Boat Builder Central - Builder Forums

Hi, Tom here from Detroit. I purchased a 1983 Grady White 19’ Fisherman last December. ( Special K IV ) I bought it below asking price knowing it would need some repairs. I noted the old water-line on the hull was higher then the hull striping. I figured the transom was wet? How wet I didn’t know! I had to repower her and found a 2001 Johnson Ocean Pro from a dealer. Perfect fit. Well after some other repairs and upgrades ( new VHF radio, and GPS unit) I was ready for a shake down cruise. We launched at a public ramp on Lake St Clair without incident. Except the stern was sitting way to low! I had lake water coming in through the scuppers and had about two inches in the motor well.I think that’s what it’s called. Anyway, we hauled her back out and after 24 hours of research and contemplation I decided to do a transom rebuild. I’ve had a conversation with a technician at Boatbuilder Central and feel confident to tackle this and look forward to working with a great team.

Had the motor removed by the same business that put it on. He gave 30 days of free storage.

Next I was able to unroofed the transom. I found the culprit. Wet rooted wood. Wish me luck!

Keep posting we will do our best to help
30 days is not a lot of time for what you have to do. also make sure and check the stringers. GW are noted for having rotted transoms and stringers.

You will definitely need to check the stringers when you pull the deck up to get to the bottom of the transom. They are almost always rotted if the transom is. Sorry to be the bearer of bad new.
As Fuzz said keep us posted and ask questions if you need help, lots of experience here. Also take a look in this section, there are many transom rebuilds here, including GW's. That will give you an idea on what it takes and how long.

Best wishes on your rebuild, love the GW boats.

Tom

Hi, thanks for the replies. I’ll definitely check the stringers. I worked on the boat yesterday. I spent the afternoon removing hardware, the fuel hoses, and everything I could in the battery compartment. GW put a fuse bar on the interior starboard transom. Weird place? I’ll get a better look later. I removed my kicker bracket and noted the transom moving when I pulled it off. Pretty unstable. I then peeled back the rub rails on the transom. Removed the old and new transducers from the shell. I still need to remove the hatch in the motor well.

I’d like to work from the inside and try to keep the exterior transom shell. My next step will be crucial. Making my cuts to remove the rotten wood. I’ve been reviewing old threads and videos and I’d like to cut out a shell if I can? So to minimize the glass repair after rebuilding the transom and stringers. I may as well plan on both. Somebody talk me out of this? I said the same thing before I bought my 13 week yellow lab. Max. Anyway, I marked a picture on my tentative plans to make my cuts? I’ll take all the advise I can get. It’s raining today so I hope to to hear some feedback. These are my recent pictures. Thanks, Tom

Good looking pup!!!! Nice progress as well!!! Jeff

Your marks look about right to me. And, inside only, so you'll be hogging off plywood from the inside. But it looks pretty rotten to me, so it might not be too bad.

The tricky bit is whether to keep stringers...you won't know until you get there.

One thing to be real careful about is putting a 2x8 or something across the top of the boat 3' from the transom, so she doesn't open when all cutout. It is a good place to set a beer. And yeah, you might need to repair some screw holes if you have to on the gunwhale.

If I were doing it I would not make any cuts in the hatch gutters. I would go for flat spots if I could. It would make putting it back together much easier.

Thanks for the advise guys. I’ll be following it. Should I use additional 2x8’s spaced evenly towards the bow for support? I also read you should shore up the hull at the stern for additional support? The boat yard has some shoring blocks I can use for the hull. Anything else before I open this can of sardines Is much appreciated. Thanks, Tom

Tom,

Somewhat off-topic: could a saturated transom alone account for the extra draft you're seeing? I don't know the PPI or DWL of that boat but it feels to me like the space in the transom couldn't hold enough water to change the draft much, I could me completely wrong. I've been a bit obsessed with draft and weight recently so this jumped out at me.

Jeff

My $.02 if you haven't already, i would go in through the hatches in the floor and hole saw some samples from the stringers working from the transom forward to make sure they are solid. I would hate to hack out the last ~18" of the liner and then find out you have to take out another section to fix the stringers, that would essentially double to repair work when you have to drop the liner pieces back in. Right?

VT_Jeff wrote: ↑Mon Jul 12, 2021 11:01 am Tom,

Somewhat off-topic: could a saturated transom alone account for the extra draft you're seeing? I don't know the PPI or DWL of that boat but it feels to me like the space in the transom couldn't hold enough water to change the draft much, I could me completely wrong. I've been a bit obsessed with draft and weight recently so this jumped out at me.

Jeff

X2 I had the same thought. No way a wet transom would make that big of difference in the way she sits.

Jeff and Fuzz, so your thinking the stringers are wet and adding weight and increasing the draft? Or some other untold problem? I’ll put up some pictures I took when I first looked at her. You can see the old dirty waterline above the striping. Don’t know until I get there? Cowbro thanks for your 2cents I think that’s a good idea! I have some hole saws. When I unroofed the transom you could tell somebody tried to seal it. When I got down to the wood it was pretty wet. I could push my screwdriver in about an inch. But I think a little more investigation is at hand. Tomorrow is supposed to improve weather wise. Less rain. I can crawl around. Will see what I come up with?

I don't know is Grady White experimented with balsa like so many did in the 70s, but it is important to know hull construction before proceeding on repairs. If it has a wet core, the boat is done for.

On the brighter side, I thought they had given up by the 80s.0

t_mcgarry wrote: ↑Mon Jul 12, 2021 7:33 pm Jeff and Fuzz, so your thinking the stringers are wet and adding weight and increasing the draft? Or some other untold problem?

I'm no expert Tom, ask anyone. But if it were me I would check the stringers, the core like Fallguy mentioned, and check any "closed" cell foam for saturation. Also curious how much weight the re-power added, if any. My antique glass ski boat had a saturated wood keelson but the stringers were dry and solid. We replaced the keelson with solid glass. And when I say we, I mean the guy who did the work and me who paid for it.

Also, if you quickly edit a photo on your phone, it tends to orient it correctly by some black magic. I just crop mine a bit and it seems to work.

VT_Jeff wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 11:00 am Also, if you quickly edit a photo on your phone, it tends to orient it correctly by some black magic. I just crop mine a bit and it seems to work.

Alternatively you could use the built in or coppermine image galleries that allow for rotation, sizing and auto scaling. It take a couple steps but is a lot nicer for long term thread health. As in fewer missing images because imagur level stupid business decisions.

Not that I’m biased or anything…

Tom, are those deck scuppers on the transom?

Is the red line I drew the waterline you were referring to? Is that where it's drafting?

How does the weight of the current motor compare to what it would have come with?
I ask because something is making it sit low in the stern and it has to be more than just a wet transom. You will start getting answers when you open her up. Being able to push a screwdriver a inch into the transom says it neds to be replaced for sure.

Fuzz wrote: ↑Wed Jul 14, 2021 1:55 am How does the weight of the current motor compare to what it would have come with?
I ask because something is making it sit low in the stern and it has to be more than just a wet transom.

I had the same though Fuzz: my marina re-powered their GW 19 from a 150 2-stroke to a 150 4-stroke and it sank the back end, they needed to move the batteries forward but it still nearly buries the scuppers. The way Tom's boat is squatting, I'm wondering if adding some weight forward may trim it out, clearly the bow is quite high.

Hi, yep Jeff that’s the old waterline. Sitting pretty low, the scuppers were underwater. I checked the weights of the motors. “83” Johnson 150 Seahorse was about 385.I put a 2001 150 Johnson Ocean pro and it weighs 370lb’s according to the spec’s. I went down to the boatyard yesterday and remove the stern access panel to get to the stringers in the bilge. On the port side I drilled two 1 1/2 inch holes in the stringer with my hole saw and another on the starboard stringer. Both are wet. My battery died on the drill so I didn’t make completely through the stringer and course the other one was charging at home! I can see the foam in the bulkheads on either side. I’m not sure if it’s wet, but at least water didn’t seep out..I’ll need to find access. I’d hate to cut a hole in the deck. Any ideas? Or it won’t matter if I have to redo the stringers?

Thanks for the info about the pictures. I tried cropping them. Hope it works. We’ll see how they turn out. I took a few of the bilge Before and after drilling.
Now I guess I’ll need to decide if I’ll need to remove the upper shell? Or cut the deck out? I like the boat. Got two rides before I pulled her out.I’ve read a few reviews and they were great on the Great Lakes and coastal waters. It has that cut out in the transom and some guys said you had to be careful in following seas. I used to fish in 4-5 footers. I don’t like getting banged around a lot anymore. I doubt I’d be fishing like that anymore. Anyway, one of my concerns is a good place to do the rebuild. I can’t use my driveway. City ordinance. I’m at a marina and they do fiberglass repair. I’m hoping if I decide to open the can of worms they will work with me ? I need to talk to the manager again. So, any thoughts on the project are appreciated. Open to all! Another straightforward boat project. I’d hate to scrap the boat. Top half is in good shape. Love those old Grady’s. Tom

The sole must come out.

Be careful doing it. If you are smart, you'll leave say a 6" perimeter around the entire boat, save ir not the transom.. To this, you can fasten a cleat with thickened epoxy and temp screws for the new sole. The 6" width may also help you avoid blowing a hole thru the hull.

But, first...

You need to access the hull to see if it has a core. If it has a wet core, the boat is junk. It will be real ez to tell. Just push on the inside of the hull in the aft sections near the hull centerline. If there is movement or you feel like there is a liner moving, then take an oscillating tool and cut a hole the width of the blade square, but only thru the loose liner. Take out that section you cut which is about an inch or so. Then stick your finger in.

On the other hand, if there is no discernable movement, then the boat is probably solid frp.

If you have a wet core, you can decide to pull the sole and determine the extent of wet core, but based on the stern being low, if it has a saturated core; she is probably done. You could do a small area core repair, but most balsa core boats rotted throughout. If it is foam core, not sure.

Either way, report back the hull type. It really is the deciding factor.

Here is the best video I can find that shows a core removal. It is a horrid job. I can't believe the guy is in a t shirt. I'd have to drink myself to sleep with all that glass in my pores.

https://youtu.be/9rbGY4ntmPM

Agree with Fallguy you need to take the sole out to get the bottom of the transom. I would take it back 3-4' so you have plenty of room to work. That way you can also can properly check the stringers and other hull parts.

Tom

Removing a transom is brain dead work but it is hard, brutal work. If you can do it yourself it is not too bad cost wise. But if you are going to pay someone to do the work I would say the hull is not worth it. If you pay for transom and stringers then there is no way it is worth it. I would not be surprised if you would have 10k in replacing transom and stringers. Once you know how bad things are and how much of the work you can do then you will have a good idea of what to do.

TomW1 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 14, 2021 11:50 pm Agree with Fallguy you need to take the sole out to get the bottom of the transom. I would take it back 3-4' so you have plenty of room to work. That way you can also can properly check the stringers and other hull parts.

Tom

He already said the stringers are wet, so 3-4 feet may not be enough, but would be a start to check on the hull construction.

I think stringer and transom and sole repair will cost about ...

Say ....2000 in core materials for coosa bluewater..and nida or a bit less if supplied locally, 24# minimum core density, but 26 is best, same for stringers, but you can also glass the hell out of rotten ones and let the wood go to mush except the weight problem gets worse here, so they gotta go..

Probably going to need about 10 gallons of epoxy, call it a grand and about a grand in glass and about 200 in aerosil, another 300 for consumables, gloves, paper towels, plastic...say $3000 with paint...

I think the job comes in more like 5k. Not to argue with David, but economic reality is important. The number is probably somewhere between with new hatches, pumps, perhaps fuel tank, who knows... If you can find one of these in good shape for 5 grand, it means no work. If you can sell it for 5 grand, it means break even, if you can sell it for 10 grand, you gotta figure motor and electronics and trailer into it all. Boats have a maximum value. At some point, you can add all the money you want, but it doesn't make the boat more valuable.

My Skoota is no different. I can put 200k into it, but it'd probably never return that in the marketplace. It isn't a molded boat and many buyers won't understand why all the lines are not super perfection. But it does look pretty good. I have another issue. The amenities are small for a boat this large as a result of making it demountable. So, that limits the boats value.

I have access to the hull below the stern hatch. Between the stringers where a drilled the holes. Only a bilge pump there. I’ll let you know. Thanks

I am not disagreeing with Fallguy and have no idea of the cost per hour a glass man might charge in your area. I do know how long it took me to do transom and stringer work a couple of year ago. And my job was much easier than this one. I just want to make sure you understand that if you are paying to have this job done the cost can quickly exceed the value of the boat. If you are doing the work and just buying materials that is a different deal.

Fuzz wrote: ↑Thu Jul 15, 2021 1:32 pm I am not disagreeing with Fallguy and have no idea of the cost per hour a glass man might charge in your area. I do know how long it took me to do transom and stringer work a couple of year ago. And my job was much easier than this one. I just want to make sure you understand that if you are paying to have this job done the cost can quickly exceed the value of the boat. If you are doing the work and just buying materials that is a different deal.

Oh, I figured about 5k in materials. If you can get it all done for 10k by someone else; they'd probably use an ester.

No argument...none.

Thanks guys, I went down and took out a sample like Fallguy suggested. I went through the bilge hatch the same one for the stringers. Sounded it out with a pair of wood gavels. Sounded crisp and sharp. Rapped on the stringers and forward bulkhead and they were dull . I stepped on the area and didn’t feel any softness or give. I couldn’t resist and used an oscillating saw to start my inch square cut out. I got down to about 3/8 inch deep after several stops to vacuum. I didn’t want to go deeper. I was getting nervous. I had measured the glass in the transom and it was just under 1/2 inch. So I took a large screw driver a popped off the top of the cut. It was still matt underneath. I made one more cut and decided to quit. After vacuuming the cut I could see day light in one corner. Oh well. But I don’t understand why I didn’t hit the coor? I hope the pictures help. Hope I’m in the right spot? The hull looks good in that area?
I appreciate everyone’s opinion. Here’s where I stand so everyone is clear. I do plan on doing the work myself , I’m 63, retired, able . I hope? and crazy enough to learn this. I don’t want to hire the job out. I did that in the nineties and it’s expensive and not worth the money. As someone said a boat is only worth so much. I bought the boat for 2800.00 and the repower cost 3200.00 installed. 6000.00 into it and another 5000.00 in materials. That’s doable. This will be a ton of work and with a lot of guidance it might turn out good? But first I need to make some cuts to find out more I think? More opinions please. Thanks Tom

Good news.

The boat is solid frp.

Wish you hadn't cut in so far, but we can help you fix that. Pretty sure I said only cut if it feels loose. Pay close attention..the work ain't hard, but the devil is in the details.

Did that chop strand seem damp after you cut into it some? Hoping no.

To fix, you'll grind it to a feather edge about 3" all around the cut, then glass it back with epoxy and some knitteds. You'll want to use some 1708 and since you are say 3/8" deep, you need to add all that back. Wetted 1708 is 0.050" per layer. For 0.375", you'll need 7 layers of glass each about a half inch smaller. The first layer will just fill the cutaway and if your hole is about 7" around, then each piece will be about an inch bigger in diameter. It is difficult to do this work void free, so you ought to mix up a bit of resin with fumed silica added. You won't need much, maybe like 1 ounce epoxy and 2 volumetric ounces of cabosil(neither is a weight). Butter that into the area like thin butter on toast, then lay in the patches. If you get a bubble, take the patch off and add some thickened resin.

Dry lay it all first to make sure the pieces lay in there decent enough. The last piece needs to go about 2" past the grind, so maybe about a 9" round patch?

Anyhow, it'll be a good get ur feet wet project.

Almost all fiberglass work is done largest piece first, Not here, you want the smallest piece in the hole first,,

Sometimes patching this is easier with torn csm. You could also use that..don't cut it, tear each piece progressively larger..

I forgot to mention in the other post, after each piece, you might want to butter a little of the resin mix on the edges of each piece. That is what a pro would do...then no air can entrain..

fallguy1000 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 16, 2021 12:34 am Good news.

The boat is solid frp.

So what the duece is sinking it, wet transom and stringers?

VT_Jeff wrote: ↑Fri Jul 16, 2021 2:24 pm

fallguy1000 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 16, 2021 12:34 am Good news.

The boat is solid frp.

So what the duece is sinking it, wet transom and stringers?

Well, I wondered same a bit, so asked if he felt like the chop he ground into was wet. But saturated transom is plenty heavy.

Wet sole is also bad.

He can also do some more tapping inside to see if the boat sounds different or has any area that seems 'loose' or delaminated. But only cut in if there is a truly mechanically loose fiberglass skin!

fallguy1000 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 16, 2021 2:26 pm But saturated transom is plenty heavy.

Maybe that's it. Here's a (possibly insane) sanity check:

I just read that the saturation density of pine can be as high as 250%. Assume a base moisture content of 30%, so assume a max increase of 220%. Full sheet of 3/4" pine ply is 60lbs

I don't know how much wood is in the transom, but if we look at a few scenarios:

2 full sheets = extra 144 lbs
3 full sheets = extra 216 lbs
4 full sheets = extra 288 lbs
5 full sheets = extra 360 lbs

So, depending on how much wood is actually in the transom, that is potentially a lot of extra weight if it's saturated to it's max capacity

If the stringers and sole are saturated and contributing, I would think they'd need to be saturated near the rear only or else the boat would not squat so much, they would weigh it more evenly bow-to-stern.

Most of the mass of stringers and sole is aft of centerline.

Hull is usually wider and deeper aft.

It all adds.

i'd say the sole is also soaked among other plywoods there.

VT_Jeff wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 11:00 am

t_mcgarry wrote: ↑Mon Jul 12, 2021 7:33 pm Jeff and Fuzz, so your thinking the stringers are wet and adding weight and increasing the draft? Or some other untold problem?

. . and check any "closed" cell foam for saturation.

I did repairs on a boat with wet transom and some balsa core, it also turned out to have "sealed" flotation chambers with saturated foam and many gallons of water.

Hi, I was trying to find a good place to work on her. We had another 3 inches of rain Friday a Saturday. That’s about 10 inches in two weeks. My basement flooded a long with 1000’s of other homes in south east Michigan. I’m gonna need high ground. Well, Fallguy you asked if the piece I cut out is dry? Yes, stone dry and solid. Thanks for the detailed instructions for the repair. So, to proceed i need to cut out 3-4 feet from the transom forward? I was thinking to make the cut up to the bulk head with the gas tank. I drew a new diagram. Red is the new cut out line, green are the stringers and the x’s represent bulk heads with foam. Or would it be better to take the center console out and cut the whole sole out? What are your thoughts? Thanks, Tom

The rot and soaked will decide how much you need to remove; not you.

Fuzz may recommend keeping the hatches, but if the sole underneath is all soaked up and rotten, there is really no choice.

Tom I think that would be the a great first place to start.

Tom

Totally agree with the others. You will have to cut out 2 feet or so of the stringers to tie in the transom. That is going to tell a lot about both the deck and stringers. Last one I did the transom was rotten but the stringers were solid but I did not know for sure until I cut into them. In my case the stringers had so much glass over them it did not matter, the wood was just a form for the glass. Most production boats are not built near that heavy and need the stringers to be in good shape.

Hi . I got down to the boat today. I was mapping out some cut lines and started cutting on the transom shell. The question I have is should I cut between the wells? Or cut further forward through the live wells? Some one said to stay out of the gullies. Are they hollow core? They sound like it? What are your thoughts. I put the new line in blue. Thanks, Tom

David, aka Fuzz, is an Alaskan bushman. He won't tell you anything wrong. Those guys get er done.

But you have to remove ALL rot. Nothing else matters.

Start cutting out the last hatches aft for some worki g room.

If you encounter rot. Co tinue cutting. Not a choice.

I suspect you have some wet, soggy plywood.

I would want at least three foot of room to be able to cut out the transom and get the new one glassed back in. But I would not want you to cut out way more than you need to. Without being there it is hard to tell the best place to cut. I would make the cuts where you think it will be the easiest to glass back together. Dan is right if there is rot it needs to go. You will not know until you open things up.

Hi, I got down to the boat yard on Tuesday and made my cuts. I hope to pry the shell off today. I made a cut I think I’ll regret again. I thought it would give me more access. But I don’t think I can pull the shell with it? I plan on making another cut on the sole so I can pull it out easier? I cut down on the battery compartments and across on the side wall. Yellow line. I think I should have continued to the sole and cut on it. Blue line! Anyway will see how far I get today. We have a little break in the weather. It’s been hot, humid, and wet. Thanks

Looks like you started, but you have to take the whole transom plywood out. I assume you know and yes, I believe the blue line is needed to take out the transom beneath the sole, but sometimes you can chisel all the wood out of there from above, so check for that option first.

First rule of boat surgery is do no major harm.

Take pics from firther back. Hard to see otherwise.

The bad news is the transom is rotten. The really bad news is it does not look rotten enough to come out easy. One of the few times where worse would make it easier

You do have to take the transom out to the hullsides. Figured you know; forgive me if I am patronizing. We just never know.

I was down at the boat yard for a short time yesterday. I was able to lift the shell off with the help of a forklift. One of the employees was driving by and he was nice enough to help. Good for a case of beer! Anyway, Fallguy your suspicions are right. I think. Wet plywood in the sole. As I cut across it I could tell. No saw dust. So more cutting ahead? I think another 3ft section will let me see if I’ll need to go further. Should I cut another 3 ft. Section out or plan on replacing the whole sole? If I take another section out? I read you should make the cuts 4-6 inches away from the base of the gunnel. So you have something to tie into. What if that part is wet too?The blue lines on the pictures represent my new cut marks If you’re in agreement? If I need to rebuild the sole ? How much do you think the added expense would be? Im going to work on the transom until I get more opinions. You all can second guess me anytime. I take no offense . Better to be on the same page. The project is growing! . I appreciate everyone’s help. Here are a few pictures. Thanks, Tom p.s. I’m going to take a sample of that center bulkhead. I believe it’s wet?

Well, not to be an arse, but are you sure that ply isn't rotted?

It looks pretty rotten from here.

Rotten it is. I don’t know if the whole sole is like the aft end of it. I suspect it is. I’m going to ask to use the marina’s moister meter and check some readings. As for the transom? I was able to remove a section on the port side. I’ve been taking it out in layers so I don’t put to much pressure on the outside shell. I mostly used my wonder bar to strip it out. There is about 1/8th of an inch of the plywood stuck to the transom. I figure I can use it as a template for the new one.

How much do you love this boat? I'm not trying to be a jerk, but you've moved from a transom rebuild to pretty much building all the hard parts of a boat. It's doable, but if you are not mad about the hull (sentimental, infatuated with the looks, something like that) you may find it much simpler to start with a stack of ply and glass building a boat from scratch or looking for a hull in slightly better condition.

That said, I fully support you taking a stab at this hull. I just don't want to see you start down a road that is fraught with needless hard work.

Jaysen has a very good point. You really need to open things up until you stop finding rot. That way you will be able to make an informed decision if it is worth fixing or not. It would be great to see you save that hull and if you go that way I am sure you will get plenty of support here but you are spending the money and doing the work so you make the choice of where to go from here.

I mean the floor looks rotten.

Moisture meters are notoriously untrustworthy in these matters, btw.

Equilibrium moisture around any ocean will be 12-20%. No boat should get glassed at that high a number or it'll rot from within.

What about the stringers?

The best test for them is an sharp awl. If it goes in and they are wood; they are junk. Lotsa people will suggest glassing over them, but if they are soggy, that is more weight, not to mention the old poly resins.

If the edges of the sole are rotten; they aren't really going to be good to use for cleating. Take some closeups and far aways and we'll see if there is another way to put the new sole down.

Jaysen is right. If you don't love it, don't fix it because it is never worth more than a good boat of same vintage that ain't rotten. So, you can spend a thousand hours and five grand and end up with a boat with 6 grand and you made a buck n hour fixing it unless you paid something for it. All the boats I had in here that were at a diseconomy to fix got landfilled (two of them).

Well guys, I’ve been doing more research and crawling over the boat. I removed the screws holding down the center console. Most seemed to be in rotten wood. I also sounded her out and I’m sure the whole sole is wet and rotten. Except around the junction at the gunnels on either side. So I have a 1983 19 ft GW that needs a transom and new sole. May as well throw in the stringers and probable a couple of bulk heads? It is a lot and may out value her! But I do love the boat and think it’s still a good project. If I get it done? I’ll know what I have and won’t be inheriting problems from another boat. I plan on keeping and using her for a good ten or more years. My may concern is having a good place to work on it. The best place to me is home. So I’ve decided to bring it home after I modify my garage so it fits. I’ll see how far I get over the next couple of months. If I need to finish in the spring? Well, will see? I do appreciate your objection opinions and thanks. I’m going to take the center console off so it fits in my garage. Now what would be a good way to cut the sole out pattern wise? I’ll keep you updated.

Removing the sole ought to be done with great care. Many demolitions end up holing the hull and more repairs.

The best way to go is to leave a bit of the old sole; like 2-4". But if very rotten; then not the best. The old sole makes a good place for a flat cleat, say 4-6" wide. That cleat can be epoxied in and screwed from above and makes a landing for the new sole. However, if it is really rotten; this might be a silly move.

And you can cut it out along the hull carefully with an oscillating tool that has a carbide blade. It is a slow process, but faster than blowing a hole with a recip saw.

The alternative to leaving the sole on edges is of course, removing it all. Then you can put cleats on the hull edges and bond the cleats to a well prepped hull surface. Cleats can be made from timber, like pine or even a rot resistant wood if you want.

You can also cleat with marine foam. It is easy to cut to shapes on a table saw and simple to bond to the hull.

The plywood replacement sole ought to be neat coated with 3 coats of epoxy after cut to fit. Then when the sole is bonded; it won't rot soon.

Also, this is an opportunity to add buoyancy foam. This is a great chance to do it and make your boat safer and less likey or impossible to sink, done right.

Thanks, I plan on using my meister oscillating tool. It worked well cutting the transom shell. I do have another question? Do you all think the work can be done on my trailer? I plan on putting two more gunnel supports on and shoring up the transom with some blocks I’m borrowing from the marina. I’ll need to pull it in and out of my garage to work on it. The city will be after me if I try to leave it in the driveway. Do you think that will be enough support? Thanks, Tom

Might be easy enough to extend a couple 2x6s off each bunk to the transom. You are walkin in it, so it definitely needs to be well supported underneath.

Just curious..why not leav in garage? Is it too big? Take the tongue off the trailer?

I was planning on doing the grinding on the driveway. I still have other stuff in garage and didn’t want the dust settling. That’s all.

t_mcgarry wrote: ↑Fri Aug 13, 2021 12:08 pm I was planning on doing the grinding on the driveway. I still have other stuff in garage and didn’t want the dust settling. That’s all.

I have that darn glass dust all over the place. I hear ya!

Once you get a good coating of glass dust in the shop it never goes away. I am still finding glass dust from 30 years ago

Hi, it’s been a couple of weeks. Almost ready for some cutting. After disconnecting everything from the center console ie. wiring, throttle cables, steering cable etc. I had the marina lift off my center console with there fork lift and placed it on a pallet. It’s going to need some revision around the base in do time. The marina agreed to store it temporarily. So I towed her home and put it in my garage. I had to make some revisions to my back wall! I have an attached shed that gives me an extra 5 or so feet. It fits perfect and I can pull it in and out if I need to. I’ll also need to wear a helmet due to the low hanging joists. Anyway I was crazy enough to enlarge it. The city can’t say anything as long as I keep in the garage. Damn city ordinances. The best thing is the weather broke. The heat index isn’t 100 this week. I’ll see what I can accomplish in a couple of days. I need to check on my trailer at Mitchell’s Bay Marine park on Lake St Clair this weekend. I haven’t seen it for almost two years. That’s a process in itself. Here are my garage pic’s. I plan on some serious rotten wood removal. Thanks, Tom

Back at it! Hi, I’ve been dealing with some family issues since last fall. Life always amazes me good or bad! Things have simmered down and I resumed gutting the Grady White in early February. It’s been in my garage since September. I have removed the sole, (saturated), ended up cutting it down the center at each end to room it after removing the center access panel. I had to cut out the live wells to have access to the hull underneath. Removed 90% of the old foam in the bulkheads. I had left a 3 inch rim of the sole to tie into but it to is saturated. I’ll need to remove that and the remaining foam under the gunnels. If that sounds right? I did get to the transom and removed the rest of it as best I could.I used the multi tool saw and cut chunks out and used my wonder bar and hammer. I then used the blade to skim cut some of the remaining backing of plywood to the shell of the transom. It’s down to less than an eighth of an inch on the shell. Next, I drained 50 gallons of fuel into a clean 55 gallon drum. Then removed the 80 gallon fuel tank and the stinky wet foam underneath. I was happy with the demo so far and haven’t hurt anything yetthat I know of. Haven’t cut through the hull again. I can’t believe the amount of holes in the shell of the transom. I guess after forty years it’s to be expected. More than transducer and screws hole. It’s no wonder why they get wet. Almost looks like Swiss cheese.

So I’m down to the stringers. I used a hole saw and took samples of them. They are all wet except the forward stringers under the forward deck that I left intact. I’m hoping to keep the forward deck in place and tie into the solid stringers. Of course, I’m not sure if that’s the right direction? Your opinions are welcome. I just figured it’ll be a little less work. So my questions are: 1. When cutting out the remaining sole should it be cut at a 90 degree angle or would it be beveled for any reasons? 2. Do you think I can leave the forward deck and tie into the original stringers? The deck is solid. 3. I was going to use my multi tool saw for removing the stringers. It’s time consuming but worked quite well everywhere else. Any tricks to it or advice on stringer removal. That’s enough for now. I almost have all the rot out. Then we can start adding!

Well my pictures didn’t come out right. I reduced the size to medium and thought that would correct the position. What else do I need to do for the correct format. Thanks

You can edit the pictures and resave them and they come out right, but I rarely bother.

See if these are better. I was trying to take some pictures throughout the process.

So I still need to trim the remaining sole and remove the foam under the gunnels . That’s my plan and then start with the stringers. Thanks Hope that makes sense?