1985 Ranger Weak Transom

[JCaggie6]

I am brand new to BBC and I'm glad I found it. I purchased this boat for $2000 off of Craigslist in September. I have taken it out about 10 times since then and it has run great! However, I have noticed some flex in the transom lately. I did the hammer test and I believe it is rotten in some areas.

After doing some research, I feel like Seacast or some other kind of pourable is the way to go. I would preferably have a dealer install it; however, there are only 3 in all of Texas that can do it. Do you guys recommend this? Still open to having new plywood or arjay being put in instead. Has anyone had a dealer pour Seacast in the transom, and how much was it? Would like a ballpark number of how much it could cost before driving 4 hours round trip to get a quote. Thanks!

Boat is a 1985 320v. It is 16 feet. Here are some pics https://imgur.com/a/atffhGL

[boatinpete]

Why not try Ranger, they may install their pultruded solid transom, no one independent shop can do better.

[JCaggie6]

I'm trying to keep it under $1000. I'm hoping they can jsut take the transom cap off and drill out all of the rotten wood and replace it, but it might be wishful thinking.

[firemech048]

You can use seacast and pour the transom once you get all the wood out. I have done it to a few boats and had amazing results.

[crank68]

I’ve never heard anything bad about Seacast as long as the transom is prepared properly...

[JCaggie6]

That's my only worry. I'm just afraid I'll poke through the hull with a chainsaw trying to get all the wood out.

[crank68]

Use a small electric one to start with...

[Fx20 2011]

Wet rotten transom are tough. Make sure all boats, srews, drains and bolts are out. As first I tried digging it out. I used srew drivers, drills what ever you can think off. I went no where fast. I thought my last resort would be a chain saw. However I thought I could try one more thing looking at the wench that I used to take the motor off. I had a long I bolt with a screw end. I found the strongest part of the rotted transom and screwed it in from the top. I attached my wench and then raised it. Of course that sucker was in there and I lifted the boat and trailer.

Then I jumped up and down on the trailer frame and the transom broke free. I was then able to lift it completely out with the wench. I only had 25% of the transom that was solid. Sure was a lot safer than the chain saw.

[761lofton]

There are a couple of threads on here about transom replacement that will give you great advice. Think Twitch did his a couple years back if I remember right. Good luck and hang in there.

[JCaggie6]

There are a couple of threads on here about transom replacement that will give you great advice. Think Twitch did he's a couple years back if I remember right. Good luck and hang in there.

Thank you sir! I'll go look for it!

[javelin90]

If you are going to use Seacast make sure that the two transom supports that run from the stringers up underside of the splashwell. If the two transom supports are wet and/or rotten replace them as the transom will flex and you will see cracks form around the two supports. It is not hard either using Seacast or original Wood.
I did a javelin 390 in 2006.
What I thought was a wet battery box turned into the wood wet/rotten, stringers rotten, and transom. If you use wood get marine grade( no voids inside the layers of plywood. Transom thickness is about 2" thick, (3) 3/4" pieces of plywood and (1) 1/2" thick.
Use the biaxial 45 degree fiberglass cloth, Two part epoxy, and sawdust from a epoxy dealer. You will use the sawdust to fill in the angles between the transom and two supports. Just like peanut butter thickness.
Message me if i can help.

[STRETCH1]

Use Seacast. It is great. I used it on my 1974 Ranger and it worked great. My transom was totally soaked, in fact I had to let the wet wood dry before putting it in the trash as it was too heavy to lift. I dug it out at first with a variety of hand tools from Harbor Freight. My favorite was a pry bar. I drilled as much as I could out with spade bits and driver extensions. I too was worried about running through the fiberglass with a chainsaw but they are designed to cut on the edge and not the side so if you are careful they wont dig into the fiberglass. My stringers were rotted as well so I dug that out and made a place for seacast to flow around the good parts of the stringers tying everything together nicely.

[firemech048]

The great thing about seacast is that if you need help you can call them and Sabine who owns the company or Bruce will spend as long as necessary on the phone with you and make sure you are comfortable before they hang up.