# Fiberglass/ Transom Repair



## Sam22 (Jan 22, 2003)

The boat I have been shopping for for years is finally mine. The journey has begun and hasn't been easy, already! It sounds like I need a new transom, I am looking into options. Does anyone know an exceptional fiberglass guy, or shop? Everyone I have talked to has seemed to be very slow to respond, and not turning things over very quickly. A reasonable price would be nice too. All advice appreciated. I have no problem towing it somewhere to get the work done. I am already considering someone in Flint. Also I like the idea of Seacast, but so few people work with it, any opinions? I have facilities, I have considered trying to find a guy to work on it in my shop too.


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## Quack Addict (Aug 10, 2006)

I have done exactly what you are looking to have done on a bunch of boats when I use to wrench at a marina and also to a couple of my personal boats as well. The transom repair/replacement is probably just the tip of the iceberg. I can almost guarantee you will need to replace the flotation foam as there's probably several hundred pounds of dead weight (water) soaked into the foam. To get the old foam out you need to R&R the floor. The engine mount beds probably need to be looked at as well. 

What kind of boat is it / how big? 

Here's a few pics of my current boat as I was working on it. I don't really have any good pics of the finished project on this computer. Not hard to do yourself, just time consuming and you need the right tools and some basic knowledge of fiberglass & resin, what to use, where to buy, etc.


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## SalmonBum (Feb 28, 2001)

Try Bob Kline (Total Fiberglass) in Attica 810-724-1598 and tell him Bill sent ya. He's not too far from Flint.


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## Sam22 (Jan 22, 2003)

Thanks for the Replies fellas. I live in Traverse City, Not Flint. I am willing to take it wherever though. Quack, that looks really nice. My boat is an outboard. It's an 1987 2550 tiarra pursuit with one of those goofy outboard mounts that sits a ways off the transom. Do you want to do it for me!? 
I don't think it needs a new floor, it's not a wood floor.

I would tackle it myself, if I weren't on the road full time for work.


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## sslopok (Aug 24, 2009)

I don't remember the name of the company that did our jetskis when a storm blew them off the lifts, but they were in Beecher, which is basically FLint. I will see if i can get the business name. They dud good work and did it in timely manner.


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## Getaway (Jan 17, 2001)

I highly recommend Mid Michigan Fiberglass in Bay City:

1809 27th Street Bay City, MI 48708
(989) 895-7000

If I were to pay someone to do the work, I would look no further than these guys.

I completely rebuilt my 268 Sea Ray with the help of a very experienced Navy ship rebuilder. Tackling that project yourself is doable with the advice of someone who knows what they are doing. I purchased all of my materials from US Composites out of Florida. I also did not replace the foam in my stringers. My new stringers are actually hollow and vented with drains to stay dry in case water finds it's way in there again. I also epoxy coated the insides of the vented stringers to make them completely waterproof. the only foam we used was inside the gas tank support to help support the 104 gallons of fuel.

Here are some pics:

Completed and epoxied using Interlux 2000 barrier coat:

















New aft cabin. No foam in side supports. Rebuilt with 3/4 pressure treated and dried plywood, glassed in place and epoxy coated.









After we gutted the old stringers and transom. This shot is from the outdrive opening looking into the boat. We ripped everything out up to the bathroom..









Putting her back together

















Sucky job, but I've got a freaking tank of a ship now. The main skin of the hull is now 1/2" thick and thicker in places where we have radius's and supports mounted. Here she is ready to have the engine and drive put back in:









I'm on the second season after the rebuild. Still dry as a bone inside and out. She feels solid like a jetski when running through waves.


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## fishmark (Jan 1, 2010)

I need to redo my deck. What weight chop-strand did you use for glassing your deck????


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## St. Clair Slayer (Aug 31, 2009)

Have you contacted The folks at Pursuit in Holland. If the money is not a problem then I would take it to the factory and let them repair it this winter. Good luck!


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## limige (Sep 2, 2005)

fishmark said:


> I need to redo my deck. What weight chop-strand did you use for glassing your deck????


Google coosa board, that would be my suggestion.
For transom go with a pour in composite. I know that mid Mich fiberglass does that stuff

Never heard of hollow stringers care to elaborate?


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## Ralph Smith (Apr 1, 2003)

Sam22 said:


> Thanks for the Replies fellas. I live in Traverse City, Not Flint. I am willing to take it wherever though. Quack, that looks really nice. My boat is an outboard. It's an 1987 2550 tiarra pursuit with one of those goofy outboard mounts that sits a ways off the transom. Do you want to do it for me!?
> *I don't think it needs a new floor, it's not a wood floor.*
> I would tackle it myself, if I weren't on the road full time for work.


Pretty sure their all wood underneath all the fiberglass. Unless its aluminum.


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## boomer_x7 (Dec 19, 2008)

limige said:


> Google coosa board, that would be my suggestion.
> For transom go with a pour in composite. I know that mid Mich fiberglass does that stuff
> 
> *Never heard of hollow stringers care to elaborate*?


There are a few styles of stringers. The hollow stringers i know of were fiberglass and where filled with foam. last i knew boat manf. got away from it it because after time the foam would deteriorate and the stringer would lose strength ect. 

Theres also the stringer drain system where water drains between the stringer (drain holes in every stringer run/ bulkhead) underneath the liner. Also not common anymore. A plugged stringer drain leaves water in the boat to stink ect. Possibley hold enough water to cause performance and handling issues. The best is when a cuddy slows down and the water all goes the the bow and floods the cabin. Also if the wood stringer isnt completely sealed (or have an air pocket give out in the glass covering the stringer) the stringer rots out...


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## boomer_x7 (Dec 19, 2008)

Ralph Smith said:


> Pretty sure their all wood underneath all the fiberglass. Unless its aluminum.


Depending on the brand, some manufactorers dont use wood anymore. But my guess is wood also.


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## limige (Sep 2, 2005)

The better boats don't use wood. My mako has very little.


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## fishmagnetmike (Dec 10, 2010)

advanced fiberglass in beecher they will hook you up do good work


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## paulywood (Sep 2, 2005)

I had some fiberglass work done by Bowker's in Zeeland and was very happy with the work and the price.


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## BumpRacerX (Dec 31, 2009)

Four Seasons in Houghton Lake. I'm an insurance adjuster by trade, have seen lots of glass work done over the years. His is outstanding and it's reasonably priced. He rebuilt a high dollar fiberglass houseboat for us a few years ago, and did an incredible job. Looked better when he was done than what it did prior to the customer wrecking it.


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## SalmonBum (Feb 28, 2001)

limige said:


> The better boats don't use wood. My mako has very little.


Best boat use wood Stringers that are well encapsulated in many layers of glass. For strength, nothing beats wood. I have seen more problems with solid glass Stringers not being strong enough and letting the hull flex wearing out drive components. And foam, well, its foam. Not much explanation needed there.

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


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## Getaway (Jan 17, 2001)

SalmonBum said:


> Best boat use wood Stringers that are well encapsulated in many layers of glass. For strength, nothing beats wood. I have seen more problems with solid glass Stringers not being strong enough and letting the hull flex wearing out drive components. And foam, well, its foam. Not much explanation needed there.
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Absolutely positively correct!


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## limige (Sep 2, 2005)

SalmonBum said:


> Best boat use wood Stringers that are well encapsulated in many layers of glass. For strength, nothing beats wood.
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


I wasn't including stringers. That is usually the only wood in many upper end boats. Floors rarely have wood


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## SalmonBum (Feb 28, 2001)

limige said:


> I wasn't including stringers. That is usually the only wood in many upper end boats. Floors rarely have wood


Most floors have some kind of wood coring. Transoms, bulkheads are also wood. Only thing that shouldn't be wood is the hull bottom, that should be all glass. Hull sides above waterline typically have some kind of coring, like balsa. This is true with even Tiara's and Pursuit's.


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