I just bought a 1984 22 Grady. Now I am hearing a lot about transom rot. I'm wondering if this happens to all of them. Is there a simple maintenance that can prevent this. The transom seems very solid now. Am I just panicking?
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Transom worrys!
- Thread starter New fish2284
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Not much you can do about it now since you already bought the boat. I would however get the transom checked out for piece of mind. Grady's from that era are no more susceptible to transom rot then any other boat. Its not a Grady issue, its a wood/water issue. Any boat with a wooden transom can have transom rot. Its caused by improper sealing of hardware that penetrates the transom (motor mounts, transducers, trim tabs, etc.). You can do a few quick test to see if there are major issues. Raise your outboard and push down on the lower unit to see if there's any obvious flex, tap around the transom with a small hammer and listen for and "dull" sounds. You could also drill a few test holes on the inside of your transom and see if water leaks out (seal them afterward of course). I would still have a surveyor with a moisture meter check it out though.
There are still many Grady's of that era floating around out there with original transoms. If all the installations were done right, you won't have a problem.
There are still many Grady's of that era floating around out there with original transoms. If all the installations were done right, you won't have a problem.
cdwood
GreatGrady Captain
While a moisture meter test can be very helpful it's not going to tell you anything about the degree of rot that may already have taken place. Drilling small test holes inside the transom is the only way you can get some concrete proof of what you have.
Gradys of that age certainly require thorough testing. Been there, done that on my 85 204c.
Gradys of that age certainly require thorough testing. Been there, done that on my 85 204c.
A surveyor would have told you if you had moisture instrusion and and structural issues w/ transom and hull. So I'm guessing you bought the boat w/o a survey. You probably should worry about a lot of stuff, transom included.
Drilling test holes from the inside of the transom is a way to check things out, but moisture intrusion can be limited to the bracket area, the kicker bracket, the control pass-thru hole, trim tabs, the bilge drainplug. So there are a LOT of potential areas for saturation. Thats why getting a moisture meter reading on the whole thing by a surveyor is probably smarter than just drilling test holes, unless you plan to drill test holes thruout the entire transom. Depending on the condition of the wood, you might be able to let it dry and then fill it w/ epoxy or Git-Rot. But if its in bad shape, you might need to replace the transom.
On my 88 228, I had saturation from the kicker bracket. The center piece of ply was rotted but the 2 outer pieces were ok, so I drilled a bunch of holes, dried it over a 3 month period w/ a low pressure air pump, and then pumped thinned epoxy into it. Took a good qt of epoxy. Bought me some time (5 years at this point, knock on wood)
Drilling test holes from the inside of the transom is a way to check things out, but moisture intrusion can be limited to the bracket area, the kicker bracket, the control pass-thru hole, trim tabs, the bilge drainplug. So there are a LOT of potential areas for saturation. Thats why getting a moisture meter reading on the whole thing by a surveyor is probably smarter than just drilling test holes, unless you plan to drill test holes thruout the entire transom. Depending on the condition of the wood, you might be able to let it dry and then fill it w/ epoxy or Git-Rot. But if its in bad shape, you might need to replace the transom.
On my 88 228, I had saturation from the kicker bracket. The center piece of ply was rotted but the 2 outer pieces were ok, so I drilled a bunch of holes, dried it over a 3 month period w/ a low pressure air pump, and then pumped thinned epoxy into it. Took a good qt of epoxy. Bought me some time (5 years at this point, knock on wood)
I understand your concerns but an inspection before buying the boat would have been a better option. That said, there are moisture issues and there are really bad moisture issues. You are not going to have rot without moisture and the moisture stays in the material for a long long time even after the boat is out of the water.
Excessive moisture and rot can lead to delamination. You can usually test with a small hammer but metal hammers are not the best tool to use. Leather or rawhide is best, followed by plastic. Gently tap and listen. When a tight rap rap becomes a more hollow thud, there are delamination or rot problems.
A moisture test done by a qualified person will tell a lot. You may have moisture in select areas due to leakage or improper sealing. If the moisture spreads over wider area, the problem is worse.
I am not a fan of the drilling holes test since you can have way too much moisture in the transom and still not weep out of small holes.
That said, removing the screws from trim tab brackets and transom mounted transducers can expose water issue if the screw hole weep or worse drip. Even then, a moisture test is needed to determine the extent of water intrusion. Moisture near and around screw holes is not uncommon. You should strive to avoid it of course by proper mounting and sealing of hardware.
Now that you have addressed the transom, have a moisture survey done on the entire hull, deck, hatches etc. You can fine issues before they become serious problems.
Excessive moisture and rot can lead to delamination. You can usually test with a small hammer but metal hammers are not the best tool to use. Leather or rawhide is best, followed by plastic. Gently tap and listen. When a tight rap rap becomes a more hollow thud, there are delamination or rot problems.
A moisture test done by a qualified person will tell a lot. You may have moisture in select areas due to leakage or improper sealing. If the moisture spreads over wider area, the problem is worse.
I am not a fan of the drilling holes test since you can have way too much moisture in the transom and still not weep out of small holes.
That said, removing the screws from trim tab brackets and transom mounted transducers can expose water issue if the screw hole weep or worse drip. Even then, a moisture test is needed to determine the extent of water intrusion. Moisture near and around screw holes is not uncommon. You should strive to avoid it of course by proper mounting and sealing of hardware.
Now that you have addressed the transom, have a moisture survey done on the entire hull, deck, hatches etc. You can fine issues before they become serious problems.
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I realize a survey would have been the best thing to do, but hind sight won't help me now. I did some what check the transom. I tried to flex the transom by shaking the bottom of the engine. No flex. I did hit the transom all around. Sounded very solid. I think it is solid, but what I was wondering is, is this a definite future. Or can I take measures to stop it though maintenance. The boat is in excellent condition. I know the guy who owned it. He is very good at keeping things perfect. If you ever wanted to buy a used vehicle from someone, it is him. The boat is pristine! But it is older! I paid 12,500. 2004 225 evinrude just checked out by mechanic. Everything was good. New canvas, new cushions, windless, Lowrance GPS/fish finder, kicker, trailer, new fuel lines, not a scratch. I'm sure I could sell it now for15, not that I want too. I've had my eye on this boat for long time. But it is my first power boat, and I'm learning about the worries as I go.
As a precaution, I would remove anything attached to the transom (transducers, tabs..) that you can and reseal the holes. If you can't remove the engine, remove one bolt at a time, fill the hole with 5200, and retighten. Not too big of a job.
With regard to removing all bolts and mounted hardware, work first on things that are below the waterline since they are more likely to be problematic than things above the water line. An exception to this guideline is if there is a metal trim piece on the top edge of the transom, make sure it is sealed well. If there, you can't remove it without removing the motor but you can check the sealant on its edges. In addition to back wash and spray, the edge can get water just from rain since the rain water may run down the side edges along the trim.
Another common area for water is the hole that the garboard drain mounts into. Often the sides of the hole were not sealed well allowing water to enter the transom from the bilge side. It is tough to check from the bilge and to check from outside, removal of the drain mounting is required and that will take some effort, especially when remounting since you will probably want to seal the old screw holes and drill, seal new ones. Again, a moisture meter exam will show if that area has excessive moisture.
So far from what you say, things look good but the leaning on the motor to see if there is flex is not a useful test. The transom can be really wet and or rotted without seeing flex. If you have flex when leaning on the motor, your transom would probably crack/break under the normal loads of boating.
Another common area for water is the hole that the garboard drain mounts into. Often the sides of the hole were not sealed well allowing water to enter the transom from the bilge side. It is tough to check from the bilge and to check from outside, removal of the drain mounting is required and that will take some effort, especially when remounting since you will probably want to seal the old screw holes and drill, seal new ones. Again, a moisture meter exam will show if that area has excessive moisture.
So far from what you say, things look good but the leaning on the motor to see if there is flex is not a useful test. The transom can be really wet and or rotted without seeing flex. If you have flex when leaning on the motor, your transom would probably crack/break under the normal loads of boating.
richie rich
Well-Known Member
paulyjsob said:As a precaution, I would remove anything attached to the transom (transducers, tabs..) that you can and reseal the holes. If you can't remove the engine, remove one bolt at a time, fill the hole with 5200, and retighten. Not too big of a job.
X2,
additionally, if the wood checks out OK.....I would overdrill, fill with resin, and redrill, then set all your screws with the sealant. This will waterproof the wood for any new moisture intrusion. Reseal all your thru-hulls as well, ie, pick up, scuppers, fish box drains etc.
richie rich said:paulyjsob said:As a precaution, I would remove anything attached to the transom (transducers, tabs..) that you can and reseal the holes. If you can't remove the engine, remove one bolt at a time, fill the hole with 5200, and retighten. Not too big of a job.
X2,
additionally, if the wood checks out OK.....I would overdrill, fill with resin, and redrill, then set all your screws with the sealant. This will waterproof the wood for any new moisture intrusion. Reseal all your thru-hulls as well, ie, pick up, scuppers, fish box drains etc.
OK, this will be my last post on this subject since we have beat it to death but:
If the mountings for trim tabs, transducers, ladders, brackets, garboard drains and the like are not leaking, it is asking for trouble to remove all of that and a lot of work at that. In addition, if there is a water intrusion from inside the bilge as I mentioned, working on the outside hardware wont help. Other than cutting open the entire transom, the best thing to do is a moisture meter check..... So until you know you have a problem, know where it is, how serious it is and know the probably cause, don't start disassembling everything.
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Thank you for the posts. I guess the best thing to do is, seal around all fittings or wholes and just chill. Enjoy the boat! If I do the moisture meter, where do I do it. And do I have to drill?