New Transom - Question Regarding Boat Level Expected

[champ203rude]

I shopped around alot for a well-known place in my area to rebuild my transom for a good price with good quality. I got alot of input from guys on going Cusa Board composite, etc. I ended up deciding to go with a shop that does a transom ( and redoes the knees too ) by using 12 layers of some type of cross-woven fiberglass with layers of marine plywood. They do bass boat warrantee work, etc.

Anyway, this is my question to those that may have an experienced answer for me ...

The boat is a Champion 2000 203 that was built with this Baltec Core Balsa board transom. The board looks like wood chips with clue.... and water penetrated and basically it disolved badly. They tried trying out but the glue just isn't holding the wood chips together. It's a gonner.

MY QUESTION ( sorry for being wordy ) ---> Since i assume balsa is very light, will the added weight of a 12 layer wood/fiberglass transom make my boat sit lower on the rear end ? These Champions alreasdy sit very low in the rear since my gas tank is on the rear.

Anyone know the answer ?
Thx
Thx

[ChampioNman]

It should not the older champs had encapsulated plywood in the transom and sit no lower than your 203.

[BASSCAT7]

Like Fred said it will not make a difference.

Baltek composite board is an end grain balsa encapsulted in fiberglass, like a lot of composites it will absorb water if the glass skin is punctured.

The fiberglass used in either production will weigh about the same, and the difference in weight of the plywood versus the baltek is not much when you consider the size of the board feet used in the actual transom.

Baltek is about half the weight of comparable plywood, but you're only talking about maybe 15-20 pounds difference in weight between what you would use in a transom board.

A 4' x 8' sheet of marine ply weighs about 65 - 70 pounds.

[slinkeey]

I don't know he keep referring to *Baltek* as chipboard held together with glue.

Anyway, What is your opinion on Baltek in the transom if it is sealed properly?

[BASSCAT7]

Baltek is like any other composite material, as long as it is sealed tight and has no water intrusion to soften the core, in this case, end grain balsa wood, then it should be fine.
As long as the integrity of the core is there the transom should be ok, problem is bass boats take a beating on the transom and any tiny cracks around the aluminum cap on the transom, or any screw holes from added transducers, tie downs, etc that are not siliconed water tight can allow moisture to get inside the core.
Once water is in, doesn't matter what the material, it will start to get spongy.

Wood will rot, but compopsites will get soft, they may not rot, but will fail just the same.

[champ203rude]

Thanks guys.. appreciate it. The guy told me he will post pics to me as the process happens with my transom replacement.

The reason my transom needs a rebuilt was a Champion design error in the Champion 2000 Anniversary boats. They did not wrap the balsa baltec core board with fiberglass on the top. The entire top edge of the transom board sits about 3" below the rim where the the cap meets... in full air exposure other than a real light fiberglass shell that they used to connect the topcap to the hull... but it had opens. Every time the boat would stop with any backwash, some water would get down into the seams.

Anyway.. pics coming soon. Thanks again.

[haveme1]

The old transom was plywood. The floors are the balsa.

[BASSCAT7]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by haveme1 &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">The old transom was plywood. The floors are the balsa. </td></tr></table>

Not in the early 2000 year Champions, they used a Balsa cored composite board for the transoms.

[slinkeey]

Hmmm.. How can I tell if mine has Plywood Layers or Baltek?

[champ203rude]

My understanding, based on knowing a guy that had his transom redone that has a 1999 203 and another guy that had a 2001 203. I think those 3 years.... 99, 00, 01. That's my understanding. Ones price to 99 had the best practice of many layers of fiberglass and marine plywood. Which is what i'm going back to with my transom. There were not alot of guys who wanted to try to do a Coosa Board composite rebuild when i searched around.

[slinkeey]

Did the Baltek Balsa boards that champion used to produce the champion come from baltek with a laminate already on the balsa?

Or....

did Champion have to seal the end grain on these boards.

Kinda Funny Champion used Baltek for a year or so and then then ran for the hills. Was Baltek part of the reason for them sinking financially back around 2001 or so?

Did the Baltek panels cause a boatload of warranty work?

[slinkeey]

I just hope that Champion knew how to deal with Baltek..

http://www.corematerials.3acom...t.pdf

[slinkeey]

Any pics of your new transom?

[champ203rude]

I've got a whole disk.. when i get home next week i'll try to put it on internet. They actually cut the top cap off on the rear from the livewell rear on back. It's amazing the glass work that can be done by the experts.