18' wellcraft transom repair,stringers,sole.

[anonymous]

HI. I've been looking at this site for a while now and I have finally decided I need a little assistance. Im replacing the transom on my 18' 1989 center console wellcraft. The model is a 18fisherman. At this point
I have the cap off and the tank out. All electrial out and Im digging out the old foam. The cap is all one piece. The sole or deck is plywood sandwhich between glass. My plan for that was too just cut the bottom layer of glass out and dig out the wood then epoxy new plywood in. Then glass over that. What type and how many layers of glass do I use to go over that? I will post pictures once all the foam is out. I need to replace the stringers, transom and the floor or sole. Re paint it also. Glass in the center console. I can't decide if I should use foam for the transom and stringers or use plywood. I do not want a rot problem again. If I were to use plywood. I see Meranti ect, but I think I need to find a local place that I can just pick up some wood and save on the shipping. I will purchase the glass from this site. I have some epoxy already. What do you suggest I use for the transom and the stringers? How thick do you think I should make the transom. I haven't cut the inner glass out yet. How thick is the transom usually on a boat like this? The outboard is a 115hp suzuki 4 stroke. The engine is removed. The hull still sits on the trailer. I will try and post pictures today. I live in southern CA.

[Mad Dog]

MaMalato,

Welcome aboard. I assume you have registered and are waiting on authentication.

You have a lot of questions for one post. We will have to address them one by one. Since you have visited the site you know we really need pics (boat porn) to give you good answers. So, if responses come slowly the really smart guys on the board are just waiting for the pics.

However, you did ask about plywood sources. Call around a check the prices in your area. You may find that BBC can give you a better price even with the shipping. I know that my local prices for GP 1/2" marine are $10 per sheet higher than BBC Birch and only $5 per sheet less than Merranti. Since you are doing a rebuild/recore you don't have to use the Okoume or Merranti. The Birch will work for your application (as I learned) and you will know it is a good product.

A rebuild is a huge project, obviously. Keep the updates, questons and pics current so the forum members can give you the support and encouragement you will need.

MD

[MeMalato]

HI. I've been trying to post up pictures and can't seem to do so. Can anyone be kind enough to explain how I go about that. MD..I called around town and found that Marine Ply 3/4" is 73.00 for a 4 x 8. Im still taking out all the foam in that boat and there is alot. Once that is done I will cut the inner skin from the transom and dig out the rest of the rotted wood. How do I post up pics?[/img]

[MeMalato]

Still trying to post up some boat Porn. What happen with just copy and paste. I really want to put up some pictures so I can get some input from everybody. I can email it if you give me your email address. I have the foam removed enough to access the transom area now. On my next day off I will cut out the inner skin. Then take more pictures.

[fukes]

To insert a picture in a message is a two step process.
The first step is to upload the picture somewhere on the internet. For example, in our gallery.
Go to Builder Galleries (link above) and upload a picture.
See instructions here:
http://gallery.bateau2.com/faq.php
You can also upload your picture to any other web site like Yahoo, Photobucket etc,:
http://familyinternet.about.com/od/shar ... photos.htm

Once your picture is on the internet, open it in your browser. Place your mouse pointer over the picture and right click.
A small window will popup, select "properties" at the bottom.
A new window will open. Highlight and copy the "location".
Paste that location in your message.
It should look like this:
http://gallery.bateau2.com/albums/userp ... shed_1.JPG

Highlight that line and click on the little box above your message, the one that says Img.

Click on submit and you should see your picture in your message.

[MeMalato]

. i hope that works and you can view the pictures I have posted. Thanks.[/img]

[Mad Dog]

. i hope that works and you can view the pictures I have posted. Thanks.[/img]

MeMalato, if you are using Photobucket to host your images (as I do) there is another way to link the images. Begin by creating a new message window and open your photobucket image window. Below the image in photobucket are 4 options for sharing images. Click on the box to the right of "IMG Code". The word "copied" should pop up. If not, right click on the box and select "copy", then move to the forum message window. Right click in the message window and select "Paste" or press "crtl-v", the link to your photobucket image should pop in. The link will have the proper codes in place. Click the Preview buttom below to see how your image looks. That's it! I usually copy in all the images I want in the message then type in my text between them. Hope this helps!

MD

[Mad Dog]

. i hope that works and you can view the pictures I have posted. Thanks.[/img]

Here are the images from your photobucket account.

You really do have a lot of foam to take out.


The cap looks great. You should be able to easily put a new sole on it.


Nice profile.


Did she have an engine bracket? And, what's with the bilge pump hanging off the back. I would get a baitwell pump and put in a through hull connector.


Is all the foam water logged? You may want to leave the foam on the gunwales.

[MeMalato]

The boat actually came with a omc sea drive 115 2 stroke. Thats why those holes are in the back. That engine had this weird built on bracket. I put a 2000 115hp Suzuki 4 stroke on it and used a Stainless Marine Bracket. They are located in Florida. I will take pictures of all that. That pump hanging off the back transom is my bait pump for a Kodiak bait tank that I had mount in the boat. I do have a thru the hull pump,but it was for a built in bait tank that the boat had incorporated in it. I never used it once. I want to replace the thru the hull fitting in the boat and use that for the bait tank..but there is a hatch that goes over that bileage area. I will take picture of that also. That hatch fits in that cut out at the transom in the boats cap. Yah lots of foam. Im going to leave that foam on the sides there. I have to fix those rod holder that are on the cap also. Those are not the original rod holders. They cracked. I bought those from Fpmarine those were the longest ones they had. Better than nothing at the time. The center console/hatch for bileage and engine are at My parents house. I made a steel mount that would hold a 500lb outboard and the engine is stored on that wrapped in plastic. Im going to try and follow your direction on posting up the pictures. Thank you for doing that for me by the way. I really appreciate that.

[MeMalato]