Transom LEDs install

[stevej]

There's typically a lot more to a rotten transom than a few properly fitted accessories. The old mans rig is older than me - all original and still solid as a rock. I turn 45 this year. Personally I use a countersink bit to clear the gelcoat - eliminates cracking and gives the sika a void to form a seal. If you want to go one step further without going too extreme, a syringe with some everdure is a good compromise.

ill disagree only takes one 6mm screw with no or poor sealant to stuff a plywood transom, although most transoms fail through that shitty ally capping strip
this is what my cruisecraft had from the factory
2 transducers
4 engine bolts
a ladder
a burley bucket
2 live bait tank inlets.
and two ski hook things

[gazza2006au]

Some would be amazed how a tiny 4-6mm hole lets in so much water on a transom if u go put a hole in a bucket than fill the bath tub hold the bucket 1 foot under water as in a boat transom and you'll see actually how much pressure there really is the water flow might not sink a boat in 1 hour but the water pressure behind it is huge

[Chimo]

2,31 ft head = 1 psi

[ranmar850]

No drilling/doublesided taping required..
https://www.whitworths.com.au/led-bu...ith-base-white

I have one of these at home. I was hoping it would fit the 32mm bung i had fitted to the new boat, but it's some weird thread, so I would have to change the bung base as well.

[ranmar850]

A boatbuilder whom I respect greatly--started on wood, moved to fibreglass, recommends the use of 24 hour araldite if you need to penetrate or plug a wood-cored glass transom. For large thru-holes such as outboard mounting bolts, you have some choices. You can drill the holes slightly oversize, then coat the inner surfaces of the holes with the araldite. Force it into the laminate--if the hole is big enough, use your finger, if not, cut down a strong stick and really work it in. Leave overnight to cure, then sika the bolts when you fit them. For screwing in self-tappers, screw them in to make the thread, then remove, fill the hole with araldite, then screw back in--this is called wetbonding. if you want to be able to remove them later, put some form of release agent on the thread--some CRC, or anti-seize smeared on very thinly. Don't use screws any longer than necessary. You can also drill a hole well oversize, fill with bog, allow to set, then drill the screws into that. You can also wetbond with thru-bolts and hull fittings, but you will need some heat applied later( hot air gun is enough) to undo them. As for plugging existing redundant holes, drill them out to clean wood, drive in a hardwood dowel coated with the same araldite.

iIcame across a method of actually getting Starboard to bond to gelcoat on THT a while back. It involves "flame treating" the bonding surface first--this makes the previously "stick to nothing" starboard receptive to sikaflex-type bonds. Would be just the shot if you wanted to mount a piece on the transom to screw stuff to. I'll try and dig up the link,very interesting.

How about just making a bracket on top of trim-tabs to mount them?

[552Evo]

Thanks ranmar great info about araldyte. I. know an old chippy he prefers the stuff on specific joins coz it soaks better into the surrounding wood, as opposed to the construction adhesive.
My boat doesn’t have tabs, I wouldn’t know if it even needs them, so I guess not .
When drilling today in the outer side of the transom (closest to the gunwale) I never even struck wood, just a thick fibreglass outer ?
I think it’s the way my boat is constructed- I was looking at build photos just now of when the upper and lower hull were prepped for joining.
The motor is on a pod - which has marine ply within the supporting face.
It looks like the recessed part of the transom proper has a timber brace panel extending the full width/beam of the transom.
So anyway I’m pretty sure I got plenty of sealant in the holes, so it won’t leak and the light fitting is pretty small and all squeezed in by the 10mm rubber gasket held down by 4 screws.
IF water does seep past the screw and glued rubber seal it won’t be soaked up by wood.
IF enough water does deep past the screwed, glued holes it should be pumped out the bilge.
IF this happens I’ll follow it up then and ditch the lights and glass up any holes.


Saltwater fishing, boat mad but has a job that gets in the way.

[ranmar850]

OK, some links. First one looked good, but failed after 12 months https://www.thehulltruth.com/boating...starboard.html

This one looked a little better https://www.thehulltruth.com/marine-...arboard-2.html

And another https://www.thehulltruth.com/boating...starboard.html

[gazza2006au]

Chimo since we are quit regular to psi we often under look even 1psi because our tyres are 30-45psi so we often think 1psi is absolutely nothing but it is pressure than when u factor in voids in plywood (only a percentage of us use marine grade) there is a open channel for the water to seep in and channel along

From what i have head a good source for a soggy transom is the caps of the transom (upper left and right top) which dont get laminated and everytime it rains water seeps into the ply transom

What the BMD guys were doing is drilling the outboard mounting holes larger and inserting and gluing into place pvc tubes than painting