What is holding on to the transom? How do these bolts stay in?

[Dale e Alexander]

Agreed. Mostly. It looks like someone cut off the top of the transom and then did the extension.

I will only advise the following.

Find a qualified aluminum welder and weld new aluminum plate back in after securing the boat side to keep them from deforming. Once you have two new sheet aluminum in place, install marine plywood as a stiffener and rivet on a cap. There is no way I'd ever get in that boat otherwise. Some boats are better sold to the scrap heap. And this is one. Sorry, but I'd rather be cruel now than see you swimming when the transom fails.

So another person has said it has been modified. What is it that makes you all think this?
I do not think you cruel, in fact it is appreciated, although this boat had many many hours in the water with that transom so sinking because of it seems unlikely.

If I can find that it was modified or is so much better I will look for a welder, that's a good idea and had not thought of it, still usually forget aluminum can be welded.

Please tell me why you think it was modified.

 

[Dale e Alexander]

How about a lateral view of the boat?

Air quality here is unbreathable right now. When it clears up I will take more pictures.

 

[Rumars]

Well, the link I provided has a collection of scanned catalogs and brochures from the era, and you can see the original configuration in the photos.

The dead giveaway is the plywood itself, wich is not cut symmetrically and has no beveled edges and screams "homemade". I suspect someone got a deal on a long leg outboard and that was his solution to using it. If the boat had been intended for a long leg outboard the transom would have not been cut and the integral pan behind it (the blue thing shaped like a kitchen sink) would sit higher.
What you need is a hardwood doubler under the outboard clamps, and probably a nice cover for the factory transom edge. The holes you can weld shut or plug with Al bolts set in JB Weld. To get access to the transom inside you either take the backrest out and use a long ratchet extension, or you remove the pan (wich is probably one molding with the deck).
If you are lucky your outboard is one that can be converted from long to short leg and you can reuse it, otherwise just buy another.
Pictures of the entire boat and engine would help.

 

[fallguy]

So another person has said it has been modified. What is it that makes you all think this?
I do not think you cruel, in fact it is appreciated, although this boat had many many hours in the water with that transom so sinking because of it seems unlikely.

If I can find that it was modified or is so much better I will look for a welder, that's a good idea and had not thought of it, still usually forget aluminum can be welded.

Please tell me why you think it was modified.

A extra long shaft engine is 5" longer than a 20" and a 20" is 5" longer than a short shaft. The boat was originally setup for short shaft; the mod would add 5" above the old aluminum. If it is mire than 5", then my hunch they cut off the cap is also correct. If you measure top of homemade to bottom edge of transom and top of aluminum to bottom edge of transom, what are your numbers?

We can see the exposed plywood was/is bigger than the original aluminum.

 

[fallguy]

If you insist on repairing; you need to decide shaft length for the repair.

To go long, you need aluminum welded on which is the best way to fix the thing.

I have also seen tinners build long shaft extensions for small boats from stainless with a 1.5" board inside; the n riveted on.

 

[Dale e Alexander]

Thanks guys!! this is interesting information. I definitely will measure and take pictures but the we have fires over here and the air is unbreathable so waiting for that to clear up.
I saved the link to the info on boats but have not looked into it yet and am axious for what I learn. After what you have said I am wondering if the long shaft had/has and advantage. My FIL knew some history of the boat unfortunately i dont remember much at all. I know I was told this boat could not handle much if any more than the 40 horse it has and suspect it is a long shaft just from looking at it. It will be intersting to see what it was original, they wanted to water ski with it and fish. you can ski but not realy with slalom and is great for tube and knee boards. a bigger motor would bury the tail and flood the boat for sure.
I know little about boats and am excited to learn. I do want to get it raady quick but that might have to be tempered with whats best.

 

[hoytedow]

Haste makes waste.

 

[fallguy]

The reasons for changing transom heights are simply to avoid waves coming over the back and to increase freeboard.

A higher transom, built right, is safer.

Another reason that transom may have been home modified is to make it a bit beefier. Many of the early model transoms were rated for say 15 horsepower. The only way to make them usable under more hp was to do some reinforcing. Unfortunately, that was a booger job.

You are wise to redo it or as I said, scrap the boat if you don't do it well.

 

[Dale e Alexander]

Well, the link I provided has a collection of scanned catalogs and brochures from the era, and you can see the original configuration in the photos.

The dead giveaway is the plywood itself, wich is not cut symmetrically and has no beveled edges and screams "homemade". I suspect someone got a deal on a long leg outboard and that was his solution to using it. If the boat had been intended for a long leg outboard the transom would have not been cut and the integral pan behind it (the blue thing shaped like a kitchen sink) would sit higher.
What you need is a hardwood doubler under the outboard clamps, and probably a nice cover for the factory transom edge. The holes you can weld shut or plug with Al bolts set in JB Weld. To get access to the transom inside you either take the backrest out and use a long ratchet extension, or you remove the pan (wich is probably one molding with the deck).
If you are lucky your outboard is one that can be converted from long to short leg and you can reuse it, otherwise just buy another.
Pictures of the entire boat and engine would help.

I have gone through that info in the link and do not recognize my boat and tried a free look up of my HIN and it said something like the number doesn't match or cant find it, I forget the exact wording.There were two that sounded likely but any pictures do not seem to match my hull, this boat is smooth and pictures show ridged.
The number came off the title and maybe it is not correct so when the air clears I will look for it physically on the boat,

 

[Ike]

I definitely will measure and take pictures but the we have fires over here and the air is unbreathable so waiting for that to clear up.

You can say that again. Air quality is so bad I haven't left my home in days. They canceled the Mariners game because it was even worse inside the stadium. Take your time. Wait until it rains. I mean really rains. The sprinkles we've had the last two days did nothing.

 

[Dale e Alexander]

You can say that again. Air quality is so bad I haven't left my home in days. They canceled the Mariners game because it was even worse inside the stadium. Take your time. Wait until it rains. I mean really rains. The sprinkles we've had the last two days did nothing.

east side, no sprinkles but expected Friday. preferred the lock down, I could be in my yard.

 

[Ike]

Wednesday. More of the Same, Supposed to rain Thursday. Living in the great PNW I never thought I would say this but we desperately need rain.