Why did / why do almost all the BB companies leave the F/G unfinished at the transom cap? Is it to help with inevitable flex thus reducing stress cracks? Had a F/G shop tell my buddy he should glass it up. I told him it wasn’t glassed for a reason, but w/o that reason he got it closed down n. 1 month later it’s cracked. Round 2 starts today so I come to the self proclaimed BB encyclopedia for an answer.
Rick Pierce, President of BassCat Boats, is an active BBC member. I would PM him for his input.
"The man of system is apt to be very wise in his own conceit; and is often so enamored with the supposed beauty of his own ideal plan of government that he cannot suffer the smallest deviation from any part of it…He seems to imagine that he can arrange the different members of a great society with as much ease as the hand arranges the different pieces upon a chessboard.” Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments
If you’re discussing the rear outside corners of the deck, yes there is a reason.
I am and would love to hear anythingOriginally Posted by Bass Cat Boats
the area above the sponsons? some boats put mats or traction pad there?
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I’m talking about the area at the top of the transom under the angle iron piece. It is technically the seam from the top cap and the only spot there isn’t / can’t be a rub rail.
Whoever said to fiberglass that has no idea what they were talking about. It’s a seam that the forces applied to the transom are able to release without transferring to the top cap. fiberglassing it over, doesn’t make those stresses go away. Essentially forces a static condition for a dynamic force. There is now no where to for the stresses to release causing the crack.
similar to bride joints and rollers. You don’t see the bridge move, but it does when loads are applied. if those joints and rollers don’t exist, the foundations and deck would fail because it’s now a fully static support for a dynamic load.
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That area is a seam and traditionally it is a joint between the transom and top cap, or splash well. The seam is at the top edge, and while bass boats have changed from traditional methods in some designs, they still have a seam. The traditional trim in that area could change some today, but top caps and transoms still will have a seal area. For us, we generally fiberglass our transoms to the deck, while others us a putty to bond that area. The transoms must be flatter for jackplate mounts, and on older methods that area had a motor against the transom.
Today that area could be altered from that method on some brands, because we use so many jackplates and different styles. For us, we prefer the custom full transom length 6 bolt jackplates we use, which prevents fulcruming on the transom a shorter plate mount has. Thus our style will be best served with an angle covering the fiberglass joint. We like to show that joint during plant tours, because it’s glass to glass and bonded with glass.
Here’s one few notice, look at the motor mount area, and you will see a slight indent in the J bracket where the flat transom top area is. That is for the trim or angle you’re speaking of, and gives it clearance. Every motor we know of has this little appx. 1” by 3/16” inset area.
Last edited by Bass Cat Boats; 05-12-2025 at 08:01 AM. Reason: Added a missed letter
Thanks
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