Transom trouble

[Waterbeater]

Guy offered me a Skeeter Wrangler for free. Problem is the transom is bowing out. He bought the boat for the motor which is a 200 hp but the boat was only rated for a 150. Could this be the problem? Is this a fairly easy fix if you wanted a project boat? Need some advise. Want a boat but just don't have the money to out and spend 10 to $15,000.

[Wayne P.]

It sounds like the transom is water logged and is about to fail. The weight difference in the two sizes of OB is not enough to cause the bowing. The transom can be replaced by an experienced re-builder.  

[fishfordollars]

This is not an easy fix and should not be tried by anyone without the tools, time, and experience to do the job correctly. I had a transmon put in a Skeeter on my son's boat back in 2003 and it was almost $4,000.00. when you get the cap off the boat you are going to find the stringers bad that will also have to be replaced. I do not have the time to type all the materials, tools, and patience you will need to complete the job correctly. If you want or need the info PM me and I will get it to you. Heck here is part of it:

Tools: Sawzall, Hammers, Chiesels, prybars, screw drivers, large clamps, grinders,and a thousand more.

Materials: Fiberglas matting, And all the materials to lay the glass, someone to lay it if you can't, Paint, Reducer, gallons and gallons of the glass and hardner, and many more

Place to disassemble the boat(The cap has to come off), motor off the boat, cut out all the drain openings

Material for the transom. It needs to be assembled outside the boat and then glassed into the boat. Cut the stringers away from the rear assuming they are ok(Which they are not).

Most important thing when going back together. The new flooring has to be in the boat at the original height or you will not be able to put the cap back on the boat if it is either to high or too low.

Many more things have to be done, I am just tired of typing. Good luck

Sorry, I forgot: Welcome to the forum

[billbo]

I had 16 ft. Procraft a few years back and I was told the transom was weak. A dealer installed an alumiumn plate on the transom and he said I could get a few more years out of it. He recommended that I use a motor totor or something to support the transom. The cost was like $800.00. You may want to try that and see if it will work for you.

[George Welcome]

"The weight difference in the two sizes of OB is not enough to cause the bowing."

Over 60 pounds differnce between those two motors.

If you have to ask it's time to get a professional to do the job. Not a simple task at all!

[Way2slow]

No way in hell would I run that boat with any motor of any size. There is just too much of a likely hood the motor could rip itself off. Then you would have a lost or ruined motor and a boat sinking with you in it.

I would not trust any aluminum plate either. I've done that a number of times on small boats with 25's or smaller but not anything with the power and weight you will be dealing with on that boat. It would just be plain crazy.

The proper way to fix it would be to take the cap off and replace the transome, this would cost a few grand.

An alternative, cheap fix would be to cut some of the top of the transome away, dig out the old rotted plywood and pour some the synthetic transome repair material in to refill. Just be sure to cut as little as you can get away with on the top because that part of the cap also provides a lot of strenght to the transome. This would cost less than $500 (if you did it yourself) and make a strong transome, just won't be a pretty fix but is not extremely noticable since it's back under the motor..