Replacing a transom

scoutfish · 02-15-2009, 01:32 PM

Have a nice (after) a lot of work Starcraft Chefton ,Still a work in progress
But was looking at doing the transom next. Is this a lot of work.
I was a body man for 30 years but still will listen to someones advice.

Thanks. Arnie

fishkisser · 02-15-2009, 06:12 PM

If you are a good carpenter and a great surfboard builder you should have no problem ...

unless the transom is cracking or rotten or delaminating its probably the last thing you should attempt restoring ...
There is a lot more to it than most people think in terms of structural integrity and rigidity ...
I can't remember if that is a stringer bonded transom or the molded type ...
Got any pics of what you want to do to the project boat ? ...

mstarck · 02-15-2009, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scoutfish

Have a nice (after) a lot of work Starcraft Chefton ,Still a work in progress
But was looking at doing the transom next. Is this a lot of work.
I was a body man for 30 years but still will listen to someones advice.

Thanks. Arnie

would that be a aluminum boat with plywood inside the transom.

mike s.

scoutfish · 02-15-2009, 07:28 PM

Yes this is a aluminum boat and yes it has a plywood transom.
The sheet of aluminum thats riveted to the gunnels is what
makes it scarry to me.
Arnie.

honker1 · 02-15-2009, 08:11 PM

Replaced the transom in my Starcraft and wasn't that tough. I am Mr. Overkill, so I drilled the rivets out, removed the old transom board. Got a sheet of 3/4" plywood and used the old transom board as a pattern. Cut the peice out X 2. Then screwed and glued the 2 pieces together. Drilled any holes that needed to be through it and painted the board with 2 coats of epoxy resin. Installed new board and installed rivets. Didn't seem that hard, but I had www.IBOATS.COM holding my hand.
I had a 115hp outboard motor that I had to lift off. If you have a I/O then that could be another story. GOOD LUCK.

scoutfish · 02-15-2009, 08:30 PM

Thanks Honker, did you replace the aluminum sheet too.
Arnie.

fishkisser · 02-16-2009, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speedy TJ

would that be a aluminum boat with plywood inside the transom.

mike s.

Oops .... Uhhhhh carry on ....

Waterfish · 02-16-2009, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scoutfish

Have a nice (after) a lot of work Starcraft Chefton ,Still a work in progress
But was looking at doing the transom next. Is this a lot of work.
I was a body man for 30 years but still will listen to someones advice.

Thanks. Arnie

I highly recommend that you order the boat restoration book "Runabout Renovation" by Jim Anderson. Google it, I just did and Amazon has 17 copies (used ones for only a few dollars). Great boat restoration book with an entire chapter just on rebuilding a rotten transom. There are some transom rebuilding tips in the book that most people wouldn't know about that will make the results come out perfect. The book was written in 1992, before the use of epoxy resin was used for boats. Epoxy resin is better for boat/fiberglass work because it bonds to wood much more permanently than does polyester resin. So anywhere that the book recommends polyester resin; substitue "epoxy resin." I realize that your Starcraft Chieftan is aluminum (not fiberglass) but you will still be using resin on the transom. I recommend using the West System marine epoxy resin with the metered pumps that take all of the guesswork out of mixing the two parts (the metered pumps cost around $15.00 for both pumps at Fisherman's Marine. Fiberglass Supply (Bingen, Washington) has a huge selection of all kinds of fiberglassing materials at prices you can't beat.

A friend of mine had a Starcraft Chieftan about 15 years ago, which he finally sold. The guy that bought it cut the whole cabin off and made it into a big open boat. What a way to ruin a classic cuddy cabin boat! That still makes my friend mad when he talks about his old boat!

Dinikin · 02-17-2009, 11:34 AM

Youtube fiberglass repair and transom replacement. they make it look easier than it really is.

honker1 · 02-17-2009, 02:26 PM

I don't know how your Chieftan is constructed in the transom area, but with my Starcraft I didn't have to deal with many rivets. The floor was a differant story. I just used a grinder to grind down the rivet head and then drilled out the remaining part of the rivet. Removed the aluminum and then removed the transom board.
When I replaced the rivets, I drilled the hole for one size larger rivet. Starcraft uses a off size rivet anyway, so go a size larger. Yes I did use the same aluminum I took off.
Finding a rivet driver was probably the hardest part of the operation. If you need anymore help, send me a PM.