I've read the discussions of this subject and thought I would share
today's experience. I recently bought a 17ft. Tidecraft center console
boat. I noticed that it had a little wear on the hull where the bunks hit.

I took it in to find out why it was making water. The repairman tells
me that water had been getting into the hull and that the stringers and
the transome are complete rotted. Further, there is no way to get to
the stringers to repair them. In his opinion, the boat is a total loss.

I do, however, have a good 1997 Mariner 115hp motor. If that's a
consolation.

-Raf

--
Misifus-
Rafael Seibert

http://www.ralphandsue.com

Misifus wrote:
: I've read the discussions of this subject and thought I would share
: today's experience. I recently bought a 17ft. Tidecraft center console
: boat. I noticed that it had a little wear on the hull where the bunks hit.

: I took it in to find out why it was making water. The repairman tells
: me that water had been getting into the hull and that the stringers and
: the transome are complete rotted. Further, there is no way to get to
: the stringers to repair them. In his opinion, the boat is a total loss.

: I do, however, have a good 1997 Mariner 115hp motor. If that's a
: consolation.

It's not impossible to get at the wood transom and wood stringers. I had
both replaced in my boat. It just cost a bit of money. Like about $7K
:-(

b.

Misifus wrote:
I've read the discussions of this subject and thought I would share
today's experience. I recently bought a 17ft. Tidecraft center console
boat. I noticed that it had a little wear on the hull where the bunks hit.

I took it in to find out why it was making water. The repairman tells
me that water had been getting into the hull and that the stringers and
the transome are complete rotted. Further, there is no way to get to
the stringers to repair them. In his opinion, the boat is a total loss.

I do, however, have a good 1997 Mariner 115hp motor. If that's a
consolation.

-Raf

--
Misifus-
Rafael Seibert

http://www.ralphandsue.com


Sorry to hear that your recent purchase didn't work out very well.
The lesson to be learned here is to have an expert look at the boat
prior to purchase, not after. Hopefully somebody will learn from your
experience.

There's no such thing as completely unrepairable, but the situation
could easily be something that would cost more than the boat would ever
be worth when finished.

At least you got a motor, better luck on the next hull.

If you are willing to do the work yourself the materials are not that much.
And there is not a lot of skill involved. It just a lot of messy tedious
work. That's why it's usually expensive.

"Misifus" wrote in message
news:t_h_e.28379$hp.6638@lakeread08...
I've read the discussions of this subject and thought I would share
today's experience. I recently bought a 17ft. Tidecraft center console
boat. I noticed that it had a little wear on the hull where the bunks
hit.

I took it in to find out why it was making water. The repairman tells me
that water had been getting into the hull and that the stringers and the
transome are complete rotted. Further, there is no way to get to the
stringers to repair them. In his opinion, the boat is a total loss.

I do, however, have a good 1997 Mariner 115hp motor. If that's a
consolation.

-Raf

--
Misifus-
Rafael Seibert

http://www.ralphandsue.com

JamesgangNC wrote:
If you are willing to do the work yourself the materials are not that much.
And there is not a lot of skill involved. It just a lot of messy tedious
work. That's why it's usually expensive.

"Misifus" wrote in message
news:t_h_e.28379$hp.6638@lakeread08...

I've read the discussions of this subject and thought I would share
today's experience. I recently bought a 17ft. Tidecraft center console
boat. I noticed that it had a little wear on the hull where the bunks
hit.

I took it in to find out why it was making water. The repairman tells me
that water had been getting into the hull and that the stringers and the
transome are complete rotted. Further, there is no way to get to the
stringers to repair them. In his opinion, the boat is a total loss.

I do, however, have a good 1997 Mariner 115hp motor. If that's a
consolation.

-Raf

--
Misifus-
Rafael Seibert

http://www.ralphandsue.com





Well, that's something to think about.

-Raf

--
Misifus-
Rafael Seibert

http://www.ralphandsue.com

I'm curious, how did the repairman diagnose the completely rotted transom
and stringers?
Before I dumped the boat I'd contact the manufacturer with this year and
serial # to get their opinion on being a "total loss" and/or ability/method
of repair. Also, where was the water coming in? Finally, how did the wear
on the hull from the bunks relate to the observation that the transom and
stringers were rotted?

If you really like the boat and it suits your needs, look into other
options. take a look at http://www.transomrepair.com/
LD

"Misifus" wrote in message
news:t_h_e.28379$hp.6638@lakeread08...
I've read the discussions of this subject and thought I would share
today's experience. I recently bought a 17ft. Tidecraft center console
boat. I noticed that it had a little wear on the hull where the bunks
hit.

I took it in to find out why it was making water. The repairman tells
me that water had been getting into the hull and that the stringers and
the transome are complete rotted. Further, there is no way to get to
the stringers to repair them. In his opinion, the boat is a total loss.

I do, however, have a good 1997 Mariner 115hp motor. If that's a
consolation.

-Raf

--
Misifus-
Rafael Seibert

http://www.ralphandsue.com

That's an intersting idea for transom repair. The traditional method is to
completely cut away the inside fiberglass but if you can dig the wood out
without doing that it would be a lot simpler. Unfortunatly the floor has to
be removed to repair stringers.

"LD" wrote in message
...
I'm curious, how did the repairman diagnose the completely rotted transom
and stringers?
Before I dumped the boat I'd contact the manufacturer with this year and
serial # to get their opinion on being a "total loss" and/or
ability/method
of repair. Also, where was the water coming in? Finally, how did the
wear
on the hull from the bunks relate to the observation that the transom and
stringers were rotted?

If you really like the boat and it suits your needs, look into other
options. take a look at http://www.transomrepair.com/
LD

"Misifus" wrote in message
news:t_h_e.28379$hp.6638@lakeread08...
I've read the discussions of this subject and thought I would share
today's experience. I recently bought a 17ft. Tidecraft center console
boat. I noticed that it had a little wear on the hull where the bunks
hit.

I took it in to find out why it was making water. The repairman tells
me that water had been getting into the hull and that the stringers and
the transome are complete rotted. Further, there is no way to get to
the stringers to repair them. In his opinion, the boat is a total loss.

I do, however, have a good 1997 Mariner 115hp motor. If that's a
consolation.

-Raf

--
Misifus-
Rafael Seibert

http://www.ralphandsue.com

If you really like the boat and it suits your needs, look into other
options. take a look at http://www.transomrepair.com/

JamesgangNC wrote:
That's an intersting idea for transom repair.

I especially like the first step: "completely remove all rotted wood."
Nice & simple.

... The traditional method is to
completely cut away the inside fiberglass but if you can dig the wood out
without doing that it would be a lot simpler.

Yes, maybe some kind of double rotary cutting head on an extra long
Dremel, with a vacuum hose attachment?

I wonder if it wouldn't be easier to just saw off the transom from the
outside, re-core it, and fiberglass it back on. This can be done with
the result being stronger than new and only very slightly heavier
(lighter if you use new hi-tech cloth for the tabbing)... and with a
little refinishing, will look better than new, too.

... Unfortunatly the floor has to
be removed to repair stringers.

Yeah, it'd be easier to gut the boat. Give you a good chance to re-wire
it, too.

Sometimes I completely understand the urge to just build the whole boat
from scratch.

Fair Skies
Doug King

I did mine two years ago. Most of the wood was so rotten it came out with a
shopvac w/1/2" conduit duct taped to the vac. I also know someone who
removed some a little tougher with a chain saw! I didn't use the SeaCast
but used a local supplier and saved a lot of money using their resin and
filler (marketed for boats) which was a mix of 1" glass fibers, calcium
silicate and a foaming agent. End result was about the density of oak and
will outlast all of us. Fortunately, I didn't have to do anything with the
stringers except plug the end at the transom. I did this by drilling a 3/16
or 1/4" hole through the transom and squirting some of the expanding
urethane foam to plug them. If you must redo the stringers, then I guess
the floor must come off or maybe like you said, cut off the transom for
access and somehow clean out and pour the stringers (by pointing the bow
down hill?)
If anyone's interested, I took pics and would be glad to send.
LD

"DSK" wrote in message
...
If you really like the boat and it suits your needs, look into other
options. take a look at http://www.transomrepair.com/

JamesgangNC wrote:
That's an intersting idea for transom repair.

I especially like the first step: "completely remove all rotted wood."
Nice & simple.

... The traditional method is to
completely cut away the inside fiberglass but if you can dig the wood
out
without doing that it would be a lot simpler.

Yes, maybe some kind of double rotary cutting head on an extra long
Dremel, with a vacuum hose attachment?

I wonder if it wouldn't be easier to just saw off the transom from the
outside, re-core it, and fiberglass it back on. This can be done with
the result being stronger than new and only very slightly heavier
(lighter if you use new hi-tech cloth for the tabbing)... and with a
little refinishing, will look better than new, too.

... Unfortunatly the floor has to
be removed to repair stringers.

Yeah, it'd be easier to gut the boat. Give you a good chance to re-wire
it, too.

Sometimes I completely understand the urge to just build the whole boat
from scratch.

Fair Skies
Doug King

Around 9/28/2005 7:12 AM, DSK wrote:

JamesgangNC wrote:

LD wrote:

If you really like the boat and it suits your needs, look into other
options. take a look at http://www.transomrepair.com/


That's an intersting idea for transom repair.


I especially like the first step: "completely remove all rotted wood."
Nice & simple.

Heh.

... The traditional method is to completely cut away the inside
fiberglass but if you can dig the wood out without doing that it would
be a lot simpler.


Yes, maybe some kind of double rotary cutting head on an extra long
Dremel, with a vacuum hose attachment?

Didn't I read somewhere on that site that those guys are looking at
making a special chainsaw attachment?

They have pictures of themselves using a regular chainsaw
http://www.transomrepair.com/transom/chainsawing.jpg, but you would
really have to know what you're doing so that you wouldn't cut through
anything you didn't want to.


I wonder if it wouldn't be easier to just saw off the transom from the
outside, re-core it, and fiberglass it back on.

Inside! If you do it from the outside, it'll be almost impossible to
hide the work. It'd take more than just a little refinishing...


This can be done with
the result being stronger than new and only very slightly heavier
(lighter if you use new hi-tech cloth for the tabbing)... and with a
little refinishing, will look better than new, too.

... Unfortunatly the floor has to be removed to repair stringers.


Yeah, it'd be easier to gut the boat. Give you a good chance to re-wire
it, too.

Yup.


Sometimes I completely understand the urge to just build the whole boat
from scratch.

It is nice to have the shell of a good hull to work with...


--
~/Garth - 1966 Glastron V-142 Skiflite: "Blue-Boat"
"There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing about in boats."
-Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows