboat.html

 

[nc2sea]

Awesome tip SamSam. I gotcha. I'm hoping the cross beam that was in there in the stern kept it true, but I will check on my next visit. Really hope so, that would be a major setback.

Can't say she was a Cadillac before, and it's sure not going to be after, but for an Arvin Midgett build, I'll be happy to see her still floating.

On my last visit, I added in the framework for some bow storage. The angles have been incredibly difficult to match. It's going to be difficult for the plywood still. Not sure if I should keep the sides at 90* and filet in, or try my best to match the change in angle of the gunnels as you move towards the bow (probably the best call).

 

[PAR]

I'm not sure what HP you intend to toss at this puppy, but do yourself a big favor and hack out those 2x4's, as they have no business on that scale boat. 1x2's would be more appropriate, with an occasional 1x4 if you need to shape a beam or something, particularly if being skinned (glue and screw) with plywood (3/8" at most, with 1/4" being more typical). That new framing material likely equals, the weight of all of the other framing in the whole boat.

 

[nc2sea]

Gotcha. Thanks a lot PAR, will do. I'll have a 25 HP on. I was told to layer two plys for the transom, where it was one before, so was hoping a little storage (which I would like) in the bow would offset the weight. I guess it was good practice...

 

[SamSam]

Gotcha. Thanks a lot PAR, will do. I'll have a 25 HP on. I was told to layer two plys for the transom, where it was one before, so was hoping a little storage (which I would like) in the bow would offset the weight. I guess it was good practice...

I went through that area in the early 80s and they had a local boat that looked like yours but seemed shorter and/or wider on the transom. It was like a big triangle, the crabbers liked them because they were roomy and they could put a large load of traps and such on them. The motors were much bigger than 25 hp, maybe 60 hp or even more. If your boat is capable of bigger motors than 25 hp, I would re-build the transom to accommodate the biggest that is normally used.

 

[nc2sea]

We used to have a 9.9 on her. Worked fine with that, so I'm guessing/hoping the 25 will work. It'll have to after dropping $900 to bring it back to life!

Regardless, appreciate your input. I will be installing some knees (after verifying it's not raked) and possibly corners to make sure it's capable of the 25 or larger if I need it.