Reply With QuoteI suppose I'd give it a half hearted attempt at drying them out with a hair dryer or heat gun then fill them up properly & go fishing.
I've had 2003 Freedom Escape 525 for 2 years now, have invested a bit of time and money into it. 2-3k.
It's got a 115 Johnson 2 stroke on the bow. Was rebuilt about 4 years by previous owner, who supplied all receipts upon purchase
Goes well, being a wider boat it's fairly stable at rest.
Earlier this year, i changed the transducer, and needed to fill the old screw holes with Epoxy. It also had some other screw holes which the previous owner just filled with Silicone.
Upon cleaning the screw holes so that the epoxy could bind, i found that the 2 lower screw holes were quite wet, indicating to me that the transom is beginning to rot. The top holes probably about 80mm higher were dry.
The transom still sounds solid, and isn't flexing. I suppose a 14 yr old hull that wasn't really looked after by previous owners, it is to be expected.
I haven't checked, but i suspect that some of the stringers under the floor would be rotting away slowly.
The boat, I believe, is in still good shape. The motor runs well, starts 1st time, every time.
My questions are:
Do i spend a few thousand for fiberglass repairs, would it be worth it, considering it's no Haine's V17, or Edencraft or some other well known boat brand?
If i do opt to repair it, how long do i let it rot away before i make the decision to repair it?
Attached are some photos for reference
IMG-4478.jpgIMG-4181.jpgIMG-3989.jpgIMG-4481.jpg
I suppose I'd give it a half hearted attempt at drying them out with a hair dryer or heat gun then fill them up properly & go fishing.
I would get that fixed before you do anything elseOriginally Posted by Fazz90
^^^ which bit. The 2 stroke or its location. 🤣
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Remember to always log on before heading offshore.
This sounds familiar !
What I would do, is cut an inspection hole in your floor, as I did. You can simply put one of those screw in proper inspection ports in after wards if all
is good. ( mine wasn't ). No way of really telling what condition things are in unless you get in there and have a look.
In my case, the stringers had completely come away from the hull, simple inspection hole cut confirmed the extent of the damage.
w.r.t. the transom just keep going up in drill bit size until you hit dry timber then give it a few coats with wood impregnating epoxy then fill with epoxy, hopefully you hit dry wood by 30-40mm....
Baysport boats (used to be Freedom I believe) are apparently made with a glass over foam stringer grid. Whether this has always been the case I don't know but it's probably worth a call to find out. As for the transom, guess you can go hunting for dry timber or simply dry it out as best possible and seal it up properly. Not sure how long it takes for wet timber to actially start and rot. Could be it is just wet and not actually rotten in there. My bow eye block was like this when I cut it out - whether it will dry without rot setting in I don't know.
I'd be worried if it was there as well. Was meant to say "back"
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Usually it needs oxygen (air) to accelerate the process. It can stay wet for some years before it rots. As Crunchy suggests drill bigger holes, if it is near the bottom of the hull you will be lucky as it doesn't appear to have migrated upwards. A bigger hole is also easier to fill and patch.
Hello Fazz,
before you start drilling holes maybe try an inspection camera from Supercheap or similar.
http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/Pro...-USB-7m/339092
$76.00 and poke it into all of the bungs and see what it all looks like inside.
Also there are various products to refill rotted transoms eg. Seacast, video at
This would not help with the stringers if they are rotted.
For mine if you like the boat and will be keeping it for while, get it fixed if it needs it.
If you sell it, it is your conscience.
If you then buy another used boat would it be any better?
Fazz, Crocodiles idea of an endoscope camera isn't a bad idea, go online you can pick them up for under $20, these usually have USB connections that you can plug into your phone, tablet or laptop. I bought one for about $12, only 5.5mm diam with 6 LED lights. The only rider here is that the stringers could be starting to rot but visually you would be hard pressed to tell as they will look ok, have you tried tapping around the area, usually the end of a biro is pretty good as you will hear either a solid return or where it has rotted a dull return.
Fazz post up some pictures indicating where exactly these holes are if you can. Rot is the colonisation of algae spores within the damp or wetted timber then and only then will it rot.
Treat the holes with liquid chlorine,this will kill the spores if they are present. Or if you can drill out to a larger hole and let the area dry this will also obviously kill off the algae spores.
Then when dry treat with an 2 part epoxy preservative like Everdure, Northane.
If the area is larger than expected a more serious repair will be necessary but go with the easier, and cheaper, options first. Cheers Jim.
Haines Signature "FinaLeigh" 580F 135 Optimax
CH 81 & 72 VHF
Thanks for the input and info guys.
Much appreciated!!
Don't worry about your transom until you get some major flex. I know of two boats that were flexing heaps and the owners kept taking them out. I'd sell it and move on. "Caveat Emptor" (buyer beware) for the next owner. Up to them to check the flex of the transom or go around with the end of a screwdriver knocking for dead spots.
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