A little lot of Karma. or re birth of a 20
 

I have seen some wet transoms but this one was caved in from the OB? It is amazing how the water got all the way to the top of the transom? The cap high above the engine well seemed to be sealed still. All the wood was like black wet shreaded wheat. All the plywood cores were bad. If any of you have not heard or seen coosa or penske board used in place of plywood this will be an enlightenment maybe? I trust this material more then any other core. Why? An old fishing friend of who has a very big commercial marble and granite installation business, Asked me where to buy the coosa penske board so he could attach it to some very intricate designs of marble to be hung on a wall at a big city convention center and I believe in at least one casino. When I found out he cut the foam board with a 40,000 psi water jet cad can table??? I thought I would see some water damage? Not a drop of water seems to have penetrated it. And this was only the 20 board not the denser blue water 26. It also will not warp like plywood if not stacked properly. Very light comparably.

Back to the little lot of karma and pictures.
http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/...0/P1010050.jpg

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http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/...0/P1010061.jpg

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Man, that's a goodn. Lol. How's the windshield, can I steal it and the two aft seat hatches?

I used Penske board on my transom, I am very happy with it. Take a look at my build thread.

Got it inside on a cradle. Dry fitting the penske board
 

So I can lay out for the stringers that will be raised and extended in the back. I raised floor 2 inches aft changing to 3 1/2 forward. When I start glassing next week I am going to put a lot more glass in the rounded corners before installing the double penske transom. That potter putty made a mess of the transom. The outside gelcoat was all lumpy from the potter putty being cracked from the weak wet transom. I am saving as little as needed of the original transom. The floor will run out to the hull sides. Carmen wanted a lot of crown in the transom covering board. almost 5 inches. Fuel tank base is cut and laying in place so I could measure and lay out for tank order. I have a 74 gal tank going in from S&P in barnegat. One of the top fuel tank builders I know of.

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gotta love those composites jay !
nice work as usual there big guy !

Jim have you left the dark side behind yet? I cant use plywood ever again
 

Except for patterns. I Could not believe how little glass the 20 had in the transom corner after I pulled the wet wood core out. Maybe just a skin coat. The rest of the boat had sufficient glass.

been using composites on just about everything - only way to fly...

even layed up a composite deck for a local builder...he seen the light too...

weight savings vs stability and tracking
 

Looking good, Bly.:cool: Curious about any concerns regarding weight. The difference between a 20 an a 23 is pretty significant and really shows in big waters. My Seafari 20 gets thrown around like a rag doll at speed in mixed-up Pacific waters -- I mean I've come off some waves looking like I'm working a half pipe at the X-Games:D. How much overall weight do you think you'll cut using a composites and how do you you think it will affect handling rougher seas? Are we talking tens of pounds our hundreds of pounds. I bring it up because it seems a while back someone else went super light and felt the boat no longer tracked as expected.

P.S. Carmen's gonna need some cup holders on the crowned transom ;)

I have never seen a boat that was too light. Yes even my friends 34 sea vee
 

rides better in a rougher sea when we fill the hugemongus forward fish boxes with ice and even frozen bait for chunking. The 34 sea vee also has the option of being lighter and faster along with better MPG then some heavier similar sized boats This boat will have a large above deck coffin in front of the console and 74 gal fuel tank that does not have to be kept full unless the range is needed. the penske board composite is lighter then plywood but the main difference is it will never grow heavier over time like plywood, balsa wood, or even normal water logged floatation foam that we have all taken out of sea crafts from under the deck. The original sea crafts when they were built had dry floatation foam, dry plywood cored decks and transoms. The boat had a good reputation back then also. Also when I am taking weight out of a boat it means I can add some glass and resin to a few weak areas I normally find. Then we have the self bailing floor height factor and how little freeboard to the gunnels do we want when some have to raise the floor 3 inches because of a 4 stroke going on the back. I have not ever seen a boat that was too light once an owner finds space for all the things he thinks he needs on the boat that almost never get used. I have to ad both my self and the owner of the boat fish big tuna and use one of those new big soft jig and gear bags that can carry more then we will ever need that day but seem to weigh the the portable bag down carrying weight too much. So we have a heavy portable ballast we can place strategically. Sorry for getting long winded here but just like human beings boats weight is always easier adding not subtracting.

I'd bet that boat is gonna run it's arse off, especially in a sea. Like a stone skipping across the top of the water. I'm sure it won't beat itself into the next wave coming off of one wave. Between that and the bracket it's gonna reach for the next wave much better and tend to keep that pretty, low freeboard bow at the right attitude for more circumstances. I'd personally almost always rather have a lighter boat and manipulate weight than have one that's inherently more glued to the water. Different boats for different folks.