Should all Potter era transoms be replaced?
 

Hi everyone. I'm contemplating buying a '78 Sceptre (outboard version) with original transom reinforced with a stainless plate. I'm wary that there may be rot and have a surveyor looking at it next week. Seems like most people with Potter era boats redo their transom. Does anyone still run their boat with the original transom? And can they last 40+ years if well taken care of?

Why would anyone install a reinforcement plate if the transom is 100%?

"original transom reinforced with a stainless plate"

Hint....hint!! There's a reason the SS plate is there.

what they said...

strick

While you’re in there, might as well look at the fuel tank.

My '77 has the original transom, and I know I'm on borrowed time. I removed a kicker a few years ago and the plywood was wet where it was bolted. The transom still seems very stiff with no noticeable flex...idk

Here’s a look at the wood in the transom from my 77’. Boat was in great shape, stored indoors most of its life and never in the water. Definitely check the tank in the process as stated above! DonV is spot on. Picture is upside down sorry.

Looks like my '78 :eek:

My ‘76 transom condition
 

I finished my transom repair exactly a year ago on my 76 Seafari. The boat had been in the water for several years behind our house and the water damage was worse in the area of the engine bolts. All of my exploratory holes revealed moisture but they were portions of the transom that obviously were quite solid because of the difficulty that I had removing the wood with the forward and aft sheet still installed for a Seacast pour. I also found a few locations where the original plywood sheets were nailed together- Not too kind to the chain saw blade!

My 78 seemed solid trailering it home with a 115 Suzuki 4 stroke on it but after I took the aluminum trim off the top.. the mulch and ants that were visible told me all I needed to know.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm thinking against it now but still want to see what the surveyor comes up with.

Friend of mine told me take a scratch awl and poke and look for softness. I also found the tap test very helpful.

I’d suggest Check your transom and your bulkheads.

https://i.postimg.cc/V5DZxVXm/B3-F0-...E39-D8-EFD.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/hhS33Bz2/10-F06...0-BAF76326.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/GBdkhc1N/D948-E...1-CF68-DDE.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/gX5VfLYf/0063-B...145656-CE1.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/VrkHG7sm/930-B1...642971-FFF.jpg

Here’s my mantra “when in doubt, swap it out!”

Keep your eyes open. Boats that have been redone fairly recently do come up for sale.
http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...1&d=1594119183
A little snapshot of mine.

Aside from the grumbling and moaning, I feel like everyone on this site who has redone one for their own use is extremely happy and confident in their boats.

My take is that the odds are strongly in favor of original transoms probably being compromised, at least to some extent. I'm not as "anti-wood" as some guys, if you start with marine ply and encapsulate in epoxy, but that's not how it was done in the 70's. And as the boats have aged, many have had holes drilled and not sealed correctly, not received the proper repair and maintenance needed, etc. So, yeah, I think it's probably a good idea to expect the transom to have issues - if it doesn't flex, doesn't have a reinforcing plate, taps solid, moisture meter readings look decent, and old screws and bolts come out dry, you're one lucky guy!

Correct! Nice summary.

The surveyor checked it out the other day and you guys were right on. The moisture meter was pegged. I guess trying to find an original with a dry transom is like finding a unicorn.

Sad but not surprising.

It’s actually a very good exercise and quite an accomplishment when finished.

Check your bulkheads too. Hopefully he did that?

Boats on the west coast do fare better with usually only some deterioration near the bottom of the transom...there are other things that can have negative effects on the wood cored transom besides moisture...so you should plan on a transom re do if purchasing a boat that has not had it re done already...even if it checks out ok....it will eventually catch up to you.

strick

Just figure in the cost of the transom replacement in your negotiations.
I did my previous SeaFari 20' with ARJAY 6011 Ceramic Pourable Bonding Compound. I've also used it on two other boats. It was easy once I got the old wood out, and no cutting away the fiberglass skin on either side.
But you do have to look out for nails or screws in the old plywood. Wear good safety gear.