[Trayder]

If you know your transom has water in it there and rot has begun really is only one way sure way to fix it, and that is to replace the whole thing.

Replacing the transom is a real burden if you are not doing a full restoration. One must remove the outboards/outdrives, hardware and then refinish the entire repair.

If you are doing an full restoration save yourself the worry and pain in the future, Replace the Transom. It is not a difficult job, compared to other parts of the restoration process, and when hanging that new outboard, you will have the peace of mind that the transom is solid.

If you plan on installing an outboard bracket, Bill Potter has mentioned before that transom replacement is not critical if the transom is "wet" not rotten but "wet". This is because the bracket spreads the load across the entire transom.

Transom rot is not limiited to boats that have been kept in the water their entire life. Many hulls that have been on land for 15+ years have dry rotted transoms, rain water seeps in from all angles.

Good luck gentlemen. I can assure you that replacing the transom is not the end of the world and can be done efficiently both time and cost wise.