The best way to remove rotted transoms and decks

[ScottC]

I posted this on another board but I figured some people here could benifit form this:

Hello Everyone, as some of you already know I design and manufacture electrical and instrument panels, but I have also built over 40 boats, and restored atleast that many. I specialize in rotted transoms and decks. I know that this can somtimes be an unsurmountable task, but I have good news! there is a tool...that most of you already have, that will turn a week long project of removing rotted and wet wood, into a hour project! about 15 years ago I took on a job of replaceing a rotten transon in a Whaler, as some of you might know, it is fairly easy to remove the rotted wood, BUT you alomost never find a transom that is 100 percet rotted. And here is the problem. Removing totally rotted wood it easy, you just dig it out, but it most cases, people get discouraged and just replace the rotteed part, this is no good, this can never be as strong as a fully new one piece transom, you will end up with a transome that can flex enough to get spider cracks in the gelcoat. This is mainly because there it not a tool that is made to dig out the good wood, or is there? Other alternatives it to cut the transom off! OR you can do what I do, get yourself an electric chainsaw! I will gaurentee, it will take you no longer than an hour to remove the wood only, the beauty is that the chain saw eats through the wood like butter, but unless you apply serious pressure, it bounces off the fiber glass! Here are the pluses:

It is specifically designed to cut wood and wood only
you can cut on three sides, especialy the top, so you can plunge in in between the fiberglass front and back of the transom

you dont have to remove much fiberglass to get to the wood, in most cases the small chainsaw has a 16" blade so in the most extreme case you have to cut a little back inside the boat to get to the bottom of the transom.

Very accurate, you would think it is a sloppy tool to work with but you would be wrong, it is very controllable and youcan litterally perfomr surgery with it

If anyone would like more info or coments please feel free to ask, I have used a chansaw in about 25 transoms and decks, and I have completly gutted a full transom in about an hour, and I mean gutted clean

[TheSpecialist]

Sounds good , but I may need a hands on tutorial over the winter...

[ScottC]

You know I am just a phone call away

[stiff tip]

3 yrs ago rebuilt my alcar 21 ...all the wood ..deck. stringers ,, transom. all wood..worked w/ pro. as helper when poss. elect chain saw sounds like a great tool..wish i knew then ..

[ScottC]

Originally Posted by stiff tip

3 yrs ago rebuilt my alcar 21 ...all the wood ..deck. stringers ,, transom. all wood..worked w/ pro. as helper when poss. elect chain saw sounds like a great tool..wish i knew then ..

I have done an alcar, a 17' CC that needed a transom and partial deck. Boats are built like tanks, one of my uncles used to quahoag with it. You owuld have definetly benefitted from haveing a chainsaw.