46 years = a good run for a Transom

[Rockfish9]

I knew this day was coming, I've owned my 18' 1977 Jon Dory yellowtail for 43 of it's 46 years, I replaced the sole 20 odd years ago and installed a 25 gallon belly tank, I had to cut it once and repair a hole in the hull when it sat on an errant railroad tie( complete with spike) at low tide in it's slip around that time, when I replaced the original 90 with the 115, I raised the transom to 25".. but that is all that has ever been done to the boat itself besides paint and electronics..

This summer while dealing with an overheat problem ( caused by a 13 dollar tube and grommet that was backordered since June until September) I noticed a bit of flex in the transom... I pulled the boat the first week in October just before the hurricane and winterized and removed the engine console and wiring , I noticed a crack in the starboard side of the transom time was up, the boat went on blocks, I bought a portable car port and went "scorched earth on the interior of the boat, the sole and stringers were worse than I could imagine, I removed IMHO about 1000 -1200 lbs. of soaked plywood and foam, I haven't updated the pictures recently, but the inner transom has been removed, all but the center stringer removed and the interior got a krud cutter bath, I removed 15" of the cap to aid in the transom repair, all the old glass has been ground back, any hole in the outer skin repaired from the inside using a 12:1 scarf, I'll be laminating the transom from 3 sheets of 12mm Okoume marine plywood, I've insulated the outer transom with 2" thick foam and made a hot box for localized repairs from the same foam, an oil filled electric radiator is keeping the work surface at 68, on the outer shell, and 72 on the inside.. if it holds in the colder weather ill epoxy the transoms Sunday. trying to get all I can done before the weather forces me to quit. I'd like to get the transom tabbed, filleted and glassed as well as the stringers before winter gets serious, I have other heat sources as well, but would rather not use them, if push comes to shove I wait, i cant afford risking the epoxy not curing fully.

[Rockfish9]

on stands and on the trailer, motor and console with wiring is on the boat trailer for the winter

[Guppy]

Wow… ambitious project but you’re the right guy for the job for sure…

Have fun, good luck

[JohnR]

The old gal was due! Good Lock!

[piemma]

Absolutely more than I would know how to do.

[Nebe]

There comes a point when a boat becomes a family member. Memories have been made…sacrifices made… unconditional love is formed….
This boat obviously represents this.
Far too many people flip boats when something goes wrong and don’t keep them long enough to form the obvious bond that you have with yours.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Rockfish9]

Originally Posted by Nebe

There comes a point when a boat becomes a family member. Memories have been made…sacrifices made… unconditional love is formed….
This boat obviously represents this.
Far too many people flip boats when something goes wrong and don’t keep them long enough to form the obvious bond that you have with yours.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Thank you - you get it- I've had this boat longer than anything else in my life, longer than my 2 children, it survived 1 failed marriage and a blissful one.That boat and I have been to hell and back together and caught a ton ( probably multiple tons) of fish together- and above it all, it always got me home safely, even when I made mistakes.
This is a death do us part relationship. thank you for understanding- most do not- in this day and age of "throw away" items, it is far too easy to "give up", I've replaced many transoms in my life ( mostly Grady Whites), but this one is special.

There is a story within the story with this boat, the Builder, David Finklstein,was a Navy boat builder in Stonybrook NY, he saw a need for sturdy rental skiffs, in his factory he, and his 8 employees turned out 15 boats a week ( during their prime)mostly 16 and 17' lap sided flat bottom dories, however, the 18' was a special order, Semi V bottom with a sharp entry flared bow center console with the classic lap sided design even though it was fiberglass..The flat bottom 16 and 17' boats show up every now and again, but when it comes to the 18, I have never seen another one- Finkelstein passed away in 2018 at the age of 86, he never expanded his boat line for fear that quality would be lost- the Stonybrook factory where it all began still produces 16' lap sided fiberglass dories.

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by Nebe

There comes a point when a boat becomes a family member. Memories have been made…sacrifices made… unconditional love is formed….
This boat obviously represents this.
Far too many people flip boats when something goes wrong and don’t keep them long enough to form the obvious bond that you have with yours.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

^^^^

Originally Posted by Rockfish9

Thank you - you get it- I've had this boat longer than anything else in my life, longer than my 2 children, it survived 1 failed marriage and a blissful one.That boat and I have been to hell and back together and caught a ton ( probably multiple tons) of fish together- and above it all, it always got me home safely, even when I made mistakes.
This is a death do us part relationship. thank you for understanding- most do not- in this day and age of "throw away" items, it is far too easy to "give up", I've replaced many transoms in my life ( mostly Grady Whites), but this one is special.

There is a story within the story with this boat, the Builder, David Finklstein,was a Navy boat builder in Stonybrook NY, he saw a need for sturdy rental skiffs, in his factory he, and his 8 employees turned out 15 boats a week ( during their prime)mostly 16 and 17' lap sided flat bottom dories, however, the 18' was a special order, Semi V bottom with a sharp entry flared bow center console with the classic lap sided design even though it was fiberglass..The flat bottom 16 and 17' boats show up every now and again, but when it comes to the 18, I have never seen another one- Finkelstein passed away in 2018 at the age of 86, he never expanded his boat line for fear that quality would be lost- the Stonybrook factory where it all began still produces 16' lap sided fiberglass dories.

Yep

Interesting story about the builder. I am afraid we've mostly moved on from the time when that was done but there are pockets still here and there.

[JFigliuolo]

Originally Posted by piemma

Absolutely more than I would know how to do.

Said by Joe (rockfish) never...

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by Rockfish9

Thank you - you get it- I've had this boat longer than anything else in my life, longer than my 2 children, it survived 1 failed marriage and a blissful one.That boat and I have been to hell and back together and caught a ton ( probably multiple tons) of fish together- and above it all, it always got me home safely, even when I made mistakes.
This is a death do us part relationship. thank you for understanding- most do not- in this day and age of "throw away" items, it is far too easy to "give up", I've replaced many transoms in my life ( mostly Grady Whites), but this one is special.

There is a story within the story with this boat, the Builder, David Finklstein,was a Navy boat builder in Stonybrook NY, he saw a need for sturdy rental skiffs, in his factory he, and his 8 employees turned out 15 boats a week ( during their prime)mostly 16 and 17' lap sided flat bottom dories, however, the 18' was a special order, Semi V bottom with a sharp entry flared bow center console with the classic lap sided design even though it was fiberglass..The flat bottom 16 and 17' boats show up every now and again, but when it comes to the 18, I have never seen another one- Finkelstein passed away in 2018 at the age of 86, he never expanded his boat line for fear that quality would be lost- the Stonybrook factory where it all began still produces 16' lap sided fiberglass dories.

Oh Yes, i totally get it. And you are right.. we do live in a disposable society.
Good luck with the transom. I bet some 2" thick white oak planks would do the trick.

[piemma]

Originally Posted by JFigliuolo

Said by Joe (rockfish) never...

And JF, that's why I don't own a boat anymore. I'm good painter, carpenter, plumber, etc. Just not on a boat.

[nightfighter]

Sooooo happy my fuel tank replacement is behind me! The thought of it keeps me from considering some larger Gradys of the same vintage.

Joe, I know you know what you are doing, but might as well share this for reading material and for others who may not know the process or some of the tricks others have learned...

https://www.boatoutfitters.com/repla...1OVFA9,19UHC,1

[Slipknot]

WOW!!! That is a LOT Joe. I'm sure your dedication will pay off when it is finished the right way. That is very ambitious of you, well done on the dirty part, good luck with the rest. I hope the weather holds out for some more warm days.

[Rockfish9]

Originally Posted by nightfighter

Sooooo happy my fuel tank replacement is behind me! The thought of it keeps me from considering some larger Gradys of the same vintage.

Joe, I know you know what you are doing, but might as well share this for reading material and for others who may not know the process or some of the tricks others have learned...

https://www.boatoutfitters.com/repla...1OVFA9,19UHC,1

I will say this about coosa, it is rediculosly expensive, and for all practical purposes, a huge waste of money, it's just trendy, properly sealed marine plywood will last longer than most people will keep their boats, in my case, mine will be rock solid long after I'm taking a dirt nap
I've done many of them, the demo is probably the hardest part, I've got most of the grinding done..what's left is fun..
This is not a difficult job,it only requires a basic understanding of boat construction, willingness to work hard and get dirty, if you have the proper tools, proper safty equipment and do your due diligence on prep work, its not a big deal, some people tend to over think and complicate the build, the proper planning makes the job go smoothly, I'll be fabricating the transome out of 3 layers of Okoume, laminated with thickened epoxy,the stringers will be laminated 3/4 Okoume, totally encased in glass then bedded and filleted with thickened epoxy and then tabbed in with 2 layers of 1708 and 2 layers of 1.5 ounce mat..
Easy peasy..I'll be jigging haddock in May.

[Rockfish9]

I haven't updated for a while, so, here's where I am at, it's slow going because of the temps, I use a propane salamander to heat the space and the work surface, one each step is finished, I made a "hot box" from foam insulation and heat the lower and outside edges with heat lamps , and the internal space with a oil filled eclectic heater, an Infared temp reader ( made famous during the covid siege) tells me the work space is 70, and the work surfaces are between 58 -70 , this epoxy considers 50 acceptable, and thus far, everything has set perfectly in 4 hours, and appears to be cured in 24..

after copious amounts of grinding with 36 grit, using a 6" flat disc and flapper disc in combination, the surfaces were them vacuumed, chemically cleaned with acetone then the transom was raised to 30", a Plexi backer board ( with plastic left on the imprinted the lettering ink the fiberglass, but peeled off), once cured, it was sanded, and again washed with acetone, while the transom glass insert was setting, I filled all the existing holes with a mixture of 2 part epoxy, fiberglass strands and cabosil, 2 layers of 1.5 oz mat and 2 layers of 1708 were applied to the inner side of the outer skin, to stiffen it and prepare it for the new core once the repairs were cured, sanded and cleaned
The new core was made/cut out from sheets of 1/2" Okoume , Okoume is much lighter than Douglas fir or Meranti, 3 layers/sheets give me 27 plys .. I made a cardboard template of the transom core from the inside of the boat, then it was transferred to 1/4" hardboard for making all my laminate pieces and glass cuts
the cut-out pieces were chemically cleaned, then coated with a neat coat of epoxy to act as a binder and prevent the wood from "drinking my bonding mixture, the bonding mixture consisted of 2 part epoxy thickened with a mixture of cab-o-sil and wood flour to a consistency of peanut butter, the mixture was then spread with a 1/4" notched trowel , all rows heading upward to aid in relieving any trapped air, the newly laminated core was then clamped together and any excess epoxy removed, the end grain was sealed with this excess.

after the lamination was complete, the entire core was sanded and fitted to the inner transom, where it was bedded in thickened epoxy and clamped to the outer skin, next weekend, I'll grind/sand and tab in the core to the inner hull and Sunday apply 4 layers of glass to form the inner skin.. im in good shape now so it can get as cold as it wants to get, i can finish in the spring if need be.

[Rockfish9]

preparing the core for laminating to the outer skin

[Rockfish9]

Now I wait - but can breathe a sigh of relief, there is still a lot of work to do, but the most tedious, slow going is behind me.. I started 2 months ago, only working on it on weekends, I'm happy to be where I am at this point with no major setbacks, and the weather hasn't been a factor. it's a lot easier to suit up and grind glass in 40 degree weather than it is when it's 80.. on a side not, I bought a cheap ( read IMHO disposable) dust collector on Amazon, that thing has been a game changer in keeping fine airborne dust from flying everywhere, the heavy stuff can be vacuumed and or swept up for disposal. I haven't had a case of the "itchies" once this entire project.

[Slipknot]

Very detailed process Joe, outstanding work as usual. I guess you are committed at this point. It will be better than it was new.
You sure have a lot of drive still, amazing.

[Rockfish9]

Originally Posted by Rockfish9

Now I wait - but can breathe a sigh of relief, there is still a lot of work to do, but the most tedious, slow going is behind me.. I started 2 months ago, only working on it on weekends, I'm happy to be where I am at this point with no major setbacks, and the weather hasn't been a factor. it's a lot easier to suit up and grind glass in 40 degree weather than it is when it's 80.. on a side not, I bought a cheap ( read IMHO disposable) dust collector on Amazon, that thing has been a game changer in keeping fine airborne dust from flying everywhere, the heavy stuff can be vacuumed and or swept up for disposal. I haven't had a case of the "itchies" once this entire project.

Thanks Bruce, you know me well enough to know I have 2 speed- Idle and open - I was committed as soon as I saw the crack and then I became aware of the flex- January 1(2024) I'm going to permanent 4 day weeks, May - October 3 day weeks, using 1 day a week accumulated vacation time- Next January 1( 2025)- it's OVAH! they can beg and plead all they want -I've had enough - mostly of politics here and new found philosophy's - love my job and the work that I have been doing here for the last 30 years, but it's time for me to go.- they still haven't found a replacement, I've had 5 different people in the last year, none have made it past the 6 month mark- most make it a week or 2- it's been discussed by us "old farts" to nauseum, but the younger generation has no desire to work- and forget about the talent pool- we all know what that is like.
Back to the boat - I cut and glassed all the new stringers and bulkheads this week, down in my shop, once I get the transom inner skin tied in, then I'll put the stringers and bulkheads in, with a little luck, that will all be done by Christmas, leaving the foaming of the bulkheads in and sole install until spring- even if I don't get anything else done before i start ice fishing, I'll still be able to finish by the end of May... I might even use my spray gun to paint the hull instead of a brush and roller

[Raider Ronnie]

Originally Posted by Rockfish9

I will say this about coosa, it is rediculosly expensive, and for all practical purposes, a huge waste of money, it's just trendy, properly sealed marine plywood will last longer than most people will keep their boats, in my case, mine will be rock solid long after I'm taking a dirt nap
I've done many of them, the demo is probably the hardest part, I've got most of the grinding done..what's left is fun..
This is not a difficult job,it only requires a basic understanding of boat construction, willingness to work hard and get dirty, if you have the proper tools, proper safty equipment and do your due diligence on prep work, its not a big deal, some people tend to over think and complicate the build, the proper planning makes the job go smoothly, I'll be fabricating the transome out of 3 layers of Okoume, laminated with thickened epoxy,the stringers will be laminated 3/4 Okoume, totally encased in glass then bedded and filleted with thickened epoxy and then tabbed in with 2 layers of 1708 and 2 layers of 1.5 ounce mat..
Easy peasy..I'll be jigging haddock in May.

I’ve done more fiberglass work that probably anyone here.
I love Coosa ( other than cutting or grinding. Dust is nasty)
Won’t suck up water and holds a screw (within reason) but I do agree it’s expensive (though it’s nice to have friends who buy it wholesale & do a lot of volume 😏
Plywood is ok as long as completely encapsulated in resin.
Marine plywood is not cheap either !
The minute someone drills and doesn’t de-core….. different story.
Coosa you don’t have to de-coring and is very lightweight

[Rockfish9]

transom is in, just needs fairing and gel coat, new Douglass fir keel stringer has been installed, fully encased in fiberglass and epoxy, sole has been raised 4" by adding Douglass fir risers( fully encased in epoxy and fiberglass) rear splash well was molded and bonded to the transom with thickened epoxy, wire chases have been run as has plumbing for the bait well and wash down pump, a below deck battery area has been created as has a mid ship anchor locker, box stringers have been foamed in, trimmed flush and sealed with epoxy, then a veil of 2 layers of 1.5 ounce mat put over the top to seal the "box" I'l prepare the plas-core deck this week and start the install next weekend.

[Guppy]

Wow, great job, hope you’re enjoying this…

[Rockfish9]

The Plas-core honeycomb deck Deck panels have been glassed on the bottom with 2 layers of 1708 and bonded to the cross members, stringers and hull, and tabbed in, it will get glassed over this week end with 1 layer of 1700, then a layer of 1.5 ounce mat, then a layer of 6 ounce cloth - all the hatches have been cut in, I'm in the process of making a custom one for the battery box/compartment. I pulled all the wires for my pot hauler, nav. lights and trolling motor on the starboard side before I close it off with a soffit, it will have a 4" deck plate inspection hole but it's a lot easier now,
fuel tank
has been pressure tested for leaks to 3psi - all through hulls have been installed, those through the transom have been over drilled, filled with thickened epoxy and redrilled to the proper size, I re-enforced the through hull area with 3 layers of woven roving sandwiched between 1.5 ounce mat, the scoop was reinstalled and bedded in 5200, the sea cock plate was dry fit, marked then bedded in 5200, it has captive tee nuts countersunk in the base to facillitate the bolting of the flange, the secock, has Rector seal on the male threads and the base is bedded in 4200 - bilge pump,wash down, bait well pumps as well as the high water alarm are wired to a busbar that will be connected to the harness from the front, once wired, the bus is slathered in di-elcectric grease to seal out moisture a and air.
the casting platform in the bow has been divided into 2 sections instead of 1, a Plas-core stringer has been glassed in for additional support and as a divider.

[Nebe]

A labor of love but shes worth it
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[nightfighter]

An admirable undertaking, Joe! Where are you doing the work? I am pretty sure the bride wouldn't let you make that much mess in your attached garage..... I was just reflecting about how happy my project was completed last year.

[Rockfish9]

Ross, all the work is being done in a portable car port, I built the panels in my shop down stairs,I've kept the dust to a minimum using a cyclone dust collector- and a good shop vac. And power tools with integral dust collection.

[Rockfish9]

Not done but close, first time she's seen the light of day since October., I added a lot of extras and they sucked up a lot of time, I need to reinstall the cleats, rod holders and complete putting the radar and radio on the interior roof, I've also got to put it some roof mounted rod holders and lights as well as my registration numbers and waterways sticker.. she's close. "doghouse" needs a bit of fairing and sanding, it's too hot for the Haz mat suit now and she's functional, but I'll revisit that in the fall because she's a little"rough" but the seams are smooth enough for now.. I should be on my first bass of the season by this time next week.. I'll post some pictures of the interior and various "systems" i developed when I'm done.. she's like new, I love the way it all came out, I've got tons of storage and no wasted space, $5200 - the majority of it in epoxy@ 35gallons purchased, I've got a little over 1 gallon to spare..

[Rockfish9]

I'll post the "non inverted picture too

[wdmso]

Congrats on getting her back on the water. I’m always envious people who have such skill fixing boats or building decks.

[Slipknot]

Quite the monumental project Joe, I’m sure it will be golden. Looks great!
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device