Weak transom ... replace or repair?

I have a 18.5 foot 1979 Starcraft aluminum v-hull boat. The transom appears to be solid, but there are gaps forming along the top where it meets the splash well (not sure if I'm describing that correctly). I have the tower of power on it (Mercury 1150) as well as a 7.5 kicker.

Should I try adding more bolts from the underside or should I just replace the transom?

 

Welcome to the forum.

Given your power level (what's this boat rated at?), you shouldn't even think about a repair, as a solid transfer of loading to the boat's bottom is mandatory, which of course has to go through the transom.

I'm doing a transom replacement on a smaller aluminum boat now and if yours is anything like this, it's an easy thing. Some gaps can appear around the edges, but generally, any question of integrity and you just "R&R" it. Lastly, the most infamous thing a skipper might say is ". . . it appeared to be solid . . .", you don't want to get caught farther from shore than you can swim back, on a guess.

 

Agree fully

Thanks PAR for your good guidance: " Lastly, the most infamous thing a skipper might say is ". . . it appeared to be solid . . .", you don't want to get caught farther from shore than you can swim back, on a guess. "

I see a similar statement on another steam power forum with respect to boilers and pressure piping: "...this pressure vessel seems plenty strong...."

I always reply that "seems strong enough" has no place in steam engineering. Testing far beyond operating conditions, or proper stress engineering calculations along with assured quality work are very necessary.