46 years = a good run for a Transom

[Rockfish9]

I knew this day was coming, I've owned my 18' 1977 Jon Dory yellowtail for 43 of it's 46 years, I replaced the sole 20 odd years ago and installed a 25 gallon belly tank, I had to cut it once and repair a hole in the hull when it sat on an errant railroad tie( complete with spike) at low tide in it's slip around that time, when I replaced the original 90 with the 115, I raised the transom to 25".. but that is all that has ever been done to the boat itself besides paint and electronics..

This summer while dealing with an overheat problem ( caused by a 13 dollar tube and grommet that was backordered since June until September) I noticed a bit of flex in the transom... I pulled the boat the first week in October just before the hurricane and winterized and removed the engine console and wiring , I noticed a crack in the starboard side of the transom time was up, the boat went on blocks, I bought a portable car port and went "scorched earth on the interior of the boat, the sole and stringers were worse than I could imagine, I removed IMHO about 1000 -1200 lbs. of soaked plywood and foam, I haven't updated the pictures recently, but the inner transom has been removed, all but the center stringer removed and the interior got a krud cutter bath, I removed 15" of the cap to aid in the transom repair, all the old glass has been ground back, any hole in the outer skin repaired from the inside using a 12:1 scarf, I'll be laminating the transom from 3 sheets of 12mm Okoume marine plywood, I've insulated the outer transom with 2" thick foam and made a hot box for localized repairs from the same foam, an oil filled electric radiator is keeping the work surface at 68, on the outer shell, and 72 on the inside.. if it holds in the colder weather ill epoxy the transoms Sunday. trying to get all I can done before the weather forces me to quit. I'd like to get the transom tabbed, filleted and glassed as well as the stringers before winter gets serious, I have other heat sources as well, but would rather not use them, if push comes to shove I wait, i cant afford risking the epoxy not curing fully.

[Rockfish9]

on stands and on the trailer, motor and console with wiring is on the boat trailer for the winter

[Guppy]

Wow… ambitious project but you’re the right guy for the job for sure…

Have fun, good luck

[JohnR]

The old gal was due! Good Lock!

[piemma]

Absolutely more than I would know how to do.

[JFigliuolo]

Originally Posted by piemma

Absolutely more than I would know how to do.

Said by Joe (rockfish) never...

[Nebe]

There comes a point when a boat becomes a family member. Memories have been made…sacrifices made… unconditional love is formed….
This boat obviously represents this.
Far too many people flip boats when something goes wrong and don’t keep them long enough to form the obvious bond that you have with yours.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Rockfish9]

Originally Posted by Nebe

There comes a point when a boat becomes a family member. Memories have been made…sacrifices made… unconditional love is formed….
This boat obviously represents this.
Far too many people flip boats when something goes wrong and don’t keep them long enough to form the obvious bond that you have with yours.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Thank you - you get it- I've had this boat longer than anything else in my life, longer than my 2 children, it survived 1 failed marriage and a blissful one.That boat and I have been to hell and back together and caught a ton ( probably multiple tons) of fish together- and above it all, it always got me home safely, even when I made mistakes.
This is a death do us part relationship. thank you for understanding- most do not- in this day and age of "throw away" items, it is far too easy to "give up", I've replaced many transoms in my life ( mostly Grady Whites), but this one is special.

There is a story within the story with this boat, the Builder, David Finklstein,was a Navy boat builder in Stonybrook NY, he saw a need for sturdy rental skiffs, in his factory he, and his 8 employees turned out 15 boats a week ( during their prime)mostly 16 and 17' lap sided flat bottom dories, however, the 18' was a special order, Semi V bottom with a sharp entry flared bow center console with the classic lap sided design even though it was fiberglass..The flat bottom 16 and 17' boats show up every now and again, but when it comes to the 18, I have never seen another one- Finkelstein passed away in 2018 at the age of 86, he never expanded his boat line for fear that quality would be lost- the Stonybrook factory where it all began still produces 16' lap sided fiberglass dories.

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by Nebe

There comes a point when a boat becomes a family member. Memories have been made…sacrifices made… unconditional love is formed….
This boat obviously represents this.
Far too many people flip boats when something goes wrong and don’t keep them long enough to form the obvious bond that you have with yours.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

^^^^

Originally Posted by Rockfish9

Thank you - you get it- I've had this boat longer than anything else in my life, longer than my 2 children, it survived 1 failed marriage and a blissful one.That boat and I have been to hell and back together and caught a ton ( probably multiple tons) of fish together- and above it all, it always got me home safely, even when I made mistakes.
This is a death do us part relationship. thank you for understanding- most do not- in this day and age of "throw away" items, it is far too easy to "give up", I've replaced many transoms in my life ( mostly Grady Whites), but this one is special.

There is a story within the story with this boat, the Builder, David Finklstein,was a Navy boat builder in Stonybrook NY, he saw a need for sturdy rental skiffs, in his factory he, and his 8 employees turned out 15 boats a week ( during their prime)mostly 16 and 17' lap sided flat bottom dories, however, the 18' was a special order, Semi V bottom with a sharp entry flared bow center console with the classic lap sided design even though it was fiberglass..The flat bottom 16 and 17' boats show up every now and again, but when it comes to the 18, I have never seen another one- Finkelstein passed away in 2018 at the age of 86, he never expanded his boat line for fear that quality would be lost- the Stonybrook factory where it all began still produces 16' lap sided fiberglass dories.

Yep

Interesting story about the builder. I am afraid we've mostly moved on from the time when that was done but there are pockets still here and there.

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by Rockfish9

Thank you - you get it- I've had this boat longer than anything else in my life, longer than my 2 children, it survived 1 failed marriage and a blissful one.That boat and I have been to hell and back together and caught a ton ( probably multiple tons) of fish together- and above it all, it always got me home safely, even when I made mistakes.
This is a death do us part relationship. thank you for understanding- most do not- in this day and age of "throw away" items, it is far too easy to "give up", I've replaced many transoms in my life ( mostly Grady Whites), but this one is special.

There is a story within the story with this boat, the Builder, David Finklstein,was a Navy boat builder in Stonybrook NY, he saw a need for sturdy rental skiffs, in his factory he, and his 8 employees turned out 15 boats a week ( during their prime)mostly 16 and 17' lap sided flat bottom dories, however, the 18' was a special order, Semi V bottom with a sharp entry flared bow center console with the classic lap sided design even though it was fiberglass..The flat bottom 16 and 17' boats show up every now and again, but when it comes to the 18, I have never seen another one- Finkelstein passed away in 2018 at the age of 86, he never expanded his boat line for fear that quality would be lost- the Stonybrook factory where it all began still produces 16' lap sided fiberglass dories.

Oh Yes, i totally get it. And you are right.. we do live in a disposable society.
Good luck with the transom. I bet some 2" thick white oak planks would do the trick.

[Guppy]

Wow, great job, hope you’re enjoying this…

[Rockfish9]

The Plas-core honeycomb deck Deck panels have been glassed on the bottom with 2 layers of 1708 and bonded to the cross members, stringers and hull, and tabbed in, it will get glassed over this week end with 1 layer of 1700, then a layer of 1.5 ounce mat, then a layer of 6 ounce cloth - all the hatches have been cut in, I'm in the process of making a custom one for the battery box/compartment. I pulled all the wires for my pot hauler, nav. lights and trolling motor on the starboard side before I close it off with a soffit, it will have a 4" deck plate inspection hole but it's a lot easier now,
fuel tank
has been pressure tested for leaks to 3psi - all through hulls have been installed, those through the transom have been over drilled, filled with thickened epoxy and redrilled to the proper size, I re-enforced the through hull area with 3 layers of woven roving sandwiched between 1.5 ounce mat, the scoop was reinstalled and bedded in 5200, the sea cock plate was dry fit, marked then bedded in 5200, it has captive tee nuts countersunk in the base to facillitate the bolting of the flange, the secock, has Rector seal on the male threads and the base is bedded in 4200 - bilge pump,wash down, bait well pumps as well as the high water alarm are wired to a busbar that will be connected to the harness from the front, once wired, the bus is slathered in di-elcectric grease to seal out moisture a and air.
the casting platform in the bow has been divided into 2 sections instead of 1, a Plas-core stringer has been glassed in for additional support and as a divider.

[Nebe]

A labor of love but shes worth it
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[nightfighter]

An admirable undertaking, Joe! Where are you doing the work? I am pretty sure the bride wouldn't let you make that much mess in your attached garage..... I was just reflecting about how happy my project was completed last year.

[Rockfish9]

Ross, all the work is being done in a portable car port, I built the panels in my shop down stairs,I've kept the dust to a minimum using a cyclone dust collector- and a good shop vac. And power tools with integral dust collection.